Shows / History Unplugged Podcast
History Unplugged Podcast
For history lovers who listen to podcasts, History Unplugged is the most comprehensive show of its kind. It's the only show that dedicates episodes to both interviewing experts and answering questions from its audience. First, it features a call-in show where you can ask our resident historian (Scott Rank, PhD) absolutely anything (What was it like to be a Turkish sultan with four wives and twelve concubines? If you were sent back in time, how would you kill Hitler?). Second, it features…
Episodes
History Unplugged PodcastAmerican Sherlock -- Meet The 1920s Forensic Scientist Who Created Modern CSI
Before the 1900s, solving a murder was done using conjectural theories or flimsy psychological notions of what makes a killer a killer. That all changed with…
History Unplugged PodcastHow Does a Nation Have an Identity When Its People Speak Different Languages? Ask Canada (Quebec Specifically)
A listener named Liam requested an episode looking at a deep dive into his hometown of Montreal and how it came to be a center of commerce and culture in North…
History Unplugged PodcastScott's Book "History's 9 Most Insane Rulers" Launch Update and Bonus Offer
Go to www.historyunpluggedpodcast.com to learn about Scott's new upcoming book "History's 9 Most Insane Rulers" and how you can get exclusive content. See…
History Unplugged PodcastHow the Florida of the Roaring 20s Created Modern America and Triggered the Great Depression
The 1920s in Florida was a time of incredible excess, immense wealth, and precipitous collapse. The decade there produced the largest human migration in…
History Unplugged PodcastHistory Has Lots of Great Ideas About What To Do During a Quarantine
Quarantines are nothing new: they've been used since at least the Bronze Age to prevent the spread of leprosy. In this episode (rebroadcasted from a Facebook…
History Unplugged PodcastThe Civil War in the American West: When Multi-Racial Armies Fought Over Gold Mines and Indian Lands
When people think of the American Civil War, specific images spring to mind—Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, Scarlett O’Hara escaping a burning Atlanta in a hoop…
History Unplugged PodcastSt. Patrick Didn't Get Rid of Any Snakes, But He Is The Patron Saint of Exterminators
Nearly 1,600 years after Patrick arrived on Ireland (first as a slave, then as a missionary who brought Christianity to the island), he is celebrated as the…
History Unplugged PodcastCOVID-19 is Nothing Compared to the 1918 Spanish Flu
COVID19, aka - the coronavirus, has triggered mass quarantines and spooked markets across the globe. To date, over 3,000 have died and over 100,000 infected…
History Unplugged PodcastThe Lost History of James Madison's Black Family
“Always remember—you’re a Madison. You come from African slaves and a president” This was Betty Kearse's family motto; a way to remember that they were…
History Unplugged PodcastThe Cold War -- Not WW2 -- Was Arguably the Defining Event of the 20th Century
The Cold War existed vaguely in a fifty-year stretch and lacked the defining moments of a major military conflict. However, there is a strong argument to be…
History Unplugged PodcastFight House: Cutthroat White House Rivalries From Truman to Trump
Some American presidents appear to do their jobs in a more organized way than others, but the White House has always been filled with ambitious people playing…
History Unplugged PodcastHow An American Tank Gunner Successfully Dueled with Panzers in World War Two
When Clarence Smoyer is assigned to the gunner’s seat of his Sherman tank, his crewmates discover that the gentle giant from Pennsylvania has a hidden talent…
History Unplugged PodcastNew York Has Been America's Capital of Spying Since the Beginning of the U.S.
If you visit New York, your waiter, your cabbie, or the lady on the train playing Candy Crush could very well not be who they appear to be. That's because…
History Unplugged PodcastThe 1881 Expedition to Reach Farthest North Led to Starvation, Madness, and Glory
In July 1881, Lt. A.W. Greely and his crew of 24 scientists and explorers were bound for the last region unmarked on global maps. Their goal: Farthest North…
History Unplugged PodcastThe Terrifying Conquests of Hannibal of Carthage
Hannibal ad portas! The phrase was enough to terrify anyone in the Roman Republic and became an adage for parents to scare their children at nights: “Hannibal…
History Unplugged PodcastThe Negro Leagues Made Baseball a Global Sport and Kickstarted the Civil Rights Movement
Many people think the Negro Leagues as a sad, somber part of America's legacy of racial division. In many ways it is, says Bob Kendrick, president of the Negro…
History Unplugged PodcastThe Royal Touch: When British and French Kings Were Thought to Have Healing Powers
“The Hands of the King are the Hands of a Healer” -- this phrase appears in the Lord of the Rings, referring to how Aragorn was identified as the king of…
History Unplugged PodcastThe Worst Gambling Scandal in NCAA History Led to an Unlikely Story of Redemption
The 1949-50 City College Beavers basketball team were incredible underdogs who experienced an incredible rise and subsequent fall from grace. At a time when…
History Unplugged PodcastThe Confederate States of America, An Alternate History: 1865-2020
Civil War historians have asked if the South could have won the Civil War (or at least fought to a stalemate) since 1866. If they would have won, then what…
History Unplugged PodcastAn Admiral's List of the 10 Greatest Admirals in History
Today's episode features a special guest, James Stavridis, a four-star U.S. Navy Admiral and former Supreme Allied Commander of NATO. He joins us to discuss…
History Unplugged PodcastPearl Harbor May Have Been Avoided If a Lone US Diplomat Had Gotten His Way
Could one American diplomat have prevented the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor? The answer might be yes. America’s ambassador to Japan in 1941, Joseph Grew…
History Unplugged PodcastHow 20K Marines Held Out Against 300K Chinese Soldiers At The Chosin Reservoir, The Korean War's Greatest Battle
On October 15, 1950, General Douglas MacArthur, Supreme Commander of UN troops in Korea, convinced President Harry Truman that the Communist forces of Kim…
History Unplugged PodcastDragons Never Existed. So Why Are They Found in Absolutely Every Ancient Folklore?
You don't have to read the ancient folklore of China, Sumeria, or anywhere else long before you encounter a dragon. Sometimes they guard treasure. Sometimes…
History Unplugged PodcastThe Crusades, From Both Arab and European Perspectives
For more than one thousand years, Christians and Muslims lived side by side, sometimes at peace and sometimes at war. When Christian armies seized Jerusalem in…
History Unplugged PodcastHow the Nazi Ministry of Propaganda Radicalized Germany
Once the Nazi Party took power in Germany, they managed to end democracy and turned the nation into a one-party dictatorship, launching an endless propaganda…
History Unplugged PodcastStar Spangled Scandal: The Antebellum Murder Trial that Changed America
Two years before the Civil War, Congressman Daniel Sickles and his lovely wife Teresa were popular fixtures in Washington, D.C. society. Their house sat on…
History Unplugged Podcast237 Years After the Revolutionary War, Some Say It Was a Mistake. Are They Right?
There are few events that would shake the world order like the success of the American Revolution. Some changes would be felt immediately. English traditions…
History Unplugged PodcastGeorge Washington's Spies: The Culper Ring, Nathan Hale, and the Plot to Capture Benedict Arnold
Spycraft was seen as a treacherous craft, but it was necessary to win a war. Washington knew this, as his early attempts to gather intelligence on…
History Unplugged PodcastThe Revolutionary War Comes to an End
After Yorktown, a truce was declared in America, although some skirmishes did break out until final peace was negotiated in Paris in 1783. In this episode…
History Unplugged PodcastThe Battle of Yorktown: Britain's Surrender in the Revolutionary War
On October 14, 1781, Washington and French General Comte de Rochambeau attacked on October 14th, capturing two British defense. British Gen. Cornwallis…
History Unplugged PodcastThe Siege of Yorktown: American and France Corner Britain
The Battle of Yorktown sealed the fate of the Revolutionary War. In late 1781, American and French troops laid siege to the British Army at Yorktown, Virginia…
History Unplugged PodcastKing’s Mountain: The Revolutionary War's Largest 'All-American Fight'
The Battles of King's Mountain and Cowpens were fought in 1781, between the Continental Army under Brigadier General Daniel Morgan and British forces under…
History Unplugged PodcastThe Treason of Benedict Arnold
In 1788, the battle lines of the Revolutionary War moved from New England to the southern colonies. Lord George Germain, the British secretary responsible for…
History Unplugged PodcastHow France and America Cooperated During the Revolutionary War
The Battle of Rhode Island (also known as the Battle of Quaker Hill and the Battle of Newport) took place on August 29, 1778. The battle was the first attempt…
History Unplugged PodcastAmerican Politicians Nearly Had George Washington Fired During the Revolutionary War
After the setbacks of 1777 and 1778, other American officers angled to take Washington's position as leader of the Continental Army. A conspiracy called the…
History Unplugged PodcastThe Philadelphia Campaign: When Britain Took Over Ben Franklin's House
The Philadelphia Campaign of 1777-8 was a British attempt to capture Philadelphia, then capital of the United States and seat of the Continental Congress, led…
History Unplugged PodcastThe Battle of Saratoga—Benedict Arnold, An American Hero
The Battle of Saratoga was incredible turn of fortunes for the United States. British , Gen. John Burgoyne thought he would cut off New England from the rest…
History Unplugged PodcastRebroadcast: Turkey is Both a Bird and a Country. Which Came First?
It's no coincidence that the bird we eat for Thanksgiving and a Middle Eastern country are both called Turkey. One was named after the other, and it all has to…
History Unplugged PodcastThe Saratoga Campaign: Turning Point of the Revolutionary War
The Saratoga campaign gave a decisive victory to the Americans over the British during the American Revolutionary War. The battle also saw great heroics by…
History Unplugged PodcastThe Battle of Princeton Proves George Washington Was So Lucky, It Was Almost Supernatural
Washington and his men had their work cut out for them after crossing the Delaware River. Over the next ten days, they won two battles. First, the Patriots…
History Unplugged Podcast19th-Century American Radicals: Vegans, Abolitionists, and Free Love Advocates
On July 4, 1826, as Americans lit firecrackers to celebrate the country’s fiftieth birthday, both John Adams and Thomas Jefferson were on their deathbeds. They…
History Unplugged PodcastBenedict Arnold, Vidkun Quisling, and Other Historical Villains—When is Someone Misunderstood vs. Truly Bad?
Do historical “villains” like Benedict Arnold, Vidkun Quisling, and Emperor Caligula deserve their terrible reputations, or are they victims of biased…
History Unplugged PodcastWhen Does A Scorched-Earth Policy Work? A Look at the Civil War's Final Year
Ulysses S. Grant arrives to take command of all Union armies in March 1864 to the surrender of Robert E. Lee at Appomattox a year later. Over 180,000 black…
History Unplugged PodcastMedic! First Aid in Combat, From WW1 Trenches to Operation Iraqi Freedom
Up until the recent past, if a soldier was wounded in battle, he remained in the field where he had fallen without hope of rescue. Maybe a comrade would drag…
History Unplugged PodcastThe Confederacy Dominated the Early Civil War. So Why Did It Ultimately Lose?
The Confederacy won the early battles of the Civil War, led by brilliant generals Stonewall Jackson and Robert E. Lee (to name a few) against blundering Union…
History Unplugged PodcastConstantine's Conversion to Christianity: Opportunism or a Sincere Gesture?
History Channel documentaries and pop historians have argued that when Constantine converted to Christianity in the fourth century, he was merely following the…
History Unplugged PodcastWas the US Involvement in World War One a Mistake?
Most Americans are unclear about their country’s contribution to victory in World War I. They figure we entered the conflict too late to claim much credit, or…
History Unplugged PodcastHans Kammler, Nazi Architect of Auschwitz, Defector to the US?
Hans Kammler was among the worst of the Nazis. He was responsible for the construction of Hitler’s slave labor sites and concentration camps. He personally…
History Unplugged PodcastAnnouncement: Mid-Season Break for "Key Battles of the Revolutionary War"
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
History Unplugged PodcastKey Battles of the Revolutionary War, Part 12: Crossing the Delaware
At the end of 1776 George Washington was in a desperate situation. The Continental Army had retreated completely out of New York after losing Long Island to…
History Unplugged PodcastKey Battles of the Revolutionary War, Part 11: New York Campaign (2/2)
The New York Campaign ended in decisive victory for the British and terrible defeat for the Continental Army, which barely escaped destruction. It was…
History Unplugged PodcastKey Battles of the Revolutionary War, Part 10: The New York Campaign (1/2)
When the British left Boston, George Washington realized that their eventual destination would be New York City. He quickly traveled to NYC to oversee the…
History Unplugged PodcastKey Battles of the Revolutionary War, Part 9: Sidetrack Episode -- the Declaration of Independence
In the background of the opening battles of the Revolutionary War, an assembly of colonial statesmen issued a document announcing their formal separation from…
History Unplugged PodcastKey Battles of the Revolutionary War, Part 8: The Battle of Quebec
The Battle of Quebec, fought on December 31, 1775, marked the end of American offensive operations in Canada. General Richard Montgomery was killed, Arnold…
History Unplugged PodcastKey Battles of the Revolutionary War, Part 7: The Quebec Campaign
The Continental Army thought they could rally the French-speaking residents of Canada in their uprising against the British. Such thinking led to the Quebec…
History Unplugged PodcastKey Battles of the Revolutionary War, Part 6: Bunker Hill (2/2)
"Dont' fire till you see the white's of their eyes!" -- famous words, and smart strategy for using terribly inaccurate muskets, but what were the conditions…
History Unplugged PodcastKey Battles of the Revolutionary War, Part 5: Bunker Hill (1/2)
With the Revolutionary War turning from cold to hot, the British made plans to send troops from Boston to break the Colonials' siege of that city and occupy…
History Unplugged PodcastKey Battles of the Revolutionary War, Part 4: British and Continental Soldiers
The Continental Army and the British Army were significantly different in their organizational structure, levels of experience, and funding. The Continental…
History Unplugged PodcastKey Battles of the Revolutionary War, Part 3: Lexington and Concord
The Battles of Lexington and Concord were of minor military significance but of world-historical importance in the modern era. They were the first military…
History Unplugged PodcastKey Battles of the Revolutionary War, Part 2: Background to the War
Our series is picking up steam as we jump to the years immediately prior to the Shot Heard 'Round the World. James and Scott discuss the interregnum between…