American History Too!

On episode eleven of American History Too! we delve into one of the most chilling moments in US history – the assassination of President John F. Kennedy on November 22nd, 1963.  To aid us in the voyage through fear, conspiracy, and legend we are joined by the University of Glasgow’s Fraser McCallum.   What is uncontested about that day? What are the most plausible and most outlandish conspiracy theories to prosper in the fifty years since the assassination?  Why do these conspiracies matter?  And how were Lyndon Johnson and Bobby Kennedy the original conspiracy theorists?  Finally, does the myth of the fallen President match the reality of the Kennedy presidency?  Find out all this and more on this episode of American History Too! We’ll be back with our next podcast on the Vietnam War in the next two weeks. Cheers, Mark and Malcolm   Reading/Viewing List -          Kathryn Olmsted, Real Enemies: Conspiracy Theories and American Democracy, World War 1 to 9/11(Oxford: Oxford University Pres

On episode 10 of American History Too! we arrive at the tumultuous 1960s.  To help us better understand this controversial decade, Malcolm assumes host duties as Mark guides us through the presidency of Lyndon Johnson and his ambitious search for the ‘Great Society’.  What did Johnson mean by a ‘Great Society’?  What did he achieve?  And why did he leave the presidency as a ‘broken and dispirited’ figure?  And what in the world does a bill about rat extermination have to do with all of this?    Serious academic rigour aside, we engage in a discussion about the tallest and shortest presidents, Mark (briefly and horribly) attempts a Southern accent, while Malcolm marvels in the historical amnesia of ‘Guns or Butter’ advocates. Finally, we depart to the dulcet tones of one-hit wonder and apparent crystal ball owner, Barry McGuire, wand his eerily accurate 1965 song, ‘Eve of Destruction’.  Thanks again for listening and we’ll be back soon with a discussion of the JFK assassination. Cheers, Mark and Ma

On episode nine of American History Too! we turn our attention to a period in American history that has become indelibly linked to one man: the Second Red Scare and Senator Joseph McCarthy. But is McCarthy the be all and end all of anti-communism? What influence did he really have?  And were there other figures in the United States who played more prominent and important roles in creating what the historian David Caute called ‘the great fear’?  Is ‘Hooverism’ – or even ‘Nixonism’ – a better name to understand this period? We take you through a tour of the interesting, and often distasteful, figures that the Second Red Scare brought to prominence.  We also discuss the parallel rise of the  so-called ‘Lavender Scare’ which saw gay Americans targeted – on some occasions more aggressively – than suspected communists.  Stay tuned until the very end when you’ll be treated to a Cold War “anthem” from Carson Robison! We will back in two weeks to discuss Lyndon Johnson and the Great Society. Cheers, Mark a

On the eighth episode of American History Too! we delve into one of the great crisis moments in American History – the Great Depression.  We’re joined by special guest, Alastair Duthie (@d_alastair), who helps guide us through the historiographical minefield that surrounds Presidents’ Herbert Hoover and Franklin Roosevelt in their attempts to bring the American economy and people back from the brink.  We begin by explaining some of the reasons for the global financial collapse of the 1920s and 1930s.  Malcolm inspires his own great depression as he dips his toe into the cold waters of economic history, Alastair reminds us that the 1920s was not all it has been cracked up to be, and Mark wholeheartedly refuses to ever discuss the t*riff.  Also, it is decided that perhaps the much maligned Herbert Hoover was not the twentieth century’s James Buchanan (more of a Franklin Pierce, perhaps). The second half of the podcast is devoted to a consideration of Roosevelt’s New Deal and the surrounding historiography

On the seventh podcast of American History Too! we turn our attention to the most cuddily of all US Presidents – Theodore ‘Teddy’ Roosevelt.  We pull apart ‘T.R.’s’ legacy in the context of American imperialism abroad and the rise of progressivism at home.  Malcolm argues that Roosevelt is a shining example of why nuance is required when we discuss historical figures, while Mark discusses the legitimacy of Roosevelt’s place on Mt. Rushmore alongside Washington, Jefferson, and Lincoln.  What legacy can we ascribe arguably the first modern president?  We give you our views but it’s left up to you to decide. Finally, find out the truth behind the ‘Teddy Bear’ story and also how T.R. actually felt about the nickname! We’ll be back in a couple of weeks when we’ll hopefully be joined by another special guest to discuss the 1930s.  Until then, thanks again for listening! Mark and Malcolm    Reading List: -          Michael Cullinane, ‘Imperial “Character”: How Race and Civilization Shaped Theodore

On the sixth episode of American History Too! we leave the tawdry goings-on of the Gilded Age far behind and for this cheery Christmas special we examine the subject of Nuclear Fallout in the context of the early Cold War (1945-1960).  Malcolm, who specialises in this area, guides us through the history of the nuclear bomb:  How was it first conceived and why was it deployed?  How close were the Nazis to securing the bomb?  What’s so special about a hydrogen (or ‘super’) bomb?  Is it conceivable that a bomb could be constructed that would destroy the entire world?  In what ways have governments chosen to educate (or not) their citizenry about what would happen in the case of nuclear war?  Duck and cover as Malcolm takes us on this tour de force of nuclear history.  We hope all of our listeners have a great holiday season and we’ll be back with the force of nature that was Teddy Roosevelt early next year.  As usual, we would love to hear feedback on the podcasts as we are very receptive to making improv

On the fifth episode of American History Too! we dive into a time period that, economic history aside, often gets lost in historical discussion – The Gilded Age.  We parse out the main issues of the era such as the end of Reconstruction and the establishment of segregation in both North and South, the prevailing culture of corruption, and the inexorable rise of big business.  We encounter colourful characters along the way, including Boss Tweed and the Molly Maguires, while Malcolm reveals his distaste for one of the Gilded Age’s shining lights (terrible pun intended), Thomas Edison.  In case you were wondering who invented the modern world – it was all down to the Serbian Nikola Tesla.  Also, find out what presidential election, according to Mark, featured the best named combatants in American History. All this and much more on this week’s American History Too! We hope you enjoy the podcast and we will be back in two weeks with a Christmas special. Remember to get in touch at @ahtoopodcast, @conte

The fourth episode of American History Too! delves into the United States’ deadliest conflict to date – The American Civil War.  To help us with this mammoth task we bring on board University of Edinburgh lecturer, Dr David Silkenat.  David teaches a course here at Edinburgh on the American Civil War and, among his various publications, he has published a well-received, award-winning book entitled Moments of Despair: Suicide, Divorce, and Debt in Civil War Era North Carolina.  David guides us through how the Civil War legacy’s remains a contentious bone in the American South.  We then turn our attentions North and discuss the role of Copperheads (opponents of the war) in fomenting dissension – both rhetorical and violent – against the both the conflict and Abraham Lincoln.  In particular, David – a native New Yorker – offers us his take on the New York Draft Riots of July 1863 that ended with roughly 120 dead and 2,000 wounded in the nation’s biggest metropolis. In addition, we hear how the Bush Adminis

This third episode of American History Too! is all about one man – the seventh President of the United States, Andrew Jackson (1829-1837).  In particular, we debate Jackson’s role in the removal of Native Americans from their ancestral homes in the East to newly allotted land west of the Mississippi in the 1830s. Before jumping into the Indian controversy, we bring you up to speed with what’s being happening the US since our last podcast on the Constitution – all in two minutes!  We then dive straight into work of historian Francis Prucha and explain – with the help of other historians such Mary Young and Jon Meacham – why his attempt to rehabilitate Jackson’s image is greatly flawed.   We also debate Jackson’s legacy with regards to the Native Americans – is Jackson a game changer or merely a colourful character? In addition, Richard Nixon is mentioned an obscene amount of times for a nineteenth century podcast, Malcolm misguidedly attempts to rank Jimmy Carter in the higher echelons of American presid

The second episode of American History Too! focuses on the Constitution of the United States.  To help us understand the goings-on down eighteenth century Philadelphia way, we bring aboard our very own American, and revolutionary scholar, Jane Judge.  During the podcast we examine why the US even needed a constitution, and whether it was all an exercise in elites getting richer or just a way of giving the British the intellectual middle-finger.  Malcolm also gets put on the spot regarding his comments in the last podcast, Jane tells us that Charles Beard is not a man to be listened to, and Mark argues that this is the first moment in American History where the axiom of the ‘New World’ is justified.  What’s more, we investigate whether Anti-Federalists were indeed ‘men of little faith’ and why Massachusetts was the most high-maintenance of all the former colonies.   Finally, we leap forward into the twenty-first century and discuss the relevance of the second amendment (hello AK-47s) and the legacy of th

 This first podcast from two tutors at the University of Edinburgh (Mark McLay and Dr Malcolm Craig) looks at the introduction of slavery to the Southern colonies in the seventeenth century. We examine the eternal debate - 'Did slavery lead to racism or did racism lead to slavery?' - and we consider why we even bother trying to answer this question.  In addition, we delve into the key debates that surround this question and give our views on the arguments of leading historical works of this period.  Finally, we opine on the legacy that the introduction of slavery bequeathed the founders of the United States in the late eighteenth century. All this - and yet we still manage to dodge an emergency and wrongly predict the outcome of the Scottish Independence Referendum! We hope you enjoy the podcast and stick around for the next episode - appearing in two weeks time - which will pick apart the debates surrounding the formation of the United States.      Mark