American History Hotline

America's founders feared political parties—and then almost immediately began creating them. So are parties an unfortunate obstacle to democracy, or are they the reason democracy works at all?

Georgetown University political scientist Hans Noel joins Bob Crawford to explain why the Constitution never mentions political parties, how America became locked into a two-party system, and why Democrats and Republicans have repeatedly transformed without disappearing.

They explore whether parties shape what voters believe, the rise of populism on both the right and left, Donald Trump's takeover of the Republican Party, and whether independent candidates can truly escape party politics. Hans also answers a provocative question: Would stronger political parties actually make American democracy work better?

Plus: Is America really a center-right country—and will the Senate filibuster survive?

Have a question about American history? Send it to [email protected], and it could be featured in a future episode!

Listener Laura is descended from Colonel John Barnwell—better known as "Tuscarora Jack"—but she struggles with her ancestor's brutal actions during the Tuscarora War. Why is Barnwell still celebrated as a hero in South Carolina?

Bob speaks with author and fellow Barnwell descendant John Warley about the bloody conflict that earned Tuscarora Jack his nickname, the disturbing violence recorded in his own journals, and his role in shaping colonial South Carolina. Was Barnwell a patriot, a villain, or a complicated product of a violent age?

Have a question about American history? Record a voice memo or video at AmericanHistoryHotline.com.

For much of American history, the vice presidency was a political afterthought. Presidents and vice presidents sometimes disliked each other, worked against each other, or barely communicated at all. So how did the office become one of the most influential positions in Washington?

On this episode of American History Hotline, Bob Crawford talks with Elaine Kamarck, Senior Fellow in Governance Studies and Director of the Center for Effective Public Management at the Brookings Institution, about the surprising evolution of the American vice presidency.

Kamarck explains how changes to the presidential nomination process transformed the relationship between presidents and their running mates — and why modern presidents increasingly chose vice presidents who could actually help them govern.

Along the way, they explore Theodore Roosevelt's vice president actively working against him, Harry Truman learning about the atomic bomb only after FDR's death, Al Gore's groundbreaking role in the Clinton administration, Dick Cheney's extraordinary power after 9/11, John McCain's controversial selection of Sarah Palin, and the vice presidencies of Joe Biden, Mike Pence, Kamala Harris, and JD Vance.

Plus: Was Dick Cheney really running the show during George W. Bush's first term? Why did Sarah Palin go from an exciting running mate to a political liability? And what should future presidential candidates look for when choosing a VP?

Millions of Americans grew up playing The Oregon Trail, trying to avoid dysentery, survive dangerous river crossings, and make it west in one piece. But how accurate was the famous video game?

In this episode of American History Hotline, host Bob Crawford talks with Yale historian Sarah Keyes, author of American Burial Ground: A New History of the Overland Trail, to separate fact from fiction.

Together they explore:

• How realistic The Oregon Trail video game really was • Did people actually die of dysentery? • The biggest dangers pioneers faced on the trail • Why river crossings were so deadly • What travelers packed—and what they should have left behind • Native Americans and the realities of life on the trail • The California Gold Rush and westward expansion • The Donner Party and the dangers of the Sierra Nevada • Why thousands of Americans risked everything to head west

If you loved playing The Oregon Trail in school—or you're fascinated by American history—this episode reveals the surprising truths behind one of the most iconic educational video games ever made.

Guest: Sarah Keyes, Yale historian and author of American Burial Ground: A New History of the Overland Trail

American History Hotline is the podcast where your questions about American history are answered by leading historians and experts. Hosted by Bob Crawford.

Have a question for the show? Send a voice memo to [email protected]

Twenty-five years after 9/11, America is once again at war in the Middle East. So what—if anything—have we learned?

This week on American History Hotline, Bob Crawford talks with Peter Bergen, one of the country's leading experts on Osama bin Laden, al-Qaeda and America's post-9/11 wars. Bergen is the New York Times bestselling author of Manhunt and the new book All the President's Wars: Twenty-Five Years of America's War on Terror.

Bergen takes us inside the warning signs before September 11, recalls interviewing Osama bin Laden years before the attacks, and explains why he knew almost immediately who was responsible when the second plane struck the World Trade Center.

Then we follow the consequences: bin Laden's escape from Tora Bora, the decision to invade Iraq, the rise of ISIS, and the expanding power of American presidents to wage war. Finally, Bergen asks what those lessons can tell us about the latest U.S. war with Iran.

After 25 years of the War on Terror, has America gotten better at deciding when—and how—to go to war?

Have a question about American history? Visit AmericanHistoryHotline.com to send us a voice memo or video, and your question could be featured on a future episode.

President Donald Trump recently released his own ranking of America's presidents—placing himself at the top while labeling figures such as Barack Obama and Ulysses S. Grant failures. But how does his list hold up to history?

Presidential historian Lindsay Chervinsky joins Bob Crawford to examine Trump's rankings, identify their biggest surprises and omissions, and reveal her own five greatest presidents. She explains why George Washington and Abraham Lincoln belong at the top, why Grant deserves a historical reassessment and why John F. Kennedy may be overrated.

Bob and Lindsay also explore the complicated legacies of Andrew Jackson, John Quincy Adams, Bill Clinton and Richard Nixon. Plus, Lindsay explains why historians may need at least 30 years—and access to a president's classified records—before they can fairly assess a presidency.

Did Trump get any of his rankings right? And who would make your list of America's best and worst presidents?

Lindsay Chervinsky is a presidential historian, executive director of the George Washington Presidential Library and author of "Making the Presidency: John Adams and the Precedents That Forged the Republic." She also appears in the Netflix documentary series "The American Experiment."

Have a question about American history? Send a voice memo, video or email to [email protected] or visit AmericanHistoryHotline.com Your question could inspire a future episode.

Why does the United States use the Electoral College instead of a national popular vote? Wait Wait ... Don't Tell Me! Or, actually, DO tell me.

To get answers, Bob calls up Peter Sagal, longtime host of NPR's Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! and host of the PBS series Constitution USA, to unpack what some have called "America's Worst Idea."

Where did the Electoral College come from? Why did the Founding Fathers create it? How did slavery, the Three-Fifths Clause, and the political compromises of the Constitutional Convention shape the system we still use today? And why can't we get rid of it?

Peter traces the surprising history of the Electoral College from 1787 to the present day, explaining how presidential elections work, why swing states receive so much attention, and why the Electoral College remains one of the most controversial institutions in American politics.

Guest: Peter Sagal

The history of the Army Rangers isn't one continuous story, it's a cycle of creation, disbandment, and revival that stretches back before the United States even existed.

In this episode of Bob calls up Brian Halstead, President of the U.S. Army Ranger Association, about the remarkable history of the Rangers. Together they trace their evolution from frontier scouts during the French and Indian War to George Washington's reconnaissance units, the Civil War, World War II's legendary D-Day assault at Pointe du Hoc, and the creation of today's 75th Ranger Regiment.

Along the way, you'll discover:

• Why the Rangers were repeatedly shut down after America's wars • The surprising connection between Robert Rogers, frontier warfare, and modern special operations • Whether Abraham Lincoln really served as an Army Ranger • How Native American fighting tactics influenced Ranger doctrine • Why the Rangers became one of America's premier special operations forces • The origin of the famous motto: "Rangers Lead the Way."

Have an American history question you'd like answered? Send it to AmericanHistoryHotline.com and it could become a future episode.

How did the Cold War really end?

Most Americans know about the Berlin Wall and the fall of the Soviet Union—but few know about the extraordinary meeting that helped make it all possible.

On this episode of American History Hotline, host Bob Crawford speaks with filmmaker Michael Russell Gunn, writer and director of The Brink of War, about the dramatic 1986 Reykjavik Summit between President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev.

Together, they explore how two longtime rivals came closer than ever to eliminating nuclear weapons, why one word nearly derailed the negotiations, and how this little-known diplomatic breakthrough helped bring the Cold War to an end. Along the way, Michael shares behind-the-scenes stories from making the film, including filming in the actual room where history was made and using newly declassified transcripts to recreate the conversations.

You'll learn:

• Why the Reykjavik Summit became a turning point in the Cold War
• How Reagan and Gorbachev built trust despite decades of hostility
• The true story behind Reagan's famous phrase, "Trust, but verify"
• How close the world came to eliminating nuclear weapons
• Why these events still matter in today's world

Whether you're fascinated by Cold War history, Ronald Reagan, Mikhail Gorbachev, diplomacy, nuclear weapons, or untold stories from American history, this episode brings one of history's most important—and least understood—moments to life.

Guest: Michael Russell Gunn, writer and director of The Brink of War

American History Hotline is the podcast where your questions about American history are answered by leading historians, authors, filmmakers, and experts—all with a fun, entertaining, and educational approach.

Guns, germs and steel. Emphasis on GERMS. When Europeans arrived in the Americas, they brought all sorts of diseases!

A listener asks: Why did diseases like smallpox devastate Native American populations but not European colonists? Was it simply a lack of immunity, or is the story more complicated?

To get answers, Bob calls up bestselling author and journalist Charles C. Mann, author of 1491 and 1493, to explore one of the most consequential—and misunderstood—chapters in American history.

Together they discuss:

• What North America looked like before Columbus • Why Native societies were far larger and more sophisticated than many people realize • How diseases such as smallpox, malaria, and yellow fever spread across the Americas • The role of immunity, genetics, and prior exposure • The Great Dying in New England before the Pilgrims arrived • How epidemics shaped the fall of the Aztec and Inca empires • The connection between disease and the transatlantic slave trade • Why historians estimate that Indigenous populations declined dramatically after European contact

This fascinating conversation reveals how microbes became one of the most powerful forces in American history—and why understanding disease helps us better understand colonization, survival, and the world we live in today.

Guest: Charles C. Mann, author of 1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus and 1493: Uncovering the New World Columbus Created