In the United States, questions of how we celebrate – or condemn – leaders in the past have never been more contentious. In 2017, a statue of Robert E. Lee was removed – leading to a race riot and terrorist attack. But in 2020, statues of George...
Sep 10
Do Napoleons or Hitlers Really Matter? Whether Leaders Make History or Their Societies Make Them
On March 13, 1930, Adolf Hitler was sitting in the passenger seat of his chauffeur-driven car when a trailer truck sped through an intersection and struck the vehicle, pushing it across the road and stopping just short of crushing it. Everyone survived. Three years later, Hitler ... Show More
44m 16s
Sep 8
Washington’s Most Revolutionary Moment Was Surrendering Absolute Power
Washington’s most extraordinary achievement was not winning the Revolutionary War or helping found a new nation. It was something far rarer: He gave up power, twice. First, when he resigned his command after victory. Then again, when he stepped down as president, establishing a p ... Show More
54m 12s
Sep 3
Japan's Military Refused to Surrender Even After Two Atomic Bombs and a Coup Nearly Succeeded
At 1:15 p.m. on April 12, 1945, Franklin Roosevelt was sitting for a portrait at his cottage in Warm Springs, Georgia, when his face suddenly fell forward. He raised his left hand to his temple and whispered to his cousin Daisy: "I have a terrific pain in the back of my head." He ... Show More
45m 32s
May 2022
The rise and fall of America's monuments
Jamil Smith talks with Erin Thompson, professor of art crime and author of Smashing Statues: The Rise and Fall of America's Public Monuments. They discuss why we honor horrible people from the past in metal and stone, what effects these objects have on our present, and what's kee ... Show More
48m 46s
Mar 2022
Cecil Rhodes: Imperial pioneer or South Africa's Hitler?
The statue of Cecil Rhodes at Oriel College, Oxford has been at the epicentre of debates over Britain’s imperial past. To some, he is an inspiring pioneer and philanthropist. To others, he represents everything wrong with colonialism. So should Rhodes fall? To find out, Steven Ed ... Show More
24m 39s