America: The Story of the USA

Before she became a mystery, Amelia Earhart was a phenomenon - a girl from Kansas who transformed herself into one of the most recognisable figures of the 20th century. She was a record‑breaker, a media icon, a political advocate, and a woman who refused to accept the limits placed on her.

Her life before the disappearance is a story of ambition, reinvention, and the birth of modern celebrity culture. We are going to explore her life, her career and her fame, to understand the woman behind the headlines.

So in the first of a two-part special, I’m asking… who is Amelia Earhart?

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Special Guest:

Rachel Hartigan, a journalist, author, and longtime National Geographic contributor who has written extensively about Amelia Earhart, including her latest book Lost: Amelia Earhart’s Three Mysterious Deaths and One Extraordinary Life, which is available right now.

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Highlights:

02:24 - Childhood and Early Influences

07:21 - Amelia and her Father

10:54 - Her First Flight

16:53 - I Want to Fly

22:06 - Amelia the Celebrity

27:36 - The Atlantic Crossing

34:10 - Woman Doing Things for the Fun of It

38:27 - The Last Big Record

43:28 - Planning to Fly Around the World

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For an extended reading list and to learn more, join our Patreon community now: ⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/cw/americathestoryoftheusa⁠

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America: Study Notes are quickfire explainers for all the things you want to know about the USA, but don't want to ask.

Today: the 20 Most Populous Cities in the USA - a quickfire countdown of the biggest urban centres in the country, and what makes each one memorable.

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Contact us: [email protected]

Join the community: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/cw/americathestoryoftheusa⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - use code USA26 for 50% off your first month

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My guest this week is Nish Kumar, a comedian and presenter, best known for co-hosting Pod Save the UK and he is just back from a tour of the US.

This week, we discuss the another assassination attempt on President Trump, this time in the form of a 31 year old Californian teacher who stormed security at the White House Correspondents Dinner.

And as always, conspiracy theorists are on the case, but is there any merit to it?

Plus, King Charles and Camilla visit Washington, in the UK's first state visit since 2007. Meanwhile, back in the UK, Prime Minister Keir Starmer is teetering on the edge, as the Mandelson-Epstein scandal continues to ripple through British government.

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Stories:

05:41 - White House Correspondents Dinner Shooting

16:48 - Jimmy Kimmel versus Trump... Again

30:44 - King Charles' US State Visit

40:07 - Keir Starmer

47:57 - The Sperm Racing World Cup

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Sources:

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America: The Story of the USA is a Podcasts by Liam production for ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Mercury⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, in partnership with the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠British Association for American Studies⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter: https://america-the-story-of-the-usa.beehiiv.com/

Join the community: https://www.patreon.com/americathestoryoftheusa

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The 1920s and 1930s in America were a time of seismic change. In the heart of New York City, the neighborhood of Harlem became the stage for a dazzling outpouring of creativity, intellect, and activism. Black writers, artists, musicians, and thinkers converged, forging a new vision of African American identity and culture.

Their work challenged old stereotypes, inspired new movements, and left a legacy that still shapes America today. From jazz clubs and poetry readings to political debates and Southern tours, the Harlem Renaissance was more than an artistic movement—it was a revolution in how America saw itself.

So in this episode, I’m asking… what is the Harlem Renaissance?

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Special Guest:

Sian Round, a Leverhulme Early Career Fellow in English Literature at Swansea University. Her research explores the cultures of the US South, the Harlem Renaissance, and periodical publishing. Her current project, The Harlem Renaissance and the Southern Tour, 1919–1935, investigates how Black writers like Langston Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston engaged with the South after the Great Migration.

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Highlights:

03:41 - The Great Migration

08:25 - Why Harlem?

12:53 - Never a Cohesive Movement

16:56 - Renaissance Literature

23:14 - When the Negro Was in Vogue

27:47 - The Cotton Club

32:26 - Influence versus Appropriation

40:01 - Legacy and Memory

42:12 - As Gay as it Was Black

44:56 - Beyond Harlem

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For an extended reading list and to learn more, join our Patreon community now: ⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/cw/americathestoryoftheusa⁠

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Contact us: [email protected]

Get the newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠https://america-the-story-of-the-usa.beehiiv.com/⁠⁠⁠

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America: Study Notes are quickfire explainers for all the things you want to know about the USA, but don't want to ask.

Today: and the latest in our Presidents series, is about the fourth President, James Madison - his election, presidency, key achievements and legacy.

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Contact us: [email protected]

Join the community: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/cw/americathestoryoftheusa⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - use code USA26 for 50% off your first month

Get the newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://america-the-story-of-the-usa.beehiiv.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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This week, we focus on the recent shootings in Shreveport Louisiana, and what this could mean for gun law reform in the USA. We speak to Chris Marvin at Everytown for Gun Safety about the escalating number of gun violence deaths, and the 'thoughts and prayers' response from the speaker and state governor.

Plus, we discuss Tim Cook stepping down as Apple CEO and the possible political implications.

We take a look at The Onion's renewed quest to buy InfoWars.

And Maryland are the first state to introduce laws against dynamic pricing, so are eggs finally going to get cheaper?!

The guest today is Emma Long, an Associate Professor in American History and Politics at the University of East Anglia.

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Stories Mentioned:

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America: The Story of the USA is a Podcasts by Liam production for ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Mercury⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, in partnership with the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠British Association for American Studies⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter: https://america-the-story-of-the-usa.beehiiv.com/

Join the community: https://www.patreon.com/americathestoryoftheusa

Get in touch: [email protected]

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sport is often described as the great American escape; a place where the rules are clear, the stakes are simple, and the drama unfolds on the field rather than in the halls of power. But in reality, American sport has always been political.

From Cold War Olympic boycotts to anthem protests, from global tournaments shaped by diplomacy to domestic leagues shaped by culture wars, sport is one of the most visible stages for national identity and political conflict.

And today, with controversies surrounding the 2026 FIFA World Cup and even a UFC event planned for the White House lawn, that relationship feels more charged than ever.

So in this episode, I’m asking… is American sport ruined by politics?

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Special Guest:

Adam Burns, the Head of Politics at Brighton College, and the author and editor of Sports and the American Presidency: From Theodore Roosevelt to Donald Trump.

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Highlights:

02:43 - Has American Sport Always Been Political?

06:53 - Presidents and Sport

10:10 - Global Sport and Diplomacy

17:47 - 2026 World Cup

23:26 - Geopolitics on the Sports Field

29:26 - UFC Freedom and Presidential Endorsements

37:34 - Athletes as Politicians

42:38 - Player vs Club vs Country

50:34 - Does Politics Ruin Sport?

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For an extended reading list and to learn more, join our Patreon community now: ⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/cw/americathestoryoftheusa⁠

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Contact us: [email protected]

Get the newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠https://america-the-story-of-the-usa.beehiiv.com/⁠⁠⁠

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America: Study Notes are quickfire explainers for all the things you want to know about the USA, but don't want to ask.

Today: and continuing our Presidents series, is the third President of the United States, Thomas Jefferson - his election, presidency, key achievements and legacy.

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Contact us: [email protected]

Join the community: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/cw/americathestoryoftheusa⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - use code USA26 for 50% off your first month

Get the newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://america-the-story-of-the-usa.beehiiv.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Brand & advertising enquiries: [email protected]

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, we discuss the recent election in Hungary, which saw incumbent Prime Minister lose in a historic landslide to his former ally, ousting him after 16 years in power.

The War in Iran continues to escalate, with the US now blockading Iranian ports and the potential involvement of China not being ruled out.

Plus, SCOTUS have overturned a Colorado state ban on conversion therapy, and I speak to Reverend Caleb Lines, who is critical of the decision.

The guest today is Jacob Jarvis, host of American Friction.

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Stories Mentioned:

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America: The Story of the USA is a Podcasts by Liam production for ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Mercury⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, in partnership with the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠British Association for American Studies⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter: https://america-the-story-of-the-usa.beehiiv.com/

Join the community: https://www.patreon.com/americathestoryoftheusa

Get in touch: [email protected]

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sarcasm is often treated as a cultural fault line - the old joke goes that Americans don’t get it, or don’t use it, or somehow take everything just a little too literally. But behind that joke is a much bigger story about how humor works in America: what Americans find funny, how comedy has evolved across the last century, and how jokes reveal deeper truths about national identity, power, and social norms.

We’re going to look closer at the history of comedy in America - how it evolved, how it compares to the rest of the world, and what makes American comedy American.

So in this episode, I’m asking… why don't Americans get sarcasm?

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Special Guest:

Beck Krefting a Professor of American Studies and Director of the Center for Leadership, Teaching, and Learning at Skidmore College. She is a leading scholar in feminist comedy studies, performance, and the cultural history of stand-up.

Her acclaimed book, All Joking Aside: American Humor and Its Discontents, explores how comedians use “charged humor” to challenge social norms and push for justice.

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Highlights:

02:00 - Comedic Styles and Politics

06:54 - Vaudeville and Blackface

11:35 - The History of Jewish Comedy

20:21 - The Emergence of Radio and TV

25:03 - Standup and Late Night TV

29:49 - The American Sense of Humour

33:56 - Is Hollywood Owned by the Left?

40:31 - The N Word

45:30 - Comedy Comes Full Circle

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For an extended reading list and to learn more, join our Patreon community now: ⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/cw/americathestoryoftheusa⁠

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Contact us: [email protected]

Get the newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠https://america-the-story-of-the-usa.beehiiv.com/⁠⁠⁠

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