15-Minute History

This week, Joe and I discuss how warfare is evolving on the battlefields of Ukraine, the role drones and other new technologies are changing the battlespace, and whether or not we are headed directly into the world of the Terminator!

Join us for a discussion on the Divine Right of Kings and how it continues to shape modern political systems in our world today!

Leave a comment below with any questions--we love to hear from our audience!

(Also, please forgive us for the rather abrupt end with no closing comments--Jon forgot to include that in the recording!)

The 15-Minute History Podcast team brings you a new segment, just for kids, called Sketches in History, where history isn’t just a story—it’s an adventure. Join Lottie Archer as she dives into her extraordinary notebook, where sketches from history come to life.

In this episode, she visits a grand symphony hall filled with anticipation, as the audience eagerly awaits the performance of one of the most celebrated pieces of music in history. Your kids will learn about triumph and will be present to hear some of the most beautiful music ever written.

Listen and subscribe to the 15-Minute History podcast to hear Sketches in History every other Thursday. Got a favorite historical moment? Share it with us at [email protected], and it might just make its way into the notebook!

Throughout history, leaders have claimed their positions in a variety of ways: military conquests, electoral mandates, revolutionary uprisings, and more. But probably the most common and certainly the furthest from modern democratic sensibilities is the divine right of kings. While it is present in a variety of religious and social traditions, most audiences today are familiar with the Judeo-Christian concept that originates from both the Old and New Testaments. Using the words of Jesus Himself -- "Render unto Caesar that which is his" -- and those of His apostles Peter and Paul, Christian rulers from Late Antiquity to the Enlightenment proclaimed themselves beyond criticism because their thrones had come from Almighty God.

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Join us as we explore the idea of the divine right of kings and how two nations, England and France, took different paths in their political cultures--to very different ends.

In this double pop quiz, Jon answers a question from an audience member and then discusses the Overton Window and how the range of "acceptable" political discourse changes over time.

Join us every other week for these pop quizzes during the summer, and comment below with any topics you'd like us to cover!

Join us as we discuss the history of the Magna Carta, how it changed English governance, and its influence on all democracies and constitutional federal republics that came after.

The 15-Minute History Podcast team brings you a new segment, just for kids, called Sketches in History, where history isn’t just a story—it’s an adventure. Join Lottie Archer as she dives into her extraordinary notebook, where sketches from history come to life.

In this episode, she travels aboard a ship with a mission. Sailors are working frantically to drop a cable into the Atlantic Ocean while two men review plans and a map. Your kids will learn about connection and be present for the moment when two continents are connected.

Listen and subscribe to the 15-Minute History podcast to hear Sketches in History every other Thursday. Got a favorite historical moment? Share it with us at [email protected], and it might just make its way into the notebook!

It’s raining. The men in the group are drenched and have been so almost all day. Nobles in their finest attire stand ankle-deep in mud, their expressions a mixture of triumph and apprehension. Before them, a thin, gray-faced king looks at the document. His jaw clenches.

"You would strip me of my God-given rights?" the king yells, his voice thick with contempt.

"We would remind Your Majesty of your duties to your subjects," replied one of the barons, his voice firm despite the gravity of the moment. "The crown does not place you above the law but binds you to uphold it."

King John's eyes narrow. These men who would dare put limitations on him had brought not just their demands, but their armies. They had seized London; his London. They were standing in his meadow. This was his land and he was their king. Now, they dared to impose demands on him. He knew he had to sign it. He also knew that it wasn’t going to end here.

The King’s hands trembled as he pressed his royal seal into the soft wax at the bottom of the parchment. The Great Charter was been sealed, though neither the king nor the barons could have possibly imagined what such a seal actually meant.

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Join us as we explore the history of the Magna Carta, its impact on English governance, and its enduring influence on all democracies and constitutional federal republics that have followed.

In part two of this pop quiz series, Joe and I discuss the New Deal's long-term legacy and the controversial idea that anything can really be "free."

As always, we love to hear from you, so leave a comment on this episode with any questions or thoughts, and you can also give us a topic that you'd like us to discuss in another pop quiz this summer!

This week, the team wanted to revisit one of the most popular episodes from last season. A new, exciting episode is coming to you on Monday.

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“I was fifteen years old when the Khmer Rouge came to power in April 1975. I can still remember how overwhelmed with joy I was that the war had finally ended. It did not matter who won. I and many Cambodians wanted peace at any price. The civil war had tired us out, and we could not make much sense out of killing our own brothers and sisters for a cause that was not ours. We were ready to support our new government to rebuild our country. We wanted to bring back that slow-paced, simple life we grew up with and loved dearly. At the time we didn't realize how high the price was that we had to pay for the Khmer Rouge's peace."

Join us as we teach you about the absolute horror that was the Khmer Rouge.