In August 1814, the White House burned. A fire that would eventually consume the entire nation in Civil War was already burning. This is Antebellum America.
This is the adolescence of the United States, when the country grew at tremendous speed, and when fundamental questions about the kind of place it would be were being asked. Like, could the states put t ... Show More
Apr 2018
The Age of Jackson | Good Feelings | 2
<p>In the summer of 1817, President James Monroe toured the country in an effort to unite the ever-growing United States, torn between bitter political battles that overshadowed national conflict.</p><p>To Monroe, the nation seemed ready “to get back into the great family of the ... Show More
31m 50s
Apr 2018
The Age of Jackson | King Mob | 3
<p>From the beginning, Jackson's administration was riddled with controversy. Citizens mobbed the White House on inauguration day, breaking furniture and fine china. They were only lured out with alcohol. And then there was the "Petticoat Affair." His Secretary of War, John Henry ... Show More
32m 59s
May 2019
The Civil War, Reconstruction, and the Gilded Age: An Interview with Stanford's Professor Richard White
<p>The Civil War and its decades-long aftermath continue to define American life well into the twenty-first century. Today we chat with Stanford's Professor Richard White, author of <em>The Republic For Which It Stands: The United States During Reconstruction and the Gilded Age, ... Show More
44m 20s
Nov 2019
The Black Congressmen of Reconstruction: Death of Representation
During the 1870s, more than a dozen African American men, many of whom had been born into slavery, were elected to the U.S. Congress. These political pioneers symbolized the sky high hopes of millions of former slaves during the years right after the Civil War. It was a period th ... Show More
44m 31s
Mar 2024
The Founding Fathers of the US
The founding of the United States on July 4th, 1776, changed the world, and inspired other colonies to control their own destinies. The men responsible for writing and signing the Declaration of Independence - the Founding Fathers - have gone down in history as legends, with an a ... Show More
58m 39s
Jan 2019
Civil Wars and Political Breakdowns in Late Medieval Europe
<p>The Wars of the Roses are infamous, but practically every European kingdom, not just England, was wracked by serious bouts of infighting in the second half of the 15th century. In a time period known for the growth of state power, why were there so many civil wars - and why we ... Show More
55m 31s