“May God Almighty forgive her murderers as I know she forgave them. I never can.” This is the story of a democratizing America. John Quincy Adams barely has his presidency off the ground and Andrew Jackson’s “common man” crew is already starting his presidential campaign. This election gets ugly fast as each side tells lies so vicious it’s possible they cause or contribute to Rachel Jackson’s death! After Andrew’s rambunctious inauguration, the now widower president stands up for the honor of Mr...
Nov 26, 2018•1 hr 5 min•Transcript available on Metacast "There were no Canadians hurt in the making of this last volume." This is not a story. This is our second epilogue! Greg, Josh, and Cielle hash about the great birthing pains of launching the new podcast, "Office Hours," the HTDS podcast in general, and what they consider to be the big takeaways from volume II (episodes 16-27). Enjoy! ____ Connect with us on HTDSpodcast.com and go deep into episode bibliographies and book recommendations join discussions in our Facebook community get news and di...
Nov 11, 2018•1 hr 11 min•Transcript available on Metacast “Thomas Jefferson survives.” This is the story of reconciliation--and death. With peace abroad and the collapse of the Federalist Party, the United States seems to be out of crisis mode. Reconciled even. President James Madison’s got so much consensus, one newspaper’s calling this the “era of good feelings.” But there are still important developments and conflicts. The Supreme Court’s setting new precedents. 1819 marks the start of a serious “panic” (recession). And when James finishes his secon...
Oct 29, 2018•1 hr 5 min•Transcript available on Metacast “I could have walked on the dead bodies of the British for one-quarter of a mile without stepping on the ground.” This is the story of peace and war; of self-destruction and political birth. American and British negotiators are hashing out a peace treaty in Ghent, Belgium. The War of 1812 is over! But funny things can happen when word of the treaty’s signing hasn’t made it back to the US. Some out-of-power Federalists are going to make a few ill-timed demands in Washington, D.C., inadvertently k...
Oct 15, 2018•1 hr•Transcript available on Metacast “Does that star-spangled banner yet wave?” This is the story of the worst of the War of 1812 for America--the year 1814. As the threat of Napoleon’s crumbling empire subsides, the British military has more ships and thousands of men available to fight against the United States. This means Canada’s getting reinforced and the British blockade on America’s east coast is extending. But the worst of it is in the Chesapeake Bay. Washington DC is burning! As the White House goes up in flames, we’ll hea...
Oct 01, 2018•1 hr 6 min•Transcript available on Metacast “Don’t give up the ship!” This is the story of the first two years of the War of 1812, and it seems quite backward. Despite expectations, the Americans are trying and failing (miserably) to invade Canada. The only thing more confusing is that the US Navy is holding its own against the British on the high seas ... well, at first, that is. Several major events happen in these two years: Indian coalition leader Tecumseh makes his last stand; the USS Constitution earns an enduring nickname; and the ...
Sep 17, 2018•1 hr 4 min•Transcript available on Metacast “We’ll root out the damn’d tories. We’ll drink their blood. We’ll eat their hearts!” This is the story of the path to war--the War of 1812. The United States is stuck between a rock and a hard place: Britain and Napoleonic France. The two empires are seizing American ships amid a large-scale throwdown. Britain’s going one step further; it’s impressing thousands and thousands of American sailors into His Majesty’s Royal Navy. Meanwhile, two Shawnee brothers, Tecumseh and The Prophet, are forming ...
Sep 02, 2018•57 min•Transcript available on Metacast "Adieu best of wives and best of Women. Embrace all my darling Children for me." This is the story of the most influential duel in American History: Vice President Burr versus General Hamilton. Aaron is down on his luck. He's an outgoing, lame-duck Vice President who's just lost the New York gubernatorial election... and word is Alex's been talking smack. Alex is down on his luck. He's an out-of-the-game General who's hoping to get back in ... and Aaron's calling him out. Aaron's itchin' for a f...
Aug 19, 2018•1 hr 2 min•Transcript available on Metacast “Damn sugar, damn coffee, damn colonies!” This is the story of Thomas Jefferson building an “empire of liberty.” As the new US President, Tommy’s lowering taxes while cutting the deficit, trimming the government, fighting off Federalist judges, and an increasingly Republican America is loving it. Oh, the Sage of Monticello is also fighting off pirates; brilliantly purchasing the Louisiana Territory from a very serious potential enemy (Napoleon Bonaparte); as well as sending William Clark and Mer...
Aug 06, 2018•1 hr•Transcript available on Metacast “I have nothing more to offer than what General Washington would have had to offer, had he been taken by the British and put to trial by them. I have adventured my life in endeavoring to obtain the liberty of my countrymen, and am a willing sacrifice in their cause.” This is the story of Gabriel’s fight for freedom. An intelligent, literate, and enslaved blacksmith, Gabriel is raising a slave army to seize Virginia’s capital of Richmond and set up a new society where all people, regardless of th...
Jul 23, 2018•1 hr 4 min•Transcript available on Metacast “He invited me to see the loom operate. I well recollect the state of admiration and satisfaction with which we sat by the hour, watching the beautiful movement of this new and wonderful machine.” This is the story of audacity. A young Samuel Slater risks it all by immigrating to America in order to open his own industrial textile factory. This isn’t just a risky entrepreneurial move; it’s illegal. His industrial know-how is about to give America a huge leg up, and Britain will consider him a tr...
Jul 09, 2018•56 min•Transcript available on Metacast “The intercourse with Mrs. Reynolds, in the meantime, continued.” This is the story of seduction and failing relationships. New England’s favorite curmudgeon, John Adams, is now leading America as its second president, and the French Revolution is making life no easier for him than it did for George. The new French government’s agents, “X,” Y,” and “Z,” are trying to extort bribes and it’s ripping the Franco-American friendship apart--it seems France is losing its charm. But back at home, Alexan...
Jun 25, 2018•1 hr•Transcript available on Metacast “The American Revolution is really different from most revolutions around the world. Sometimes Americans get a false sense of how revolutions work because we look at ours and think, ‘Oh right, revolutions! That’s where things get more awesome!’ No.” This is the story … of our stories (I know, super “meta,” right?). In Historians (of the) Roundtable, Greg chats it up with the HTDS Team (Josh and Cielle) “roundtable” style as they analyze the last two episodes … or otherwise tangent on awesome his...
Jun 07, 2018•58 min•Transcript available on Metacast “I die hard, but I am not afraid to go.” This is the story of death and (another) revolution. The French Revolution means the end for King Louis XVI’s life. As his royal blood stains a Parisian square, the fallout of revolution in France is hitting George Washington hard; France is going to war against Britain! America is in no condition for war, but should George stand by his French allies? And with its regime change, is France still an ally? Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson couldn’t dis...
May 28, 2018•1 hr 3 min•Transcript available on Metacast “I always knew Colonel Hamilton to be a man of superior talents, but never supposed that he had any knowledge of finance.” This is the story of conflict. Infighting. Intrigue. Dissension. This is the story of George Washington’s first term as President of the United States. The new government is making important strides: it’s creating the Bill of Rights and new departments: War, State, and Finance. But Alexander Hamilton’s ambitious plan for the American economy is completely contradictory to Th...
May 08, 2018•58 min•Transcript available on Metacast “Oh, what, you want it in a single sentence? Fine, here you go.” The epilogue to the Revolution. After enjoying the stories of Revolutionary America (1763-1789), it’s time to make sure you didn’t lose the big picture before we dive into the Early Republic. So today, we’ll cover: (1) the main causes of the Revolution; (2) the highlights of the war; (3) the bare essentials of the peace process and making the US Constitution; and (4) who won and who lost (beyond the obvious). College students who b...
Apr 25, 2018•57 min•Transcript available on Metacast "I'd say you know more than 90 percent of the American population about the American Revolution at this point." This is the story... of your questions! Rather than telling you a story this week, Greg sits down with the rest of the History That Doesn't Suck team (Joshua Beatty and Cielle Salazar) and talks through questions submitted by you, the listeners! ____ Connect with us on HTDSpodcast.com and go deep into episode bibliographies and book recommendations join discussions in our Facebook comm...
Apr 12, 2018•51 min•Transcript available on Metacast “What even is the Virginia Plan but democracy checked by democracy, or pork with a little change of the sauce?” This is the story of 55 men from 12 of the 13 sovereign states gathered at the Pennsylvania State House during the miserably hot Philadelphian summer of 1787. They are here to discuss the failing Articles of Confederation. Foreign debts are past due. Rebellions are rising. The states are fighting. Can they fix all of this? Or will the disagreeing, arguing, threatening, theorizing, brai...
Mar 26, 2018•1 hr•Transcript available on Metacast “I have not only grown gray but almost blind in service to my country.” This is the story (or tale) of two cities. In Paris, Ben Franklin, John Adams, John Jay and (briefly) Henry Laurens negotiate the terms of American independence. They’ll outmaneuver the greatest powers on earth and defy Congress as they negotiate the greatest achievement in American diplomatic history. Meanwhile, officers in the Continental Army are done with Congress’s broken promises. They’re even considering violence … co...
Mar 14, 2018•1 hr 1 min•Transcript available on Metacast “The British officers in general behaved like boys who had been whipped at school.” This is the story of the beginning of the Revolution’s end. Lord Cornwallis swears the British need to take the fight to Virginia. He’s got Thomas Jefferson and Lafayette on the run. But at the same time, French General Rochambeau and Admiral de Grasse are ready to give George Washington some serious support ... enough support that the Americans just might turn the world upside down. ____ Connect with us on HTD...
Feb 28, 2018•1 hr 4 min•Transcript available on Metacast “Arnold has betrayed us! Whom can we trust now?” This isn’t a story of betrayal; this is the story of betrayal. After half a decade of giving his all for the Patriot cause, Benedict Arnold becomes America’s Judas Iscariot. He betrays his brothers-in-arms for a commission in the British army and cold hard cash (even more than 30 pieces of silver). Meanwhile, Lord Cornwallis has Georgia and South Carolina well in hand. Now his sights are set on North Carolina and maybe even Virginia! Can anyone st...
Feb 13, 2018•1 hr 3 min•Transcript available on Metacast While discussed in passing in a few epilogues, the Prof. sits down with Kelsi to go deep on “second edition” or “remaster” episodes of HTDS. The conversation includes Greg’s guiding views and philosophy in making HTDS, a bit of HTDS history (how meta is that?), all the technical aspects behind second editions, as well as discussions about the new scenes often added. Oh, and of course, directions on where to find the much beloved old-school originals, which will always be available. It’s a real p...
Jan 31, 2018•48 min•Transcript available on Metacast “I reject your proposals … and shall defend myself to the last extremity.” This is the story of the Revolution's new hot spot: the South. Down here, British leaders hope to score some quick victories with the help of enslaved Americans and Loyalists. This new "Southern Strategy" enjoys a strong start. It will cause the greatest losses of the whole war for the Americans. But other important events are happening all over the globe in 1779, too. The Continental dollar's inflation is getting out of ...
Jan 31, 2018•1 hr•Transcript available on Metacast “Stand fast, my boys, and receive your enemy!” This is the story of a miserable winter and the summer of 1778. It's full of conniving, vengeance, honor, and starvation. George's political enemies learn the hard way not to mess with him. We'll have two duels in this episode alone. Most of this goes down during a grim winter at Valley Forge, where one fourth of the Continental Army will die from exposure and starvation. But it's not all bad news in this deadly winter's camp; von Steuben's teaching...
Jan 19, 2018•58 min•Transcript available on Metacast “If old England is not by this lesson taught humility, then she is an obstinate old slut, bent upon her ruin.” This is the story of 1777. Playboy and playwright "Gentleman Johnny" is leading a Canadian-based invasion of upstate New York (seriously, why are those Canadians so militaristic?). It's a tale of egos. From Gentleman Johnny to the American side, a lot of dudes are looking out for "number one." The outcome of Gentleman Johnny's invasion helps Ben Franklin score a full-on military allianc...
Jan 02, 2018•1 hr 2 min•Transcript available on Metacast "These are the times that try men's souls." This is the story of the Battle of Trenton. George crosses another ice-filled river, this time on Christmas Day. Plenty will go wrong, but at the end of it... he's about to get off the naughty list. ____ Connect with us on HTDSpodcast.com and go deep into episode bibliographies and book recommendations join discussions in our Facebook community get news and discounts from The HTDS Gazette come see a live show get HTDS merch or become an HTDS premium me...
Dec 23, 2017•34 min•Transcript available on Metacast “I wish there was a war.” This is the story of independence and crushed hope. Congress is finally declaring independence and it’s not a straight-forward process. We’ll listen to different delegates argue passionately for and against it. Then we follow the war to New York where we’ll meet Alexander Hamilton and get the backstory of his rough childhood in the Caribbean and how he ended up in the Big Apple. After hanging out with Alex, we’ll hook up with George Washington who’s just come to New Yor...
Dec 17, 2017•1 hr 3 min•Transcript available on Metacast “Remember it is the fifth of March, and avenge the death of your brethren!” This is the story of the expiration of hope for reconciliation between the American colonies and the "Mother Country." Bunker Hill's a blood bath. Congress sends King George III their "Olive Branch Petition;" it's D.O.A. Things only devolve further as Thomas Paine rips the King a new one in his #colonialviral pamphlet, Common Sense. Meanwhile, Captain Aaron Burr witnesses the death of General Montgomery in Quebec and Hen...
Dec 04, 2017•1 hr 2 min•Transcript available on Metacast “Fire, for God’s sake, fire!” This is the story of the first battle of the American Revolution on April 19, 1775. We're in Lexington and Concord, Massachusetts. Between Lexington's Green, Concord's North Bridge, and Colonel Smith's troops returning to Boston, 49 Americans and 73 Redcoats die. The battle and ongoing friction will also cause the Second Continental Congress to create an army. But who can lead it? Welcome back to the story, George Washington. ____ Connect with us on HTDSpodcast.co...
Nov 18, 2017•59 min•Transcript available on Metacast "Lay down your arms, you damned rebels, or you are all dead men." This is the story of the First Continental Congress and the build-up to the Battle of Lexington and Concord. Delegates from 12 of the 13 colonies air their grievances against Parliament, and it doesn't go well. Paul Revere goes for a ride. Rather than making it to Concord, he gets to listen to soldiers threaten to "blow his brains out." The next morning, shots are fired at Lexington. War is here. British America will never be th...
Nov 01, 2017•1 hr 5 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
