American History Tellers

History

The Cold War, Prohibition, the Gold Rush, the Space Race. Every part of your life -the words you speak, the ideas you share- can be traced to our history, but how well do you really know the stories that made America? We’ll take you to the events, the times and the people that shaped our nation. And we’ll show you how our history affected them, their families and affects you today. Hosted by Lindsay Graham (not the Senator). From Wondery, the network behind Tides Of History, Fall Of Rome and Dirty John.

Latest Episodes:

America’s Monuments | A Passage Through Panama | 2

For centuries, sailors and merchants dreamed of finding a passage between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans across the narrow isthmus of Central America. But no natural passage existed. To get... Read more

Published on: 2021-03-03
America’s Monuments | The Colossus of New York Harbor | 1

It’s perhaps the most iconic of American monuments -- the Statue of Liberty. A towering 305-foot sculpture of copper and steel that is synonymous with American values of liberty, freedom... Read more

Published on: 2021-02-24
Great Chicago Fire | Out of the Ashes | 4

After the 1871 fire destroyed a third of their city, Chicagoans wanted to do more than rebuild. They wanted to envision a new kind of American city. That included everything... Read more

Published on: 2021-02-17
Great Chicago Fire | The Great Rebuilding | 3

As dawn broke on October 10, 1871, the dazed survivors of the Great Chicago Fire stumbled through their burned and battered city. A 30-hour inferno had reduced Chicago to ashes.Homes... Read more

Published on: 2021-02-10
Wondery Presents American Innovations: Mission to Mars

On July 20th, 1989, President George H.W. Bush announced his vision for a manned mission to Mars. Nearly 3 months later, NASA published a complex 30 year plan to get... Read more

Published on: 2021-02-04
Great Chicago Fire | We Are Going to Have a Burn | 1

In 1871, Chicago was the fastest growing city in the world. Built almost entirely of wood, it was also a tinderbox. That October, a severe drought ravaged the city. Fires... Read more

Published on: 2021-01-27
Presidential Inaugurations: Traditions, Crisis, and Unity | 1

As America prepares to swear in a new president, we’ll look back to the inaugurations of the past. Jim Bendat, author of Democracy's Big Day: The Inauguration of Our President,... Read more

Published on: 2021-01-20
Coal Wars | Charles Keeney on Restoring His Great Grandfather’s Legacy | 5

Once the coal miners lost the Battle of Blair Mountain, the story of their uprising was suppressed, and their leader Frank Keeney eventually faded into obscurity—even among members of his... Read more

Published on: 2021-01-13