15-Minute History

Walter Isaacson's biography paints Steve Jobs as a visionary genius. But was Jobs truly the inventor and designer he's often portrayed as?

In this pop quiz, we talk Steve Jobs's leadership style, his contributions, and whether the company has actually lost its edge without him.

Join us every Thursday for pop quizzes and Sketches in History, and comment below with your thoughts and questions!

This discussion covers the four progressive amendments and how each changed Americans' relationship with their government. Joe and I also delve into some broader topics about constitutional changes and how our society continues to evolve in its understanding of the rule of law.

Join us every Monday for new episodes and discussions, and let us know your thoughts and questions in the comments below!

Historians have often compared current Russian aggression toward Ukraine with the two world wars of the last century. But what does history tell us about an aggressor's fate after a conflict ends? Should other nations try to contain them, isolating these aggressive states with strong alliances and large military arsenals? Or is it better to bring them into the so-called "family of nations" and allow them to reform?

Join us every Thursday for pop quizzes and Sketches in History, and comment below with your thoughts and questions!

American progressives at the turn of the 20th century saw major flaws in the United States Constitution and worked to correct them through the process of amendments. Each one was the subject of debate and controversy, and all four made measurable changes to American society (though one can debate the merits of some). Join us for this survey of the four progressive amendments--as well as a funny story from Jon's classroom--and tune in next week for our discussion about how these amendments shaped the future course of American history.

The 15-Minute History Podcast team welcomes you back to another Sketches in History. This segment, just for kids, shows that 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 to May 1903 to witness an unlikely camping trip that changed America forever. Standing beside a crackling campfire in Yosemite Valley, Lottie watches as President Theodore Roosevelt ditches his Secret Service, sleeps under ancient sequoia trees, and learns from wild-bearded naturalist John Muir why these natural wonders must be saved. In this episode, your kids will learn about living the strenuous life, discover how one camping trip led to the protection of 230 million acres of America's most beautiful places, and witness the moment when a president chose to fight timber barons and powerful industries to preserve nature for children not yet born!

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!

"What struck you most about Roosevelt?" The question hangs in the air as we return to last week's episode. The spectacles, the gymnasium, the Badlands, the Bull Moose - each moment revealing layers we're still unpacking.

Roosevelt's life demands conversation - about privilege and responsibility, grief and reinvention, the price of the strenuous life, and whether we're equal to the standard he set.

Join us as we unpack our teaching on America's youngest president. We wrestle with the boy who built himself strong, debate the widower's flight to Dakota, examine the politician-turned-warrior, and confront the complex legacy of his presidency. From his second-floor gymnasium to his final days at Sagamore Hill, we ask the questions his life forces us to answer: What do we do with privilege? What does strength actually serve?

This isn't recap. It's reckoning with what Roosevelt's life demands from ours.

Why do so many large corporations, especially the tech giants, seem to avoid federal antitrust legislation?

Join us every Thursday for pop quizzes and Sketches in History episodes, and leave a comment below if you have questions or ideas about topics we should cover!

"You must make your body." An asthmatic boy in wire-rimmed spectacles nods. Decades later, shot in the chest, he'll deliver a 90-minute speech: "It takes more than that to kill a Bull Moose."

Theodore Roosevelt is often reduced to caricature - the Rough Rider, the big game hunter, the face on Mount Rushmore. But this oversimplified image misses the man who transformed personal weakness into national strength.

Join us as we explore the strenuous life of America's youngest president. We witness the sickly child who willed himself strong, the grieving widower who fled to the Dakota Badlands, the politician who charged up San Juan Hill, and the president who shattered monopolies, protected 230 million acres of wilderness, and built a canal while Congress debated. From a second-floor gymnasium to the White House, Roosevelt proved that privilege demanded action, that strength meant nothing without service, and that the worst sin was wasting your life in comfortable mediocrity.

The 15-Minute History Podcast team welcomes you back to another Sketches in History. This segment, just for kids, shows that 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 to 1907 to witness one of humanity's greatest engineering challenges: the construction of the Panama Canal. Standing alongside Chief Engineer John Stevens in the sweltering jungle heat, Lottie watches as 75,000 workers from 97 countries battle tropical diseases, devastating landslides, and a mountain that seems determined not to be moved. In this episode, your kids will learn about resilience, discover how the impossible became possible, and witness the moment when thousands of determined workers proved that together, they really could move mountains!

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!

In this week's discussion, we cover more detail about the building of the canal and the herculean medical and engineering feats American and Panamanian workers achieved. (Joe even gets to put on his doctor's hat and tell us about yellow fever.) We then get into some of the current-day events and what the future might hold for America and its southern neighbors.

Join us every Monday for discussions and episodes as well as our Thursday pop quizzes and Sketches in History. Let us know your thoughts and questions in the comments below!