“Beyond Numbers” — transcript
This is the transcript of “Beyond Numbers: A History of the US Census.” You can listen to the entire episode here. _______________________________________________________________________ P. Onuf: From VFH Radio in Charlottesville, Virginia, this is “BackStory.” [music] The 2011 Census numbers are in and that means the Census Bureau can get onto its next project—figuring out how accurate [...]
“Beyond Numbers” — Features & Highlights
The following are extended versions of interviews included in the BackStory episode “Beyond Numbers: A History of the U.S. Census,” broadcast in December of 2010. You can listen to the entire episode here. Vincent Barabba: The 1980 Census — Brian Balogh interviews former Census Bureau director Vincent Barabba about the Bureau’s attempts to address the [...]
Beyond Numbers: A History of the U.S. Census
We’re digging into the little-considered story of the U.S. Census – the invisible backbone of American democracy. Join us to explore why the idea was so revolutionary in 1787, and how it has continued to shape our society in fundamental ways.
Bibliography for “Beyond Numbers: A History of the Census”
The following readings relate to the BackStory episode, “Beyond Numbers: A History of the U.S. Census.” View online resources here. Anderson, Margo. The American Census: A Social History. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1988. —–., ed. Encyclopedia of the U.S. Census. Washington, D.C.: CQ Press, 2000. Cohen, Patricia. A Calculating People: The Spread of Numeracy [...]
The Good Mother: A History of American Motherhood
For most of American history, women were charged with raising productive citizens, but not given full citizen status, themselves. Our Mother’s Day episode explores this enduring paradox.
Mark Summers Web Exclusive
Ed Ayers interviews historian Mark Summers, Professor of History at the University of Kentucky and author of Party Games: Getting, Keeping, and Using Power in Gilded Age Politics. Prof. Summers discusses some of the hijinks associated with Gilded Age elections. [Audio clip: view full post to listen]
Early and Often: Voting in America
Although the memory of hanging chads still clouds the electoral mood, elections have come a long way. But how effective is our current system? Does it accurately register the will of the People? And why did America’s founders opt out of direct democracy? With the help of callers, the History Guys provide the backstory on [...]
"Aliens" in America
In a country populated by immigrants, why are Americans so wary of newcomers? What’s the difference between the nativism of the early Republic and and the anti-immigrant sentiment on talk radio today? How do we draw the line between “us” and “them?” Historian Mae Ngai explains that the door slammed shut in the the 1920s. [...]
Serving Time: A History of Punishment
For the first time in history, more than one in every 100 American adults is behind bars. For African-Americans, that figure is one in 15. In this hour, the History Guys ask whether we’ve always been so fond of the lock & key, and look at how our prison system has been structured in the [...]
