15-Minute History

Join us as we teach you about the destructive history of the Krupp family, their empire, and the dangers of corporatism. 

Around him lay the carnage of battle, men killed or nursing wounds. Smoke filled the air and burned the colonel's lungs. His depleted regiment had already repelled three attacks by rebels charging up the hill and was nearing the end of their strength. And yet the grey-coats kept coming. His superior's orders rang in his ears, "You must hold the line." Looking around, he thought to himself, "What more can we do?" Then it came to him, an order not often given in these days of modern war. Standing tall, he gave instructions to his battalion and company commanders, and then shouted a single word to those men still standing—"Bayonets!"

Join us as we teach you about the end of the American Civil War, the failings of Reconstruction, and the long-term effects of this conflict on our nation's history. 

Join us as we discuss the end of the American Civil War, the failings of Reconstruction, and the long-term effects of this conflict on our nation's history. 

The streets of Washington buzzed with the news. Now seven states had seceded from the Union, and the country stood on the brink. The White House saw streams of officials entering and leaving as the president summoned the Cabinet and members of Congress to find a solution to the country's plight. Most believed that his inaction the previous December had led to this moment, while others pointed to the results of the election as the breaking point. Regardless of who was to blame, something had to be done. Federal troops in Fort Sumter were in a precarious position and calling for aid. A ship had been dispatched to resupply them but could not land its cargo because of fire from rebel batteries. As he sat in his office on the second floor of the White House, the President of the United States knew that he could not reunite the country. His term would end at noon the following day. His successor, whose election had precipitated the great crisis of the Union, would now have to solve it.

Join us in the first of a two-part episode where we teach you about the American Civil War and its effect on our history. 

Access this transcript at www.15minutehistorypodcast.org and please leave us a review wherever you listen to this podcast. 

Join us as we discuss the beginnings of the American Civil War, the vile and evil institution of slavery, and the beginning of the bloody process by which it was finally brought to an end. 

The concept of moving water from one place to the other has been on the minds of humans since their creation. Conversely, the desire to move soiled water away automatically has – at times – been considered equally important. The means by which this could be done has evolved as civilizations have come and gone. In all of them, a basic pattern emerged in plumbing conception and construction: the path, the pipe, and the seal.


Join us as we teach you a brief history of plumbing, its evolution through the ages, and the influence of Thomas Crapper on plumbing technology and sanitation practices. 


Access this transcript at www.15minutehistorypodcast.org and please leave us a review wherever you listen to this podcast. 

Join us as we discuss the history of plumbing, the influence of Thomas Crapper, and the legacy of the pipe, the path, and the seal.  

It is very common throughout history to see periods of great innovation and artistic expression follow times of great turmoil and death. The Napoleonic Wars (1803-1815) were some of the worst years in the history of Europe, and in their wake, many artists, writers, philosophers, and common people took stock of what they had just endured.

Join us as we teach you about the age of Romanticism and its effect on culture, art, and the sciences. 

Access this transcript at www.15minutehistorypodcast.org and please leave us a review wherever you listen to this podcast. 

Join us as we discuss the age of Romanticism and its effect on culture, art, and the sciences. 

"At the turn of the 18th century, the greatest nations in Europe, separated by only 21 miles of water, offered two distinct ideologies that would shape the new century. In England, there was democratic, constitutional monarchy; in France, the cataclysm of revolution had dragged the absolute King from the throne and replaced him with the Mob. Out of the maelstrom emerged a military leader, Napoleon Bonaparte, commander of the revolutionary army, who went on to conquer Italy and Egypt before returning to Paris to proclaim himself Emperor. As Napoleon gained power in France, the world stood on the brink of total war. For out of the furnace of the Napoleonic Wars, the modern world was born."

— Robert Harvey, The War of Wars, 2006 —

Join us as we teach you about the rise and fall of Napoleon Bonaparte, his effect on France and Europe, and the enduring legacy of his reign and influence.

Access this transcript at www.15minutehistorypodcast.org and please leave us a review wherever you listen to this podcast. It really does help!