Ranked #1
326: Mystery, Murder, and Mayhem: A History of True Crime in America
326: Mystery, Murder, and Mayhem: A History of True Crime in America
For the last decade or so, true crime has been everywhere -- Netflix shows like Making a Murderer and podcast series lik... Read more
29 May 2020
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1hr 6mins
Ranked #2
181: Fit to Print?: A History of Fake News
181: Fit to Print?: A History of Fake News
As we approach the midterm elections, concerns about fake news - widely circulated news stories that are inaccurate, mis... Read more
31 Aug 2018
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33mins
Ranked #3
325: American Empire: From Scene on Radio
325: American Empire: From Scene on Radio
“America” and “empire.” Do those words go together? If so, what kind of imperialism does the U.S. practice, and how has ... Read more
22 May 2020
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1hr 15mins
Ranked #4
302: The End of an Era: History That Was Made - and Unmade - in the 2010s
302: The End of an Era: History That Was Made - and Unmade - in the 2010s
The calendar is nearing closer and closer to the end of 2019. Which has us thinking about the end of the decade and how ... Read more
15 Nov 2019
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28mins
Ranked #5
291: 1619: The Arrival of the First Africans in Virginia
291: 1619: The Arrival of the First Africans in Virginia
This month marks the 400th anniversary of the arrival of the first Africans to land on what would become British North A... Read more
23 Aug 2019
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58mins
Ranked #6
Hamilton: A History
Hamilton: A History
Alexander Hamilton is living large these days! Lin-Manuel Miranda’s hit musical about the Founding Father won the Pulitz... Read more
10 Jun 2016
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51mins
Ranked #7
Counter Culture: A History of Shopping [rebroadcast]
Counter Culture: A History of Shopping [rebroadcast]
It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Or is it? The holiday season is notorious for bringing out the beast in shoppe... Read more
15 Dec 2016
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51mins
Ranked #8
Small Island, Big Shadow Cuba and the U.S. [rebroadcast]
Small Island, Big Shadow Cuba and the U.S. [rebroadcast]
No sitting U.S. president has visited Cuba in nearly 90 years, but this month President Obama will do just that. This hi... Read more
18 Mar 2016
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51mins
Ranked #9
230: Forgotten Flu: America & the 1918 Pandemic
230: Forgotten Flu: America & the 1918 Pandemic
The CDC recommended flu shots for all this year after more than 80,000 Americans succumbed to influenza in 2017 - a four... Read more
30 Nov 2018
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43mins
Ranked #10
276: Red in the Stars and Stripes?: A History of Socialism in America
276: Red in the Stars and Stripes?: A History of Socialism in America
With the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and record levels of unemployment, the conversation around socialism in the U.S. h... Read more
8 May 2020
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58mins
Ranked #11
307: Those Were The Days: Nostalgia in American History
307: Those Were The Days: Nostalgia in American History
It’s common for folks to look back on a time gone by and romanticize it as “better days.” But is nostalgia a harmless ye... Read more
3 Jan 2020
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1hr 8mins
Ranked #12
Worlds Apart: Urban/Rural Divides in America
Worlds Apart: Urban/Rural Divides in America
According to the New York Times, the 2016 election “highlighted a growing rural-urban split.” So, on this episode of Bac... Read more
4 Feb 2017
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50mins
Ranked #13
204: Too Good To Be True?: Myths in American History
204: Too Good To Be True?: Myths in American History
On this week’s episode, Brian, Joanne, and Nathan explore some of the stories Americans tell about our past and find the... Read more
2 Mar 2018
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54mins
Ranked #14
The GOP: A History Of The Republican Party
The GOP: A History Of The Republican Party
Donald Trump has clinched the Republican party presidential nomination, and some political pundits wonder if his nominat... Read more
14 Jul 2016
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1hr 3mins
Ranked #15
265: Nixon Beyond Watergate: A History of the Presidency Before the Scandal
265: Nixon Beyond Watergate: A History of the Presidency Before the Scandal
Today the Presidency of Richard Nixon is mostly remembered for how it ended - with the Watergate scandal, impeachment an... Read more
25 Jan 2019
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1hr 4mins
Ranked #16
308: The U.S. and Iran: A Brief History of an Often Tense Relationship
308: The U.S. and Iran: A Brief History of an Often Tense Relationship
Last weekend, an American airstrike killed Iranian General Qasam Soleimani, at the direction of President Trump. Iran vo... Read more
10 Jan 2020
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30mins
Ranked #17
301: The Chinese in American History: How Afong Moy, Mayling Soong and Bruce Lee Changed the Narrative About China
301: The Chinese in American History: How Afong Moy, Mayling Soong and Bruce Lee Changed the Narrative About China
Conversations about US-China relations often revolve around tariffs, trades and recently, President Donald Trump’s tweet... Read more
11 Nov 2019
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1hr 5mins
Ranked #18
American Prophets: Religions Born in the U.S.
American Prophets: Religions Born in the U.S.
History textbooks often argue that the United States was founded on the principle of religious freedom, beginning with t... Read more
11 Dec 2015
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51mins
Ranked #19
A History of Manufacturing in 5 Objects
A History of Manufacturing in 5 Objects
Both Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton have talked about loss of manufacturing jobs, and the importance of having things ... Read more
13 Oct 2016
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57mins
Ranked #20
Skin Deep: Whiteness in America
Skin Deep: Whiteness in America
This week, BackStory looks at whiteness in America by broadcasting segments from podcasts we admire. These stories -- fr... Read more
14 Jul 2017
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52mins