Lectures in History

Epizode

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  Why Did America Declare Independence? 18.07.2026 1h 14min

  Washington University hosted a series of lectures called "1776: Then and Now." This lecture examined the reasons behind the Declaration of Independence. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  International Context of the American Revolution 11.07.2026 1h 11min

  This week, professor and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Kathleen DuVal examines the international context of the American Revolution. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  Revolutionary War Leadership 05.07.2026 59min

  Documentary filmmaker Ken Burns, author Rick Atkinson, and retired Marine Corps Gen. Joseph Dunford discussed Revolutionary War leadership at an event held at George Washington's Mount Vernon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  Religion & The American Revolution 28.06.2026 1h 3min

  Washington University hosts a series of lectures called "1776: Then and Now" with the first exploring religion in Revolutionary America. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  U.S. Court System in Revolutionary War 21.06.2026 1h 20min

  How did a rebel nation establish a federal court system? Utah Valley University professor Matthew Brogdon shows how the U.S. court system formed during the Revolutionary War. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  Revolutionary War Roots of the Civil War 14.06.2026 1h 29min

  Bancroft and Pulitzer Prize winning historian Gordon Wood delivered a talk titled "The Revolutionary Roots of the Civil War." Professor Wood discussed the Founders views on slavery and argued that the Civil War was inevitable. The James Madison Memorial Fellowship Foundation hosted this event Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  When the Sea Came Alive - An Oral History Of D-Day 07.06.2026 1h 15min

  Author Garrett Graff discussed his oral history of the allied invasion of Normandy, France, on June 6, 1944. This event took place at the Roosevelt House Public Policy Institute at Hunter College in New York City. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  The Serial Killer H.H. Holmes 31.05.2026 50min

  Nebraska history professor James Garza teaches a class on H.H. Holmes, described as "America's First Serial Killer," and his crimes during the Gilded Age. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  FEED DROP A250: Abraham Lincoln and Conditions Leading to the Civil War 24.05.2026 1h 12min

  Pulitzer Prize-winning author Edda Fields-Black and other scholars gathered by the Abraham Lincoln Institute explored Lincoln and the paths leading up to the Civil War. The event took place at Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  FEED DROP: 2026 Commencement Speeches: Ron DeSantis, Muriel Bowser, Scott Bessent & James Patterson 22.05.2026 1h 22min

  Hear another collection of memorable 2026 commencement speeches from campuses across the country featuring Erika Kirk, Ron DeSantis, Muriel Bowser, Scott Bessent, and bestselling author James Patterson. This edition of C-SPAN’s Commencement Addresses podcast features reflections on leadership, faith, creativity, public service, curiosity, and navigating an uncertain future. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  FEED DROP: 2026 Commencement Speeches: Hilary Duff, Gretchen Whitmer, Hugh Jackman, Nancy Pelosi & Jalen Rose 22.05.2026 1h 34min

  Highlights from the 2026 commencement season featuring speeches from Hilary Duff, Gretchen Whitmer, Hugh Jackman, Nancy Pelosi, and Jalen Rose. Hear advice and reflections on leadership, creativity, resilience, and public service from campuses across the country. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  The History of the Oil Business 17.05.2026 56min

  University of Iowa professor Richard Priest traces the history of the oil business from rudimentary drilling to John Rockefeller's Standard Oil Company and how competition grew across the globe. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  Red Dead's History - A Video Game, An Obsession, and America's Violent Past 10.05.2026 1h 11min

  University of Tennessee, Knoxville, history professor Tore Olsson discussed what the video games Red Dead Redemption 1 and 2 get right and wrong about American history. This event was hosted by Union Ave Books and the East Tennessee Historical Society Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  FEED DROP: BN+ - Bob Crawford, "America's Founding Son" 03.05.2026 1h 2min

  This week, Lectures in History is taking a break— So we’re bringing you Booknotes+. Hosted by Brian Lamb, this episode features  Bob Crawford—of The Avett Brothers—on his book America’s Founding Son. Bob Crawford plays upright bass, bass guitar, and violin with the Grammy nominated Americana band, the Avett Brothers. He's been with the band for 25 years. Since 2016, Mr. Crawford has had his own podcast called The Road to Now, along with Ben Sawyer. Their focus is about history. Six years ago, during his band's tour, Mr. Crawford received his master's degree online from Arizona State University. The focus again was history. Now comes his first serious book titled "America's Founding Son: John Quincy Adams, from President to Political Maverick." Bob Crawford spends a significant amount of time discussing the 17 years Adams spent in the House of Representatives, after he was president, trying to stop the spread of slavery in the United States Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  FEED DROP: America's Book Club with Beverly Gage 26.04.2026 1h 3min

  Historian and Yale University Professor Beverly Gage joined David M. Rubenstein to discuss her Pulitzer Prize winning biography of former FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover and her road trip across the U.S. to visit historic sites. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  "Whiteness" & U.S. Citizenship 19.04.2026 1h 7min

  USC lecturer Nora Lessersohn looks at how racial classifications were used during the naturalization process throughout American history. This lecture takes place at University of Southern California's campus in Washington, DC. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  Allen Guelzo on Abraham Lincoln 12.04.2026 53min

  University of Florida professor Allen Guelzo teaches a class on Abraham Lincoln's intellectual interests and how the 16th president was more than just a talented politician. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  FEED DROP BN+: Investigative Journalist Seth Harp Explores The Fort Bragg Cartel 06.04.2026 1h 18min

  Seth Harp is a lawyer and an Iraq war veteran and an investigative writer and journalist. His first book, "The Fort Bragg Cartel," is about drug trafficking and murder in the Special Forces. Near the end of his book, Harp writes: "Between January 2017 and September 2022, a total of 15,293 active duty service members suffered drug overdoses, and 322 of those were fatal. The Defense Department data showed that Fort Bragg had far more overdoses than any other military base in both absolute and per capita terms." Fort Bragg is located in Fayetteville, North Carolina, and is the largest populated army base with close to 50,000 soldiers. It is headquarters of the secret Delta Force. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  2002 George W. Bush Speech Making the Case for Military Action in Iraq 28.03.2026 1h 10min

  The October 2002 speech by George W. Bush making the case for military action in Iraq was the topic of a class taught by University of Kansas political communication professor Robert Rowland. The University of Kansas is in Lawrence. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  President Jimmy Carter's Impact On the End of the Cold War 21.03.2026 1h

  Gonzaga history professor Robert Donnelly argues that Jimmy Carter's role in ending the Cold War has largely been overlooked. He looks at how the 39th president's policies weakened the Soviet Empire. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices