Reframing America

The life cycle of the Phoenix: creation, destruction, rebirth. This was also the cycle for Franklin Delano Roosevelt, his wife Eleanor, and the nation he would lead. During his unprecedented tenure of four elections, he led America through unprecedented times. Ryan Rasmussen and Tony Rydberg sift through his domestic policies to solve the mystery of how a man who never knew financial trouble in his life became the beacon of hope for a nation in the deepest throes of financial strife.

Whenever a crisis reared its ugly head, Herbert Hoover was there to resolve it. He was called "The Great Humanitarian," and at one point, he was the most beloved American on Earth. So, why was he so ineffective when the Great Depression hit during his presidency? Tony Rydberg and Ryan Rasmussen try to bring some sense to this paradox as they explore Hoover's life and his profound legacy, for better and worse.

America from 1921-1929 was, in some ways, a nation defined by crime. From greasing the wheels of business with bribes to making a fortune selling illegal liquor during Prohibition, everyone was wetting their beak - and that's just the politicians. In their Season 4 premiere, Ryan Rasmussen and Tony Rydberg jump 100 years back in time to examine America during the presidencies of Warren G. Harding and Calvin Coolidge to answer the question: What separates the politicians from the criminals?

In the second episode of this two-part season finale, Ryan Rasmussen and Tony Rydberg dig deeper into the implications of World War I. They discuss how World War I impacted America, for better and worse. They answer unanswerable questions, serve up some hot takes, and ultimately bestow a "bonus" picture frame to the person who should symbolize America's involvement in the so-called "War to End All Wars."

In the first episode of this two-part Season 3 finale, Ryan Rasmussen and Tony Rydberg sketch out the underlying causes of World War I, why the US tried to stay out of it, and ultimately what pulled America into the global conflict.

A lot can change in eight years, especially if you’re Woodrow Wilson from 1913-1921. Politically, he transformed the economy, strengthened the presidency, oversaw the prohibition of alcohol, and secured women’s right to vote - to say nothing of his leadership during World War I. Personally, he lost his first wife, fell in love again, got remarried, and suffered a debilitating stroke. Tony Rydberg and Ryan Rasmussen focus on the domestic side of Wilson’s two terms in office, which transformed the country, the world, and the man himself.

Thought to be unsinkable, it went down on its maiden voyage after a fateful and fatal collision: this is the story of the RMS Titanic, but it’s also the story of William Howard Taft’s presidency. Tony Rydberg and Ryan Rasmussen retrace the path that led Roosevelt’s hand-picked successor to an ignominious one-term defeat - a defeat largely caused by Roosevelt himself.

To paraphrase the first line of J.M. Barrie's Peter Pan: all presidents, except one, grow up. Theodore Roosevelt started life as the sickly son of a wealthy New York family, and he ended it as an acclaimed author, a US President, a Nobel Peace Prize recipient, and one of four faces to be carved onto Mount Rushmore. Yet, through all of his achievements, he always retained the same youthful pluck he'd had when he was the little boy known as "Teedie." Both his supports and his detractors attest that Theodore Roosevelt redefined the office of the American President like few others have ever done. Tony Rydberg and Ryan Rasmussen trace the origins of this remarkable figure in world history and gauge his lasting impact on the American story.

Alexander the Great, Genghis Khan, Napoleon Bonaparte... William McKinley? Does America's 25th president really deserve a place on the list of historical figures who conquered vast regions and established an empire? He seems to be an ill-fitting member of this elite group. Yet, there he was, commander-in-chief when the US burst beyond its continental bounds and reached across the seas. But was America an empire? Is it one today? Tony Rydberg and Ryan Rasmussen examine the humble origins of the man and the repercussions of the "splendid little war" he waged.

From 1885-1897, America didn't know what (or whom) she wanted in a president: she dumped Grover Cleveland for Benjamin Harrison, only to dump Harrison for another go with Cleveland. Why all the dithering? Tony Rydberg and Ryan Rasmussen play love doctors for a nation in need of some straight talk and tough lough. From two of the most improbable ascents to the presidency to two of the most awkward presidential love stories ever, Tony and Ryan deliver the goods (just in time for Christmas!).