Cover image of BackStory

BackStory

BackStory is a weekly public podcast hosted by U.S. historians Ed Ayers, Brian Balogh, Nathan Connolly and Joanne Freeman. We're based in Charlottesville, Va. at Virginia Humanities.There’s the histor... Read more

Ranked #1

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326: Mystery, Murder, and Mayhem: A History of True Crime in America

326: Mystery, Murder, and Mayhem: A History of True Crime in America

For the last decade or so, true crime has been everywhere -- Netflix shows like Making a Murderer and podcast series lik... Read more

29 May 2020

1hr 6mins

Ranked #2

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181: Fit to Print?: A History of Fake News

181: Fit to Print?: A History of Fake News

As we approach the midterm elections, concerns about fake news - widely circulated news stories that are inaccurate, mis... Read more

31 Aug 2018

33mins

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Ranked #3

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325: American Empire: From Scene on Radio

325: American Empire: From Scene on Radio

“America” and “empire.” Do those words go together? If so, what kind of imperialism does the U.S. practice, and how has ... Read more

22 May 2020

1hr 15mins

Ranked #4

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302: The End of an Era: History That Was Made - and Unmade - in the 2010s

302: The End of an Era: History That Was Made - and Unmade - in the 2010s

The calendar is nearing closer and closer to the end of 2019. Which has us thinking about the end of the decade and how ... Read more

15 Nov 2019

28mins

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Ranked #5

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291: 1619: The Arrival of the First Africans in Virginia

291: 1619: The Arrival of the First Africans in Virginia

This month marks the 400th anniversary of the arrival of the first Africans to land on what would become British North A... Read more

23 Aug 2019

58mins

Ranked #6

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Hamilton: A History

Hamilton: A History

Alexander Hamilton is living large these days! Lin-Manuel Miranda’s hit musical about the Founding Father won the Pulitz... Read more

10 Jun 2016

51mins

Ranked #7

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Counter Culture: A History of Shopping [rebroadcast]

Counter Culture: A History of Shopping [rebroadcast]

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Or is it? The holiday season is notorious for bringing out the beast in shoppe... Read more

15 Dec 2016

51mins

Ranked #8

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Small Island, Big Shadow Cuba and the U.S. [rebroadcast]

Small Island, Big Shadow Cuba and the U.S. [rebroadcast]

No sitting U.S. president has visited Cuba in nearly 90 years, but this month President Obama will do just that. This hi... Read more

18 Mar 2016

51mins

Ranked #9

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230: Forgotten Flu: America & the 1918 Pandemic

230: Forgotten Flu: America & the 1918 Pandemic

The CDC recommended flu shots for all this year after more than 80,000 Americans succumbed to influenza in 2017 - a four... Read more

30 Nov 2018

43mins

Ranked #10

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276: Red in the Stars and Stripes?: A History of Socialism in America

276: Red in the Stars and Stripes?: A History of Socialism in America

With the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and record levels of unemployment, the conversation around socialism in the U.S. h... Read more

8 May 2020

58mins

Ranked #11

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307: Those Were The Days: Nostalgia in American History

307: Those Were The Days: Nostalgia in American History

It’s common for folks to look back on a time gone by and romanticize it as “better days.” But is nostalgia a harmless ye... Read more

3 Jan 2020

1hr 8mins

Ranked #12

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Worlds Apart: Urban/Rural Divides in America

Worlds Apart: Urban/Rural Divides in America

According to the New York Times, the 2016 election “highlighted a growing rural-urban split.” So, on this episode of Bac... Read more

4 Feb 2017

50mins

Ranked #13

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204: Too Good To Be True?: Myths in American History

204: Too Good To Be True?: Myths in American History

On this week’s episode, Brian, Joanne, and Nathan explore some of the stories Americans tell about our past and find the... Read more

2 Mar 2018

54mins

Ranked #14

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The GOP: A History Of The Republican Party

The GOP: A History Of The Republican Party

Donald Trump has clinched the Republican party presidential nomination, and some political pundits wonder if his nominat... Read more

14 Jul 2016

1hr 3mins

Ranked #15

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265: Nixon Beyond Watergate: A History of the Presidency Before the Scandal

265: Nixon Beyond Watergate: A History of the Presidency Before the Scandal

Today the Presidency of Richard Nixon is mostly remembered for how it ended - with the Watergate scandal, impeachment an... Read more

25 Jan 2019

1hr 4mins

Ranked #16

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308: The U.S. and Iran: A Brief History of an Often Tense Relationship

308: The U.S. and Iran: A Brief History of an Often Tense Relationship

Last weekend, an American airstrike killed Iranian General Qasam Soleimani, at the direction of President Trump. Iran vo... Read more

10 Jan 2020

30mins

Ranked #17

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301: The Chinese in American History: How Afong Moy, Mayling Soong and Bruce Lee Changed the Narrative About China

301: The Chinese in American History: How Afong Moy, Mayling Soong and Bruce Lee Changed the Narrative About China

Conversations about US-China relations often revolve around tariffs, trades and recently, President Donald Trump’s tweet... Read more

11 Nov 2019

1hr 5mins

Ranked #18

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American Prophets: Religions Born in the U.S.

American Prophets: Religions Born in the U.S.

History textbooks often argue that the United States was founded on the principle of religious freedom, beginning with t... Read more

11 Dec 2015

51mins

Ranked #19

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A History of Manufacturing in 5 Objects

A History of Manufacturing in 5 Objects

Both Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton have talked about loss of manufacturing jobs, and the importance of having things ... Read more

13 Oct 2016

57mins

Ranked #20

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Skin Deep: Whiteness in America

Skin Deep: Whiteness in America

This week, BackStory looks at whiteness in America by broadcasting segments from podcasts we admire. These stories -- fr... Read more

14 Jul 2017

52mins

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