American History Hit

Britain shipped convicts to America from the days of Jamestown right up until 1775. More than 50,000 were sent. To explore this too seldom told tale, we are joined by Dr Anna McKay from the University of Liverpool, a historian of prisoners in the British Empire.

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

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In 1775, revolutionaries went to war against the British. Seeking independence from colonial ties, they fought more than 150 battles over eight years.

A relatively new nation of just 2.5 million people facing off against the greatest military power on the planet at that time, it seemed like a tall order. So when did the tide turn? When did it become certain that the revolutionaries would gain their independence?

In this first...

The People's Republic of China has only existed since 1949, but in just 75 years its relationship with the United States is in a strong position to be the most tumultuous of all.

Don is joined by Rana Mitter for this episode of Frenemies. Rana is S. T. Lee Professor of U.S.-Asia Relations at the Harvard Kennedy School and, with Don, he helps to unravel the ups and downs of this relationship. How did the two countries start o...

President George H. W. Bush presided over the Gulf War, the conclusion of the Cold War, the collapse of the USSR and the fall of the Berlin Wall during what proved an eventful single term of office from 1989 to 1993. But what was his answer to the burning question of the age, the legacy of which rumbles on down to this very day: 'What next?' 

Don's guide to this pivotal presidency is Professor Jeremi Suri author of The Impo...

For nearly half a century, the United States and Russia stood as adversaries, entrenched in a tense geopolitical rivalry known as the Cold War. Yet this period represents only a brief chapter in the broader, more complex history of their relationship...

In this episode, Professor Vladislav Zubok joins Don to take us through the historic highs and lows of Russo-American relations.

Vlad is a professor at LSE and is the author o...

June 19, 1865 - Galveston, Texas, a general in the Union army announced to the people of Texas that all enslaved African Americans were free. Over time the date has grown from a local to a national holiday, a marker of freedom, of family, and of joy and continued struggle that emerged from this cauldron of the war.

Don's guest today is Mark Anthony Neal, Professor of African & African American Studies at Duke University and host...

How did the British win the first major battle of the Revolutionary War? In this episode, Don is joined by Major Jonathan Bratten of the Maine Army National Guard.

Together, they discuss the myths of the battle, the missteps of the British and what George Washington thought about it all.

Edited by Aidan Lonergan, produced by Sophie Gee, Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.

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The Federal Government. Tens of thousands of Native American children. Around 50 boarding schools across the United States. This is the story of one of the darkest practices in American History.

Our expert guest for this episode is Mary Annette Pember, author of 'Medicine River: A Story of Survival and the Legacy of Indian Boarding Schools'. Together, Mary and Don explore why Native American boarding schools were set up, who ran...

Since their respective revolutions, the USA and France have been intrinsically linked. But what have the highest points in their relationship been? And what about the lowest?

In this episode, Professor Kathryn Statler joins Don to take us through 250 years of cooperation and conflict.

Kathryn is a Professor of History at the University of San Diego, and author of books including 'Replacing France: The Origins of American Inte...

Think what you like about him, Ronald Reagan was a big hitter and his presidency changed America. This ex-Hollywood actor's eight years in office set the political agenda in ways we live with today.

To discuss this most charismatic of Presidents, Don is joined by Jeremi Suri host of the 'This Is Democracy' podcast & author of 'The Impossible Presidency: The Rise and Fall of America's Highest Office'.

Edited by Sophie Gee. Pro...

With almost 2,000 miles of shared border, the United States and Mexico have a long history of cooperation and conflict. From territory and trade, to migration and the war on drugs - in this episode we are going to explore this relationship.

Don is joined by Professor Renata Keller from the University of Nevada, Reno. Renata's upcoming book is 'The Fate of the Americas: The Cuban Missile Crisis and the Hemispheric Cold War'. She ...

The staggering casualties of the Battle of Shiloh shocked both the North and South, marking a turning point in public perception of the Civil War's likely length and brutality. It also cemented a name in the public imagination - Ulysses S. Grant.

Don's guest is Dr Timothy B. Smith, author of 'Shiloh: Conquer or Perish'.

Editor Ayman Alolayan, Producer Sophie Gee, Senior Producer Charlotte Long.

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What did the appearance of a comet in 1997 have to do with a tragic event in San Diego? Was Heaven's Gate a cult? And how does it compare to the other groups we have looked into on American History Hit?

Benjamin Zeller, author of 'Heaven's Gate: America's UFO Religion', joins Don to discuss the group's history, beliefs, and their final act. Ben is Professor of Religion at Lake Forest College.

Edited by Tim Arstall, Produced b...

Gerald Ford is the only person to serve as president without being elected to either the presidency or the vice presidency. He was handed a poisoned chalice and for many he's only remembered as the butt of Saturday Night Live. But there's much more to his story.

Don's guest is Professor Kathryn Brownell, author of 24/7 Politics: Cable Television and the Fragmenting of America from Watergate to Fox News.

Edited by Tim Arstall,...

In the summer of 1969, Hollywood was shaken by a set of brutal murders. Their perpetrators? The infamous Charles Manson and his 'family'.

In this episode Jeff Melnick joins Don to discuss how Manson and his followers came to occupy such a strong position in our cultural imagination.

Jeff is Graduate Program Director for American Studies at the University of Massachusetts, and the author of 'Creepy Crawling: Charles Manson and...

How did cities grow in America's largest and hottest desert? How did the rivers of the South West shape its history? Don is joined by Kyle Paoletta, author of American Oasis, to explore the complex and diverse history of the American South West.

Edited by Aidan Lonergan, produced by Sophie Gee, Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.

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Did you ever wonder where the phrase 'drink the Kool-Aid' came from? In this second episode about the Peoples Temple, we rejoin them in Jonestown, Guyana.

How planned was the final 'white night'? Did anyone survive? And what happened to the notorious Jim Jones?

Don is joined once again by author and scholar Annie Dawid, who has spent over two decades researching Peoples Temple.

Produced by Sophie Gee. Edited by Tim Arstall...

May 8th saw the final surrender of Nazi Germany, marking the end of the Second World War in Europe. Eighty years on, we're taking a look at the final months of fighting in 1945. What were the experiences of US troops like on the ground? And what motivated the strategies of its political leaders?

Don's guest is James Holland, co-host of the podcast We Have Ways of Making You Talk. His new book, Victory ‘45: The End of the War in ...

On November 18th, 1978, over 900 people died at an American settlement in the jungle of Guyana called Jonestown. In this first of two episodes, we are going to find out how they ended up in South America.

Who was the eponymous Reverend Jim Jones, notorious leader of the cult? What did the Peoples Temple believe in? How and why did they make the journey from Indiana to California to Guyana?

Don is joined by author and scholar ...