American History Too!

(OUR APOLOGIES FOR THE SOUND QUALITY ON THIS EPISODE - ROGUE MICROPHONE ISSUE)

We're back!

And we're embarking on a six part series examining 'Lyndon Johnson's America'. Essentially, we're using the life and times of LBJ to examine and explore the United States over which he presided in the tumultuous 1960s.

This episode, however, explores the ascent of Johnson up the political ladder, while simultaneously discussing a host of interesting events and developments between 1936-1963. We discuss the Cold War Consensus, the use of the Atom Bomb, the 'loss of China', the Kennedy-Johnson relationship, the Cuban Missile Crisis, and much more!

In the next episode we'll be talking all about the Civil Rights Movement and the early success of Johnson's presidency. Moreover, as the series goes on, we'll get stuck into the societal and cultural developments that shook America in the 1960s. 

Thanks for sticking with us after our hiatus and we'll be back regularly in your podcast feeds with both this series and our new A-Z podcast!

Cheers

Mark and Malcolm

Reading list:

Robert Caro, The Years of Lyndon Johnson series (Knopf, 4 Books)

Mary Dudziak, Cold War Civil Rights: Race and the Image of American Democracy (Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2000)

Paul Thomas Chamberlin, The Cold War's Killing Fields: Rethinking the Long Peace (New York, NY: HarperCollins, 2018)

Audra J. Wolfe, Freedom’s Laboratory: The Cold War Struggle for the Soul of Science (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2018)

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It's a new podcast!

The idea is simple. We've written down loads of names/events/developments that relate to American History that begin with the same letter. They have been scrunched up in a hat, they are picked at random, and we have 30 minutes to discuss whatever comes out the hat.

And today, we're all about the letter C!

We discuss everything from Lewis and Clark to China, Civil Rights to the CIA. And much more!

We hope you enjoy this new type of podcast. We plan to publish a new one every month alongside our main podcast.

Cheers,

Mark and Malcolm

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On Episode 54 we're joined by Grainne McEvoy (@GrainneMcEvoy)  for a timely discussion of American immigration policy over the past 150 years.  

In particular, we discuss two pieces of legislation that drastically changed the type of immigrants who would arrive in the United States, and thus shaped the face of America as it exists today.  We also discuss the idea of the 'Melting Pot', the effect of the Cold War, and the role that the Catholic Church have played in influencing immigration policy.  

The clip that begins the episode is Lyndon Johnson's 1965 speech at the Statue of Liberty, where he signed the Immigration and Nationality Act that greatly liberalised US immigration policy.  

Thanks again for listening and we'll be back in your feeds before Christmas!

Cheers,

Mark and Malcolm

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We're back with a sequel to our bonus podcast on the 2016 election election whereby we breakdown the Midterm 2018 results, discuss the importance of Midterms in American History, and reflect on the implications of this year's results for the future.

And, of course, we're joined by Paddy Andelic (@pkandelic) to help us along the way!

We'll be back to our regular programming from here out, as later this month we'll return with a podcast on America's immigration history.  

Cheers,

Mark and Malcolm

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As we prepare to return in November with two episodes, including a special on the midterm election results, here is a re-run of an old episode on Black History Month (which falls in October in the UK, so we felt it was ideal to re-post this now)

On Episode 34 of American History Too! we were joined by the University of Birmingham's James West (@ejwestuk) to discuss the history of Black History Month and the debates that surround BHM.

Over the course of the hour we get stuck into the legacy of the Civil Rights movement, the origins of Black History Month and whether it is viewed in a positive light by black Americans. Finally, James offers us a fascinating insight into how corporations have advertised during BHM, and whether their efforts are cynical or genuine.  

 ur apologies for the recording quality on one of the microphones for this episode - snowstorms and internet connections don't go well!

Cheers,

Mark and Malcolm

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In Episode 53 we're joined by the University of Oxford's Dan Rowe (@dan_rowe1) to discuss the reasons for the emergence of America's 'Rust Belt' - an area of the United States characterized by decline and struggle since the last third of the 20th century.

Where is the Rust Belt? How do people who live there feel about the label and how have their lives been affected by the economic and social challenges that have befallen the region? Why did it decline and is it poised to recover?

And finally, why did the Rust Belt emerge as the region of the infamous Obama-Trump voter?

All this and much more on this month's podcast.

We'll be back next month with a special look at the history of Midterm elections.

Cheers,

Mark and Malcolm

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On Episode 52, we're joined by Kings College London's Chris Parkes to discuss sex and sexuality in the first half of the twentieth century.  

Chris guides us through how sexuality was understood at this time, why it became the policy of the federal government to discriminate against gay and lesbian Americans during World War I and World War II. We then shift focus to Sumner Welles, a diplomat and close adviser to Franklin Roosevelt, whose career was ruined when it was exposed he had solicited sex from men. 

Finally, Chris passes on some tips for how LGBT topics can be included in university and school teaching.

It's a truly fascinating insight into and understudied topic. 

Thanks again for listening and we'll be back in September.

Cheers,

Mark and Malcolm

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We're back! After a delay to allow for holidays and research trips, on a bumper Episode 51, we are joined by two guests - York St John University's Stephen Robinson (@drSRRobinson) and the University of Essex's Miguel Hernandez (@MHernandezGdV) to work through one of the worst eras in American race relations.  

We discuss why race relations were so awful, the career of Booker T. Washington, and the revival of the Second KKK. Finally, we discuss the current state of American race relations and if there is any legitimate comparison to contemporary America.

Thanks again for listening and we'll be back again before the end of August with Episode 52!

Cheers,

Mark and Malcolm

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It's our 50TH EPISODE! And for this exceptional landmark, we could think of no more appropriate topic to discuss than American Exceptionalism. 

What does that term mean? Where does it come from? Does US exceptionalism differ from other kinds of exceptionalism? And what is the current state of American Exceptionalism now that it has a president, in Donald Trump, who has openly refuted the concept? 

With the help of an exceptional guest  - Hilde Restad (Bjørknes College, @hilderestad, and co-host of Ceasefire podcast) - we answer all of these questions and much more in a wide-ranging discussion.  

As always, thanks so much for listening and we look forward now to the next 50 episodes of American History Too!

Cheers,

Mark and Malcolm

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