American History Hit

Did New Orleans' officials bomb the levees protecting the Lower Ninth Ward in 1965?

When Hurricane Betsy swept through the Atlantic Basin, it killed at least 76 people, led to a 10 foot storm surge, and was the first tropical cyclone to cause $1 billion worth of damages.

It also left many of the residents of New Orleans wondering, was all that damage really natural? Or had the authorities given it a helping hand?

Andy Horo...

A Supreme Court decision that sent shockwaves across America. Dred Scott v Sandford, 1857. Who was the Chief Justice responsible for the decision? On what grounds did he rule that Dred Scott, and by extension all African Americans, was not a citizen of the US? Don is joined by renowned historian Kate Masur, author of "Until Justice Be Done: America's First Civil Rights Movement".

Edited by Aidan Lonergan. Producer is Freddy Chic...

Why not have a go at understanding one of the most famous conspiracies of the 20th Century?

We will probably never get an answer for what really happened in Dallas on November 22, 1963. But in this episode, we're questioning why? What is the evidence that prevents us from believing the conclusion that Lee Harvey Oswald was a lone gunman.

To explore this, Don is joined by Jefferson Morley. Jefferson is a former Washington Post...

Was 'Bleeding Kansas' a dress rehearsal for the Civil War to come? During the 1850s pro-slavery and anti-slavery settlers clashed in the newly created territory of Kansas. From guerrilla raids and political chaos to the rise of key figures like John Brown, we uncover how this brutal conflict exposed the deep national divide — and ask whether the Civil War truly began long before 1861.

Our guest is Dr Kristen Epps is a historian ...

How did the pre-Christian commemoration of Samhain travel across the seas from Ancient Ireland to America? And how did it evolve into the Halloween we know and love to this day?

In this special spooky episode Don welcomes Dr Kelly Fitzgerald, Head of the School of Irish, Celtic Studies and Folklore at University College Dublin, to take us through Halloween's stateside origins.

Edited by Aidan Lonergan. Produced by Freddy Chic...

What makes a war a World War? If it's the involvement of multiple major world powers, will France, Spain and the Netherlands do?

If it's battles fought globally, do Canada, West Africa, India and the Mediterranean count? On top of the 13 colonies?

In this episode, Don is joined by Richard Bell from the University of Maryland. Richard is the author of ‘The American Revolution and the Fate of the World'.

Edited by Tim Arstal...

‘No occurrence in the course of the war has given me more painful sensations.' This was George Washington's response when the idea of his becoming 'King' was put to him.

But what if he had? What would an American royalty look like? Who would have succeeded Washington? And why did this not happen?

Don is joined for this episode by Michael Hattem, author of The Memory of ’76: The Revolution in American History’ and ‘Past and Pr...

On October 22 1962, President John F. Kennedy announced that Soviet missiles has been discovered in Cuba. Over the following days, the fate of the Americas was on the line.

In this episode, Don is joined once again by Renata Keller to explore the causes and events of the Cuban Missile Crisis, and to discuss what might have happened had the situation not been resolved.

Renata's new book 'The Fate of the Americas: The Cuban Mis...

The Agency. The Company. Langley.

Without the Central Intelligence Agency, would we talk about conspiracy theories as much as we do? Who would be in power in Guatemala? What about Iran? Would the Bourne films ever have been made?

Don is joined by Jeffrey Rogg to discuss what would have happened had the CIA never been founded. Jeff is a Senior Research Fellow at the Global and National Security Institute at the University of S...

Happy 250th Birthday to the US Navy! Today Don asks, who was John Paul Jones and did he really father the US Navy? Our guest is historian James L. Nelson, author of 'Washington's Secret Navy'.

In July 2026, tall ships of the world will be coming to Port of New York and New Jersey. Find out more here: https://sail4th.org/

Edited by Tim Arstall. Produced by Freddy Chick. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long.

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What should we look for in a great President? Who was the greatest of all time? And is it harder for modern Presidents to make the top of the list? Don is joined by Professor Jeremi Suri, author of The Impossible Presidency and co-host of This Is Democracy.

Edited by Sophie Gee and Freddy Chick. Produced by Freddy Chick. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long.

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'Canada ought to be the 14th colony' was a view held by many American revolutionaries. In the winter of 1775, Benedict Arnold led an incredible (if doomed) mission to make it happen.

We're delighted to be joined again by Maj. Jonathan D. Bratten, historian for the Maine National Guard.

Edited by Tim Arstall. Produced by Freddy Chick. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long.

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What makes a bad President? Who was the worst of all time? Don is joined by Professor Jeremi Suri, author of The Impossible Presidency and co-host of This Is Democracy.

Next week we'll be looking at who is the best President ever!

Edited by Tim Arstall. Produced by Freddy Chick. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long.

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'A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.'

The Second Amendment, included in the Bill of Rights, was ratified in 1791. It went largely unquestioned until the mid 20th century but is now one of the most contentious questions in US politics.

So what did the writers of the Second Amendment set out to protect? How has it been ...

In the wake of Abraham Lincoln’s election, Southern leaders made a fateful choice: to break from the Union. Yet instead of plunging the country into war, what followed next was a tense standoff. There were, as we'll learn today, twists and turns on the path from Secession to all out Civil War.

Edited by Tomos Delargy. Produced by Freddy Chick. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.

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From being within its sphere of influence to acting as a thorn in its side, Cuba has always been seen as strategically important to the USA. What has the nature of their relationship been historically? What is the legacy of the Cold War within Cuba? And what does the future hold for prospects of normalisation?

In this episode, Professor Michael Bustamante joins Don to take us through the historic highs and lows of Cuban-American...

John Brown's raid on Harpers Ferry helped cause the Civil War. His is a magnetic persona that's hard to take your eyes away from. But who were the people who inspired him? Who funded him? Who joined him on the raid? It turns out there's a lot more to the story as Don learns with today's guest Dr Kellie Carter Jackson author of We Refuse: A Forceful History of Black Resistance" and co-host of the "This Day" podcast.

Edited by Tim...

How did California become the Golden State? It's a story that includes conquistadors, missionaries, gold miners, railroad builders and tourists, to name a few.

Don is joined by Michael Hiltzik, author of 'Golden State: The Making of California', to explore the history of the home of one in eight Americans.

Produced by Sophie Gee. Edited by Tim Arstall. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long.

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How did the politicians in Washington D.C. push America towards the one thing they wanted to avoid: all out Civil War? We look at how the violent and frat house culture that existed within D.C. played its part, and at the chronic failure of leadership from those sitting atop of this steaming mess - the Presidents.

We're joined by returning guest (from our Franklin Pierce episode) Brian C Neumann, author of 'Bloody Flag of Anarch...