American History Hit
History Hit
Join Don Wildman twice a week for your hit of American history, as he explores the past to help us understand the United States of today. We’ll hear how codebreakers uncovered secret Japanese plans for the Battle of Midway, visit Chief Powhatan as he prepares for war with the British, see Walt Disney accuse his former colleagues of being communists, and uncover the dark history that lies beneath Central Park. From pre-colonial America to independence, slavery to civil rights, the gold rush to the space race, join Don as he speaks to leading experts to delve into America’s past. New episodes every Monday and Thursday. Brought to you by History Hit, the award-winning podcast network and world’s best history channel on demand, featuring shows like Dan Snow’s History Hit, Not Just The Tudors and Betwixt the Sheets.History Hit is part of Little Dot Studios, a Certified B Corp™Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Sep 21, 2026 • 50min
The Mormon Founding of Salt Lake City
Max Perry Mueller, a University of Nebraska–Lincoln historian of Mormonism and Indigenous American history, revisits Salt Lake City’s founding. He explores the Latter-day Saints’ flight west, Ute leader Walkara’s crucial influence, missionary ideas about Native peoples, Indigenous slavery, environmental transformation, railroad expansion, polygamy, statehood, and the contested legacy of Walkara and Lamanite identity.
10 snips
Sep 17, 2026 • 41min
Jefferson & the Revolutionary War
Michael Hattem, a historian of the American Revolution and author of The Memory of ’76, explores Thomas Jefferson’s overlooked wartime role. They discuss Jefferson’s political rise, his influence on the Declaration, Virginia’s path to independence, and his vision of republican citizenship. The conversation also covers his constrained governorship, Jack Jouet’s warning ride, and Jefferson’s evolving postwar worldview.
Sep 14, 2026 • 54min
What Really Happened At Waco?
Jeff Guinn, an investigative reporter and author of American history and crime, revisits the 1993 Waco disaster. He traces the Branch Davidians’ apocalyptic roots and David Koresh’s rise, then examines the failed ATF raid, 51-day siege, final assault and fire. The conversation also explores competing explanations for the tragedy and Waco’s lasting impact on American politics and militias.
13 snips
Sep 10, 2026 • 56min
Sherman's March: Invading the South
Anne Sarah Rubin, a Civil War historian and University of Maryland professor, explores Sherman’s devastating 1864 march through Georgia and the Carolinas. They discuss Atlanta’s strategic importance, hard war, foraging, the liberation and peril of enslaved people, Ebenezer Creek, the origins of “forty acres and a mule,” and how Lost Cause memory turned Sherman into a villain.
Sep 7, 2026 • 32min
America's Worst President
Jeremi Suri, historian and University of Texas professor, explores what makes a president fail. The conversation weighs Buchanan, Andrew Johnson, Pierce, Fillmore, and Taylor amid the slavery crisis and Reconstruction. It also examines presidential power, leadership during rapid change, Kennedy’s overrated legacy, and Polk’s expansionist ambitions.
Sep 3, 2026 • 41min
The People's Founding Father
Jesse Wegman, a Brennan Center senior fellow and author of The Lost Founder, revisits James Wilson, the overlooked architect of American democracy. Discover Wilson’s Scottish Enlightenment roots, his belief in popular sovereignty, influence on “We the People,” and role in shaping the Electoral College and Senate. His tangled record on slavery, spectacular financial collapse, and dramatic disappearance complete the portrait.
Aug 31, 2026 • 43min
The Truth About the Louisiana Purchase
Alexander Mikaberidze, a Louisiana State University historian and author of The Louisiana Purchase, revisits America’s celebrated 1803 bargain. They explore Napoleon’s Caribbean strategy, the importance of New Orleans, and what the United States actually bought. The conversation also examines Indigenous treaties, Federalist opposition, Jefferson’s constitutional concerns, and how the deal transformed presidential power and American expansion.
11 snips
Aug 27, 2026 • 41min
Did Lee's Surrender End the Civil War?
Caroline E. Janney, a University of Virginia historian of the late Civil War and Reconstruction, unpacks Appomattox and its aftermath. She traces Lee’s final campaign, the fall of Richmond, the terms signed at the McLean house, and why fighting continued elsewhere. Short, vivid scenes reveal how surrender began demobilization but did not instantaneously end the conflict.
Aug 24, 2026 • 49min
Why Did Reconstruction Fail?
Aaron Sheehan-Dean, a history professor at LSU and author on the Civil War and Reconstruction, explores why Reconstruction collapsed. He outlines its aims of rebuilding and reintegration. He contrasts Northern expectations with violent Southern resistance. He unpacks tactics like political boycotts, organized violence and key legal setbacks that shaped the outcome.
10 snips
Aug 20, 2026 • 46min
The Fire That Changed New York
David Conrad-Pérez, historian and author of Fire in the Heart of the City, examines the 1911 Triangle Shirtwaist Factory blaze and its dramatic fallout. He describes the factory conditions, how the fire started and spread, and the vivid public and media reaction. He also traces the organizing, reform commissions, and the limited legal reckoning that followed.
