Podcast
American History Hotline
Hosted by iHeartPodcasts · EN
Bob Crawford searches for the best historians and experts to answer listener questions about American history — from the Revolutionary War to rock & roll feuds. Got a question? Send it to AmericanHistoryHotline@gmail.com.
54episodes
Episodes
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The Pequot War: Native American Diplomacy and Warfare
4d ago00:23:53Summary readyMaybe we can add another guarantee, besides "death" and "taxes" ... "trade wars." In the early days of America, Native Nations were fighting over trade and power. And they saw the arrival of the Europeans as a tool to defeat their rivals. It's a period that led to shifting allegiances in a fight for dominance. And the clearest example of this early diplomacy is The Pequot War of the 1630s. To learn how this war depicts Native American alliances and shifting allegiances, Bob calls up Kathleen DuVal, author of Native Nations: A Millennium in North America. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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What was Ellis Island Really Like?
2w ago00:25:57Summary readyWhat was it really like to come to America through Ellis Island? For millions of immigrants in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, this little spit of land in New York Harbor was the gateway to a better future … IF they could pass a physical exam. To get the real-life experience of coming through Ellis Island, Bob calls up historian Vincent Cannato (author of American Passage: The History of Ellis Island – A Sweeping Epic of Immigration at the Nation's Landmark Port of Entry). From quick and dirty medical exams to some weird name changes, Cannato separates fact from fiction, and explains why Ellis Island is synonymous with American immigration. We’ll also explore how Ellis Island marked a turning point in American immigration policy — with power shifting from the states to the federal government. And why is Ellis Island viewed with such nostalgia while Angel Island in San Francisco Bay is not? We’ve got all that and more in this episode!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Did JFK Save a Man's Life?
3w ago00:41:27Summary readyYou can't spell "hero" without JFK. Ok, so you can. But that doesn't take away from the fact that a young John F. Kennedy saved a man's life in WWII — a war he wasn't even supposed to be in! Bob calls up Alexis Coe, New York Times bestselling presidential historian and author of Young Jack: A Biography of John F. Kennedy, 1917–1957, to uncover the thrilling true story of JFK towing an injured crew mate through shark infested waters (by his teeth!) to safety. Alexis also helps us understand why JFK fought so hard to serve in WWII, despite serious health problems and a free pass out of the conflict. It's this bravery and selflessness that made JFK a dreamboat to the ladies and ultimately our 35th president. GUEST: Alexis Coe, author of Young Jack: A Biography of John F. Kennedy, 1917–1957 (to be released in 2026)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Is it Time for a Third Party?
4w ago00:39:48Summary readyAre our two main political parties so toxic that a third party may soon takeover American politics? Don't count on it. We'll dive into why right now is the opportune time for a third party to rise to power ... and why that party is destined to fail. But who knows?! Anything is possible. GUEST: Michael Cullinane, professor of U.S. History and the Lowman Walton Chair of Theodore Roosevelt Studies at Dickinson State University in North Dakota. He’s also author of the soon-to-be released book: Theodore Roosevelt and the Tennis Cabinet.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Did Thomas Jefferson Steal the Declaration of Independence?
May 600:25:34Summary readyGood artists borrow, great artists steal. Apparently, Thomas Jefferson got the memo. It turns out some North Carolinians penned their own Declaration of Independence nearly a year before TJ scribed his. So, if Thomas Jefferson stole (borrowed/homaged) the language for the Declaration of Independence, why have we never talked about this? Well, there was one heck of cover up! To get the full story, we call up David Fleming, author of Who's Your Founding Father?: One Man’s Epic Quest to Uncover the First, True Declaration of Independence. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Was Clara Barton a Bad Ass? [from American History Hotline]
May 400:31:27Summary readyClara Barton spent the Civil War kicking butts and taking names … except she was actually SAVING butts. In fact, her efforts to treat injuries on the battlefield and identify missing soldiers changed war forever. But what led Clara Barton to become the “Angel of the Battlefield”? Bob calls up historian Susan Rosenvold to get some answers. From the chaos of Antietam to the creation of the American Red Cross, Clara Barton redefined nursing, humanitarian aid, and disaster relief in the United States. Oh yeah, and she did it all with no formal training. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
SummaryWas Clara Barton a Bad Ass?
Apr 2900:31:27Summary readyClara Barton spent the Civil War kicking butts and taking names … except she was actually SAVING butts. In fact, her efforts to treat injuries on the battlefield and identify missing soldiers changed war forever. But what led Clara Barton to become the “Angel of the Battlefield”? Bob calls up historian Susan Rosenvold to get some answers. From the chaos of Antietam to the creation of the American Red Cross, Clara Barton redefined nursing, humanitarian aid, and disaster relief in the United States. Oh yeah, and she did it all with no formal training. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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What's the Real Story of Disney's "Newsies"?
Apr 2200:32:52Summary readyYou may have seen it on Broadway ... or maybe your high school gym. The Tony Award-winning musical Newsies is a favorite for school productions because the story centers around newspaper-hawking kids who stand up to titan-of-industry Joseph Pulitzer. Of course, we've learned that we shouldn't take our history lessons from Disney. So we've called up Vincent DiGirolamo (Crying the News: A History of America's Newsboys) to give us the REAL story of the famous 1899 newsboys strike that inspired the Disney film. You can find DiGirolamo's newest essay in the collection Newsies, Newsies — Read All About It!: Essays on the Film and Broadway Productions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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John Quincy Adams: From President to Anti-Slavery Firebrand (Live in DC)
Apr 1500:33:44Summary readyJohn Quincy Adams may have been a failed one-term president, but he had one of the most amazing second acts in American political history. From the House of Representatives, he steered our new nation through one of its most tumultuous eras ... carrying the torch of American democracy from the Founding Fathers to Abraham Lincoln. In this special episode, Robert Costa interviews Bob about his new book: America’s Founding Son: John Quincy Adams, from President to Political Maverick. It's an amazing conversation recorded live in D.C. at Politics and Prose. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Mary Had a Little Typhoid
Apr 800:39:44Summary readyAnd everywhere that Mary went, the typhoid was sure to go. The story of Mary Mallon (AKA Typhoid Mary) is one we're living every day to a small degree: the balance between public safety and personal liberty. Luckily for us, we'll never be imprisoned for being an symptomatic carrier of a disease. Well, never say never. To learn more about the life of Mary Mallon we call up author Susan Campbell Bartoletti (Terrible Typhoid Mary: A True Story of the Deadliest Cook in America). Why was Mary's story so popular in the early 1900s? And why is her name so familiar even today? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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