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.
“Black and White” — Further Reading
The following links and documents relate to the BackStory episode “Black and White: The Idea of Racial Purity,” broadcast in January of 2009. You can listen to the entire episode here. Read up on the origins and history of the idea of race. Peruse an excerpt from The Hemingses of Monticello: An American Family, by Annette [...]
“Black and White” — Features and Highlights
Thomas and Sally — Historian Annette Gordon Reed speaks with 18th Century History Guy Peter Onuf about Thomas Jefferson’s relationship with his slave, Sally Hemings. Reed proposes that historians have come to erroneous conclusions trying to “save” Jefferson’s reputation.[Audio clip: view full post to listen] Slavery & Science — Historian Daryl Scott discusses rise of [...]
“Scales of Justice” – transcript
This is the transcript of “Scales of Justice: A History of Supreme Court Nominations,” an episode released in June of 2010. You can listen to the entire episode here. _____________________________________________________________ P. Onuf: This is “BackStory,” with us, the American History Guys. I’m Peter Onuf, 18th century guy. E. Ayers: I’m Ed Ayers, 19th century guy. [...]
“Scales of Justice” – Web Exclusives
Extended versions of interviews included in the BackStory episode “Scales of Justice: A History of Supreme Court Nominations,” broadcast in June of 2010.
Scales of Justice: A History of Supreme Court Nominations
How did Supreme Court nomination battles play out in the past? Was the Court always so “supreme?” Help us build our new episode about the history of the Supreme Court!
"School Days" Transcript
Transcript of “School Days: A History of Public Education,” originally aired in September of 2009.
School Days: A History of Public Education
The statistics look grim, but is America’s educational system any worse off than it’s ever been? Why have schools been the sites of so many social movements?
Black & White: The Idea of Racial Purity
On this episode of BackStory, the History Guys look for the roots of America’s obsession with race, and ask why the line between black and white has remained so bold despite centuries of racial mixing. Were the categories of “black” and “white” already in place when Africans first came to America, and if not, when [...]
Mark Summers Web Exclusive
Ed Ayers interviews historian Mark Summers, Professor of History at the University of Kentucky and author of Party Games: Getting, Keeping, and Using Power in Gilded Age Politics. Prof. Summers discusses some of the hijinks associated with Gilded Age elections. [Audio clip: view full post to listen]
