Listen. Never have I felt older than this moment, in which I am lecturing via podcast about the historical epoch that is the 1990s (or, as the kids refer to it, “The late 1900s.”) 

So, what were the 1990s about? It was confusing. We didn’t have a clear “enemy” in the world anymore. The internet boom glossed over rising inequality. The world became “globalized” and the country became obsessed with talking about “multiculturalism” and whether that was a good or bad thing. The 1990s are a hodge-podge of developments that will become more important as “origin stories” for 21st century developments. It was a decade full of stories but also kind of about nothing. 

Today we’re talking about the 1990s or, “The Seinfeld Decade.” I’m Emily Glankler; this is Anti-Social Studies; settle in and let’s go back in time…

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Emily tries to avoid comment trolls as she covers the Reagan years, the AIDS Crisis, trickle-down economics, and whatever the HW Bush presidency was all about.

It's 1968. White middle-class Americans are tired. They’re tired of everyone complaining - it’s “systemic racism” this and “unjust war” that. Can’t we all just be happy? Isn’t it time we all just calmed down and got back to work? It’s time for some tough love and Nixon is the man to drag us out of the 1960s kicking and screaming…

Today’s episode is all about the 1970s or “If an entire decade were the middle child.” This is Anti-Social Studies; I’m Emily Glankler: settle in and let’s go back in time…

This episode is brought to you by the Choices Program. The Choices Program creates fantastic social studies materials that connect history with current issues. Check them out at choices.edu and use the code ANTI-SS for a 15% discount on your purchase. Discount does not apply to site licenses.

This episode is sponsored by the National Archives Foundation and their exhibit, "All American: The Power of Sports." Visit the exhibit in DC at the William G. McCowan Theater through January 2024, subscribe to their YouTube channel and check out their website for more history content and educator resources.

CORRECTION: The Cincinnati Reds name comes from the red color of their stockings and was not a reference to indigenous Americans.

Before we move on in time from LBJ to Nixon, I want to pause so that we can talk about the PLETHORA of social movements that were ongoing throughout these two presidencies. Today we’re talking about Civil Rights and Protest Movements of the 1960s and 70s or, “Free At Last?

Check out www.choices.edu and use the code ANTI-SS for 15% off your purchase of educational materials!

This episode of Anti-Social Studies was sponsored by the LBJ Presidential Library and Foundation. If you're in the Austin area, visit the LBJ Library & Museum. If not, check out www.LBJLibrary.org to explore their eMuseum, digital archives, and educational resources.

If JFK was the optimism of what the 1960s could be, then LBJ was the realism of what it actually was. Does that sentence make sense? I’m sure it will by the end of this episode. 

Remember last episode when I said that the 1960s were insane. Well, I was right. Turns out we’re actually going to need THREE episodes just to start making sense of this decade. Last episode we talked about JFK. Next episode, we’re going to dive into the main Civil Rights Era and the other protests and rights movements that came along with it in the 1960s and into the 1970s.

For today, I want to focus on our FIRST true Texan president. (Eisenhower was born here but that doesn’t count.) Who was LBJ? What did he hope would be his legacy? And why did it end up just being Vietnam? 

Today’s episode is all about LBJ or, “The US Gets the Johnson Treatment” This is Anti-Social Studies; settle in and let’s go back in time…

It's a bonus episode on the history of Columbus Day (for pictures and wild gesticulations by Yours Truly, you can check out the video version on my YouTube!)