Shows / 15-Minute History
15-Minute History
Walking in the footsteps of history, fifteen minutes at a time. Join us for a 15-minute episode covering a person, place, or event in history, and stay for an extended discussion. New episodes and discussions every week.
Episodes
- 15-Minute History
History in Reverse | The Strange Start of Science Fiction
How did the eruption of a volcano in Indonesia inspire the first modern work of science fiction and the creation of one of literature's most popular genres?…
- 15-Minute History
Nationalism | A Discussion on the People, United
This week's discussion covers various types of nationalism and how each manifests within a country. Jon and Joe then delve into its effects on government…
- 15-Minute History
Weird History | A King, an Archbishop, and a Cesspit
In the summer of 1184, Emperor Frederick Barbarossa sent his eighteen-year-old son, King Henry VI, to Erfurt to settle a land dispute between Archbishop Conrad…
- 15-Minute History
Pop Quiz | Jamestown (Republish)
Our first episode of "Weird History" will be delayed with our apologies!
- 15-Minute History
Nationalism | The People, United
Last episode was about imperialism, creating multi-ethnic empires that spanned the globe. This is about nationalism, concentrating state power on building and…
- 15-Minute History
Conspiracy | AI Will Kill Us All vs. The Psyop
In September 2026, an AI researcher quit Anthropic and posted a warning that the industry was gambling with our lives. Within days, insiders agreed, and a CEO…
- 15-Minute History
Imperialism | A Discussion on the World, Divided
Last week, we covered imperialism through two examples, King Leopold's Congo and India under the British Empire. This week, we discuss the hard questions about…
- 15-Minute History
Our First Political Chat! | "Trump Checks" and the Alternative for Germany
This season, we're giving the Pop Quizzes a break. Instead, every Thursday we'll have new content from each of our presenters. On the first Thursday of the…
- 15-Minute History
Imperialism | The World, Divided
Welcome back to a new season of 15-Minute History! Jon, Joe, and the rest of the team are glad to be back for season 10, where we are looking at the forces…
- 15-Minute History
Pop Quiz | No Treaty of Versailles?
Was the Treaty of Versailles the cause of World War Two? And what might Germany have looked like without the political chaos that it caused? We hope you've…
- 15-Minute History
S.O.B.s | American Foreign Policy in the Cold War (Republish)
New Season starting this coming Monday, October 6th! During the break, the 15-Minute History team will be republishing some of your favorite episodes. This…
- 15-Minute History
Pop Quiz | Territorial Citizens
What rights do citizens of US territories have, and what changes when their homes become states?
- 15-Minute History
The Manhattan Project | Scientific Achievement vs Ethical Responsibility (Repost)
New Season starting on Monday, October 6th! During the break, the 15-Minute History team will be republishing some of your favorite episodes. This episode…
- 15-Minute History
Pop Quiz | "Common Good Conservatism"
Can conservatives promote the "common good" and public virtue using the power of government? This will be our last new pop quiz before the start of Season 10…
- 15-Minute History
Associating Evil | LBJ & Ho Chi Minh (Repost)
During the summer break, the 15-Minute History team will be republishing some of your favorite episodes. This episode originally aired on February 12, 2024…
- 15-Minute History
Pop Quiz | Prosperity & Debt (Or "Well that Escalated Quickly!")
Joe asked a perfectly legitimate question about the definition of prosperity, and within minutes Jon was ranting about other podcasters. The conversation then…
- 15-Minute History
The Trail of Tears | Forever Lost (Repost)
During the summer break, the 15-Minute History team will be republishing some of your favorite episodes. This episode originally aired on April 22, 2024. ---…
- 15-Minute History
Pop Quiz | Perks or Wage Slavery?
During the Gilded Age, companies paid employees in scrip redeemable at corporate stores instead of in hard cash. Is this similar to modern job benefits like…
- 15-Minute History
Colt, Gatling, and Browning | Gun Pioneers (Repost)
During the summer break, the 15-Minute History team will be republishing some of your favorite episodes. This episode originally aired on March 22, 2022. ---…
- 15-Minute History
Pop Quiz | The "Bank War" (and an Audience Question)
What was the Bank of the United States, and why did Andrew Jackson work so hard to destroy it? And why is Eva Braun always referred to as Adolf Hitler's…
- 15-Minute History
Mark Twain | Rhyming History (Repost)
During the summer break, the 15-Minute History team will be republishing some of your favorite episodes. This episode originally aired on October 4, 2021. ---…
- 15-Minute History
Pop Quiz | Lessons from Rome's Fall
Is America approaching an end similar to Rome's? No. But are there lessons from how the Roman Empire collapsed in the West that nations and leaders can apply…
- 15-Minute History
Fredrick Douglas | Pinnacle of Freedom (Repost)
During the summer break, the 15-Minute History team will be republishing some of your favorite episodes. This episode originally aired on November 14, 2022…
- 15-Minute History
Pop Quiz | The Image of a Villain
Why do people continue to believe the worst about historical villains even if the facts prove they aren't quite as bad as some people thought? Join us every…
- 15-Minute History
Casting the Dice | The American Revolution (Repost)
During the summer break, the 15-Minute History team will be republishing some of your favorite episodes. This episode originally aired on October 20, 2025. ---…
- 15-Minute History
Pop Quiz | The Glorious Past
Why do politicians always call back to an idea--real or imagined--of the past? Is it as simple as wanting to make their country great again, or is there a…
- 15-Minute History
Changing the Constitution | The Progressive Amendments (Repost)
During the summer break, the 15-Minute History team will be republishing some of your favorite episodes. This episode originally aired on February 9, 2026. ---…
- 15-Minute History
Pop Quiz | The Dunkirk "What If"
Would Britain have surrendered if Germany had destroyed its army at Dunkirk? This week, Joe and Jon explore one of the classic "what ifs" of the Second World…
- 15-Minute History
War of 1812 (Part 2) | The Fire That Reforged a Nation (Republish)
During the summer break, the 15-Minute History team will be republishing some of your favorite episodes. This episode originally aired on December 1, 2025. ---…
- 15-Minute History
Pop Quiz | Air Conditioning
The Europeans may envy America's mighty air conditioners, but what would our country look like without this wondrous invention? Join us every Thursday for new…
- 15-Minute History
The War of 1812 (Part 1): Humiliation, Hawks, and Heroism (Republish)
During the summer break, the 15-Minute History team will be republishing some of your favorite episodes. This episode originally aired on November 17, 2025…
- 15-Minute History
Pop Quiz | Summer Reading List
Jon didn't give his students a reading list this summer, but if he had, what books would he have assigned? Join us every Monday for rebroadcast episodes this…
- 15-Minute History
John Adams | "I Know I Am Right" (Repost)
During the summer break, the 15-Minute History team will be republishing some of your favorite episodes. This episode originally aired on November 3, 2025. ---…
- 15-Minute History
Pop Quiz | Extremism and the "Political Pendulum"
How do we know when a political party goes "too far" on policy? And what happens when there is a backlash against their ideas? Join us every week this summer…
- 15-Minute History
Theodore Roosevelt | A Strenuous Life (Republish)
During the summer break, the 15-Minute History team will be republishing some of your favorite episodes. This episode originally aired on January 26, 2026. ---…
- 15-Minute History
Summer Special | America's 250th Birthday!
To celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, we've re-recorded an episode from season 1 entitled "Their Safety and Happiness," which…
- 15-Minute History
Pop Quiz | Sanctuary Cities
A political question this week -- what are sanctuary cities and where do they come from? Join us on Mondays this summer for rebroadcast episodes and on…
- 15-Minute History
Summer Special | Their Safety and Happiness
To celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, we've re-recorded an episode from season 1 entitled "Their Safety and Happiness," which…
- 15-Minute History
Pop Quiz | Preventing World War
Winston Churchill's insights into the Second World War's outbreak are a fascinating combination of prediction and justification. He knew Germany was a threat…
- 15-Minute History
More Security, Less Cost | A Discussion on the "New Look"
How did the Central Intelligence Agency both flourish and decline during the Cold War? What effects did both the Suez Crisis and Hungarian Revolution have on…
- 15-Minute History
Sketches in History | Thirteen Days in October
Welcome back to Sketches in History! This segment, just for kids, shows that history isn't just a story; it's an adventure. Join Lottie Archer as she dives…
- 15-Minute History
More Security, Less Cost | The "New Look"
Presidents have always had to balance economic costs with national security. In the 1950s, Dwight Eisenhower took what he called a "new look" at defense…
- 15-Minute History
Pop Quiz | A Republic in Danger
How close has America actually come to falling apart? Not in the way politicians throw the word "crisis" around today, but in real, documented…
- 15-Minute History
The Witness & the Spy | A Discussion on Hiss, Chambers, and the Rosenburgs
Join us as we discuss the trial of Alger Hiss, why Whittaker Chambers became disillusioned with communism, the Rosenbergs, and the effects of the Red Scare on…
- 15-Minute History
Sketches in History | The Witness and the Secret
Welcome back to Sketches in History! This segment, just for kids, shows that history isn't just a story; it's an adventure. Join Lottie Archer as she dives…
- 15-Minute History
The Witness and the Spy | Hiss, Chambers, and the Rosenbergs
It is August 3, 1948, and a former Communist Party member named Whittaker Chambers walks into a House committee room in Washington, D.C., and says something…
- 15-Minute History
Pop Quiz | Conspiracies and Grievances
Why are conspiracy theories everywhere online these days? Why is everyone mad at someone else for every problem in their lives? And what does history teach us…
- 15-Minute History
Storm of War | A Memorial Day Special
"We shall not fail now. Let us move forward steadfastly together into the storm and through the storm." - Winston Churchill, February 1942 This Memorial Day…
- 15-Minute History
Pop Quiz | What Historians Remember
Jon didn't remember to publish a pop quiz yesterday--but it was the last day of school and his brain was a bit full. So please accept our apologies and listen…
- 15-Minute History
Dan's Back! | A Discussion on the Korean War
Our beloved interloper Dan returns to join us for a conversation about the Korean War and how it influenced later conflicts and the role of the military in…
- 15-Minute History
Sketches in History | Surrounded
Welcome back to Sketches in History! This segment, just for kids, shows that history isn't just a story, it's an adventure. Join Lottie Archer as she dives…
- 15-Minute History
Victory Lost | The Korean War
The cold froze rifles in their hands, turned oil to sludge, and stiffened fingers until pulling a trigger became an exercise in willpower. Men slept in shallow…
- 15-Minute History
Pop Quiz | What Historians Have Missed
Let's have a conversation about what historians may have missed about the Founders of the United States, what may have been glossed over, and the reasons for…
- 15-Minute History
The Arsenal of Democracy | A Discussion on Home Front USA
How did the American home change once the soldiers returned from the war. How long did it take for the country to recognize that its injustices were choices?…
- 15-Minute History
Sketches in History | One Bomber Every 63 Minutes
Welcome back to Sketches in History! This segment, just for kids, shows that history isn't just a story, it's an adventure. Join Lottie Archer as she dives…
- 15-Minute History
The Arsenal of Democracy | Home Front USA
It's tempting to view the Second World War primarily through the lens of combat, but students of American history must also look at the transformation that…
- 15-Minute History
Audience Member Pop Quiz | The French at War
The French nation has a reputation for being willing to surrender in battle, but is that a fair assessment? This question came from an audience member, and we…
- 15-Minute History
Henry Ford | A Discussion on the Man of Contradiction
Henry Ford paid his workers more than anyone thought reasonable, then beat them when they tried to organize. He put ordinary Americans on the open road and…
- 15-Minute History
Sketches in History | Men of Steel and Oil
Welcome back to Sketches in History! This segment, just for kids, shows that history isn't just a story, it's an adventure. Join Lottie Archer as she dives…
- 15-Minute History
Henry Ford | The American Contradiction
Henry Ford didn't just build a car. He built the world we drive through, the suburb we live in, and the weekend we take for granted. He paid his workers more…