Shows / Bahr's History Hits
Bahr's History Hits
Bahr's History Hits is where the past and present collide--thorugh the lens of books, events, and ideas that shape our world. Hosted by Michael Bahr, this podcast explores how the past shapes the present through powerful ideas and pivitol books. Whether you're a student of history--or just love a good debate, this is your place for big questions and awesome discussions.
Episodes
- Bahr's History Hits
The Nation's Guest: Lafayette & the trip that united America
In 1824, the Marquis de Lafayette returned to the United States after forty years away and found a nation he barely recognized: twenty-four states, a tripled…
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The People Behind the Curtain
Every president has a story. So does everyone who made their bed. In Season 2, Episode 4 of Bahr’s History Hits, we dig into Kate Andersen Brower’s The…
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Twelve Days in April
Five days after the Civil War effectively ended, the president who had guided the Union through it was gone. This episode, we dig into Killing Lincoln by Bill…
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The General Who Wouldn’t Let it Break
The Civil War ended in 1865. But just eleven years later, the country came within a hair's breadth of a second one — not on a battlefield, but over a…
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A Beautiful Day to Die: A Conversation with Senator Jeff Taylor"
Season Two starts with a story unlike any we've told before — and this time, it comes straight from the person who lived it. Iowa State Senator Jeff Taylor…
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Eighteen Minutes: The Fire that Changed America
Eighteen minutes. That's all it took for a locked door and a pile of fabric scraps to become one of the deadliest workplace disasters in American history. In…
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The Man Who Silenced History
On live television, a nightclub owner named Jack Ruby did the unthinkable — he gunned down Lee Harvey Oswald, the only man who could answer America's biggest…
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Miracle in the Corn
No hydraulics. No flight controls. No textbook for what happened next. On July 19, 1989, United Flight 232 lost every system designed to keep it flying. What…
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The Case for America
Two hundred fifty years ago, fifty-six men risked the rope to sign their names to an idea. Today, we ask if that idea still holds. On the actual anniversary of…
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Brothers, Not Saints: The Founders' Fight to Hold It Together
They argued. They schemed. One of them shot another one dead. The night before America's 250th birthday, we look past the marble statues to the actual men…
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The Real Midnight Ride
He never finished the ride. And it didn't matter. Everyone knows the poem — the lone rider, the lantern, the gallop through the night. The truth is messier…
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Bloody Footprints: How Valley Forge Saved a Revolution
The Declaration was signed in July. This is what almost killed it in December. As we count down to America's 250th anniversary, we open the road to…
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The President Will See You Now: A Story of Loyalty, Love, and Letting Go
What happens to a president after the power is gone? For Ronald Reagan, the answer is one of the most poignant stories in American history. In this episode of…
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The General's Dog: A Special Episode
Special episode alert! My 8-year-old son Steven is taking over Bahr's History Hits — and he's brought his favorite book with him. George Washington and the…
- Bahr's History Hits
Beyond the Oval Office
Only a handful of people have ever held the most powerful job in the world—and that shared experience bonds them in ways nothing else can. Today we're pulling…
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The Preacher & the Presidents
He preached the gospel to an estimated 215 million people in person. He knelt in prayer with presidents in the Oval Office. He took midnight phone calls from…
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American Sphynx: Thomas Jefferson and the American Contradiction
He wrote "all men are created equal" — and owned more than 600 people over the course of his lifetime. He championed small government — then doubled the size…
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The Forgotten War that Forged A Nation
They called it the forgotten war. But the War of 1812 shaped the United States in ways Americans still feel today. In this bonus episode, host Michael Bahr —…
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The Year That Made America: Crisis, Courage & 1776
What does it take to keep a revolution alive when everything is falling apart? In this episode, we dive into David McCullough's 1776 — the story of the year…
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One Giant Leap
What does it take to promise the impossible — and then actually deliver it? In this episode of Bahr's History Hits, Michael Bahr dives into American Moonshot…
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The Forgotten Architect
He's the president you probably can't name, but William McKinley made decisions that still shape America's role in the world today. From the Spanish-American…
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Big Dreams and Body Slams
What if a small family wrestling business in the Northeast became a billion-dollar global entertainment empire? Join host Michael Bahr and his special co-host…
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The Iron President
What if a politician repeatedly chose career suicide over compromise? Meet Grover Cleveland—the only president to serve non-consecutive terms, and a man so…
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The Founding Partnership
What happens when a worldly 69-year-old celebrity scientist teams up with a reserved 43-year-old Virginia planter? You get the partnership that invented…
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The Kennedy Detail
In this gripping episode, we explore the untold story of JFK's Secret Service agents and the tragic day that changed presidential protection forever. Based on…
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The Vaccum Guy? The Rehabilitation of Herbert Hoover
"The vacuum guy?" That's how Kevin McCallister responds in Home Alone 2 when told that President Herbert Hoover once stayed in his Plaza Hotel suite. It's a…
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Tis Well: George Washington's Final Journey
'Tis Well: George Washington's Final Journey What happens when the most essential leader tries to step away? George Washington spent his final years…
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Champions Behind Barbed Wire
Here's a Spotify description for this episode: The Eagles of Heart Mountain: How Japanese American Teens Became Wyoming Champions Behind Barbed Wire What…
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The Last Campaign: RFK's 82 Days That Could Have Changed America
In this episode of Bahr's History Hits, we explore one of American history's most compelling "what-ifs"—Robert F. Kennedy's electrifying 82-day presidential…
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The General Who Saved Democracy: Washington's Farewell to Power
What makes a leader truly great? In 1783, George Washington did something that shocked the world: he voluntarily gave up absolute power. Then he did it again…
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The Filibuster: Democracy's Kill Switch
The filibuster—democracy’s safeguard or democracy’s kill switch? In this episode of Bahr’s History Hits, Michael Bahr unpacks the strange and surprising…
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Benedict Arnold: The Man Behind the Treason
Was Benedict Arnold simply a villain — or a betrayed hero who made a terrible choice? In this episode, Michael Bahr examines The Real Benedict Arnold by Jim…
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The Darkness That Made Him Great: How Struggle Forged A President
We often think of depression as a roadblock to greatness — but what if it can also be a forge? This episode of Bahr’s History Hits connects modern…
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When Words Become Weapons
In the wake of Charlie Kirk's tragic murder at Utah Valley University, host Michael Bahr delivers a powerful special episode examining the escalating crisis of…
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Labor Day--the Struggle Continues
In this special edition of Bahr's History Hits--Michael discusses Labor Day. Why it is important, and how we can keep honoring the legacy of those who stood…
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More Than a Political Stunt: The Real Story of Impeachment from Johnson to Trump
Impeachment gets thrown around like political confetti every election cycle, but do we actually know what it means? Spoiler alert: it's not a "you're fired"…
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When The King Met The President: Elvis, Nixon, and the Strangest White House Visit in History
What happens when the King of Rock 'n' Roll shows up unannounced at the White House gates? On December 21, 1970, Elvis Presley—decked out in purple velvet and…
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The Power of the Pardon
In this episode, we dive into one of the more controversial decisions ever in American history: Gerald R. Ford's pardon of former President Nixon. We relive…
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The Shot that Shouldn't Have Killed Him
President James A. Garfield survived the bullet--but not the system that failed him. In this episode of Bahr's History Hits, we unravel the astonishing and…
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The JFK Files: Secrets, Silence, and Why They Matter
Nearly 60 years after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, the U.S. government is still releasing classified files. But what do they really tell…
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History Will Prove Us Right
Welcome to the debut episode of Bahr’s History Hits! In this kickoff chapter, we tackle one of the most polarizing events in American history: the…