Archive for 2011
Naughty & Nice: A History of The Holiday Season
The History Guys trace the evolution of Christmas in America from a public festival of rowdy excess to a child-centered celebration of church and family.
In the Beginning: Evolution & Creation in America
The “Scopes Monkey Trial” has come to symbolize the fundamental conflict between science and religion… but are the two necessarily opposed?
American as Pumpkin Pie: A History of Thanksgiving
When we sit down to Thanksgiving dinner, we think we know what we’re commemorating. But if an actual Pilgrim were to attend your Thanksgiving, chances are he’d be stunned, and a little disgusted, by what transpired there.
Coming Home: A History of War Veterans
How have war veterans been treated in the aftermath of America’s past wars? How much depends on the politics of the war? Are vets only as popular as the wars they’ve fought in?
American Spirit: A History of the Supernatural
With Halloween in the air, the History Guys set out to explore Americans’ relationship with ghosts, spirits, and witches throughout our nation’s history.
Indian Country Virginia: Real & Imagined
In this live performance at Colonial Williamsburg’s Kimball Theatre, the History Guys take on the history of Indians in Virginia.
Borrowed Times: A History of the National Debt
The History Guys explore why the national debt has continued to be so controversial in a country that was founded on borrowing.
Heart of the Stranger that Hovered Near
BackStory correspondent Catherine Moore collects segments of Walt Whitman’s Civil War memoirs, diary entries, and poetry to tell the story of the poet’s extended encounter with America’s wounded.
Independence Daze: A History of July Fourth
In the early days of our nation, July Fourth wasn’t an official holiday at all. In fact, it wasn’t until 1938 that it became a paid day-off. So how did the Fourth become the holiest day on our secular calendar? Historian Pauline Maier offers some answers, and explains how radically the meaning of the Declaration [...]
Civil War 150th: The Road to Civil War
As America launches a multi-year commemoration of the Civil War, it’s easy to overlook the fact that back in the spring of 1861, disunion was anything but inevitable.
