How much should Americans know about the health of their president?

From secret illnesses and hidden disabilities to modern debates over transparency, the health of the commander in chief has long been a subject of controversy. But where should we draw the line between medical privacy and the public's right to know?

In this episode, Bob calls up presidential historian Barbara A. Perry to explore how presidents and their administrations have handled serious health issues throughout American history.

You'll hear the remarkable story of Woodrow Wilson's debilitating stroke. The hidden realities of Franklin D. Roosevelt's declining health during World War II. John F. Kennedy's secret medical conditions. Questions surrounding Ronald Reagan's later years. And the ongoing public debates about the health of Joe Biden and Donald Trump.

When a president's health affects the nation, how much information should be public? And what can history teach us about the consequences of secrecy?

Guest: Barbara A. Perry, author of the book Reconcilable Differences: The Unlikely Political Alliance of John F. Kennedy and Eleanor Roosevelt

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People are strange. But Jim Morrison is no stranger to conspiracy theories. And we've got a juicy one! 

Well, we're in the history business (not the conspiracy business). So, this episode is all about the TRUTH behind The Doors. And, yes, you CAN handle the truth! 

In this episode, Disgraceland host Jake Brennan (enter shameless plug HERE) tells Bob how the father of Jim Morrison was a U.S. Navy admiral linked to one of the most controversial events in American history: the Gulf of Tonkin incident.

But did he really help start the Vietnam War? Well, this is the end ... of this conspiracy. 

We'll also dive into the mystery surrounding the death of Jim Morrison. Did he fake his own death? Was he connected to government secrets? And was he the Zodiac Killer? Wait, what?! 

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Did Americans always send their children to public school?

Not even close.

In this episode of American History Hotline, Bob calls up historian and author Dixie Dillon Lane to explore the surprising history of education in America. From colonial classrooms and the self-taught education of Abigail Adams to the rise of public schools, compulsory education laws, and the modern homeschooling movement, this conversation reveals how Americans have thought about learning for more than 250 years.

Why did reformers like Horace Mann champion public schools? How did immigration, industrialization, the Great Depression, and the Cold War transform education? And why are more families today choosing alternatives to traditional public schools?

Dixie's book is Skipping School: A History of American Homeschooling and How It Went Mainstream

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For decades, abortion has been one of the most divisive issues in American politics. But was it always that way?

Bob calls up Georgetown Law Professor Dr. Michele Goodwin to learn about the surprising history of abortion in America.

From colonial midwives and herbal remedies to the rise of the Christian Right, Roe v. Wade, and the modern political battle over reproductive rights, this episode explores how abortion went from widely accepted to hugely controversial. 

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The average age of a U.S. Representative is in the 50s. In the Senate, it's in the 60s. Many Congressional members are also white and wealthy. And this is not representative of the country as a whole. So, what's keeping Congress from being more reflective of nation's population, and therefore, actually getting things done? So. Many. Things. 

Bob calls up political scientist Maya Kornberg, author of Stuck: How Money, Media, and Violence Prevent Change in Congress, to unpack why Congress feels frozen in place ... and how we can fix it. 

From campaign money and social media to political violence and the rise of “performative politics,” Maya explains why younger leaders struggle to break through. 

 

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Maybe we can add another guarantee, besides "death" and "taxes" ... "trade wars." 

In the early days of America, Native Nations were fighting over trade and power. And they saw the arrival of the Europeans as a tool to defeat their rivals. It's a period that led to shifting allegiances in a fight for dominance. 

And the clearest example of this early diplomacy is The Pequot War of the 1630s.  

To learn how this war depicts Native American alliances and shifting allegiances, Bob calls up Kathleen DuVal, author of Native Nations: A Millennium in North America. 

 

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What was it really like to come to America through Ellis Island? For millions of immigrants in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, this little spit of land in New York Harbor was the gateway to a better future … IF they could pass a physical exam.

To get the real-life experience of coming through Ellis Island, Bob calls up historian Vincent Cannato (author of American Passage: The History of Ellis Island – A Sweeping Epic of Immigration at the Nation's Landmark Port of Entry).

From quick and dirty medical exams to some weird name changes, Cannato separates fact from fiction, and explains why Ellis Island is synonymous with American immigration.

We’ll also explore how Ellis Island marked a turning point in American immigration policy — with power shifting from the states to the federal government. And why is Ellis Island viewed with such nostalgia while Angel Island in San Francisco Bay is not?

We’ve got all that and more in this episode!

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You can't spell "hero" without JFK. Ok, so you can. But that doesn't take away from the fact that a young John F. Kennedy saved a man's life in WWII — a war he wasn't even supposed to be in!

Bob calls up Alexis Coe, New York Times bestselling presidential historian and author of Young Jack: A Biography of John F. Kennedy, 1917–1957, to uncover the thrilling true story of JFK towing an injured crew mate through shark infested waters (by his teeth!) to safety. 

Alexis also helps us understand why JFK fought so hard to serve in WWII, despite serious health problems and a free pass out of the conflict. It's this bravery and selflessness that made JFK a dreamboat to the ladies and ultimately our 35th president. 

GUEST: Alexis Coe, author of Young Jack: A Biography of John F. Kennedy, 1917–1957 (to be released in 2026)

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Are our two main political parties so toxic that a third party may soon takeover American politics? Don't count on it.

We'll dive into why right now is the opportune time for a third party to rise to power ... and why that party is destined to fail. 

But who knows?! Anything is possible.  

GUEST: Michael Cullinane, professor of U.S. History and the Lowman Walton Chair of Theodore Roosevelt Studies at Dickinson State University in North Dakota. He’s also author of the soon-to-be released book: Theodore Roosevelt and the Tennis Cabinet.

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Good artists borrow, great artists steal. Apparently, Thomas Jefferson got the memo. It turns out some North Carolinians penned their own Declaration of Independence nearly a year before TJ scribed his. 

So, if Thomas Jefferson stole (borrowed/homaged) the language for the Declaration of Independence, why have we never talked about this? Well, there was one heck of cover up! 

To get the full story, we call up David Fleming, author of Who's Your Founding Father?: One Man’s Epic Quest to Uncover the First, True Declaration of Independence. 

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