

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.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

Jul 10, 2023 • 36min
LSD in New York: Research, Recreation and Radicalism
Why should we associate LSD and its psychedelic effects with New York as much as we associate it with San Francisco? What use did the CIA think that this drug could be to them? And how did LSD impact the culture of New York City?Don is joined by Christian Elcock, author of Psychedelic New York: A History of LSD in the City to find out about New York's time as a hub of LSD production, research and consumption.Produced by Sophie Gee. Edited by Siobhan Dale. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long.Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians like Dan Snow, James Holland, Mary Beard and more.Get 50% off your first 3 months with code AMERICANHISTORY. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up at historyhit.com/subscribeYou can take part in our listener survey here.
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Jul 6, 2023 • 20min
The Crossfire of Gettysburg
Gettysburg is synonymous with the bloodiest battle in the history of the United States. But before it was the location of a battle and Lincoln's arguably most famous speech, Gettysburg was a town.In this episode, Don is joined by Andrew Dalton, executive director of the Adams County Historical Society. They explore the story of Gettysburg and its people, their experiences in the battle, and the lasting effects of the Civil War on the town.Produced by Sophie Gee. Edited by Teän Stewart-Murray. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long.Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians like Dan Snow, James Holland, Mary Beard and more.Get 50% off your first 3 months with code AMERICANHISTORY. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up at historyhit.com/subscribeYou can take part in our listener survey here.
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Jul 3, 2023 • 38min
The Battle of Gettysburg
Learn about the Battle of Gettysburg, its key figures, and its historical significance. Explore the impact of the war on southern people and the motivations behind the Confederate invasion. Discover the character of Beaufort in the movie about the battle, and the power of objects in revealing hidden aspects of history. Discuss General Lee's plan and the famous Pickett's Charge, and explore the significance of the Battle of Vicksburg and General Grant's war strategy.

Jun 29, 2023 • 51min
Stonewall
What made June 28 1969 a landmark occasion for LGBTQ+ rights?How was Stonewall different from the uprisings that had come before it? And why were the mafia involved?Dr Pip Gordon joins Don today to explore the experiences and activism of LGBTQ+ people in New York and across America before Stonewall, and to take us through this night and its legacy.Produced by Sophie Gee. Edited by Teän Stewart-Murray. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long.Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians like Dan Snow, James Holland, Mary Beard and more.Get 50% off your first 3 months with code AMERICANHISTORY. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up at historyhit.com/subscribeYou can take part in our listener survey here.This episode contains music and sound from Epidemic Sounds and Pixabay.
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Jun 26, 2023 • 52min
Amelia Earhart
On July 2 1937, Amelia Earhart and her navigator, Fred Noonan, took off on what was supposed to be the final leg of their circumnavigation of the globe, but would in fact be their final flight.In this episode Don is joined by Susan Butler to explore this American sweetheart's personality, her early life and her work for women's rights.We then explore some of the many theories surrounding the thing that Amelia is perhaps best known for, her disappearance. For this, Don is joined by Richard Spink.Produced and edited by Sophie Gee. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long.Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians like Dan Snow, James Holland, Mary Beard and more.Get 50% off your first 3 months with code AMERICANHISTORY. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up at historyhit.com/subscribeYou can take part in our listener survey here.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jun 22, 2023 • 31min
The CIA & MI6: The Real Special Relationship?
Behind the handshakes of leading politicians, beyond the trade deals and beneath mutually beneficial military deals, how has the 'special relationship' between the United States and the United Kingdom extended to intelligence and covert operations?Don is joined by Michael Smith, who has drawn on his own service in the British Army's Intelligence Corps to explore how the intelligence agencies of the US and the UK have worked together - or not - since the Second World War.Produced by Sophie Gee. Edited by Ella Blaxill. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long.Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians like Dan Snow, James Holland, Mary Beard and more.Get 50% off your first 3 months with code AMERICANHISTORY. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up at historyhit.com/subscribeYou can take part in our listener survey here.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jun 19, 2023 • 25min
The Long Death of Slavery
We celebrate abolition - in the United States during the Civil War and on Juneteenth, in Haiti after the revolution, and in the British Empire in 1833. Yet, over the approximately 100 years in which there were various moments of emancipation, these processes often provided failed pathways to justice for people who had been enslaved.Kris Manjapra joins Dan Snow on our sister podcast, Dan Snow's History Hit, to unearth disturbing truths about the Age of Emancipations, 1780-1880. They discuss examples of emancipations across the Americas, Europe and Africa where Black people were dispossessed by the very moves that were meant to free them.Produced by Hannah Ward. Edited by Dougal Patmore.Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians like Dan Snow, James Holland, Mary Beard and more.Get 50% off your first 3 months with code AMERICANHISTORY. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up at historyhit.com/subscribeYou can take part in our listener survey here.
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Jun 15, 2023 • 30min
Louisiana's Ancient Mystery: Poverty Point
There are no other historic sites like this one on the planet. The concentric semi circles and mounds of Poverty Point in Louisiana are a mystery not only to those who come across them, but also to the archaeologists.Don is joined by Tristram Kidder to find out what we do know about this late archaic site and the people who built it.Produced by Freddy Chick and Sophie Gee. Edited by Siobhan Dale. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long.Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians like Dan Snow, James Holland, Mary Beard and more.Get 50% off your first 3 months with code AMERICANHISTORY. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up at historyhit.com/subscribeYou can take part in our listener survey here.
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Jun 12, 2023 • 27min
The Lavender Scare: Being Gay in Washington DC
Why were gay federal employees seen as a national security threat during the 20th century? How might they in fact have been more of an asset? And how did some of them fight against their dismissals?In this episode, Don is joined by James Kirchick, author of 'Secret City: The Hidden History of Gay Washington'.Produced and edited by Sophie Gee. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long.Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians like Dan Snow, James Holland, Mary Beard and more.Get 50% off your first 3 months with code AMERICANHISTORY. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up at historyhit.com/subscribeYou can take part in our listener survey here.
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Jun 8, 2023 • 46min
The Wright Brothers
Approximately 100 thousand flights take off and land each and every day. A months long journey on a boat is condensed to just a few hours with the help of aircraft, and the birth of planes introduced an entirely new form of warfare.Orville and Wilbur Wright, the Wright brothers, are household names. But how did they create the first successful heavier than air flying machine?In this episode, Don speaks to Tom Crouch, Curator Emeritus at the National Air and Space Museum. They delve into the lives and personalities of these two men, and the long process that took them into the air above Kitty Hawk.Produced by Sophie Gee. Edited by Siobhan Dale. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long.You can take part in our listener survey here.
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