American History Hotline

Trump Ranked the Presidents. A Historian Responds

President Donald Trump recently released his own ranking of America's presidents—placing himself at the top while labeling figures such as Barack Obama and Ulysses S. Gra

Why Does America Have the Electoral College? Peter Sagal Explains

Why does the United States use the Electoral College instead of a national popular vote? Wait Wait ... Don't Tell Me! Or, actually, DO tell me.  To get answers, Bob cal

Why Did the U.S. Army Keep Disbanding the Rangers?

The history of the Army Rangers isn't one continuous story, it's a cycle of creation, disbandment, and revival that stretches back before the United States even existed.

How Did the Cold War End? Reagan, Gorbachev & the Secret Summit That Changed History

How did the Cold War really end? Most Americans know about the Berlin Wall and the fall of the Soviet Union—but few know about the extraordinary meeting that helped mak

Why Did Disease Devastate Native Americans—but Not European Colonists? | Charles C. Mann

Guns, germs and steel. Emphasis on GERMS. When Europeans arrived in the Americas, they brought all sorts of diseases!   A listener asks: Why did diseases like smallpox

The Man Who Saved Kyoto?

Who knows? Not me. Why wasn't Kyoto destroyed by an atomic bomb during World War II? Rumor has it, the Secretary of War at the time, Henry Stimson, had fallen in love wit

Did Amelia Earhart survive her disappearance? (Part 2)

In Part 2 of our Amelia Earhart series, Bob examines one of the most controversial and fascinating theories surrounding aviation's greatest mystery. Last week, former S

What Happened to Amelia Earhart? Inside the World's Greatest Aviation Mystery (Part 1)

Are we close to finding out what happened to Amelia Earhart? Some experts say "yes!"  Nearly 90 years after her disappearance, researchers believe they are are getting

Do Americans Have a Right to Know the President's Health?

How much should Americans know about the health of their president? From secret illnesses and hidden disabilities to modern debates over transparency, the health of the

Did Jim Morrison's Dad Start the Vietnam War?

People are strange. But Jim Morrison is no stranger to conspiracy theories. And we've got a juicy one!  Well, we're in the history business (not the conspiracy business

Who Invented School? The Surprising History of Education in America

Did Americans always send their children to public school? Not even close. In this episode of American History Hotline, Bob calls up historian and author Dixie Dillon

Was Abortion Always Controversial? From the Pilgrims to Dobbs v. Jackson

For decades, abortion has been one of the most divisive issues in American politics. But was it always that way? Bob calls up Georgetown Law Professor Dr. Michele Goodw

Why Is Congress So Old? And How Can We Change This?

The average age of a U.S. Representative is in the 50s. In the Senate, it's in the 60s. Many Congressional members are also white and wealthy. And this is not representat

The Pequot War: Native American Diplomacy and Warfare

Maybe we can add another guarantee, besides "death" and "taxes" ... "trade wars."  In the early days of America, Native Nations were fighting over trade and power. And

What was Ellis Island Really Like?

What was it really like to come to America through Ellis Island? For millions of immigrants in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, this little spit of land in New Yor

Did JFK Save a Man's Life?

You can't spell "hero" without JFK. Ok, so you can. But that doesn't take away from the fact that a young John F. Kennedy saved a man's life in WWII — a war he wasn't eve

Is it Time for a Third Party?

Are our two main political parties so toxic that a third party may soon takeover American politics? Don't count on it. We'll dive into why right now is the opportune ti

Did Thomas Jefferson Steal the Declaration of Independence?

Good artists borrow, great artists steal. Apparently, Thomas Jefferson got the memo. It turns out some North Carolinians penned their own Declaration of Independence near

What's the Real Story of Disney's "Newsies"?

You may have seen it on Broadway ... or maybe your high school gym. The Tony Award-winning musical Newsies is a favorite for school productions because the story centers

John Quincy Adams: From President to Anti-Slavery Firebrand (Live in DC)

John Quincy Adams may have been a failed one-term president, but he had one of the most amazing second acts in American political history. From the House of Representativ