American History Too!

On Episode 49 of American History Too! we're joined by the University of Manchester's Katie Myerscough (@katiemyerscough) to discuss her research into the Progressive Era and the role women played in shaping American cities at the turn of the 20th century. Think that this era saw women focus exclusively on Suffrage? Well, think again.We get stuck into whether or not there was actually a progressive movement, what it was, and how it succeeded. Katie then guides us through how women sought to shape their surroundings, all the while pretending not be political, so as not to draw the attention of male political figures. Finally, with people - and women especially - turning to personal activism in the contemporary America, we discuss whether or not we are on the cusp of a new Progressive Era in the United States.  Thanks again for listening and we'll be back next month to discuss American Exceptionalism.Cheers,Mark and MalcolmLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Episode 48, our resident Cold War expert, Malcolm, is in the hotseat to discuss whether we are in the midst of a new Cold War (drawing upon his recent contribution to this BBC article - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-43546340).Before we tackle the present day, we cover the old Cold War - what was it? when did it peak? who won? And what amount of credit does Ronald Reagan deserve for ending the long conflict? We then turn our attention to the present day to consider the rise of Russia in the modern world and the role of Vladimir Putin. Finally, Malcolm supplies his top three film and television recommendations for those wanting to understand the Cold War and its implications.  Thanks again for listening and we'll be back with a new guest next month.Cheers,Mark and MalcolmLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Picking up from last month's episode on Native Americans and slavery, this month's episode with Reeta Humalajoki (University of Turku) explores the relationship between the American government from the civil war to the present day.  We explore the various policies from assimilation to termination that characterised this fractious relationship, all the way up to the recent policies pursued by the Obama and Trump White Houses.  How much say did have Native Americans had in shaping their fate? And how was this all affected by the Civil Rights era? And why is Richard Nixon one of the most laudable presidents in relation to Native American affairs?Reetta guides us through these issues and much more in this tour de force podcast!Cheers for listening,Mark and MalcolmLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Episode 46, we're joined by the University of Hull's Edd Mair, who discusses his research on Native Americans as slaveholders during the 18th and 19th centuries, particularly the Seminole tribe of Florida.We have a wide-ranging discussion of the history of Native American slavery - both as enslaved people and as slaveholders themselves. Why did the enslave Africans? Was it out of necessity or more nefarious reasons? As we find out, some Native Americans even held similar racial beliefs to those that would become common among white people during Social Darwinism's heyday.  Mostly, we get at the question of whether or not Native American were more benevolent slaveholders in comparison with their white counterparts - a common myth that was accepted in American society.We'll be back next month with a follow-up episode on Native Americans when we discuss how they fared during the 20th century.Cheers,Mark and MalcolmLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Episode 45, we are joined by UCL's Nick Witham (@ndwitham) to examine the turbulent events of 1968 in the United States. 50 years on, what are the legacies of the 365 days of tumult? What happened? What impact did it have on various groups in society? And how important were the 'Sixties' more broadly? We guide you through the assassinations, cultural upheavals, Vietnam protest, and - of course - the music of 1968. Thanks again for listening. We'll be back next month to examine Native Americans and slavery.  Cheers,Mark and Malcolm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Episode 44 of American History Too! we're joined by TWO very special guests - the University of Exeter's Rachel Pistol (@PistolRachel) and the University of Edinburgh's Tim Cooper (@tscooper11) - to discuss how Asian-Americans have fared in American society since the late nineteenth century to the present day.  Discover more about the so-called 'Yellow Peril', Japanese Internment during World War II, and why these issues are still relevant to modern day America. Look out for a NEW kind of AHTOO podcast landing in your feeds in January. Until then, thanks again for listening. Mark and MalcolmLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Episode 43 of American History Too! we delve into the United States' topsy-turvy relationship with its southern neighbours. The US has had a fascinating and complex relationship with its American cousins and joined by the University of Manchester's Tom Tunstall Allcock (@TunstallAllcock) we trace its highs and lows from the Monroe Doctrine in the 1800s all the way to the 1960s and the LBJ administration's 'Man in Latin America', Thomas Mann.  We examine JFK's 'Alliance for Progress' and whether LBJ really deserves the blame for its collapse or not, and how the 1965 intervention in the Dominican Republic fits into the wider story of Johnson's presidency. Tom also treats us to the story of LBJ, a sheepdog, a monkey, and the West German Chancellor - stay tuned until the end for that one! We'll be back in December with a special episode on Japanese-Americans.  Thanks again for listening. Cheers, Mark and MalcolmLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this month's episode we're joined by Lancaster University's politics lecturer Richard Johnson (@richardmarcj) to discuss five pioneering black politicians who ran for election in the decades before Barack Obama's ascension to the White House in 2008: Ed Brooke, Tom Bradley, Douglas Wilder, Harvey Gantt, and Carol Moseley Braun.   The podcast begins with a clip of Richard's interview with Braun in which she discusses her views on race and politics.   Throughout the discussion Richard reflects on whether Obama was a political unicorn with his appeal to white and black audiences; how these five pioneers navigated the choppy waters of racial politics and what their candidacies tell us about the country in wich they were running; and finally, whether their candidacies - and, in some cases, spells in office - were able to inspire change in American society.   Thanks again for listening, we'll be back next month, discussing barbeque diplomacy and Vietnam (all will be explained).   Cheers, Mark and MalcolmLearn m

(Our guest this month, Hannah Rose Murray, @Hannah_RoseM , frederickdouglassinbritain.com) One spring evening in 1838, formerly enslaved African American Moses Roper spoke to a crowded audience in Leicester, and during one section of his speech, declared: "Many will say “This is the slaves’ side of the question. The slave-holders would tell a different story.” You have heard the slave-holders’ story 250 years ago. Now, I think it is time for the slaves to speak." In an extraordinary chapter of the antislavery movement, hundreds of black activists – many of whom were formerly enslaved – echoed Roper’s bold decision to tell the truth about slavery. Many of these individuals sought temporary reprieve from American soil, others permanent; some raised money to free themselves or enslaved family members; others sought work with varying success. Black men such as Frederick Douglass, William Wells Brown, Josiah Henson, and women such as Sarah Parker Remond lectured in large cities and tiny fishing villages, wrote n

For Episode 40 of American History Too! we've fired up the Translatlantic cables to chat to Dixie State University's Jeremy Young (@jeremycyoung) about his work on the 'Age of Charisma' between 1870 and 1940. Jeremy guides through what it meant to be a charismatic leader and, indeed, a charismatic follower during this era. Why were these leaders both appealing and yet simulatanously destined to lose in presidential elections? Why did they die out from 1940 onwards? And who was the first ever radio star in the United States? (hint: it's not who you think it is!) We touch on all these issues and much more. Thanks again for listening and we'll be back next month. Cheers, Mark and MalcolmLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

50 years on from the 'long, hot summer' of 1967 we look back at the race riots that became a common feature of the 1960s landscape in the United States. Should we call them riots? Why did they happen in the same decade in which African-Americans achieved the greatest legislative progress in 100 years? How did politicians responded to America's burning cities? And do they hold any lessons for modern America? These are just some of the questions we seek to answer about the riots. The podcast begins with an NBC broadcast you can watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hOoW0U6g_E Thanks again for listening. Cheers, Mark and MalcolmLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this month's episode we're joined by Fraser McCallum to discuss the paranoid cinema of the 1970s that emerged in the midst of assassinations, Watergate, and an array of government misdeeds that had been exposed in the previous decade. In particular we examine The Conversation (the trailer for which begins this episode, 1974), The Parallax View (1974), Three Days of the Condor (1975), and - of course - All the President's Men (1976). We discuss why these films emerged, what they say about the United States during this era, and consider whether we might see a reemergence of the genre in the wake of Trump. n.b. There is a slight issue with one of the microphones that crops up ever now and again, but it shouldn't be too distracting. Thanks again for listening and we'll be back in a few weeks with an episode looking at the 'long, hot summer' of race rioting in 1967. Cheers, Mark and MalcolmLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Episode 37 of American History Too! we look at a man and an organisation who encapsulated much of what 19th century America was about: immigration, westward expansion, big business, labour relations, war, and politics. We examine Allan Pinkerton and the ‘eye that never sleeps’, the Pinkerton National Detective Agency.   Scholarship Christopher Andrew, For the President’s Eyes Only: Secret Intelligence and the American Presidency, from Washington to Bush (New York: HarperCollins, 1995) Rhodri Jeffreys-Jones, The FBI: A History (New Haven: Yale University Press, 2007) Rhodri Jeffreys-Jones, We Know All About You: The Story of Surveillance in Britain and America (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2017) Frank Morn, The Eye That Never Sleeps: A History of the Pinkerton National Detective Agency (Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1982) S. Paul O’Hara, Inventing the Pinkertons; or, Spies, Sleuths, Mercenaries, and Thugs (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2016)Learn more about your ad choices. Vi

The 16th President of the United States, unlike so many of his fellow nineteenth century White House occupants, has not been lost to History. Indeed, his name lives on as the Capitol of Nebraska, as a popular car brand, and as a name for one of America’s two political parties. Beyond the United States, his legacy also has a powerful reach. Here in Scotland, there is statue of him in Edinburgh, while in 2009, the Rwandan government saw fit to issue a stamp bearing his face. And that face, which he took great pleasure in mocking for its ugly features, has been included at one time or another on the 1, 5, 10, 20, 100, and 500 dollar bill. It is sculpted on Mount Rushmore along with Washington, Jefferson, and Theodore Roosevelt. And, perched high upon a grand seat and surrounded by Roman columns and his most famous words, he gazes across the National Mall at the Congress of the United States, acting as a symbolic conscience of the nation. We are, of course, talking about Abraham Lincoln. Today, on American His

On Episode 35 of American History Too! we're joined by the University of Hull's Rachel Williams to discuss the role that religion played in the American Civil War.   Rachel guides us through the evolution of religion from the founding years through to the antebellum era and the effect it had on the emerging country. What effect did relgion have in justifying slavery in the South? Has religion in the US benefitted from not having a predetermined state religion? And what was the effect of the Second Great Awakening? We then discuss how religion shaped the experience of the Civil War and how it impacted both the Northern and Southern cause. Finally, Rachel reflects on how the Civil War experience impacted upon religion going forward and offers us a sneak preview of next month's episode. We hope you enjoy the conversation as much as we did. Cheers, Mark and MalcolmLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Episode 34 of American History Too! we're joined by the University of Birmingham's James West (@ejwestuk) to discuss the history of Black History Month and the debates that surround BHM. Over the course of the hour we get stuck into the legacy of the Civil Rights movement, the origins of Black History Month and whether it is viewed in a positive light by black Americans. Finally, James offers us a fascinating insight into how corporations have advertised during BHM, and whether their efforts are cynical or genuine.   Our apologies for the recording quality on one of the microphones for this episode - snowstorms and internet connections don't go well! Cheers, Mark and MalcolmLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Episode 33 we turn our attentions back to the CIA and pick up where we left off in Episode 31. Joined by the University of Reading’s Dafydd Townley, we whizz through the CIA’s successes and failures in the 1950s and 1960s, when the agency was given free rein by Congress to do as it pleased without questioning. With the Vietnam War and the Watergate Scandal fuelling public distrust in American institutions, however, it was only logical that the CIA – for so long shrouded in mystery – would come under the microscope. In 1975, three separate investigations were launched into the CIA, with the notable being the Church Committee, that raised new and troubling questions about the nation’s premier intelligence gathering vehicle. In this episode of American History Too! we investigate the Committee’s findings and dig deeper into what would become known as the ‘Year of Intelligence’. We’ll be back next month with an episode that will overlap with Black History Month. Until then, thanks for again listening! M

In 1942, GIs who were being deployed to Britain were presented with a clear set of official instructions which warned them what they could expect to find when they reached wartime Britain: ‘‘You are coming to Britain from a country where your home is still safe, food is still plentiful, and lights are still burning. So it is doubly important for you to remember that their British soldiers and civilians have been living under a tremendous strain. It is always impolite to criticize your hosts. It is militarily stupid to insult your allies.’ – Instructions for American Servicemen (1942) Equally, in December 1943, the novelist George Orwell wrote in the Tribune that ‘It is difficult to go anywhere in London without having the feeling that London is now occupied territory.’ Both extracts give a sense of uneasy alliance between two nations which have all too often been portrayed as locked together in a ‘special relationship’ for seventy odd years. But like all relationships, alliance warfare between the US and the

World War II is over, the Cold War is just beginning, and the United States is set on winning hearts and minds - and foreign elections - by any means necessary. On episode 31 of American History Too! we travel back to the mid-1940s and tell the story behind the creation of the CIA's covert operations programme. From tales of Jesus to a disaster in Bogota, the programme's birth was an interesting one to say the least. Thanks again for listening and we'll be back next month to discuss the experience of American and British soldiers during World War II.   Cheers, Mark and Malcolm    Scholarship Rhodri Jeffreys-Jones, The CIA and American Democracy, 2nd edition (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1998) Rhodri Jeffreys-Jones, Cloak and Dollar: A History of American Secret Intelligence (New Haven: Yale University Press, 2002) Steven Long, The CIA and the Soviet Bloc: Political Warfare, the Origins of the CIA and Countering Communism in Europe (London: I.B. Tauris, 2014) Kaeten Mistry, The United States, Italy a

What it says in the title. It's over and in an attempt to process Trump's shock victory we break down the 2016 election into historical perspective. To do so, we're joined once more by Paddy Andelic (@pkandelic). We discuss why Trump won, why Clinton lost, where the parties stand, and what history suggests we're in store for from a Trump presidency. Finally, we answer an eerily prescient listener question. We'll be back next week with our regular podcast so look out for that, and thanks again for listening.   Cheers, Mark and MalcolmLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices