America is divided, and it always has been. We're going back to the moment when that split turned into war. This is Uncivil: Gimlet Media's new history podcast, hosted by journalists Jack Hitt and Chenjerai Kumanyika. We ransack the official version of the Civil War, and take on the history you grew up with. We bring you untold stories about covert operations, corruption, resistance, mutiny, counterfeiting, antebellum drones, and so much more. And we connect these forgotten struggles to the political battlefield we’re living on right now.
Last refreshed: ⓘ
Follow this podcast in the Metacast mobile app to refresh it and see new episodes.
Don't just listen to podcasts. Learn from them with transcripts, summaries, and chapters for every episode. Skim, search, and bookmark insights. Learn more
Hey Uncivil listeners! We want to share a new show we think you’ll love, made by one of our producers. Resistance is a show about refusing to accept things as they are. Stories from the front lines of the movement for Black lives, told by the generation fighting for change. In this first episode, 22-year-old Chi Ossé goes out to protest and the trajectory of his life is changed forever. If you like this episode, follow now on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad ch...
A young woman, held by one of America’s founding slaveowners, bolts one day for a life of freedom that keeps her on the lam for the rest of her life, eventually touching upon the life of the most notorious slaveowner of the Civil War. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
This episode uncovers the incredible story of Mary Bowser, a Black woman who, alongside white abolitionist Elizabeth Van Loo, formed a daring spy ring in Confederate Richmond. Bowser bravely infiltrated Jefferson Davis's household as a servant, using her eidetic memory to relay vital military secrets. The podcast explores her profound sacrifice, ingenious espionage, and the historical erasure of her monumental contributions to the Union cause.
Hey, Uncivil listeners! This week we’re sharing a story from our friends at the The Nod , a podcast that tells the stories of Black life that don't get told anywhere else. We know you all will love this episode about a woman who broke away from a plantation in the South, where descendants of enslaved people and slave owners stayed together as family, long after the end of slavery. To listen to part 2 of the story, Diary of a Mad Black Cousin, look for The Nod in your podcast feed, wherever you g...
A listener voicemail sends us deep down the rabbit hole into one of the most toxic myths of the Confederacy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Rachel Swarns of the New York Times joins us to discuss what she discovered when she followed the money trail of one of the nation's top financial institutions all the back to the 19th century. Further reading: You can read more of Rachel Swarns's reporting here , and check out her book, American Tapestry: The Story of the Black, White, and Multiracial Ancestors of Michelle Obama . For further reading on slave insurance we recommend Investing in Life: Insurance in Antebellum America by Sharon An...
The episode "The Sentence" traces the surprising origins of racial slavery in America back to 1640 with the case of John Punch, an indentured servant sentenced to lifelong servitude while his European counterparts received shorter terms. It explores how this ruling and subsequent laws systematically linked African descent to permanent slavery, creating distinct racial categories and influencing everything from legal rights to family identities like the "Black Dutch" or Melungeons. The narrative connects these historical threads to modern-day figures, including President Barack Obama, revealing the profound and lasting impact of these early decisions on American society.
This Uncivil episode delves into the story of Samuel Upham, a Philadelphia shopkeeper who undermined the Confederacy by counterfeiting their currency on a massive scale. Upham's actions, driven by profit and perhaps a bit of patriotism, flooded the South with fake money, exacerbating inflation and eroding faith in the Confederate government. The episode explores the Confederacy's desperate attempts to stop him and the ultimate impact of his scheme on the Southern economy and psyche.
We dig deep into the anthem of the Confederacy, and learn that almost everything we thought we knew about it... was wrong. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
From the cemetery to the big screen, a 150 year old push to rewrite American history. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
A woman discovers a secret that the government long tried to keep hidden: a secret about who exactly fought in the Civil War. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
We sat down with Nikole Hannah-Jones of the New York Times Magazine, Al Letson of Reveal, and Christy Coleman of the American Civil War Museum to talk about how they take down Civil War myths. For more Uncivil, visit our website: uncivil.show Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices...
This episode explores the historical promise of "40 acres and a mule" and its contemporary betrayal through the story of Nettie Handy Evans, whose family land on Sapelo Island is threatened. It delves into General Sherman's Special Order 15, its subsequent revocation, and the century-long struggle of African Americans to retain land. The narrative highlights the Gullah Geechee community's resilience against figures like R.J. Reynolds Jr. and modern development, culminating in Nettie's ongoing legal battle against scams and systemic injustices to protect her family's legacy.
This episode delves into the often-overlooked Combahee River Raid, a daring Civil War covert operation in 1863 led by Harriet Tubman and radical abolitionist Colonel James Montgomery. It highlights the agency of black people, including Pashed, who escaped slavery to fight for their freedom. The raid liberated over 700 enslaved individuals, burned plantations, and was a significant military success, yet it remains largely absent from mainstream history, prompting questions about how historical narratives are shaped.
We want to hear from you! Do you have a family story from the Civil War? A myth you've seen on social media you want busted? Let us know! Call 347-395-5078 and leave us a voicemail with your name, story, and the best way to reach you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
America is divided, and it always has been. We're going back to the moment when that split turned into war. This is Uncivil: Gimlet Media's new history podcast, hosted by journalists Jack Hitt and Chenjerai Kumanyika. We ransack the official version of the Civil War, and take on the history you grew up with. We bring you untold stories about covert operations, corruption, resistance, mutiny, counterfeiting, antebellum drones, and so much more. And we connect these forgotten struggles to the poli...
