Born in the USA
To mark the rebirth of BackStory as a weekly program, the History Guys set out to explore the earliest stages of life in America. They begin with a few of the basic assumptions we have about birth in America today, and spend the hour exploring how those assumptions came into being.
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.
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.
“Love Me Did” — Further Reading
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 [...]
“Love Me Did” — Features and Highlights
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. [Audio clip: view full post [...]
Beth Bailey Extended Interview
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 [...]
19th Century Personal Ads
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 [...]
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.
“Love Me Did”: Music Listing
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.
(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 [...]
