Podcast
Lectures in History
Hosted by C-SPAN · EN
Go back to school with the country's top professors lecturing on a variety of topics in American history. New episodes posted every Saturday evening. From C-SPAN, the network that brings you "After Words" and "C-SPAN's The Weekly" podcasts.
29episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
U.S. Court System in Revolutionary War
1w ago01:20:14Tap to summarizeHow did a rebel nation establish a federal court system? Utah Valley University professor Matthew Brogdon shows how the U.S. court system formed during the Revolutionary War. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Transcribe →Revolutionary War Roots of the Civil War
2w ago01:29:31Tap to summarizeBancroft and Pulitzer Prize winning historian Gordon Wood delivered a talk titled "The Revolutionary Roots of the Civil War." Professor Wood discussed the Founders views on slavery and argued that the Civil War was inevitable. The James Madison Memorial Fellowship Foundation hosted this event Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Transcribe →When the Sea Came Alive - An Oral History Of D-Day
3w ago01:15:27Tap to summarizeAuthor Garrett Graff discussed his oral history of the allied invasion of Normandy, France, on June 6, 1944. This event took place at the Roosevelt House Public Policy Institute at Hunter College in New York City. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Transcribe →The Serial Killer H.H. Holmes
4w ago00:50:49Tap to summarizeNebraska history professor James Garza teaches a class on H.H. Holmes, described as "America's First Serial Killer," and his crimes during the Gilded Age. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Transcribe →FEED DROP A250: Abraham Lincoln and Conditions Leading to the Civil War
May 2401:12:26Tap to summarizePulitzer Prize-winning author Edda Fields-Black and other scholars gathered by the Abraham Lincoln Institute explored Lincoln and the paths leading up to the Civil War. The event took place at Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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FEED DROP: 2026 Commencement Speeches: Ron DeSantis, Muriel Bowser, Scott Bessent & James Patterson
May 2201:22:40Tap to summarizeHear another collection of memorable 2026 commencement speeches from campuses across the country featuring Erika Kirk, Ron DeSantis, Muriel Bowser, Scott Bessent, and bestselling author James Patterson. This edition of C-SPAN’s Commencement Addresses podcast features reflections on leadership, faith, creativity, public service, curiosity, and navigating an uncertain future. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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FEED DROP: 2026 Commencement Speeches: Hilary Duff, Gretchen Whitmer, Hugh Jackman, Nancy Pelosi & Jalen Rose
May 2201:34:16Tap to summarizeHighlights from the 2026 commencement season featuring speeches from Hilary Duff, Gretchen Whitmer, Hugh Jackman, Nancy Pelosi, and Jalen Rose. Hear advice and reflections on leadership, creativity, resilience, and public service from campuses across the country. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Transcribe →The History of the Oil Business
May 1700:56:15Tap to summarizeUniversity of Iowa professor Richard Priest traces the history of the oil business from rudimentary drilling to John Rockefeller's Standard Oil Company and how competition grew across the globe. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Transcribe →Red Dead's History - A Video Game, An Obsession, and America's Violent Past
May 1001:11:56Tap to summarizeUniversity of Tennessee, Knoxville, history professor Tore Olsson discussed what the video games Red Dead Redemption 1 and 2 get right and wrong about American history. This event was hosted by Union Ave Books and the East Tennessee Historical Society Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Transcribe →FEED DROP: BN+ - Bob Crawford, "America's Founding Son"
May 301:02:08Tap to summarizeThis week, Lectures in History is taking a break— So we’re bringing you Booknotes+. Hosted by Brian Lamb, this episode features Bob Crawford—of The Avett Brothers—on his book America’s Founding Son. Bob Crawford plays upright bass, bass guitar, and violin with the Grammy nominated Americana band, the Avett Brothers. He's been with the band for 25 years. Since 2016, Mr. Crawford has had his own podcast called The Road to Now, along with Ben Sawyer. Their focus is about history. Six years ago, during his band's tour, Mr. Crawford received his master's degree online from Arizona State University. The focus again was history. Now comes his first serious book titled "America's Founding Son: John Quincy Adams, from President to Political Maverick." Bob Crawford spends a significant amount of time discussing the 17 years Adams spent in the House of Representatives, after he was president, trying to stop the spread of slavery in the United States Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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