logo
episode-header-image
May 2024
1h 1m

156: The Presidency of “Silent” Cal Cool...

PROF. GREG JACKSON
About this episode
“I believe I can swing it.” This is the story of the Coolidge Administration. Calvin Coolidge isn’t the most talkative guy–he’s painfully shy, to be frank–but “Silent Cal” does care deeply about public service. Over the years, the thrifty, hard-working New Englander moves up the ranks, from municipal offices to state offices, until, as Massachusetts Govern ... Show More
Up next
Today
205: Total War on the Home Front: Victory Gardens, Volunteering, and the Double V
“I suggest that while we keep defense and victory in the forefront, that we don't lose sight of our fight for true democracy at home.” This is the story of life on the American home front. While millions of brave men and women are sacrificing life and limb “over there,” those lef ... Show More
1h 2m
May 4
Bonus: “Messy Tales,” an Excerpt from the Prof’s book, Been There, Done That
Been There, Done That: How Our History Shows What We Can Overcome, Prof. Jackson’s new book publishing June 16th, takes us on a chronological journey—from the very start of the republic in 1789, through the end of the nineteenth century—while telling stories not heard in the podc ... Show More
34m 42s
Apr 27
204: The Holocaust: Anne Frank, the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, & Auschwitz
“Everybody’s dead. Don’t ask me about anybody. Everybody’s dead.” This is the story of the Final Solution. From Anne Frank’s annex to countless ghettos, Jews who have thus far avoided the concentration camps are increasingly being funneled there. Jewish leaders like Chaim Rumkows ... Show More
1h 6m
Recommended Episodes
Dec 2024
President Calvin Coolidge: The Roaring 20s' Quiet Leader
<p>Sworn in after the death of President Harding by the light of a kerosene lamp, the 30th President of the United States led the country through 6 years of the prosperous roaring 1920s.</p><br><p>Coolidge polled more than 54% of the popular vote in 1924, so what was so good abou ... Show More
48m 31s
Dec 2024
President Carter: The 60 Minutes Interviews
President Jimmy Carter, who died on December 29th at the age of 100, sat down with 60 Minutes three times during his long life: once while in office; once soon after losing his re-election bid; and once in his golden years. In all of the interviews, he was candid -- sometimes eve ... Show More
34m 21s
Jan 2025
President FDR & the New Deal
<p>In 1932, amidst the Great Depression, Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected the 32nd President of the United States. He was more than a leader; he was a beacon of hope, steering the nation through its darkest days... and the newly-elected president had a plan.</p><br><p>In this ep ... Show More
39m 53s
Jul 2024
President William McKinley: The Secret Service & the Spanish-American War
<p>Why does the Secret Service protect the President of the United States? And what can we learn from McKinley's life and presidency, not just his assassination?</p><br><p>Don speaks with Kim Kenney, Executive Director at the McKinley Presidential Library & Museum. Together, they ... Show More
46m 3s
Aug 2024
Encore: Presidential Assassinations | Anarchist at the Exposition | 3
<p>In September 1901, President William McKinley visited the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, New York to deliver a speech celebrating American achievements at home and abroad. But waiting in the crowd in Buffalo was an embittered Polish-American laborer seeking to prove his c ... Show More
36m 22s
Aug 2024
American presidents
Max Pearson presents a collection of the week's Witness History episodes.It's 50 years since Richard Nixon became the first US president in history to resign, following the Watergate scandal.To mark this anniversary, we're featuring first hand accounts from major moments in US pr ... Show More
51 m
Jul 2025
Episode #231 - Why President McKinley? (Part II)
<p>The 1896 election of William McKinley has been noted as an inflection point in American politics. But, historians are often conflicted about what story they want to tell. It could be seen as moment when Americans rejected a populist firebrand, critical of the wealthy and appea ... Show More
1h 15m
Sep 2024
SEASON PREMIERE: Nixon Does Whatever It Takes to Win in ’68
September 16, 1968. Richard Nixon isn't exactly seen as a comedian. But tonight, he's trying to change that by appearing on Laugh-In, a TV show similar to Saturday Night Live. Nixon needs every vote he can get in the 1968 election, facing off against Hubert Humphrey, the vice pre ... Show More
37m 59s
Nov 2024
President Warren G. Harding: Scandals, Affairs & Cabinet Selections
<p>Despite dying as one of the most popular presidents in history, the 29th Commander-in-Chief has been consistently ranked one of the worst of the American Presidents.</p><br><p>What caused this fall from grace? From the Teapot Dome Scandal to the Veterans Bureau Scandal, to the ... Show More
43m 19s
Sep 2025
The First Lady Who Tamed the Bull Moose
September 14, 1901. Midnight in the Adirondacks. A pounding knock at the door jolts Theodore and Edith Roosevelt awake. William McKinley is dead. Hours later, Theodore will be sworn in as the youngest president in U.S. history. But Edith barely flinches—her diary that day notes h ... Show More
41m 7s