Rules of Engagement: Ethics in Warfare
America’s use of targeted drone strikes in Pakistan and elsewhere has raised questions about what is — and isn’t — an appropriate way to wage war. In this episode, we look at the ways previous generations have answered these sorts of questions.
Thenceforward and Forever Free [Rebroadcast]
We look at the narratives surrounding the Emancipation Proclamation and try to unpack its legacy. How can we best understand emancipation – as a moral imperative, a military necessity, a political strategy, or all of the above?
Coming Home: A History of War Veterans [rebroadcast]
How have war veterans been treated in the aftermath of America’s past wars? How much depends on the politics of the war? Are vets only as popular as the wars they’ve fought in?
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.
Thenceforward and Forever Free
We look at the narratives surrounding the Emancipation Proclamation and try to unpack its legacy. How can we best understand emancipation – as a moral imperative, a military necessity, a political strategy, or all of the above?
Been There, Done That: Historical Reenactments
Americans have a fascination with their past – not just discussing it, but actually reliving it. And we’re not just talking about your every day Civil War reenactments. There are people reenacting American sports, wars, and even lynchings.
The War of 1812: Which One Was That?
The War of 1812 may be the war we forgot, but that does not mean it’s without an important role in shaping the country. On the occasion of its bicentennial, we ask: What were we fighting for? What did we win, what did we lose, and why should we care?
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.
Times of Terror
On Sept 16, 1920, a bomb exploded on Wall Street as workers took their lunch break. It was the deadliest terrorist bombing in the US until Oklahoma City — but at the time, people saw it as just one more incident in a long string of attacks. Why?
Coming Home: A History of War Veterans
How have war veterans been treated in the aftermath of America’s past wars? How much depends on the politics of the war? Are vets only as popular as the wars they’ve fought in?
