High Tension with John A. Riggs
Can't Make This Up17 Joulu 2020

High Tension with John A. Riggs

Take a look at the nearest lightbulb. Odds are that light will keep on shining until you flip the switch. Electricity is something we take totally for granted today, but as soon as that power goes out, everything about our modern society grinds to a screeching halt. Some listeners may even remember the infamous 2003 Blackout that left most of New England without electricity for six hours on a 90-degree day in August.

Have you ever thought about where your electricity came from? Sure, it comes from the "grid," but where did the grid come from? Today, my guest and I discuss how the nation became electrified. John Riggs studied history at Swarthmore College before beginning a 30 year career working on energy policy in Washington, D.C. His brand new book "High Tension: FDR's Battle to Power America" is an engrossing tale about how President Franklin D. Roosevelt made it his mission to reform an electrical system that benefited less than half the country and was dominated by a few incredibly powerful monopolies. John and I discuss the first wave of electrification in the late 19th century, FDR's efforts to pass legislation to regulate power holding companies, and the Roosevelt administration's New Deal electricity programs like the Tennessee Valley Authority and Rural Electrification Administration.

For more information on John's research, visit his website - www.hightensionfdrbook.com

Want to listen to new episodes a week earlier and get exclusive bonus content? Consider becoming a supporter of the podcast on Patreon!

Like the podcast? Please subscribe and leave a review! Follow @CMTUHistory on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram & TikTok

Jaksot(85)

The Transcendentalists and Their World with Robert A. Gross

The Transcendentalists and Their World with Robert A. Gross

"The Transcendentalists and Their World offers a fresh view of the thinkers whose outsize impact on philosophy and literature would spread from tiny Concord to all corners of the earth. Ralph Waldo Em...

3 Maalis 202240min

Following Nellie Bly with Rosemary J. Brown

Following Nellie Bly with Rosemary J. Brown

Today I speak with Rosemary J. Brown about her new book Following Nellie Bly: Her Record-Breaking Race Around the World. "Intrepid journalist Nellie Bly raced through a ‘man’s world’ — alone and lite...

10 Helmi 202245min

In Search of a Kingdom with Laurence Bergreen

In Search of a Kingdom with Laurence Bergreen

Today, I speak with Laurence Bergreen about his book In Search of a Kingdom: Francis Drake, Elizabeth I, and the Perilous Birth of the British Empire. "Before he was secretly dispatched by Queen Eliz...

21 Tammi 202239min

A word from Kevin about what happened to the podcast

A word from Kevin about what happened to the podcast

21 Tammi 20226min

Come Fly the World with Julia Cooke

Come Fly the World with Julia Cooke

My guest today is Julia Cooke who joins me to discuss her new book Come Fly the World: The Jet-Age Story of the Women of Pan-Am. "Required to have a college education, speak two languages, and posses...

4 Maalis 202137min

Lincoln’s Mentors with Michael Gerhardt

Lincoln’s Mentors with Michael Gerhardt

Today, I speak with Michael Gerhardt about his book Lincoln's Mentors. In national polling among presidential historians (as well as among the general public), Abraham Lincoln consistently ranks in t...

10 Helmi 202137min

Chicago’s Great Fire with Carl Smith

Chicago’s Great Fire with Carl Smith

You have likely heard the story before: "Mrs. O'Leary's cow knocked over a lantern and started the Great Chicago Fire." While the Great Fire was a real disaster that occurred in October, 1871, we reme...

3 Helmi 202140min

On Her Own Ground with A’Lelia Bundles

On Her Own Ground with A’Lelia Bundles

Today I speak with A'Lelia Bundles about her book On Her Own Ground: The Life and Times of Madam CJ Walker In 1867, Sarah Breedlove was the first in her family to be born into freedom after the signi...

12 Tammi 202145min

Suosittua kategoriassa Historia

olipa-kerran-otsikko
gogin-ja-janin-maailmanhistoria
mayday-fi
huijarit
totuus-vai-salaliitto
mystista
tsunami
konginkangas
rss-ikiuni
sotaa-ja-historiaa-podi
rouva-diktaattori
rss-subjektiivinen-todistaja
rss-i-dont-like-mondays-2
rss-peter-peter
rss-kirkon-ihmeellisimmat-tarinat
rss-sattuu-sita-suomessakin
historian-nurkkapoyta
tiedetta-ja-sirkushuveja-vanhojen-aikojen-podcast
hippokrateen-vastaanotolla
rss-outoja-uutisia-pohjois-suomesta