American History Hit

The 20th Century is up and running and the next President in our series, Woodrow Wilson, is in for a challenge. Reconstruction is over, Europe is on the precipice of war, and women are campaigning for suffrage. So how does this two term presidency play out?

From granting women the right to vote to segregating the Federal Government, how progressive was the 27th President? Where did Wilson stand on American isolationism during the First World War? And where did the League of Nations come from?

Don is joined by Dr Michael Kazin for...

In 1621 the Virginia Company of London put out a call for young, handsome and honestly educated women to become wives for the planters in its new colony in Jamestown. Hopeful husbands were supposed to pay for their English brides in best leaf tobacco. But who were the women who made the Atlantic crossing? And what became of them when they arrived in America? 

In this episode of our sister History Hit podcast, Not Just the Tudors, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb meets author Jennifer Potter to find out more about the lives of these extraordinary women.

Which President was best with their money? Which was worst? And are Presidents responsible for paying for their food, staff and parties during their time in office?

To find out all this and more, Don speaks to tax attorney and wealth manager Megan Gorman. Megan's book is 'All the Presidents' Money: How the Men Who Governed America Governed Their Money'.

Produced by Sophie Gee. Edited by Max Carrey. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long.

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In June 1944, the joint forces of the Allies began the liberation of continental Europe on D-Day. But was there tension within the ranks?

Don speaks to Michel Paradis to find out how Eisenhower's leadership helped win the war. How did he deal with the strained relationship between the fading colonial powers of Britain and France, and the rising superpowers, the US and the USSR? How did he police the behaviour of the American troops in Europe? And why did a summit meeting almost end in a fist fight?

Michel is a leading human...

Sandwiched between Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson is our 26th President of the United States, William Howard Taft. Did he have the confidence, belief and vision necessary to become a president? And why was he criticised for spending too much time on the golf course?

Don is joined by Adam Burns, Head of Politics at Brighton College and author of 'William Howard Taft and the Philippines: A Blueprint for Empire'.

Produced by Sophie Gee. Edited by Max Carrey. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long.

Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries...

Why did an aristocratic French man fight for American freedom? How influential was Lafayette? And what did he do on his return visit to the United States 200 years ago this year?Don is joined by Chuck Schwam, Executive Director of the American Friends of Lafayette. You can find more about Chuck’s work with Lafayette 200 here: https://lafayette200.org/

Produced by Sophie Gee. Edited by Aidan Lonergan. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long.

Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Sign up for 50% for 3 months using code AME...

Cleopatra, Catherine the Great, Boudicca, Margaret Thatcher, Angela Merkel: what do these women have in common? They were all leaders of their nations, and they may - pending the choices of the electorate later this year - be joined in their ranks by an American.

But what might Kamala Harris face if she wins the election? What is she already facing? Are there patterns in the way they are discussed? From Eve to Hillary Clinton, Don is joined by author Eleanor Herman to discuss the history of responses to women in leadership roles.

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Host Don Wildman has a message for listeners old and new, marking 200 episodes of American History Hit.

American History Hit first started publishing in 2022, and since then we've covered the first Americans, Revolution, Civil War, the World Wars and beyond. Here's to the next 200 episodes, where we will continue to look to the past to understand the United States of today.

What kind of a nickname is Bull Moose? How progressive was Theodore Roosevelt's presidency? And how does his legacy live on?

Don is joined once again by Michael Patrick Cullinane, historian of American politics, an award-winning author, and the Lowman Walton Chair of Theodore Roosevelt Studies at Dickinson State University.

Michael's books on Roosevelt are 'Remembering Theodore Roosevelt' and 'Theodore Roosevelt's Ghost'.

Produced by Freddy Chick and Sophie Gee. Edited by Aidan Lonergan. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long.

Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are...

"Speak softly and carry a big stick."

The youngest President ever, Lieutenant Colonel of the Rough Rider Regiment, uncle to Eleanor Roosevelt, fifth cousin to FDR, and a keen huntsman; Theodore Roosevelt is consistently remembered as one of the United States' top 5 Presidents.

But how did he reach the White House? In this first of two episodes on Theodore Roosevelt, we are looking at his rise from sickly child to tough President.

Don is joined by Michael Patrick Cullinane, historian of American politics, an award-winning author, and the Lowman Walton...