Since 2006, this podcast has been using history to elevate today's political debates. "The perfect antidote to bloviating talking heads, My History is thoughtful, nuanced, and highly engaging." -Columbia Journalism Review
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Oct 1, 2026 · 38:18
It's oft said that Washington refused a crown. With Richard Lim of This American President, we get real about this topic. His book Refusing a Crown is the first book to place…
Sep 30, 2026 · 1:15:11
In our final episode, we look at a few historic media that truly sought to tell readers not just the news, but what the news was. From Bennett to Drudge, we look at these…
Sep 28, 2026 · 34:19
A talk with Listener Jerry Spencer about Coxey's Army, which marched to DC during a depression in the 1890's. And also about how Hearst and Pulitzer's papers fueled the story.…
Sep 27, 2026 · 1:22:12
In the past 100 years, over 80% of the first term midterms went badly for Presidents, and their party lost seats. But in a few cases they did not. And a few times when they did,…
Sep 22, 2026 · 53:33
We've talked about who owns media, who writes it. Now will talk about the debates about what is in it? This episode is about bias in the news media. Learn more about your ad…
Sep 17, 2026 · 46:05
"To the victor goes the spoils" True of government jobs after a 19th century election. Also true of newspapers. Much of the spoils system perfected during Jackson's time helped…
Sep 14, 2026 · 50:52
First rule is: Nobody talks about Giggle Club. Second. When he says no pencils, it's no pencils. Third. Get a buddy. Fourth. Don't take it so seriously, my good man. FDR's Press…
Sep 8, 2026 · 45:26
Press has power. Can it be too much? Or is it needed to offset governmental power? We look at some interesting, powerful, and at times problematic press people. The renegade…
Sep 3, 2026 · 1:06:48
TV technology arrives on the scene half press and half novelty. Politicians learn they can bring messages on at times that won't be critiqued. Yet twice, in big historic moments,…
Aug 31, 2026 · 46:08
The Battle of Chancellorsville. The Union has got the Confederates in their sights. But not for long. All the while, a reporter named Whitelaw Reid is tracking events. He's been…
Aug 24, 2026 · 1:24:00
Eisenhower gets irritated. Lincoln finds a friend. Theodore Roosevelt seeks the truth at lunch. Madison sees talent. Greeley won't miss his dinner, despite the riots. And a man…
Aug 20, 2026 · 15:35
It went by fast! Show update. We've reached a milestone. And a few things you can do if you are interested. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Aug 20, 2026 · 39:32
Does Protest work? Maybe, with other steps & factors. Looking at the Montgomery Bus Boycott, Freedom Summer, Mothers of the Disappeared and the American Revolution, we look at…
Aug 17, 2026 · 22:43
A now forgotten incident about an attempt to have a second hostage crisis during the Carter administration, only narrowly averted by heroic of the embassy staff. Learn more about…
Aug 10, 2026 · 28:26
Stories of Presidential inflation fighting and fund-raising that seem to have a similar ring to today's events, in this episode. Nixon's plans to cut housing costs by reducing…
Aug 4, 2026 · 1:16:28
The history behind a rebellion against a state of the new United States, why it happened, its impact on our Constitution, and what it means today. From a 2014 cast, but it's been…
Aug 3, 2026 · 1:23:39
It comes down to milk and cherries? Plans change when a nation's hero falls, and historians go to work, reinterpreting the events of 1850. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit…
Aug 2, 2026 · 48:13
They thought he was an illiterate frontier colonel. They thought he'd never use the veto. Never comment on issues. Let Congress do the heavy lifting. But he has a plan. Learn…
Aug 1, 2026 · 56:05
A new President comes to Washington. No one knows what to expect. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jul 31, 2026 · 29:54
A.B. Farquhar would go on to be an advisor to President Cleveland and run his successful non consecutive re election campaign. But prior to that, he was part of a plan to sell…
Jul 30, 2026 · 43:11
Nixon's first presidential midterm election (the election in which the House and Senate would be up for election) would turn out to be his last, but no one knew it at the time.…
Jul 28, 2026 · 23:09
Nixon's long buried memo reveals a lot, maybe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jul 27, 2026 · 19:00
an early project doesn't go so well. A corporate entity finds it can't work well with the Don, and walk away, after court battles. For Trump, it's formative. And other stories.…
Jul 23, 2026 · 23:18
A brief look at the family legacy of Chester Arthur, his son and grandson. From the White House to San Francisco's hippie scene. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit…
Jul 20, 2026 · 18:08
Many know of President Arthur's work on civil service reform. Less known is that he also sought to change his party's position on the use of tariffs. He had been a customs…
Jul 16, 2026 · 21:35
Officially, as any part of US policy, tiny room in 1982. We tell that story. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jul 14, 2026 · 57:29
From the early attempts to depict Washington, to the first Congressional attempts to block Confederate statues, to today's debate. In this episode Bruce examines the history…
Jul 6, 2026 · 24:09
not a surprise in my book, but the SCOTUS recently ruled on Trump's executive order of 2025 denying citizenship by birth in the United States. We look at the arguments, and the…
Jul 3, 2026 · 1:00:05
Forgotten but once famous, Whitelaw Reid was a top journalist and politician of his time. In 1906, as ambassador to Britain, the former vice-presidential candidate was asked by…
Jun 30, 2026 · 51:28
What's in a word? Lots, maybe, when its a key word in the most contentious debate in America. The word "infringe" determines the threshold of how the Constitution should be…
Jun 29, 2026 · 1:11:57
First - The history of the Declaration -- the actual document, and how it was saved from British capture. Then we speak with listener Jason Petri about his Signers Playing Card…
Jun 27, 2026 · 41:22
With Tom McMillan, we take a look at some of the assumptions of 1776 in the history books. First of all, why July 4th and Not July 2nd? And what about May 15th, when Adams got…
Jun 26, 2026 · 41:53
The writer Thomas Wolfe, known for his large novels and spewing prose, was a fan of Germany. On a trip there for the 1936 Berlin Olympics, he found joy, and worry. Initially he…
Jun 22, 2026 · 1:11:06
Nixon's first bombing campaigns had the names of mealtimes which seem to also correspond with the years of his first term: 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972. In this ( 2021) episode we look…
Jun 17, 2026 · 33:49
Average Americans, in the form of a DC jury, get the evidence. They hear the tapes, and they are shocked. But what will shock them more is what happens when Nixon testifies.…
Jun 16, 2026 · 45:13
Congress should be doing a lot more, and they would in Listener Page Brousseau's world. He and Bruce talk about Michigan, Article I, tariffs, and partisanship. Learn more about…
Jun 12, 2026 · 30:37
Nixon shoves, Bob Strauss declines money, and another break-in happens, and no one talks about it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jun 9, 2026 · 39:38
In this series, we uncover the lesser-known stories of Watergate. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jun 7, 2026 · 1:36:54
Chris joins the show again - it' s been a while. We catch up and talk today's politics. Chris's Instagram is @doctor_nov Learn more about your ad choices. Visit…
Jun 6, 2026 · 28:13
From 2010, but still spot on...Lincoln had just one miderm in his Presidency, and it didn't go well. He very nearly lost control of Congress during a war. Learn more about your…
Jun 5, 2026 · 1:45:23
In this episode, no big deal, we just tackle about every significant problem we have in our politics today (back in 2021). norm-breaking, free-speech and free-speech limits,…
Jun 3, 2026 · 46:57
A great accomplishment and a historic scandal. And not the scandal you are thinking of, probably. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jun 2, 2026 · 45:55
Nixon - a mix of what you know and what you may not. First part of a 2014 episode. I don't know whether time has changed this cast, or if this cast has more meaning now, or less,…
Jun 1, 2026 · 53:42
I talked with Peter about bank robberies in California in the 1970's through the 1990's and why it was the bank robbery capital of the country. Peter's book is Norco 80 about a…
May 30, 2026 · 43:54
Stalemate breaks in a surprise operation. An apathetic America gets involved on both sides. The fighting stops, but nothing is the same after 1988. Learn more about your ad…
May 30, 2026 · 45:16
This terrible war, fought in the 1980's, changed everything. Both in the Middle East, and America. We tell the story in two parts. We are part of Airwave Media network Learn more…
May 29, 2026 · 17:12
Stories from the 1968 election, including an important factor driving it, and a bit about 1968 radio. And a little bit from the late political advisor David Gergen. Learn more…
May 26, 2026 · 1:27:27
We join Alex Hastie of Ohio v. The World Podcast once again! and Author Paul Dickson (https://www.amazon.com/Bonus-Army-American-Epic/dp/0802714404) to discuss the Bonus Army…
May 21, 2026 · 45:22
It had a short history, but within the time of the Civil War, the Confederate States had two Congressional elections. The second in 1863 (and 1864 in some states) should be seen…
May 20, 2026 · 24:52
Kevan Whitten has been listening for at least a decade and a half. He's from Maine (So we have to talk James Blaine) and he's talks about the program and asks Bruce a big…
May 18, 2026 · 30:20
The midterm election that didn't. In 2002, With national security on the minds of voters and a poor message in opposition, the President's party gained seats in the House for the…
May 16, 2026 · 41:20
We've been podcasting for 20 years and Billy Paige has listened to the show for all of those years. We talk to him and other listeners in some special episodes in the next couple…
May 13, 2026 · 19:03
This phrase may have been stated by a Pennsylvanian in the 1880's described as a "German." as we talk about in this episode about family, assimilation, education and immigration.…
May 11, 2026 · 29:52
The island-hopping and Second-front hoping after Pearl Harbor did not bring FDR a reverse of the traditional midterm curse or a victory for his party. The GOP and anti FDR…
May 5, 2026 · 1:09:09
In the last episode of the series, we ask the question of where Reagan fits in today's politics, given that parties have shifted so much since his Presidency. We also summarize…
May 1, 2026 · 1:50:13
Starting with the Reykjavik Summit of 1986 and a fly on the wall view of the events there, we look at the pro-Reagan and anti-Reagan arguments regarding his role in the ending of…
Apr 27, 2026 · 56:41
A TV show affects Reagan deeply. The question is often asked if Reagan won the Cold War. Usually, the only period examined is Reagan's second term. But if one looks at Reagan's…
Apr 22, 2026 · 32:35
That's the State's Rights amendment, right? Ask just about anyone about the Tenth Amendment and they will say "States." States rights, powers, protections, limits to the Federal…
Apr 21, 2026 · 22:35
In 1962, A civil rights champion and a civil rights opponent join on one thing - to ban poll taxes. The Court later rules that it applies to fees. What does it mean for today?…
Apr 20, 2026 · 24:48
Answering listener questions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Apr 16, 2026 · 40:25
This new President is defying all norms! Shocking statements and words, crazy economic theories. Scary foreign policy. Bruce Springsteen is angry. We've never seen numbers like…
Apr 12, 2026 · 48:52
from D.W. Griffith to today, we look at the controversial use of movies and film in politics. And how using video instead of argument may be popular, but it has its flaws. We…
Apr 11, 2026 · 59:01
Lincoln beat up politics with history as good or better than I could. David Sirota and the Left's use of executive power. A few questions from listeners. Learn more about your ad…
Apr 9, 2026 · 58:31
A scandal in the US, even more of a scandal in Iran. Iran-Contra was a significant moment of the Reagan Administration and the 80's, but its rarely seen from the other country's…
Apr 7, 2026 · 46:28
Timely topics and a few stories. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Apr 6, 2026 · 46:01
We look at the scandal that rocked Reagan's Presidency. It looks very different with time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Apr 5, 2026 · 1:37:26
The untold story of the 21st President. Music by Lee Rosevere, and others. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Apr 5, 2026 · 29:02
The 24th amendment banning the payment of poll tax or other tax in order to vote, had a crazy legislative history to get passed. Alexander's Hamilton's House became a central…
Apr 4, 2026 · 1:00:34
Political violence changes politics. Vice President Chester Arthur is getting the hang of Parliamentary procedure, and building a reputation for being a more partisan vice…
Apr 2, 2026 · 1:07:28
Arthur makes an unlikely comeback in the 1880 Republican Convention in this episode. The story is a little more complex than it's often told, and involves a bit more of Arthur's…
Apr 2, 2026 · 1:22:49
(2nd posting ) We look at Chester Arthur and also at Roscoe Conkling, New York Senator and political "boss" of the post-Civil War period. The two are tied together in history.…
Apr 1, 2026 · 54:34
Have we forgotten about George W. Bush and how much today's politics were defined during his administration? Does Congress have any role anymore? Have we reached a point where…
Mar 31, 2026 · 50:33
He fought for civil rights and nearly saved New York City. But all we remember is his hair. We start our series on President Chester Arthur with a look at his boyhood / young…
Mar 30, 2026 · 45:24
Reagan makes a big reform most see as a good thing. And he made a diplomatic move most see as a very bad thing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mar 23, 2026 · 43:15
Homelessness, education, healthcare and other domestic issues under constant evaluation during the time of the Reagan Presidency. We look at the personal Ronald Reagan and the…
Mar 20, 2026 · 18:38
The political world was shocked in 1987 when a 41-year old developer put an ad in the NY Times. Now it's 2026: he's consistent, sorta. What does it say about today? Learn more…
Mar 16, 2026 · 39:30
Reagan Battles Ford for the GOP Nomination. He loses. And becomes President. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mar 9, 2026 · 1:27:55
James Baker called Reagan's foreign policy "a witches brew." In one country, a longshot try for peace. In others, alliances with warmakers. Reagan's policy towards seven nations…
Mar 4, 2026 · 1:03:43
We seek to solve two puzzles: How did Reagan the Truman booster and N ew Deal supporter become Reagan the Goldwater acolyte? And when he entered politics, became GOP nominee and…
Mar 2, 2026 · 34:45
Reagan is the only President to have led a union into a strike. Twice, with two wins. And that's why he knew how to a break a strike when he had to. But in doing so, did he…
Feb 23, 2026 · 39:05
A bit about the recent Court decision, with a note about the concurrences of Neil Gorsuch and Amy Coney Barrett, which agreed with each other on the decision merits but warred on…
Feb 23, 2026 · 28:46
For my 20th year, I'm replaying the most popular series I've done, a look at Ronald Reagan in 12 episodes. Before I do that, I have few thoughts about what might have been left…
Feb 19, 2026 · 53:53
Replay from 2016 First in our series on Ronald Reagan that will have twelve episodes. The Presidency we discuss almost didn't happen. A look at the attempt on Reagan's life, his…
Feb 19, 2026 · 46:22
The 13th Vice President of the United States remains obscure. Where King's name does come up, it's often with the wrong picture. Or he's confused with Rufus King. According to…
Feb 19, 2026 · 41:36
Healthcare, Bosnia and Belief In The President. All are in doubt. The second part of our series on Bill Clinton's first year, 1993. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit…
Feb 18, 2026 · 53:40
It's 1993. A new President jogs through his first year, with an unexperienced staff and a hostile White House press corps. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit…
Feb 18, 2026 · 43:59
When it comes to citizenship decided by birth, the story of Wong Kim Ark, a young man born in the US of Chinese descent who was denied entry to his country, should be on a few…
Feb 5, 2026 · 30:20
In answering a question about JFK's health and its role in Lyndon Johnson's decision to accept the Vice Presidency, Bruce takes a look at the people and factors surrounding…
Feb 5, 2026 · 12:41
Why talk about LBJ? There's a few reasons. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Feb 2, 2026 · 31:43
On the surface, the 25th Amendment is a perfect mechanism for providing a stable transition of Presidential power. But that's not what early state ratification critics thought.…
Jan 26, 2026 · 48:29
From a town in California named for Zachary Taylor, to a famous letter sent by Frederick Douglass, we tell a few stories that didn't make it in to the series. Learn more about…
Jan 4, 2026 · 58:14
It was passed to stick it to Nixon. A look at Presidents and Congress and use of military. A look at history. Presidents and Congresses, and a specific legislation that applies…
Jan 4, 2026 · 17:09
Based on a listener question, POTUS and VPOTUS making speeches. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jan 1, 2026 · 46:34
Andrew Jackson and Martin Van Buren's policy of Indian population removal, which lead to the Trail of Tears and thousands of deaths, was not uncontested or passively allowed at…
Dec 31, 2025 · 1:10:55
CNN confirms that a missile strike hit for the White House, Japanese politics implodes, a grunge music tragedy and strange local traditions make mainstream in our extra episode…
Dec 30, 2025 · 1:26:54
Push in the drawer of your CD-ROM and enjoy random stories of politics and culture from the 1990's. that did not get much notice since. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit…
Dec 7, 2025 · 50:21
Deeper dive on Ken Burns documentary and Franklin and Iroquois Confederacy debate. Plus: Iran Iraq war and midterms. Sponsored by: The University of Aberdeen:…
Dec 6, 2025 · 20:30
No I don't think the Iroquois Confederacy influenced th Revolution much. (Nor do I think Burns says this). And I take a little issue with American Revolution as a Civil War…
Dec 2, 2025 · 45:29
An invention ties together the stories of many people. A frustrated painter, a faded novelist, and a future President. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit…
Dec 1, 2025 · 1:44:58
From the man who answered T.R.'s phone and maybe saved his life, to the secret "Sphinx" around Woodrow Wilson, to Coolidge's surprise enforcer. We look at all sorts of…
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