BackStory with the American History Guys » economic history

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VFHwebdev — Fri, 18 May 2012 20:32:13 +0000

Tom Ireland House, Webberville, Travis County, TX 1937 (via Library of Congress)

In 1931, Herbert Hoover called the idea of owning one’s own home “a sentiment deep in the heart of our race and of American life.” In this episode, the History Guys search for the roots of that sentiment, and consider how it has played out over time. The image of a deed to a home with a yard and picket fence is at the core of the American Dream, but for many, the housing reality has looked more like a pile of rent receipts and back mortgage payments. Why has the ideal of home ownership been so difficult for so many generations of Americans to attain? Was there ever a Golden Age of home ownership, anyway?

Guests Include:

Loren Moulds — Historian, University of Virginia
Richard White – Professor of History, Stanford University
David Edelstein — Film critic, New York Magazine

Further Exploration

A wealth of additional resources on the history of homeownership in the United States, as well as a bibliography of works consulted during the making of the episode.

Even Further

See the online discussion that helped shape this show.

Love Me Did: A History of Courtship

Tony (BackStory Producer) — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 14:26:44 +0000

This episode was originally broadcast in February, 2010.

Considering the stereotypes about Puritan New England, you might be surprised to learn that sweethearts in the 18^th century were not only allowed to sleep together before marriage – they were encouraged to! The catch? They had to do it within the parents’ home. It was known as “bundling,” and although sex was theoretically not involved, the practice coincided with a huge increase in premarital pregnancy. By the end of the century, 1/3 of all brides were pregnant by the time they reached the altar.

In this episode, the History Guys explore three centuries of pre-marital intimacy. Did economic considerations used to play a greater role in coupling? In what ways have dating practices challenged class & racial boundaries? Has the idea of “romance” itself morphed over time?

Guests Include:

*Beth Bailey — historian and author of From Front Porch to Back Seat: Courtship in 20th Century America

*Pamela Epstein — historian and blogger-in-chief, Advertising For Love

Features & Highlights

Hear more about dating in the 19th and 20th centuries in these extended interviews of Pam Epstein and Beth Bailey. Listen here.

Web Exclusive

Extended Interview: Beth Bailey tells Brian Balogh about three generations of courtship in her own family…and why there are only two entries for the word “love” in the index of her book.

Seasons of Giving

Jess — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 21:02:29 +0000

Salvation Army poster, 1919

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? And where does the government fit into all this, anyway?

In this episode, the History Guys will explore giving in American history. From tithing in churches to abolition to robber barons, we’ll look at the origins and unexpected consequences of charity. Who were the “worthy” and “unworthy” poor, and what’s the story behind those tax deductions? Plus, why were so many early charitable organizations concerned with, of all things, funerals?

Please help us shape this episode — post your personal stories, ideas, and questions below!

Sweet and Dangerous: A History of Sugar

Jess — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 16:31:10 +0000

Loading sugar cane in Hawaii, 1917 (Library of Congress)

From the triangle trade to labor struggles in Hawaii to the rise of high-fructose corn syrup, sweetness in America has always been politically charged. Why has sugar been so intimately linked to power over the centuries? How has our national sweet tooth shaped our political and economic priorities?

In this episode, the History Guys will explore sweetness in American history. The Sugar Act of 1764 helped feed colonial resentment of Great Britain, paving the way for protests and, ultimately, the American Revolution. A century and a half later, US tariff walls gave Puerto Rican sugar a ready market – but pushed the territory toward a one-crop economy that later collapsed.

Through the 19th century, sugar was intimately linked to slavery; free blacks in the 1830s boycotted slave-produced sugar in a stand against the “peculiar institution.” A century later, the sugar beet industry revolutionized the rural Midwest, bringing with it questions about the role of foreign migrant workers and urban factory workers. So where does sugar fit into labor history in the US? How has this tasty cash crop affected our environment and our economy? And what does it tell us about globalization before the 20th century?

Please help us shape this episode — post your ideas, stories, and questions below!

Borrowed Times: A History of the National Debt

cm6ay — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 17:36:54 +0000

“A national debt, if it is not excessive, will be to us a national blessing.” – Alexander Hamilton

With Congress at a standstill over whether to raise the nation’s borrowing limit, and the national debt approaching the size of the entire U.S. economy, you’d be hard pressed to find a politician with anything good to say about our debt. But America’s first Treasury Secretary famously called it a “national blessing.” What did he mean by that, and are there other times in history when Americans have actually celebrated our national debt?

On this episode, the History Guys ask why debt has continued to be so controversial in a nation that was founded on borrowing. What factors have contributed most to our ballooning deficit, and who, historically, have been most concerned about it? To whom does the nation owe all this money, and how has the slate of creditors changed? Is the current debt crisis truly unprecedented? How can history help us understand the extent to which debt endangers our 21st century economy?

Guests Include

Bill Chrystal, Alexander Hamilton impersonator
Julia Ott, Asst. Prof. of History, The New School (When Wall Street Met Main Street: The Quest for an Investors’ Democracy)

Even Further….

Full Show Transcript
Listing of Interstitial Music Used

“Borrowed Times”: Further Reading

Tony (BackStory Producer) — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 20:16:22 +0000

The following links and documents relate to the BackStory episode “Borrowed Time: A History of the National Debt,” originally broadcast in June of 2011. You can listen to the entire episode here.

All centuries

Politics of Debt: 10 Trillion and Counting (an interactive PBS website)
Bureau of Public Debt (website)
The debt clock
See who’s physically calculating the debt
The hidden cost of American Debt
The Debt Ceiling, Explained
A brief history of U.S. Debt
Federal Reserve: Instruments of Debt (video)
How debt those in White House
Debt through the Ages (graphs)
From Surplus to Massive Debt in Ten Years: How it escalated
Where’s our money going? (graph)

18th century

Alexander Hamilton’s First Report on Public Credit
Hamilton’s (hypothesized) posthumous views on modern debt
Jefferson’s Beliefs on National Debt (PDF)
Hamilton vs Jefferson: importance of national bank (clip from John Adam’s HBO special)
Original Intent of Debt Ceiling

19th century

Bureau of Public Debt: 19th century overview
Debt + the Andrew Jackson era
Freedom from Debt under Jackson
Civil War at 150: Debt Lessons from Lincoln

2oth century

1917: the first real debt limit
Mr & Mrs America (film attempting to Mobilize the home-front in WWII)
Propaganda: Buy War bonds to save from Nazis
FDR shows how to buys bonds
Egg & Us: 1950′s film urging Americans to help pay off debt

Love Me Did: A History of Courtship

tony backstory producer — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 16:00:11 +0000

Guests Include:

*Beth Bailey — historian and author of From Front Porch to Back Seat: Courtship in 20th Century America

*Pamela Epstein — historian and blogger-in-chief, Advertising For Love

Features & Highlights

Hear more about dating in the 19th and 20th centuries in these extended interviews of Pam Epstein and Beth Bailey. Listen here.

Web Exclusive

Extended Interview: Beth Bailey tells Brian Balogh about three generations of courtship in her own family…and why there are only two entries for the word “love” in the index of her book.

“Love Me Did” — Further Reading

Tony (BackStory Producer) — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 17:24:01 +0000

The following links and documents relate to the BackStory episode “Love Me Did: A History of Courtship,” broadcast in January/February of 2010. You can listen to the entire episode here.

Valentine’s Day:

Historian Stephanie Coontz sets the record straight on the history of Valentine’s Day
Love, bon bons, and a brutal massacre
The bidding is on for antique valentines at the National Valentine Collectors Association

18th Century:

Love in ye olden days: Courtship, Sex, and the Single Colonist at Colonial Williamsburg
A little lesson in bundling, plus a book-length treatment from 1871
Historian Richard Godbeer’s eye-opening book, Sexual Revolution in Early America
Overview of courtship in early America

19th Century:

Courtship & the enslaved: books by Brenda Stevenson and Rebecca Fraser
A collection of love letters from the Civil War
Relationship advice from 1890
A man’s advice to the “newly married lady” (1808)

20th Century & Beyond:

A scandalous Edison film of two Victorian lovers “sparkin’” (kissing)
Etiquette guru Emily Post on how to write a love letter (1922)
Sex and tech: the blog of author Regina Lynn
A film from the vaults reveals the wild world of cyber dating in 1997
Educational films from the 1950s: This Charming Couple (1950);Choosing for Happiness (1950); Is This Love? (1957); How Do You Know It’s Love? (1950); How Much Affection? (1958)

Check out the music in our “Love Me Did” show.

“Love Me Did” — Features and Highlights

Tony (BackStory Producer) — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 17:23:45 +0000

The following are extended versions of interviews included in the BackStory episode “Love Me Did: A History of Courtship,” broadcast in January/February of 2010. You can listen to the entire episode here.

Pam Epstein: 19th Century Personal Ads — Pam Epstein shares some of her favorite 19th century personal ads.

Beth Bailey: Origins of Dating — Beth Bailey talks about the origins of dating and its 20th century evolution.

Glorious Riches

cm6ay — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 00:59:50 +0000

The following audio clip is excerpted from the BackStory episode “Panic!: A History of Financial Crisis.” You can listen to the entire episode here.

Historian Scott Nelson outlines the eerie similarities between 1873 and 2008, and explains how Christian fundamentalism is rooted in financial collapse.

Excerpted from: Panic!: A History of Financial Crisis

Boom & Bust

cm6ay — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 00:59:33 +0000

The following audio clip is excerpted from the BackStory episode “Panic!: A History of Financial Crisis.” You can listen to the entire episode here.

Economic historian Michael Bernstein explains the difference between the Great Depression and the myriad financial panics of the 19th century, as well as the amnesia that ignores the realities of the business cycle.

Excerpted from: Panic!: A History of Financial Crisis

The Great Migration

cm6ay — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 23:35:41 +0000

The following audio clip is excerpted from the BackStory episode “Looking for Work: A History of Unemployment.” You can listen to the entire episode here.

William Brown moved north from Jacksonville, FL, during the Great Migration. He describes what happened when he asked a Philadelphia real estate agent for a job. Discussion of challenges for African Americans looking for work in the early 20th century.

Excerpted from: Looking for Work: A History of Unemployment

Measuring Unemployment

cm6ay — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 23:09:42 +0000

The following audio clip is excerpted from the BackStory episode “Looking for Work: A History of Unemployment.” You can listen to the entire episode here.

Historian Alexander Keyssar explains how the unemployed were counted and uncounted–acknowledged and unacknowledged–in the 19th and 20th centuries.

Excerpted from: Looking for Work: A History of Unemployment

Beth Bailey Extended Interview

cm6ay — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 22:58:01 +0000

The following audio clip is an extended interview of a version originally aired on the BackStory episode “Love Me Did: A History of Courtship.” You can listen to the entire episode here.

SPECIAL WEB EXTRA: Beth Bailey tells Brian about three generations of courtship in her own family… and why there are only two entries for the word “love” in the index of her book.

Excerpted from: Love Me Did: A History of Courtship

19th Century Personal Ads

cm6ay — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 22:52:20 +0000

The following audio clip is excerpted from the BackStory episode “Love Me Did: A History of Courtship.” You can listen to the entire episode here.

Pam Epstein, a PhD candidate in history at Rutgers University and author of the blog Advertising for Love, shares some of her favorite 19th century personal ads with BackStory’s 19th Century Guy, Ed Ayers.

Excerpted from: Love Me Did: A History of Courtship

A Debt to Society

cm6ay — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 23:10:37 +0000

The following audio clip is excerpted from the BackStory episode “Serving Time: A History of Punishment.” You can listen to the entire episode here.

Historian Rebecca McLennan explains why 19th century prison labor was not only central to America’s penal system, but also to its economy.

Excerpted from: Serving Time: A History of Punishment

“Love Me Did”: Music Listing

cm6ay — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 17:41:26 +0000

This is a list of the music used in the BackStory episode “Love Me Did: A History of Courtship,” broadcast in January/February of 2010. You can listen to the entire episode here.

Duet Solo Dancers
Charles Mingus
The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady

Waltz No.10 in B minor, Op.69 No.2
Alice Sara Ott
Chopin Complete Waltzes

Piano Op. 12: Salut D’ Amour
Pablo Casals
My First Record

Great Big Bundle of Love
Brenton Wood
Brenton Wood’s 18 Best

My Funny Valentine
Artie Shaw
A Jazz Valentine

Love the One You’re With
The Supremes
Magnificent: The Complete Studio Duets

Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It)
Beyoncé
I Am…Sasha Fierce

Love Me Do
The Skatalites
Ska Mania

Love and Marriage
Frank Sinatra
This is Sinatra

Panic!: A History of Financial Crisis

cm6ay — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 15:00:55 +0000

Speculation…deregulation…crash…bailout. Sound familiar? Probably. Sound modern? It shouldn’t. Financial panics have occurred regularly throughout American history, and each time we were left holding the bag when the bottom fell out of the market and banks called in their debts. Why do we think we’ll ever beat the business cycle? On this week’s show, economic historian Michael Bernstein says you can’t have the boom without the bust. Then historian Scott Nelson outlines the eerie similarities between 1873 and 2008, and explains how Christian fundamentalism is rooted in financial collapse.

Show Highlights:

Boom & Bust — Michael Bernstein explains the difference between the Great Depression and the myriad financial panics of the 19th century, as well as the amnesia that ignores the realities of the business cycle.
Glorious Riches — Scott Nelson outlines the eerie similarities between 1873 and 2008, and explains how Christian fundamentalism is rooted in financial collapse.

"Aliens" in America

cm6ay — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 14:17:32 +0000

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. Frank Morris of the Center for Immigration Studies discusses historic tensions between immigrant laborers and African-Americans. And immigration lawyer Stan Braverman says that inscrutable legislation passed in the 1990s has taken the fun out of the job.

Show Highlights

Open Doors, Back Doors — In a country populated by immigrants, why are Americans so wary of newcomers? Historian Mae Ngai explains that the door slammed shut in the the 1920s.
African Americans & Immigration — Frank Morris of the Center for Immigration Studies discusses historic tensions between immigrant laborers and African-Americans.

Related Links:

Read the introduction of Mae Ngai’s book.

What’s the difference between immigration now and 100 years ago?

Learn more about the conflicts between African-Americans and recent immigrants.

I Owe, I Owe: Debt in America

VFHwebdev — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 18:30:35 +0000

It seems like everyone owes money these days. But two hundred years ago, debt was considered not simply an economic failing, but a moral one. It could even land you in prison! In this hour, we look at how debt became the American way of life. Economic historian Louis Hyman argues that you and I aren’t to blame for our financial straits. We also hear from Thomas Jefferson, who, thanks to poor planning and a penchant for French furniture, died over $100,000 in the hole.

Show Highlights

(Not so) Personal Debt
Louis Hyman talks about the structural changes that led to record levels of personal debt in the late 20th century. It’s not that Americans are more willing to go into debt than they used to be, he says, but rather that they are no longer able to pay that debt off.