Join me this week as I explore the history of the first iteration of the Ku Klux Klan. Learn about the earliest days of the organization, how it evolved into a dangerous domestic terrorist group, and how their acts of violence sough to depress the influence of Black Americans and the Republican Party throughout the former Confederacy. 

Please note, there is mature content shared in this episode. 

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Join me for this BONUS episode where I welcome Dr. Andrew Sillen to discuss his latest book, Kidnapped at Sea: The Civil War Voyage of David Henry White.

You can learn more about Dr. Sillen by checking out his website: https://kidnappedatsea.com/

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Frances Harper was an abolitionist, author, and activist who spent her life in the pursuit of a better nation. Risking her safety to tour on the anti-slavery lecture circuit before the war, Harper became one of the loudest critics of Andrew Johnson during Reconstruction. Tune in this week as I dive into her life, motivations, and legacy. 

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Join me this week as I dive into the life of Eliza McCardle Johnson. In this episode I dive into McCardle's early years, her relationship with Andrew Johnson, and how she chose to run the house as First Lady. 

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Joining me this week is historian and author Dr. Alexis Peri. In this episode we discuss her latest book Dear Unknown Friend, which tells the story of the Soviet and American women who traded correspondence toward the end of World War II and during the Cold War. 

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Join me this week as I wrap up my coverage of the life and presidency of 17th President Andrew Johnson. In this episode, I dive into Johnson's meeting with Black abolitionists and his impeachment - the first in United States history. 

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Join me this week as I dive into the early life of 17th President Andrew Johnson. Learn how a man born to poor, illiterate parents beat the odds to become Vice President then President of the United States. 

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In this episode, historian and author Salina Baker discusses her latest book, The Line of Splendor: A Novel of Nathaneal Greene and the American Revolution. Tune in to learn who Greene was, what role he played in the American Revolution, and how historical fiction can make the past come alive.

You can find out more about Salina by going to her website at www.salinabbaker.com

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Considered by some historians to be the most important amendment to the Constitution, the 14th Amendment sought to codify the protections provided by the 1866 Civil Rights Act. Tune in to learn why Senators felt an amendment was necessary, how it impacted women's push for the vote, and how it has been used to secure freedom for generations of Americans. 

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For a period of three days in May of 1866, the city of Memphis was plagues with violence as racial tensions exploded. The first race riot to happen after the Civil War, the massacre demonstrated how ineffective local governments were in responding to lawless, prompting Congress to push for a "radical" reconstruction. Tune in to find out just what happened and how it was used to forge the 14th Amendment. 

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