Features & Stories
We’re looking for new and exciting ways to share history on the radio… in fact, we’re sort of inventing it as we go along. The story is going to be a key part of that. We want to hear about the most amazing moments in American History – moments with a sense of character, action (something happening), and historical significance. This doesn’t have to be “Joe Smith led the charge that won the battle that meant the North would be victorious,” in terms of significance. Try thinking about the history you don’t learn in high school. Stuff that’s surprising. These can be anywhere from 3 minutes to as long as the story holds the listener’s attention. Pitch in the comments below, or email us at BackStory@virginia.edu.
With an election year coming up, what about the politics of children’s literature? This doesn’t necessarily have to encompass just books like “My Mommy is a Democrat”, but the way that juvenile literature addresses social inequalities. Childhood is a rather modern concept, but propaganda and indoctrination attempts have always begun at an early age. I would point to the political undertones of Dr Seuss as a modern example with the Butter Battle Book or Horton Hears a Who (please discuss the controversy surrounding the fact that the story is NOT about abortion). I would also like to point out Babar and ask why he was selected to be the leader of the elephants (because he wore clothes and lived with The Old Lady is still my best theory and his top general got his post because he wore a monicle). Older examples could be primer books teaching virtues and when did juvenile fiction really come into its own. The revelance to today could be the increasing amount of screen time that children are exposed to and candidates reaching out to kids more.
QuoteIn light of the remarkable recent events at the University of Virginia, what about a program on college protest in American history? Some of the highlights that come to mind are the occupation of Columbia and the Free Speech movement led by Mario Savio at Berkeley in the 1960s; the suppression of the Lane Rebels at the Lane Seminary in Cincinnati (and the formation of Oberlin) in the early 1830s; and the much less political burning of Princeton’s Nassau Hall and the Conic Section Riots at Yale in the 18th century I bet you guys could come up with a lot more illuminating episodes.
QuoteHow ’bout a story about cleanliness in America? I’ve heard that the Pilgrims didn’t believe in bathing and were dirtier than the Indians. Somewhere along the line that changed, I believe partly for commercial reasons; “Cleanliness is next to godliness” was an advertising slogan for Pears Soap, I believe. I know there’s been a book written on the subject but I haven’t read it yet (“Clean Living Movements: American Cycles of Health Reform”).
I think this would be an interesting topic!
QuoteAn interesting show would be the history of socialist utopias in America. It didn’t start with hippie communes in the 1960s!
Some books I’m aware of on the subject are “American Utopias” by Charles Nordhoff, “A visionary nation : four centuries of the American dream and what lies ahead” by Zachary Karabell, “In Search of the Common Good: Utopian Experiments Past and Future” by Charles J. Erasmus, and “All Things New : American Communes and Utopian Movements, 1860-1914″ by Robert S. Fogarty. No doubt there are others.
QuoteMan, has this been a sweltering summer! This morning I had to bomb our house for fleas. As a result, my three dogs and I spent 3 hours in our backyard here in sunny south Florida. By the time I could come back inside, close the windows, and start up the air conditioning I started wondering about cooling systems.
QuoteI would love to learn how Americans kept themselves cool over the past few centuries.
As this has been a year of record breaking heat, I think the topic is timely and relevant.
I cannot even imagine living this close to the equator in the days before central air.
Teach me, History Guys, about the evolution of air conditioning and methods of keeping cool throughout American history!
I’d love to hear an episode on the History of Police in America. If you watch any cop show today (my favorite is The Wire) you’ll see that police work is a complicated set of bureaucracies, theories, practices, and jurisdictions. How did this complex system come to be? Where and when did all of these developments happen? What was the relationship of American police to the people they governed? How has the police force been influenced by army culture.
This is a little examined history that I feel the American History guys could really run with!
Thank you
QuoteI would like to see a program covering blood donation. Its more common in the USA then many parts of Europe.
-When did it start and what are the traditions and practices today compared to other eras.
- How long can it last? ( there are ways of preserving blood products for non refrigerated storage)
- blood typing has probably changed over the years.
- Who “owns” your donated blood? IF you give lots of certain types of blood,you can even get cards to give to your friends.
-who uses the most and for what problems.
LANDMINE! Anyone who has lived in certain parts of the world for more then certain amount of time(2 years) is is considered to have “tainted blood”. “Mad Cow” disease is reputed to be the problem, if you think there is Science behind this, you are wrong. it still might be a great show, but Americans (Red Cross) get a bit touchy about “foreign blood”. Its a political problem not a scientific one.
Do take the vampire approach, music etc. that’s what friends who have particularly desirable types of blood say. ” the vamps are calling”
QuoteI’m an architect. I’d be interested in learning about the history of America’s architecture through a broader scope. How have politics, immigration, environment, etc. characterized American architecture and how we design our homes, civic buildings, etc — and how has this changed over time?
QuoteI am intrigued by how much of the US land is actually owned publiclly as opposed to privately. Out national lands pop up in so much policy and debate. What are the real stakes? What is the history as to how we designate and develop our national lands. The parks get a lot of play with Muir and Roosevelt, but what about the non-parks, where are they? What is the plan. How did the newly formed union deem public lands. We stole, purchased and won new tracts. I am sure you can think of better angles, but it seems to be a neat topic with tons of avenues to explore.
QuoteI would like to pitch a small piece on the Boston Tea Party and why it’s considered an important part of US History. People think the relevant issue is about taxes, but the bigger issue is that it unified the independent colonies together in the fight against the British. I live in Boston and think it would be helpful to remind people that the colonies/states have acted independently, but when we work together we get big stuff done.
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