logo
episode-header-image
Jul 2024
46m 3s

President William McKinley: The Secret S...

History Hit
About this episode

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?


Don speaks with Kim Kenney, Executive Director at the McKinley Presidential Library & Museum. Together, they take us through McKinley's background, election and term in office, as well as looking at his lasting impact on America.


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


Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Sign here for up to 50% for 3 months using code AMERICANHISTORY.


You can take part in our listener survey here.


American History Hit is a History Hit podcast.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Up next
Yesterday
The Quaker Who Put Penn in Pennsylvania
From being locked up in the Tower of London to founding the 5th most populous state in the country, and the city at the heart of the Revolution, today we are charting the unlikely rise of William Penn and the founding on Pennsylvania.Don is joined by Thomas Hamm, Emeritus Profess ... Show More
54m 59s
May 7
Stonewall Jackson's Last Battle: Chancellorsville
It was Robert E. Lee's greatest strategic triumph but it came at a heavy cost - the loss of his talismanic leader and friend Stonewall Jackson among thousands of Confederate casualties. Guiding Don Wildman through what happened back in 1863 is Dr Bradford Wineman. His new book is ... Show More
42m 5s
May 4
A Day in the Life of a Puritan
What if we told you that puritans were actually sex-crazed? Well maybe not crazed but definitely not opposed to it.What if we told you that, actually, the entire mainstream belief of puritans being bound to strict moral and religious codes isn't totally true?In this episode of Am ... Show More
53m 36s
Recommended Episodes
Nov 2024
Sex Lives of Presidents
<p>With the US election happening, we wanted to take a look back at the presidents from the past what we know about their sex lives.</p><br><p>Which president was well-endowed and supposedly presented it to staff in the Oval Office? Which president had an affair on his honeymoon? ... Show More
36m 57s
Sep 2025
601. Scandal in the White House
Who was Grover Cleveland, and why is he one of the most controversial American Presidents of all time? Why was the run up to his first term, in 1884 at the height of the Gilded Age, so pivotal to American politics? How did he rocket to the heights of political power? What dark se ... Show More
1h 11m
Nov 2025
Sketches in History | The President's Watch
The 15-Minute History Podcast team welcomes you to a new season of Sketches in History. This segment, just for kids, shows that history isn’t just a story—it’s an adventure. Join Lottie Archer as she dives into her extraordinary notebook, where sketches from history come to life. ... Show More
13m 23s
Oct 2025
The Cold War
For decades after the Second World War, the Soviet Union and the United States of America were locked in a conflict of ideology that took the planet to the brink of catastrophe. Known as the Cold War, it was an era of paranoia, fear and mutual suspicion, where the contest for sup ... Show More
57m 50s
May 2024
The REAL Bridgerton: Queen Charlotte, Lord Byron & Georgian Celebrity
<p>The third season of Bridgerton is out and we are back in sexy scandalous Georgian society. But while we watch, we're taking a step back to ask: how real is Bridgerton?</p><br><p>On this second episode in our REAL Bridgerton mini-series, we're looking at the royals and celebrit ... Show More
43m 8s
May 2024
A Deep Dive Into The Cultural Cold War (1960) w/ Benjamen Walker
<p>It's May 5th. This day in 1960, a British theater critic named Kenneth Tynan is hauled before a Senate sub-committee to answer questions about what is seen as his anti-American work.</p><p>It's a moment that captures the cultural and political swirl of the late 50s, which is t ... Show More
24m 15s
Aug 2017
War powers and national security
Article I of the Constitution gives Congress the power to declare war, raise armies, and regulate forces. Yet Article II names the President the Commander-in-Chief and vests him with the executive power. Who should be in charge of the nation’s security? What does the Constitution ... Show More
57m 39s
Sep 2025
History's Worst F*ckboys: Charles II
Our mini-series exploring the worst f*ckboys in history is back!In today's episode, Kate is joined by Dr. David Taylor of Oxford University to get to know the so-called Merry Monarch and the many women in his life.Was it better to be married or be a mistress to Charles II? How ma ... Show More
44m 49s
Sep 2025
Post-911 Patriotic Mania (2001) [Chilled Speech Week Pt 2]
<p>This week, we're bringing you two episodes that highlight periods in American history where political speech was being policied, repressed, and persecuted -- much like it is today.</p><p>Today: A look back at the way speech was policed in the wake of the 9-11 attacks. Bill Mah ... Show More
31m 42s