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.
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.
"Worst Mother in American History" Challenge
Our special Mother’s Day show will explore what is has meant to be a “good mother” in American history–and there are a fair number of figures to choose from (though perhaps less than you would think): 1950s TV moms, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and now, Michelle Obama… But we here at BackStory are stumped when it [...]
(The Invention of) Traditional Family Values
California’s recent passage of a gay marriage ban suggests that many Americans subscribe to the idea of the “traditional” family — caregiver mom, breadwinner dad, and 2.5 children. But whose tradition is it, really? In this hour, the Guys hear dueling viewpoints — first from Focus on the Family, and then from a Columbia University [...]
