In 1519 Spanish conquistador Hernan Cortes landed in what is now Mexico with less than 600 men and conquered an empire with millions of people in two years. Hear about the Aztec's sophisticated city of Tenochtitlan, their religion based upon human sacrifice, and explore the fate of their civilization and Emperor Montezuma. 

This episode explores the arguments for and against the use of the atomic bombs on Japan. Part 1 explains why and how the atomic bomb was created as well as how it was utilized on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. 

This episode explains why and how the atomic bomb was created as well as how it was utilized on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Part 2 explores the arguments for and against the use of the atomic bombs on Japan. 

Learn about the true story that inspired the legends. Find out what caused the people of Salem to accuse their neighbors of witchcraft in 1692 and how many died as a result of so-called spectral evidence.

Often overshadowed by the Great Depression, the Dust Bowl was the worst man-made ecological disaster of the 20th century. Poor farming practices led to this catastrophe, which caused thousands of deaths and ravaged millions of lives. Discover how FDR's New Deal helped save the southern plains region.

You probably know that Francis Scott Key wrote the Star-Spangled Banner, but why did he write it? What do the lyrics mean? Learn about the Battle for Fort McHenry, the War of 1812, and what became of the famous flag that inspired the American national anthem.

In the 1840s a blight hit Ireland, destroying the staple crop of the Irish peasants: the potato. As a result, Ireland lost approximately one third of its population to starvation and emigration. Essentially a British colony at the time, the natural disaster in Ireland was compounded by British incompetence and indifference. 

The epic first battle between ironclad ships, the USS Monitor and the CSS Virginia (formerly the USS Merrimack), revolutionized naval warfare forever. Learn about the genius of John Ericsson, who invented the revolving turret for cannons and the screw propeller, and how his innovations helped save the Union in the U.S. Civil War.

In his one term as president, James Polk added more territory to the U.S. than any other American. He should be on the money. But we choose to ignore him. Find out why we forget about the man who gave us the territories that now comprise California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, Texas, New Mexico, and parts of Colorado, Wyoming, and Montana.

After seven decades of protests, petitions, and civil disobedience, the 19th Amendment was passed in 1920, granting women the right to vote. Learn about Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Alice Paul, and the countless other women who fought against a deeply sexist and patriarchal society for women's suffrage.