It’s August 22nd. This day in 1831, Nathaniel “Nat” Turner is leading a rebellion in Southampton, Virginia — what would become perhaps the most famous slave revolt in the Antebellum South. But there’s a hidden story.
Jody, Niki, and Kellie are joined by Vanessa Holden of the University of Kentucky to discuss how it was the larger community in Southampton, ... Show More
Yesterday
"With Malice Towards None" w/ Jamelle Bouie [Part Two]
We continue our conversation about Lincoln's second inaugural address with a close reading of how it was written and addressed.Jody, Niki, and Kellie are joined by special guest Jamelle Bouie to break it down, line by line. Be sure to check out his work in the New York Times, on ... Show More
44m 39s
Mar 3
Lincoln's Second Inaugural w/ Jamelle Bouie (1865) [Part 1]
This week on "50 Weeks That Shaped America," we're headed to March 1865 to talk ab out Abraham Lincoln for the first time in our series. There are two speeches inscribed in the Lincoln Memorial - Gettysburg, of course, but also his second inaugural address. If people know they sp ... Show More
40m 26s
Mar 1
How To 250: Live from On Air Fest!
This past week, we took part in On Air Fest in Brooklyn, soft-launching a series of bonus conversations about America 250 and the work of history in 2026. We talked about which events we're actually excited to attend, how we'd craft the perfect historical road trip, and what stor ... Show More
25m 59s
Jun 2023
Oprah Confronts Racism In Forsyth, GA w/ Carol Anderson
**Help support the show as we get back to making new episodes. You can donate right on our website YouGetAPodcast.com** This episode, we revisit perhaps our most-requested episode, and a touchstone moment in the OWS history. In 1987, Oprah took her show to the town of Forsyth, Ge ... Show More
42m 20s
Sep 2019
Zora Neale Hurston and Langston Hughes (with Yuval Taylor)
They were collaborators, literary gadflies, and champions of the common people. They were the leading lights of the Harlem Renaissance. Their names were Zora Neale Hurston (1891 - 1960), the author of Their Eyes Were Watching God, and Langston Hughes (1902 - 1967), the author of ... Show More
1h 1m
Apr 2022
What Was It Like To Get Loved Up In Georgian England? with Dr. Sally Holloway
This one’s for everyone who watched Bridgerton and wondered: could I get it in Georgian England?! Dr. Sally Holloway joins Jonathan to discuss the ins and outs of love and courtship in this era, including gifts and letters people would exchange, 18th century contraception, and th ... Show More
1h 3m
Mar 2022
EP204: The Joys of An Ordinary Tree and The Epic Life of Cornelius Vanderbilt
On this episode of Our American Stories, Joy Neal Kidney, author of Leora's Letters: The Story of Love and Loss for an Iowa Family During World War II, tells the story of the ordinary tree in her yard which has given her so much. In his Pulitzer Prize-winning biography, The Firs ... Show More
38m 16s
Jun 2022
What Stories Do America’s Monuments Tell? with Dr. Elizabeth Alexander
You’re planning an afternoon with friends, just east of Atlanta, Georgia. A picnic, maybe a scenic walk, some fireworks as the sun goes down. You find a park that seems to have it all: Stone Mountain. Then you do some research on it—and learn that it holds significance for the Co ... Show More
53m 29s
Aug 2023
Folk Heroes: Annie Christmas
Annie Christmas (c. 1900s) was a fantastical figure based on a real person, but stories about her were passed down through oral tradition, old timey radio shows, collections of folklore and children’s tales. This brawny and brave keelboat captain has been hailed as the queen of t ... Show More
6m 39s
Aug 2023
Folk Heroes: Mother Shipton (Ursula Southeil)
Ursula Southeil (c. 1488-1561), better known as “Mother Shipton,” was an English prophetess and seeress known for her predictions about the future. In the decades following her death, Ursula’s own life became the source of speculation and rumor. She was called Devil’s spawn, a wi ... Show More
5m 38s