How did the British win the first major battle of the Revolutionary War? In this episode, Don is joined by Major Jonathan Bratten of the Maine Army National Guard.

Together, they discuss the myths of the battle, the missteps of the British and what George Washington thought about it all.

Edited by Aidan Lonergan, produced by Sophie Gee, Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.

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All music from Epidemic Sounds.

American History Hit is a History Hit podcast.

The Federal Government. Tens of thousands of Native American children. Around 50 boarding schools across the United States. This is the story of one of the darkest practices in American History.

Our expert guest for this episode is Mary Annette Pember, author of 'Medicine River: A Story of Survival and the Legacy of Indian Boarding Schools'. Together, Mary and Don explore why Native American boarding schools were set up, who ran them, and what life was like for the children who went there.

Produced and edited by Sophie Gee. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long.

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All music from Epidemic Sounds.

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Since their respective revolutions, the USA and France have been intrinsically linked. But what have the highest points in their relationship been? And what about the lowest?

In this episode, Professor Kathryn Statler joins Don to take us through 250 years of cooperation and conflict.

Kathryn is a Professor of History at the University of San Diego, and author of books including 'Replacing France: The Origins of American Intervention in Vietnam' and 'Lafayette’s Ghost: How Women and War Kept the Franco-American Alliance Alive'.

Edited by Tim Arstall, Produced by Sophie Gee, Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.

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American History Hit is a History Hit podcast

Think what you like about him, Ronald Reagan was a big hitter and his presidency changed America. This ex-Hollywood actor's eight years in office set the political agenda in ways we live with today.

To discuss this most charismatic of Presidents, Don is joined by Jeremi Suri host of the 'This Is Democracy' podcast & author of 'The Impossible Presidency: The Rise and Fall of America's Highest Office'.

Edited by Sophie Gee. Produced by Freddy Chick. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.

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All music from Epidemic Sounds.

American History Hit is a History Hit podcast.

With almost 2,000 miles of shared border, the United States and Mexico have a long history of cooperation and conflict. From territory and trade, to migration and the war on drugs - in this episode we are going to explore this relationship.

Don is joined by Professor Renata Keller from the University of Nevada, Reno. Renata's upcoming book is 'The Fate of the Americas: The Cuban Missile Crisis and the Hemispheric Cold War'. She is also the author of 'Nuclear Reactions: Latin America and the Cuban Missile Crisis' and 'Mexico's Cold War: Cuba, the United States, and the Legacy of the Mexican Revolution'.

Edited by Tim Arstall, Produced by Sophie Gee, Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.

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American History Hit is a History Hit podcast

The staggering casualties of the Battle of Shiloh shocked both the North and South, marking a turning point in public perception of the Civil War's likely length and brutality. It also cemented a name in the public imagination - Ulysses S. Grant.

Don's guest is Dr Timothy B. Smith, author of 'Shiloh: Conquer or Perish'.

Editor Ayman Alolayan, Producer Sophie Gee, Senior Producer Charlotte Long.

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What did the appearance of a comet in 1997 have to do with a tragic event in San Diego? Was Heaven's Gate a cult? And how does it compare to the other groups we have looked into on American History Hit?

Benjamin Zeller, author of 'Heaven's Gate: America's UFO Religion', joins Don to discuss the group's history, beliefs, and their final act. Ben is Professor of Religion at Lake Forest College.

Edited by Tim Arstall, Produced by Sophie Gee, Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.

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American History Hit is a History Hit podcast.

Gerald Ford is the only person to serve as president without being elected to either the presidency or the vice presidency. He was handed a poisoned chalice and for many he's only remembered as the butt of Saturday Night Live. But there's much more to his story.

Don's guest is Professor Kathryn Brownell, author of 24/7 Politics: Cable Television and the Fragmenting of America from Watergate to Fox News.

Edited by Tim Arstall, Produced by Freddy Chick, Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.

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All music from Epidemic Sounds.

American History Hit is a History Hit podcast.

In the summer of 1969, Hollywood was shaken by a set of brutal murders. Their perpetrators? The infamous Charles Manson and his 'family'.

In this episode Jeff Melnick joins Don to discuss how Manson and his followers came to occupy such a strong position in our cultural imagination.

Jeff is Graduate Program Director for American Studies at the University of Massachusetts, and the author of 'Creepy Crawling: Charles Manson and the Many Lives of America's Most Infamous Family'.

Edited by Aidan Lonergan, produced by Sophie Gee, Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.

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All music from Epidemic Sounds.

American History Hit is a History Hit podcast.

How did cities grow in America's largest and hottest desert? How did the rivers of the South West shape its history? Don is joined by Kyle Paoletta, author of American Oasis, to explore the complex and diverse history of the American South West.

Edited by Aidan Lonergan, produced by Sophie Gee, Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.

Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.  

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All music from Epidemic Sounds.

American History Hit is a History Hit podcast.