Why did a French-born aristocrat volunteer (without pay) to fight for the Americans during the Revolutionary War? And what happened when the Marquis de Lafayette returned to France to fight in its revolution? And is his name really Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier de La Fayette?! This episode is all about Lafayette, including his Era's Tour return to America decades after the revolution. GUEST: Lloyd Kramer, historian and author of the book Lafayette in Two Worlds: Public Cultures and Personal Identities in an Age of RevolutionsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Was Disease the Biggest Killer in the Civil War?
"War is 99 parts diarrhea and one part glory." Walt Whitman had a point when he wrote this. Diseases like dysentery, typhus, and malaria were responsible for 2/3 of the deaths in the Civil War. So, how did illness kill more soldiers on the battlefield than cannons and bayonets? It helps to look at the living conditions and atrocious medical practices in field hospitals during the deadliest war in American history. And it didn't help that sexually transmitted diseases like syphilis were rampant among soldiers. GUEST: Kathryn Olivarius, Associate Professor of History at Stanford University. Check out her book: Necropolis: Disease, Power, and Capitalism in the Cotton KingdomSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Did George Washington Cut Down a Cherry Tree and Tell the Truth?
Sir Mix-a-Lot can't lie about liking big butts. And George Washington can't lie about cutting down cherry trees. Or can he? According to Washington biographer Alexis Coe, this is "the greatest fan fiction ever told" (the tree thing! Mix-a-Lot truly loves big butts). It turns out America's first president is a lightning rod for myths and misinformation. So, we're putting in our wooden teeth (or are they not wood?) and taking a bite of the reality sandwich as we sort truth from fiction in George Washington's legacy. GUEST: Alexis Coe, an award-winning, New York Times bestselling presidential historian, and a senior fellow at New America, a bi-partisan think tank. Her books include, You Never Forget Your First: A Biography of George of Washington and the upcoming Young Jack: A Biography of John F. Kennedy, 1917-1957 (scheduled for 2026). See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Would Lincoln Be a Republican Today?
It's Lincoln's party and he'll cry if he wants to. We trace the evolution of America's major political parties to understand how they've changed since Honest Abe was the Republican standard-bearer. And if he were running for election in 2028, which party would he belong to? GUEST: Julian Zelizer, New York Times best-selling author and Professor of History and Public Affairs at Princeton University. He publishes a Substack newsletter called The Long View. Check out his book: In Defense of Partisanship. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Can the Great Depression Happen Again?
The Roaring Twenties was a period of tremendous financial growth in America — punctuated by a stock market crash and the highest poverty and unemployment the nation has ever seen. The question is, can this happen again? Looking back, we explore what was happening in the country during the boom years that led to the bust years. GUEST: Gabriel Mathy, associate professor of economics at American University. His area of expertise is macroeconomics of the Great Depression. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Bob Crawford searches for the best historians and experts to answer listener questions about American history — from the Revolutionary War to rock & roll feuds. Got a question? Send it to [email protected].
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