Committed: Marriage in America [Rebroadcast]
Marriage–the laws, as well as social conventions, and expectations surrounding it–have long been subject to change. In this hour of BackStory, we commit ourselves to unpacking the history of the institution and its shifting definitions in America.
On the Clock: A (Brief) History of Time
In this episode, we’ll look at the changing ways Americans have experienced the span of a day, from pre-industrial times up through today’s era of time-shifted media. What did “an hour” mean to people who didn’t have clocks?
Love Me Did: A History of Courtship [Rebroadcast]
In this Valentine’s Day special, BackStory delves into the history of courtship. From “bundling” to the back-seat, the History Guys explore three centuries of pre-marital intimacy.
Small Island, Big Shadow
50 years ago this October, a US military jet photographed partially-built Soviet bases in western Cuba. To mark the anniversary of the Cuban Missile Crisis, we’re turning our attention to Cuba — that tiny island with an outsized influence in US history.
Borrowed Times: A History of the National Debt [rebroadcast]
The History Guys explore why the national debt has continued to be so controversial in a country that was founded on borrowing.
Committed: Marriage in America
Marriage–the laws, as well as social conventions, and expectations surrounding it–have long been subject to change. In this hour of BackStory, we commit ourselves to unpacking the history of the institution and its shifting definitions in America.
Weathering the Storm
This week on BackStory, we tackle extreme weather: how we’ve tried to predict it, control it, make sense of it. Along the way, we discover that our responses to wind, sleet, and rain have said as much about us as about the natural world.
Home Bittersweet Home
In 1931, Herbert Hoover called the idea of owning one’s own “a sentiment deep in the heart of our race and of American life.” In this episode of BackStory, the Guys take on the American Dream of owning the deed to a house with a white picket fence.
Love Me Did: A History of Courtship
In this Valentine’s Day special, BackStory delves into the history of courtship. From “bundling” to the back-seat, the History Guys explore three centuries of pre-marital intimacy.
Seasons of Giving
As we head towards the holiday season, BackStory takes a look at the origins and effects of American generosity. When did we start giving to people we’ve never even met?
