15-Minute History

The 15-Minute History Podcast team brings you a new segment, just for kids, called Sketches in History, where history isn’t just a story—it’s an adventure. Join Lottie Archer as she dives into her extraordinary notebook where sketches from history come to life.In this episode, she travels to a sandy beach on December 17, 1903. She can see two men next to a strange machine. Your kids will learn about innovation and witness the birth of modern aviation.Listen and subscribe to the 15-Minute History podcast to hear Sketches in History every other Thursday. Got a favorite historical moment? Share it with us at 15minutehistory@gmail.com, and it might just make its way into the notebook!Until then, remember that history is just a page away.

The creation of a united, powerful Germany completely reshaped European power politics in the late 19th century. But how did it happen? What was the character of that new country, and did it reflect older ideas and values of its Prussian ancestor? Join us as we consider the creation of a country that created so much art and technology but also violence and death. Was its formation a good idea or a bad idea?

Join us every other week for a Pop Quiz! This week, Joe asked me about the Federal Reserve, how it works, and whether or not it's run by reptilian aliens.Well, maybe not the last one, but we do get into a conversation about the important--and dangerous--role the Federal Reserve plays in American finance today.

Join us as we explore the history of the steam engine, its impact on industrialization, and how both have translated into the modern age.

The 15-Minute History Podcast team is bringing you a new segment, just for kids, called Sketches in History, where history isn’t just a story—it’s an adventure. Join Lottie Archer, as she dives into her extraordinary notebook where sketches from history come to life.In this episode, she travels to dark night on April 18, 1775. In the distance, she hears a horse fast approaching. Its rider has a special message for the inhabitants of the town! Your kids will learn about bravery, agency, and the beginning of the American Revolutionary War.Listen and subscribe to the 15-Minute History podcast to hear Sketches in History every other Thursday. Got a favorite historical moment? Share it with us at 15minutehistory@gmail.com, and it might just make its way into the notebook!Until then, remember that history is just a page away.

In the workshop, all he could smell was the coal. It filled his nostrils day and night. The metal under his hands was hot. A few months before, the heat would have been unbearable, but the scares on his hands dulled the sensation. He bent over the two cylinders and watched as steam left one to fill the other. A spray of water went into the first cylinder, and he listened as the piston fell back into a resting position. The man repeated this action countless times. He looked at the fire creating the steam. And then at the stores of coal which, for the first time, still seemed full. He closes his eyes, and continues the work, listening intently, almost searching for the error as the piston moves inside the cylinder. The movement of steam from one tube to the other, the created vacuum, and the sound of the responding piston continues until they encapsulate his entire world. After some time, the mechanism slows. He knows its because the fire has gotten low. The man drops his tools, takes a step back, and opens his eyes to a new world. ----Join us as we talk about the history of the steam engine and how it was the pivotal change agent that led to many of the modern marvels we experience today.

Hey kids! I know you were excited to hear Lottie bring you another episode of "Sketches in History." Unfortunately, she isn't here this week. But Joe has a story to tell you about a trip he took with his son, and then we have a Pop Quiz you can listen to with your parents.Lottie will be back with her notebook for another "Sketches" episode next week!

After a two-part podcast on this immense topic, Joe and I discussed some of the war's greatest impacts on society, how it shaped the lives of those who fought and suffered, and the tragic triumph that ended it.

In today's episode, Joe and Jon discuss King Henry VIII's "Great Debasement" (which has nothing to do with his palace's root cellar) and how it shaped our understanding of monetary policy.

Seven years ago, Joe and I began this podcast with a two-part episode on the Second World War in Europe. Today, we bring you part two, followed by our discussion next week.As always, you can send us questions or post comments on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts!