Most people know the Marquis de Lafayette as an aide to General George Washington during the American Revolutionary War. On the latest Exploring History podcast, Ray Notgrass tells how Lafayette lived an entire life of service to the UNited States and France, often at great sacrifice to himself. Homeschool curriculum and resources for all ages: https://notgrass.com/ Supplemental videos, field trips, and other resources: https://homeschoolhistory.com/ Encouragement for homeschool moms: https://ch...
Jul 01, 2025•23 min
The former Soviet Union had a project to map the entire world. They produced over one million distinct maps of places around the world. On his latest Exploring History podcast, Ray Notgrass discusses this amazing project and the amazing detail work that went into it. Read the transcript and find more resources: https://shop.notgrass.com/blog/exploring-history-podcast-9/secret-soviet-documents-revealed-313 Homeschool curriculum and resources for all ages: https://notgrass.com/ Supplemental videos...
Mar 25, 2025•10 min
One woman's letters to a president may have changed his thinking and may have helped bring about needed reforms in our country. On the next Exploring History podcast, Ray Notgrass tells how the letters of one woman might have affected the presidency of Chester Arthur. Read the transcript and find more resources: https://shop.notgrass.com/blog/exploring-history-podcast-9/the-letters-of-julia-sand-312 Homeschool curriculum and resources for all ages: https://notgrass.com/ Supplemental videos, fiel...
Mar 11, 2025•18 min
A little known incident in 1854 was part of the struggle for equal rights for all Americans. It reminds us today of our need to be done with prejudice and scapegoating. In the latest Exploring History podcast, Ray Notgrass tells how a standoff on a New York City streetcar furthered the cause of civil rights. Read the transcript and find more resources: https://shop.notgrass.com/blog/exploring-history-podcast-9/when-riding-a-streetcar-turned-into-a-battle-311 Homeschool curriculum and resources f...
Feb 25, 2025•9 min
During World War II, the American military and American society were marked by segregation and prejudice. Many Americans believed that black persons were not capable of flying airplanes. But a training program at Tuskegee Institute showed that black persons were fully capable of flying airplanes and performing skillfully and courageously in battle. In his latest podcast, Ray Notgrass tells the story of the Tuskegee Airmen. Read the transcript and find more resources: https://shop.notgrass.com/bl...
Feb 12, 2025•10 min
Seventy-five years ago, Whittaker Chambers accused highly respected U.S. government official Alger Hiss of being a Communist. Hiss denied the accusation. Who was telling the truth? In his latest podcast, Ray Notgrass examines the controversy, the court trial that resulted, and the impact that the controversy had on American politics. Read the transcript and find more resources: https://shop.notgrass.com/blog/exploring-history-podcast-9/the-hiss-case-308 Homeschool curriculum and resources for al...
Jan 30, 2025•12 min
Mabel Fairbanks was an African American ice skater who overcame poverty, prejudice, and a host of other hardships to become an international skating star. In his latest podcast, Ray Notgrass tells Mabel's story to inspire us all to overcome the hardships we all endure to make a contribution to the world in which we live. Visit our website for a transcript and links to additional resources: https://shop.notgrass.com/blog/exploring-history-podcast-9/the-overcomer-307 Homeschool curriculum and reso...
Jan 14, 2025•6 min
One of the special aspects of Christmas is hearing and singing the same songs, even though we have heard them year after year. Perhaps it is the memories that these songs bring to mind, or the beautiful music these songs contain, or perhaps it is the thrilling message these songs convey. On the latest Exploring History podcast, Ray Notgrass tells the background stories of some of our favorite Christmas hymns, and then you can hear performances of those hymns from different parts of the world. Re...
Dec 10, 2024•12 min
On the Exploring History podcast for Thanksgiving, Ray Notgrass tells the true story of a man who escaped Poland in 1938, came to the United States, and lived with gratitude for the country that gave him freedom and opportunity. Read the transcript, see photos, and find additional resources: https://shop.notgrass.com/blog/exploring-history-podcast-9/thankful-for-our-country-302 Homeschool curriculum and resources for all ages: https://notgrass.com/ Supplemental videos, field trips, and other res...
Nov 26, 2024•7 min
In 1957 nine brave teenagers showed remarkable courage and conviction as they integrated Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas. On his latest Exploring History podcast, Ray Notgrass shares the story of this remarkable group and how they overcame often violent opposition to achieve a milestone in America's civil rights movement. See photos, read a transcript, and find links to additional resources: https://shop.notgrass.com/blog/exploring-history-podcast-9/the-little-rock-nine-300 Homescho...
Nov 12, 2024•14 min
World War I brought unprecedented loss of life and destruction. But it also provided stories of amazing heroism. In the latest Exploring History podcast, Ray Notgrass examines the causes of the war, how the war progressed to a bitter end, and tells stories of American heroes in the war. Read the transcript, see photos, and explore additional resources: https://shop.notgrass.com/blog/exploring-history-podcast-9/the-great-war-and-its-greatest-hero-299 Homeschool curriculum and resources for all ag...
Oct 22, 2024•24 min
Why should anyone, especially our students, bother to learn history? In his latest Exploring History podcast, Ray Notgrass offers six specific things we can gain from a study of history that can enrich our lives and help us make a positive contribution to the world around us. Read a transcript and find additional resources: https://shop.notgrass.com/blog/exploring-history-podcast-9/what-can-you-learn-from-history-298 Homeschool curriculum and resources for all ages: https://notgrass.com/ Supplem...
Oct 08, 2024•12 min
Ronald Reagan was a man of faith: faith in God, and faith in the strength of our country. In the latest Exploring History podcast, Ray Notgrass looks at the life and presidency of Ronald Reagan, focusing especially on his faith in God and his approach to the Soviet Union that changed the dynamics of the Cold War and helped lead to the fall of Communism in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. Read a transcript, see photos, and find links to additional resources: https://shop.notgrass.com/blog/exp...
Sep 24, 2024•18 min
Hot enough for you? We can be thankful that we can do something about it, but it hasn't always been this way. In this podcast, Ray Notgrass traces the history of attempts to produce conditioned air, from awnings to fans blowing over ice to the invention of systems that really provided cooler air to homes, businesses, and cars. We hope you enjoy this really cool presentation. Read the transcript and find links to additional resources: https://shop.notgrass.com/blog/exploring-history-podcast-9/the...
Aug 27, 2024•17 min
Richard Nixon resigned the office of president of the United States fifty years ago, on August 9, 1974. This was the result of the Watergate scandal and other failings of the Nixon administration. On the latest Exploring History podcast, Ray Notgrass surveys what the scandal involved and how the Nixon presidency unraveled after achieving unprecedented political success. Read the transcript and find additional resources: https://shop.notgrass.com/blog/exploring-history-podcast-9/and-the-fall-of-t...
Aug 15, 2024•26 min
As the Summer Olympics in Paris, France, take place this year, we hearken back one hundred years to another Paris Olympics, and the accomplishments of a man of faith, Eric Liddell, both in the Olympics and in his later life. Ray Notgrass shares the remarkable story of this man of Christian conscience who won the race of serving God. Read the transcript, see photos, and find resources for further study: https://shop.notgrass.com/blog/exploring-history-podcast-9/running-to-win-the-prize-the-story-...
Jul 23, 2024•15 min
It’s time for that quadrennial exercise in American democracy, when thousands of people spend millions of dollars and take several days to make a decision that’s already been made. Of course I’m talking about our national political party presidential nominating conventions. On the latest Exploring History podcast, Ray Notgrass discusses the history of conventions and how they work today. Read the transcript and find links to more resources: https://shop.notgrass.com/blog/exploring-history-podcas...
Jul 10, 2024•26 min
Fred Vinson's life went from being born in a jailer's house in Eastern Kentucky to serving as chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. He was a key player in American government during and after World War II. In this podcast, Ray Notgrass tells Vinson's life story and shows how it encourages all of us to take part in the great story of America. Read the episode transcript, see photos, and find links to more resources about Fred Vinson and the Supreme Court: https://shop.notgrass.com/blog/explori...
Jun 25, 2024•22 min
On June 19th, 1865, Union General Gordon Granger announced in Galveston, Texas, that all enslaved persons were free. Slavery was ended. On the latest episode of the Exploring History podcast, Ray Notgrass tells how slavery ended in the United States and how people began to celebrate Juneteenth (June 19th) as America's second Independence Day. Visit our website for a transcript, photos, and links to more resources related to Juneteenth: https://shop.notgrass.com/blog/exploring-history-podcast-9/j...
Jun 11, 2024•23 min
June 6, 2024, marks the 80th anniversary of D-Day, when Allied forces invaded Nazi-occupied Europe during World War II. On the latest Exploring History podcast, Ray Notgrass explains the causes of World War II, gives a brief history of the war including the significance of D-Day, and tells how the world changed as a result of the war. Visit our website for a transcript and a link to resources for further study and exploration: https://shop.notgrass.com/blog/exploring-history-podcast-9/the-war-wo...
May 28, 2024•49 min
In 1938, as war clouds built in Europe, the popular American singer Kate Smith debuted a song written by the successful songwriter Irving Berlin. That song was "God Bless America," which has become an American classic. On the latest Exploring History podcast, Ray Notgrass surveys Berlin's life and tells how the song has encouraged generations of Americans, especially during difficult times. Homeschool curriculum and resources for all ages: https://notgrass.com/ Supplemental videos, field trips, ...
May 14, 2024•11 min
Nathaniel Hawthorne's 1850 short story "The Great Stone Face" is the fictional account of how the geological formation of the Old Man of the Mountain in New Hampshire inspired a boy to pursue the worthy and noble things of life. In the latest Exploring History podcast, Ray Notgrass tells how the story is also a reminder to Christians to "fix our eyes on Jesus," and he reads the story for the listeners to enjoy. Read a transcript and find more resources on our website: https://shop.notgrass.com/b...
Apr 23, 2024•52 min
During World War II, over a million soldiers trained for combat in Europe by taking part in maneuvers in Tennessee. In his latest podcast, Ray Notgrass discusses how the maneuvers took place and what they meant for the soldiers and for the residents of the counties and towns of Tennessee where they happened. Read a transcript and get links to more resources on our website: https://shop.notgrass.com/blog/exploring-history-podcast-9/in-the-presence-of-soldiers-the-tennessee-maneuvers-during-world-...
Apr 09, 2024•11 min
Following World War II, the nations of Europe lay devastated. The threat of Communist invasion was real. Just as the United States came to the aid of Europe during World War II, the U.S. provided assistance to the Europeans after the war to help them rebuild and maintain their freedom. In the latest Exploring History podcast, Ray Notgrass describes how the Marshall Plan benefited Europe and the U.S. and opened a pathway for cooperation and growth instead of conflict. Visit our website for a tran...
Mar 26, 2024•22 min
God places a beautiful young woman in a position of influence. She risks her own life to save her entire people group from merciless execution. The book of Esther in the Old Testament gives the background for the Jewish feast of Purim, which takes place later this month. In this Exploring History podcast, Ray Notgrass tells the story of Esther and reminds us that we have been called to live for God in such a time as this. Read the transcript and get links to more resources: https://shop.notgrass...
Mar 12, 2024•28 min
In a time and place where racial tensions were high, one woman followed her faith in Jesus and made a profound difference in the lives of hundreds of people. In this podcast, Ray Notgrass tells about this woman and how she impacted his life and how her legacy continues to change people's lives. Read the transcript and explore more resources: https://shop.notgrass.com/blog/exploring-history-podcast-9/a-powerful-christian-legacy-258 Homeschool curriculum and resources for all ages: https://notgras...
Feb 27, 2024•13 min
On December 1, 1955, the courageous act by a simple, quiet, private citizen changed America. On the latest Exploring History podcast, Ray Notgrass tells the story of Rosa Parks, including many details you might not have heard before. Listen to learn about the person many have called the mother of the modern civil rights movement. Read the transcript and explore more resources: https://shop.notgrass.com/blog/exploring-history-podcast-9/much-more-than-a-street-name-the-story-of-rosa-parks-256 Home...
Feb 13, 2024•22 min
Congress is the branch of the federal government that enacts the laws of our land. The House and the Senate follow Constitutional guidelines, laws that Congress itself has passed, and rules and traditions that have developed over many years. On this 50th Exploring History podcast, Ray Notgrass discusses the inner workings of our national legislature. Homeschool curriculum and resources for all ages: https://notgrass.com/ Supplemental videos, field trips, and other resources: https://homeschoolhi...
Jan 23, 2024•31 min
The relationship between Christians and the secular government has been filled with tension since the early days of the church. In the latest Exploring History podcast, Ray Notgrass examines Paul's teaching in Romans 13 to see what Scripture says about the issue. Homeschool curriculum and resources for all ages: https://notgrass.com/ Supplemental videos, field trips, and other resources: https://homeschoolhistory.com/ Encouragement for homeschool moms: https://charlenenotgrass.com/...
Jan 09, 2024•17 min
The story of the birth of Jesus that the Bible tells is a story of God's plan, His intervention in our world, and the lives of those involved who, like us, were forever changed. In this episode, Ray Notgrass considers the meaning of the birth of Christ, how it impacted those who were directly affected by it, and how it continues to impact the world today. Homeschool curriculum and resources for all ages: https://notgrass.com/ Supplemental videos, field trips, and other resources: https://homesch...
Dec 19, 2023•26 min
