Straight Shot: Guns in America [Rebroadcast]
On this episode, the History Guys look at who has had access to guns in the U.S., and what those guns have meant to the people who have owned them.
Four More Years: Presidential Inaugurations
As the rest of Washington looks forward to the next four years, BackStory is looking back — at the last 224 years of presidential transitions. On today’s show, the History Guys focus in on several of the most high-stakes presidential inaugurations, and ask what these moments tell us about the social and political forces at [...]
Straight Shot: Guns in America
On this episode, the History Guys look at who has had access to guns in the U.S., and what those guns have meant to the people who have owned them.
Conventional Wisdom: A History of American Political Conventions
American political conventions haven’t always been so predictable. Before becoming scripted for television, conventions were often where pressing issues of the day got hashed out and careers were made or ruined. In this hour of BackStory we venture into the back rooms, the chaotic halls, and the streets where these dramas unfolded.
City Upon a Hill: American Exceptionalism
The History Guys explore the changing meanings of American Exceptionalism, tracing it from the Founders through the presidential election of 2012.
The War of 1812: Which One Was That?
In this hour of BackStory we go beyond the expected pieces of trivia to take a closer look at the War of 1812. On the occasion of its bicentennial, we ask what this now-obscure war did to shape the United States.
Grand Old Parties: A History of Partisanship
When it comes to partisan politics, Americans today are deeply conflicted. We want an engaged citizenry without the deep fissures in the body politic, but can we have it both ways? Have we EVER had it both ways?
New Media & Objectivity
The following audio clip is excerpted from the BackStory episode “Just the Facts?: Partisanship & the Press.” You can listen to the entire episode here. Michael Kinsley, founding editor of Slate.com, talks about why he’s not worried about objectivity in the new media landscape. Excerpted from: Just the Facts?: Partisanship & the Press
Lunar Manbats
The following audio clip is excerpted from the BackStory episode “Just the Facts?: Partisanship & the Press.” You can listen to the entire episode here. Matthew Goodman tells the story of an elaborate hoax involving “lunar man-bats” in the early days of the penny press. Excerpted from: Just the Facts?: Partisanship & the Press
Jefferson and the Press
The following audio clip is excerpted from the BackStory episode “Just the Facts?: Partisanship & the Press.” You can listen to the entire episode here. The History Guys discuss Thomas Jefferson’s sometimes contradictory ideas about a free press. Excerpted from: Just the Facts?: Partisanship & the Press
