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Funerals of Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Harrison, Lincoln, Harding, Taft, FDR, JFK and more.
What exactly does a "state fuernal" mean? And how many U.S. presidents had state funerals? I didn't get the chance to answer these question in the podcast. But I answered them in this post, and provided photos as well: https://bit.ly/HbN-Bonus-S5E1-7
I hope you my peel of the history behind America's presidential state funerals.
You can connect me on social:
►https://www.facebook.com/historybehindnews/
►https://x.com/HistBehindNews
Adel Aali, host & producer
History Behind News podcast & on YouTube
SUPPORT:
Click here and join our other supporters in the news peeler community. Thank you.
The Electoral Count Act of 1887 (ECA) was law for 135 years. But then, Jan. 6, 2021, happened - the cause of which some partially attributed to the ECA (more about this in the interview). So, what was to be done?
In 2022, Congress passed the ECRA, which will be law on Jan. 6, 2025, when the 119th Congress counts the 2024 Electoral votes.
The ECRA is the Electoral Count Reform and Presidential Transition Improvement Act of 2022.
The counting of the Electoral votes has pushed our country to the brink on multiple occasions. Imagine this: it's two days before the presidential inauguration, and our country still has no president-elect! This is not a hypothetical or something from a Hollywood thriller. This really happened in our history. That's what happens when the simple, boring process of counting the electoral votes - a mere formality really - goes awry!
The January 6th after an election year is one of those days that usually goes unnoticed. Except, when something goes wrong. But each time something went wrong, like it seriously did on Jan. 6, 2021, Congress strove to improve the way it counts the Electoral votes.
In this interview, my guest explains how Congress improved the process of counting the Electoral votes after each crisis, in 1804, 1887, 1933 and 2022.
🚩About My Guest:
My guest is Prof. Larry Schwartztol, a legal scholar at Harvard Law School, where he teaches, writes, and advocates on democracy and voting rights and is also the director of the Democracy and Rule of Law Clinic. Before joining the faculty at Harvard Law School, he served in the Biden Administration as Associate White House Counsel and Special Assistant to the President. You can access his latest publication, CONGRESS’S POWER OVER THE ELECTORAL COUNT, which we also discuss in this interview.
Also, listen to my interview with Prof. Edward Foley about why he thinks we don't have the election system that we think we have!
Have you ever wondered why Congress meets on January 3rd? Visit History Behind News for this story.
I hope you enjoy these interviews about the history behind our news.
Adel Aali, host & producer
History Behind News podcast & on YouTube
Scholars Unravel Middle East:
An in-depth history and analysis of the Middle East available on Spotify, Apple, Castbox, iHeart Radio, Amazon Music or Radio Public.
SUPPORT:
Click here and join our other supporters in the news peeler community. Thank you.
Why Dec. 25? Why so much Christmas conflict & controversy in Christianity's history? Why is Christmas so important to Christianity? And to America?
In this episode, I ask my guest, Dr. Carey Roberts, the following questions:
►Why is Christmas such a grand celebration? What does this tell us about Christianity?
►Did it take a while for Christmas to take a central role in Christianity
►What's the difference between recognition and celebration of Christmas
►Did Christmas piggyback on existing Roman pagan traditions?
►How did Christmas enter America's culture? If not the Puritans, then which immigrant group introduced Christmas to America?
►Were there any regional differences in the celebration of Christmas?
►When did U.S. businesses begin to capitalize on Christmas?
►Would President Grant have witnessed a similar Christmas celebration in Boston and Savannah?
►Would George Washington recognize our Christmas? How about Andrew Jackson? Abraham Lincoln? Teddy Roosevelt?
►What happened to Christmas after WWII?
►Is it a bad thing that non-Christians and/or non-practicing Christians celebrate Christmas?
🚩About My Guest:
Dr. Roberts is a Professor of History and Online Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Liberty University. His research interests include early American intellectual and economic history. He has lectured and published widely in the fields of the American Founding, monetary and banking history, American intellectual life, and Southern literature. He has been a ruling elder in the Presbyterian Church of America and the Evangelical Presbyterian Church. Here is his academic homepage.
Also, watch my interview with Dr. David Silverman about the real history of Thanksgiving.
I hope you enjoy these interviews about the history behind our news.
Adel Aali, host & producer
History Behind News podcast & on YouTube
Scholars Unravel Middle East:
An in-depth history and analysis of the Middle East available on Spotify, Apple, Castbox, iHeart Radio, Amazon Music or Radio Public.
SUPPORT:
Click here and join our other supporters in the news peeler community. Thank you.
"I could see him become much more comfortable with power."
Did you know that Syrians welcomed Bashar al-Assad as "a breath of fresh air" when he initially assumed power?
My guest, Dr. David Lesch, has visited Syria 35 times. In 15 of those visits, he met with Mr. Assad to write his biography. But after the biography was published, Mr. Assad invited Dr. Lesch back for more meetings!
In this interview, Dr. Lesch tells us the story behind the story, and we also talk about the following:
*****
Dr. David W. Lesch is the Ewing Halsell Distinguished Professor of History in the Department of History at Trinity University. He received his PhD in Middle East History from Harvard University. He has had 17 books published on a variety of Middle East topics and has over 140 publications overall.
Dr. Lesch has advised the White House in the last four US presidential administrations, from President George W. Bush to President Biden. He has consistently met with and advised high-level officials in Europe, the Middle East, and the United Nations on diplomatic issues. He has appeared frequently on national and international television and radio news programs, and he has appeared in over fifteen documentaries. He is also on the board of a number of organizations dealing with the Middle East or international affairs.
Links to several of Dr. Lesch's books:
*****
Love & Romance In Syria & Rest of Arab World.
I hope you enjoy these episodes.
Adel, host & producer
History Behind News podcast & on YouTube
►SUPPORT:
Click here and join our other supporters in the news peeler community. Thank you.
Civil Rights Movement vs. Current-Day Climate Movement
Did political movements of the 1960s and '70s have deeper roots with longer lasting positive impacts than our 21st century political movements?
How would we define a political movement? Why did the Civil Rights movement achieved many tangible successes but the Climate movement has not? How has the digital age changed political movements?
Please Note: The numbers for the 2024 presidential election popular vote are based on the latest count available in the morning of Dec. 5, 2024. By the evening of the same day, however, the popular vote count had slightly (not materially) changed. That change is not reflected in the podcast.
*****🚩About My Guest:
Prof. Robin Boyle is a law professor at St. John's University, School of Law. She has written extensively on a variety of topics.
In this interview, we discuss her contribution to the book Generational Politics in the United States - From the Silents to Gen Z and Beyond, in the following chapter "The Times They Are A Changin: Generational Comparisons of the Civil Rights Movement with the Current-Day Climate Movement".
*****Hypermasculine Trumpism & Politainment:
Here is my interview with Dr. David Schultz, in which he reviews politics of 2023.
*****
Presidential Comebacks
Here is my interview with Prof. Michael Gerhardt, in which he compares Grover Cleveland's run for a second term to Donald Trump's run in 2024.
I hope you enjoy these episodes.
Adel, host & producer
History Behind News podcast & on YouTube
►SUPPORT:
Click here and join our other supporters in the news peeler community. Thank you.
Prof. Silverman describes the first Thanksgiving: an accidental feast between frenemies that was never repeated.
How much is our Thanksgiving tradition based on real events that transpired sometime in the fall of 1621 in Plymouth, Massachusetts? And why does it matter anyway?
Don't all nations have feel-good traditions that are partly based on facts, but mostly predicated on myths?
Professor David Silverman answers these questions and more. For example, he shares with us that Europeans had been in contact with the Wampanoag Native Americans, who are the "Indians" of our Thanksgiving tradition, since at least 1524. And that the Pilgrims were guided to Plymouth by at least one crew member who touted its advantage - hint: all its native inhabitants had died of disease, leaving houses and fields empty and available for the would-be English settlers. And while the turkey was certainly on the menu, so was eel! In this episode, Professor Silvermans explains the aftermath of that first Thanksgiving. And by way of follow-up, I ask him to explain why it is that some Native Americans observe a Day of Mourning on Thanksgiving.
Professor Silverman is the author of This Land is Their Land: The Wampanoag Indians, Plymouth Colony, and the Troubled History of Thanksgiving, a 2019 book. Click this link for this book's Amazon page. Professor Silverman has written several other books about the history of Native Americans, which are listed on his academic homepage is along with his other publications, projects and honors. Here is the direct link to Professor Silverman's academic homepage: https://history.columbian.gwu.edu/david-silverman
History of Christmas:
In this interview, Dr. Carey Roberts tells us the real story behind America's celebration of Christmas.
I hope you enjoy this episode.
Adel, host & producer
History Behind News podcast & on YouTube
►SUPPORT:
Click here and join our other supporters in the news peeler community. Thank you.
The African American elite - a history of America that we don't often hear about in our popular culture. With Ms. Kamala Harris's swift nomination and crushing defeat, in this interview my guest and I approach African American history from a different angle and with a fresh perspective - stories of their intellectual, organizational and business accomplishments in the 19th century (before and after the Civil War) and the 20th century (before the Civil Rights movement). These stories are told through Dr. Lewis's own family, who belonged to the "Talented Tenth", a term he describes in this interview.
*****🚩About My Guest:
Dr. David Levering Lewis is a professor emeritus of history at NYU. He is a recipient of the National Humanities Medal and two-time recipient of the Pulitzer Prize.
In this interview, we discuss his latest book, Stained Glass Window - A Family History as the American Story, 1790-1958.
*****An ancient Middle East tale that shocked Christian Europe:Here is my interview with Dr. Sophus Helle about Gilgamesh, an ancient Mesopotamian epic that dates back before the Greek classics.
*****
🚩 SUPPORT:
Click here and join our other supporters in the news peeler community.
And here is our support page: https://historybehindnews.com/support
Thanks very much for your support.
*****
Watch our program on YouTube: 📽️https://www.youtube.com/@historybehindnews
Contact me: you can write to me by leaving a comment on any of the videos in our YouTube channel.
*****I hope you enjoy these episodes. Thank you for listening and thanks for your support of our program.
Adel
Host of the History Behind News podcast
"I don't care who does the electing, as long as I do the nominating!" William M. Tweed (1823-78), New York political boss of Tammany Hall. Story of how billionaires determine our voting choices. Big money has replaced the power of 19th century party bosses. In this interview, my guest explains how dark money controls our elections and how big money is responsible for institutional corruption in America. But contrary to popular belief, the story of dark money and Super PACs doesn't really originate with the 2010 "Citizens United" Supreme Court decision.
*****🚩About My Guest:
Prof. Lawrence Lessig is a professor of of Law and Leadership at Harvard Law School. He is the founder of Equal Citizens and a founding board member of Creative Commons. He is the recipient of many awards and was once cited by The New Yorker magazine as “the most important thinker on intellectual property in the Internet era.”
Prof. Lessig has also published extensively, including the following books:
*****History of the Republican Party:
Here is my interview with Prof. Joel Paul about the origins of the Republican and Democratic parties and how and when they switch their platforms.
*****History of American Conservatism:Here is my interview with Dr. Allan Lichtman regarding how conservative ideology and politics have changed in American politics. He also answers this question: is Trump a conservative?
*****
🚩 SUPPORT:
Click here and join our other supporters in the news peeler community.
And here is our support page: https://historybehindnews.com/support
Thanks very much for your support.
*****
Watch our program on YouTube: 📽️https://www.youtube.com/@historybehindnews
Contact me: you can write to me by leaving a comment on any of the videos in our YouTube channel.
*****I hope you enjoy these episodes. Thank you for listening and thanks for your support of our program.
Adel
Host of the History Behind News podcast
►Where do pollsters get their participants?
►Do election polling methods and target audiences change as we get closer to Election Day?
►Do Americans vote for candidates who match their values and positions? Or do we vote for candidates with the best campaigns?
►Are there tried-and-true election polling methods?
►Do polls influence election outcomes?
►How frequently have polls completely botched their predictions?
►What is my guest's prediction for this election?
*****🚩About My Guest: Dr. Christopher Wlezien is a professor of government in the University of Texas at Austin, with research focus in public opinion, elections, mass media, research methods and other related subjects. He is a Principal Investigator of Datasets on Polls and the Timeline of Elections, a quite impressive research project into polling history that we discuss in this interview.
He is the author and co-author of many books, including the following:
The link for the video fo this conversation will provided here later today.
*****Sanctions:
How do sanctions work? And why haven't U.S. sanctions on Iran not worked? As my guest, Dr. Vali Nasr explains, Iran sanctions have, in fact, backfired on America.
Watch episode here. *****
🚩 SUPPORT:
Click here and join our other supporters in the news peeler community.
And here is our support page: https://historybehindnews.com/support
Thanks very much for your support.
*****
Watch our program on YouTube: 📽️https://www.youtube.com/@historybehindnews
Contact me: you can write to me by leaving a comment on any of the videos in our YouTube channel.
*****I hope you enjoy these episodes. Thank you for listening and thanks for your support of our program.
Adel
Host of the History Behind News podcast
👉full episode: https://bit.ly/UME-S1E39
►Are U.S. sanctions on Iran working?
►Are U.S. sanctions against Iran actually working against the United States?
►Have sanctions empowered and emboldened Iran's Revolutionary Guard… to the point that they were ready for war with the United States?
Dr. Vali Nasr is professor at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies. and the co-director of the Rethinking Iran Initiative. He has advised the U.S. President, Secretary of State & senior members of Congress about foreign policy.
He is the author and co-author of many books, including the following:
🖱️Support Our Program:
Adel Aali
Host, Scholars Unravel Middle East
Host, History Behind News Podcast
🚩Subscribe to our YouTube channel
✅Image credits:
►image titled "Iran's Ruling Class"
By Khamenei.ir, CC BY 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=150245544
image background trimmed
►image titled "Iran's Middle Class"
By Fars Media Corporation, CC BY 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=70147469
🎶Music attributions:
1. Opening and closing music of the program:
Santur: Peyman Heydarian playing on the Santur some Iranian music. Recorded with a Sony PCM-D50 at the School of Oriental and African Studies of London on April 7th 2011.
Music available on at https://freesound.org/people/xserra/sounds/125654/
Creative Commons / Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0 DEED)
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
This music has been cut in shorter pieces and its volume has been adjusted in different portions of our program.
3. Background music:
The Success by Keys of Moon | https://soundcloud.com/keysofmoon. Music
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