Arsenic and Cyanide: The Dark Side of Victorian Womanhood in America
Why did so many women in the 1800s turn to poison to solve their problems? (Sorry husbands). Poisons like mercury, arsenic and strychnine were so cheap and readily available in the Victorian Era that...
27 Aug 202537min
Peter Sagal: Is the Electoral College "America's Worst Idea"?
The U.S. Constitution has inspired countless countries to adopt democracy, but NONE have adopted the electoral college. What's up with that? Turns out, if American's National Parks are "the best idea ...
20 Aug 202556min
Why Haven't We Returned to the Moon in 50+ Years?
The Moon. We hit it and quit it. But after more than 50 years is it time to rekindle the relationship? We'll explore the reasons we stopped going to the moon and why NOW is the right time to go back (...
13 Aug 202542min
America's Favorite Fighting Frenchman: Lafayette
Why did a French-born aristocrat volunteer (without pay) to fight for the Americans during the Revolutionary War? And what happened when the Marquis de Lafayette returned to France to fight in its rev...
6 Aug 202542min
Was Disease the Biggest Killer in the Civil War?
"War is 99 parts diarrhea and one part glory." Walt Whitman had a point when he wrote this. Diseases like dysentery, typhus, and malaria were responsible for 2/3 of the deaths in the Civil War. So, ho...
30 Juli 202534min
What's up with George Washington's Teeth?
Sir Mix-a-Lot can't lie about liking big butts. And George Washington can't lie about cutting down cherry trees. Or can he? According to Washington biographer Alexis Coe, this is "the greatest fan fic...
23 Juli 202541min
Would Lincoln Be a Republican Today?
It's Lincoln's party and he'll cry if he wants to. We trace the evolution of America's major political parties to understand how they've changed since Honest Abe was the Republican standard-bearer. An...
16 Juli 202543min
Can the Great Depression Happen Again?
The Roaring Twenties was a period of tremendous financial growth in America — punctuated by a stock market crash and the highest poverty and unemployment the nation has ever seen. The question is, can...
9 Juli 202543min
