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.
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.
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.
“Questions Remain” — Transcript
This is the transcript of “Civil War 150th: Questions Remain,” broadcast in April of 2011. You can listen to the entire show here. Tape: From VFH Radio in Charlottesville, Virginia, this is “BackStory.” Peter Onuf: From weapons of mass destruction to the U.S.S. Maine, each of America’s wars has been accompanied by its own [...]
“Why They Fought” — Transcript
This is the transcript of “Civil War 150th: Why They Fought,” broadcast in April of 2011. You can listen to the entire show here. Tape: From VFH Radio in Charlottesville, Virginia, this is “BackStory.” [music] Peter Onuf: Liberty and union. Liberty and union. That was the refrain across the American North as Civil War [...]
Civil War 150th: Questions Remain
After 150 years of national conversation–and tens of thousands of books–why does the Civil War still fascinate? Share your stories, questions, and comments here!
“The Road to Civil War” — Features and Highlights
The following are extended versions of interviews included in the BackStory episode “Civil War 150th: The Road to Civil War,” produced in March of 2011. You can listen to the entire episode here. Reporter Thomas Pierce recounts the story of Abraham Lincoln’s long train journey to the White House from his home in Springfield, IL. [...]
“Why They Fought” – Features and Highlights
The following interviews are included in the BackStory episode “Civil War 150th: Why They Fought,” produced in March of 2011. You can listen to the entire episode here. Gary Gallagher: Why Northerners Fought — University of Virginia historian Gary Gallagher argues that while Northern leaders’ opposition to slavery brought on the Civil War, it wasn’t [...]
