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 PodcastHistory of the Civil War in 10 Battles, Part 5: The 1862 Peninsula Campaign
In early 1862 the Union Army launched a major operation in southeastern Virginia, the first large-scale offensive in the Eastern Theater. Lincoln replaced…
History Unplugged PodcastHistory of Civil War in 10 Battles, Part 4: The Battle of Shiloh
The Battle of Shiloh was a battle in the Western Theater fought April 6–7, 1862, in southwestern Tennessee. On the first morning, 40,000 Confederate troops…
History Unplugged PodcastHistory of the Civil War in 10 Battles, Part 3: Border States and the War in the West
In the summer of 1861, four slave states had still not seceded. If even two or three joined the Confederacy, the Union would be in big trouble. Lincoln was…
History Unplugged PodcastHistory of the Civil War in 10 Battles, Part 2: First Battle of Bull Run
Abraham Lincoln believed that the Civil War would be over in a few months, with the Union Army marching on Richmond by late 1861. Both sides hastily assembled…
History Unplugged PodcastHistory of the Civil War in 10 Battles, Part 1: Background to the Civil War
The origins of the Civil War go back decades, even before the United States became an independent nation The federal union had always been precarious, ever…
History Unplugged PodcastSpecial Announcement: A History of the Civil War in 10 Battles Begins Next Week
The Civil War pitted brother against brother and divided a nation. It also featured the most epic—and deadliest—battles in American history. From Shiloh to…
History Unplugged PodcastHow a 1522 Battled Transformed Russia from a Minor Duchy into Earth's Largest Empire
The Russian Siege of Kazan in 1552 and the conquest of Kazan and Astrakhan by Muscovy can be seen as the birth of a Russian Empire. It had profound…
History Unplugged PodcastThe Most Famous Founding Father You’ve Never Heard of Was Hamilton's Arch-Nemesis and a Deficit Hawk
Alexander Hamilton had a nemesis… and it was not Aaron Burr. After Hamilton enacted a wide-scale spending program to build up America's military and…
History Unplugged PodcastLost Civilizations, Part 3: European Visitors to the New World Before Columbus
Learn about cultures that came to America long before Columbus, suggesting that trans-oceanic voyages could be accomplished well back into the Bronze Age. See…
History Unplugged PodcastLost Civilizations, Part 2: The Egyptian Pyramid Builders, the Nabateans, and the Aksumites.
Welcome to part two on our series on the greatest lost civilizations in history. Today we are looking at three groups: The Egytian Pyramid Builders, the…
History Unplugged PodcastLost Civilizations: Ancient Societies that Vanished Without a Trace, Part 1
A stock trope of literature is the king who believes that his kingdom will last forever, only to see it collapse under his own hubris (Exhibit A is Percy…
History Unplugged PodcastThe Most Powerful Women in the Middle Ages, Part 3: Elizabeth of Tudor and Ottoman Queen Mother Kösem Sultan
This is the third in our three-part series on the most powerful women in the Middle Ages. To wrap things up we will explore the lives of two female rulers —…
History Unplugged PodcastTeaser: Intro to Audie Murphy Series
Subscribe today for access to all premium episodes! https://patreon.com/unplugged See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
History Unplugged PodcastThe Most Powerful Women in the Middle Ages, Part 2: Catherine of Sienna and Isabella of Castile
Female rulers dominated the Middle Ages. But it wasn't just the queens or empresses who wielded enormous power. This episode is the second of a three-part…
History Unplugged PodcastThe Most Powerful Women in the Middle Ages, Part 1: Queens, Empresses, and Viking Slayers
The idea of a powerful woman in the Middle Ages seems like an oxymoron. Females in this time are imagined to be damsels in distress, trapped in a high tower…
History Unplugged PodcastHow the Vicksburg Siege May Have Turned the Tide of the Civil War—Samuel Mitcham
“Traitor!” “Failure!” “Bungling fool!” Southern newspapers hurled these sentiments at Confederate General John C. Pemberton after he surrendered the fortress…
History Unplugged PodcastThe Story of Malaria, The Killer of Half of Humanity
Long before Thanos snapped his fingers in Avengers: Infinity War, another villain successfully killed half of humanity. Malaria is a simple parasite…
History Unplugged PodcastAn Archeologist Talks About the Discovery of a Civil War Surgeon's Burial Pit at Manassas Field
In August 1862, two Union soldiers were gravely wounded at the Battle of Second Manassas. They were brought to a field hospital, though both died as a result…
History Unplugged PodcastWhy U.S. Political Elections Have Always Been Chaotic—David Severa from the Early and Often Podcast
You've heard it before: American politics have never been nastier or more divisive than they are today. Just witness the recent words of one recent…
History Unplugged PodcastThe History of Slavery, Part 5: The Road to Abolition
Slavery died a long death in the Western World. Abolitionists began mobilizing in the 1700s (chief among them Quakers and other Protestant sects) but the…
History Unplugged PodcastThe History of Slavery, Part 4: African Slavery in the New World, 1500-1865
Slavery predates European entry into the Atlantic world in the Age of Exploration, but the system that developed during the 16th and 17th centuries was…
History Unplugged PodcastThe History of Slavery, Part 3: Christian Slaves and Muslim Masters—Barbary Pirates in the Mediterranean, 1500-1800
As the trans-Atlantic slave trade from sub-Saharan Africa to the Americas began to grow in the 1500s, there was another slave trade that operated on an even…
History Unplugged PodcastThe History of Slavery, Part 2: The Medieval Slave Trade to Arabia
The term "slave trade" conjures up images of a white slaver capturing African tribesmen, packing them like corkwood into a ship, selling them in the Antebellum…
History Unplugged PodcastThe History of Slavery, Part 1: Shackled and Chained in the Ancient World
When asked “what is slavery?” most Americans or Westerners would respond with a description of an African slave in the antebellum South, picking cotton and…
History Unplugged PodcastProhibition: How it Happened, Why it Failed, and How it Still Affects America Today
America has a strange relationship with alcohol. Certain drinks represented the darkest parts of the national psyche. Rum was once associated with slavery…
History Unplugged PodcastWhat Did People Eat in the Middle Ages?
Welcome to an anthology episode where I ask six short questions about the Middle Ages from you, the listener. Here they are in order of appearance: What Did…
History Unplugged PodcastAlmost Everything in American Politics has Happened Before, Even Donald Trump—Bruce Carlson from My History Can Beat Up Your Politics
Cable news pundits tell you everything is “breaking news.” TV pundits discuss politics in a vacuum. But in nearly every case, the politics of today have long…
History Unplugged PodcastThe Quest to Make Information Free Forever: Copyright Battles From Venetian Printers in the Renaissance to 21st Century Hackers
The © symbol (or "Copyright") is a completely forgettable character ignored by all but lawyers. It is buried at the bottom of legal notices that your brain…
History Unplugged PodcastHow a Rivalry Between Two Cherokee Chiefs Led to the Trail of Tears and the Collapse of Their Nation
A century-long blood feud between two Cherokee chiefs shaped the history of the Cherokee tribe far more than anyone, even the reviled President Andrew Jackson…
History Unplugged PodcastIf It Weren't For Two Iowans, Billions Would Have Died of Starvation or Been Left in a Technological Dark Age
Norman Borlaug and Robert Noyce aren't household names. But these two Iowans influenced the 20th century more than anyone else on Planet Earth. Borlaug created…
History Unplugged PodcastIntroducing the History Unplugged Membership Program
Learn how to get access to bonus episodes of History Unplugged (including a multi-part series on Audie Murphy, the most decorated soldier in WW2), the entire…
History Unplugged PodcastLife After Auschwitz: How European Jews Attempted to Assimilate in America After Unspeakable Tragedy
What happened to Jews after they were liberated from concentration camps? Some tried to return to their homes, only to find them occupied by neighbors who…
History Unplugged PodcastPatton and Churchill's Experiences Before and During World War Two
This is an anthology episode that looks at the experiences of Winston Churchill and Gen. George S. Patton before and during World War Two. Specifically this…
History Unplugged PodcastSpecial Announcement: Presidential Fight Club Is Now Its Own Podcast
Remember when we did the 44-episode series on this show called Presidential Fight Club that imagined what would happen if every president fought each other…
History Unplugged PodcastAn Infantry Officer's Fight Through Nazi Europe, From D-Day to VE Day
Falling comrades, savagery of war, and the intense will to prevail in battle faced young Bill Chapman when he stormed the beaches of Normandy on June 6, 1944…
History Unplugged PodcastEverything You Need to Know About D-Day: H-Hour, Weapons Info, and First-Hand Accounts via Soldiers, Beachmasters, and the French Resistance
The D-Day landing of June 6, 1944, ranks as the boldest and most successful large-scale invasion in military history. On June 6, as Operation Overlord went…
History Unplugged PodcastBenjamin Franklin: Diplomat, Polymath, and Member of 18th Century Jet Set—Elizabeth Covart of the Ben Franklin's World Podcast
Benjamin Franklin was a world traveler, consummate learner, and a polymath extraordinaire; the Founding Father was a printer, scientist, inventor, diplomat…
History Unplugged PodcastFrom Farm Fields to Classrooms: Horace Mann's War for Universal and Compulsory Education for Children
In a remarkably short span of time, American children went from laboring on family farms to spending their days in classrooms. The change came from optimistic…
History Unplugged PodcastMeet Joan: The Female Pope—Stephen Guerra of the History of the Papacy Podcast
According to medieval accounts, a woman named Joan reigned as pope, 855-857 A.D., by disguising herself as a man. The story is widely thought to be fiction…
History Unplugged PodcastThe Most Productive People in History, Part 2: Thomas Aquinas to Thomas Edison
This is Part 2 of an exploration of the live of the most productive people in history. We will look at the life, times, and work habits of medieval philosopher…
History Unplugged PodcastThe Most Productive People in History, Part 1: From Archimedes to Ben Franklin
They never knew how he did it. Few composers write more than one or two symphonies in their lifetimes. Beethoven spent a year on his shorter symphonies but…
History Unplugged PodcastThe Union's Secret Rebels: The Story of Gettysburg's Five Rebellious Double Crossers Who Returned as Foreign Invaders
The Civil War is called the war in which brother fought against brother. But few knew of the “Gettysburg Rebels”: the five privates from that very town who…
History Unplugged PodcastHow to Reach Allied Territory When Your Plane Is Shot Down in Nazi-Occupied France
Lieutenant George W. Starks' worst fear came true when his B-17 was shot down over Nazi-occupied France. Earlier that morning, the boyish 20-year-old and his…
History Unplugged PodcastAnthology: How Switzerland Remained Neutral In Two World Wars
How was Switzerland able to remain neutral in the two world wars? Why was a tiny mountainous nation of watch-makers, bankers, and chocolateers able to dictate…
History Unplugged PodcastGrammar Girl (Mignon Fogarty) on the Strange History of the English Language
Mignon Fogarty has spent years helping others sort out the extremely peculiar grammar of the English language. But in the course of her research on how to…
History Unplugged PodcastHistory's Most Insane Rulers: From Emperor Caligula to Muammar Gaddafi
Few mixtures are as toxic as absolute power and insanity that comes from megalomania or severe mental illness. When nothing stands between a leader's…
History Unplugged PodcastMeet Pico, The 23-Year-Old Wunderkind Who Kicked Off the Renaissance
Giovanni Pico della Mirandola (Pico for short), was the wunderkind of the Renaissance. In 1486, at the age of 23 he proposed to defend 900 theses on religion…
History Unplugged PodcastRichard Burton: The Victorian Explorer Who Discovered the Kama Sutra, Made a Secret Pilgrimage to Mecca, and Knew 29 Languages
Everybody imagines the World's Most Interesting Man to be a fictional grey-haired lothario who drinks Mexican beer and boasts of his legendary exploits. But…
History Unplugged PodcastPanic on the Pacific: How America Prepared for a Japanese West Coast Invasion after Pearl Harbor
The aftershocks of the December 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor were felt keenly all over America—the war in Europe had hit home. But nowhere was American life…
History Unplugged PodcastThe Hypothetical Economy of a Present-Day Confederate States of America, Alternate Theories to the Titanic Sinking, and Other Counterfactual
In this anthology episode I answer questions from the audience all centered around one theme. Today's theme is about alternate history and alternate theories…
History Unplugged PodcastThe 4 Successful (And Hundreds of Unsuccessful) Assassination Attempts of U.S. Presidents—Mel Ayton
In American history, four U.S. Presidents have been murdered at the hands of an assassin. In each case the assassinations changed the course of American…
History Unplugged PodcastProstitution Throughout History: Sumerian Temple Priestesses, Ottoman Brothel Workers, and Call-Girls for the Medieval Clergy
Prostitution, often known as the world's oldest profession, can be traced throughout recorded history. This cliché is so often repeated it remains completely…
History Unplugged PodcastThe Ladykiller who Killed Lincoln: The Scandalous Love Life of John Wilkes Booth
What if People magazine’s “Sexiest Man Alive” assassinated a U.S. President? John Wilkes Booth has been despised as a traitor, hailed as a martyr, and…
History Unplugged PodcastUlysses S. Grant Was (Mostly) Responsible For Winning the Civil War. Robert E. Lee Was Responsible For Losing It.
Ever since the end of the Civil War, a mythology of Robert E. Lee's military genius was developed by Confederate veterans as a way to support the idea that the…
History Unplugged PodcastHow Long Have Foreign Governments Attempted to Meddle in U.S Elections? Answers to This And 3 Other Questions
Foreign governments did not only start trying to influence American presidential elections in 2016. It goes all the way back to the 18th century. In this…
History Unplugged PodcastThe Life and Times of Aristotle, and How His Philosophy Conquered the World—Lantern Jack from the Ancient Greece Declassified Podcast
Whether you have a BA in philosophy or have never read a book, your daily life is impacted by Aristotle. Have you ever tried to win an argument? Have you ever…
History Unplugged PodcastWorld War Two Spycraft: Stealing Nuclear Secrets, Blowing Up Nazi Factories, and Infiltrating Japanese High Command
Spies have been a feature of state security and military intelligence since the beginning of warfare. Entire wars have been won or lost according to these…
History Unplugged PodcastA Retired Policeman Tells us the Story of The Most Daring Jailbreak in the Underground Railroad's History
You probably know what the Underground Railroad is—you know, the network of secret routes and safe houses set up in antebellum America and used by…
History Unplugged PodcastWhat are Arguments For and Against Bombing Japan, Why Don't Militias Matter in American, and What is Close-Air Support?
In this anthology series I answer four listener questions. Three of them have to do with World War II, one of them has to do with the second amendment. Here…
History Unplugged PodcastDaily Lives of Middle Eastern Women in the School, the Home, the Harem, and Everywhere Else—Marie Grace Brown
For those who haven't studied the Middle East, the historical lives of women there can be thought to be a black hole: no information available about those who…