BackStory with the American History Guys

GroupAccount image

BackStory  is a weekly podcast that uses current events in America to take a deep dive into our past. Hosted by noted U.S. historians, Ed Ayers, Brian Balogh, Peter Onuf, Nathan Connolly and Joanne Freeman, each episode provides listeners with different perspectives on a particular theme or subject – giving you all sides to the story and then some.

Please confirm carriage of evergreen BackStory with the American History Guys episodes by contacting Diana Williams @(434)-924-6894 or dwilliams@virginia.edu.

Moving from current headlines to drill down into U.S. history, each surprising BackStory episode features lively interviews with a diverse roster of scholars, experts, and ordinary citizens from around the country; listener calls; host discussions; and produced pieces. Topics are as diverse as college sports, reenactments, sugar, memorials, domestic terrorism, birthing, homeownership, the post office, philanthropy, protests, privacy, marriage, revivalism, and childhood—all in the context of American history.

BackStory is produced by  Virginia Humanities. Major funding is provided by the National Endowment for the Humanities with additional corporate, foundation, institutional, and individual support.

Please visit our station landing page for upcoming episodes, promotional photos, and other information.

 


Series

Series image
0 Pieces

This series is for stations that want to subscribe to Backstory for WEEKLY deliveries using PRX's SubAuto system.

Series image
188 Pieces

A collection of the best stories and features from BackStory, meant for excerpt by programs or stations.

Series image
1 Piece

A collection of one-hour BackStory specials for use in station holiday programming.

Series image
42 Pieces

Promos for stations airing upcoming episodes of BackStory with the American History Guys.

Series image
0 Pieces

A special three-part series of hour-long episodes exploring the causes and consequences of the American Civil War.


Pieces

Caption: President John F. Kennedy greets the crowd in Dallas on November 22nd, 1963, shortly before his assassination., Credit: Library of Congress
30-second promo for BackStory episode, "Grassy Knolls: Conspiracy Thinking in American History," with 5-second music bed at end for station-specifi...

  • Added: Nov 20, 2013
  • Length: :30
Piece image
Gordon Stewart, former speechwriter to President Jimmy Carter, helps Brian Balogh tell the story of the “crisis of confidence” speech Carter delive...

Bought by WABE, XRAY.fm, Radio Newark, PRX Remix, and KFAI Minneapolis


  • Added: Nov 18, 2013
  • Length: 10:06
  • Purchases: 5
Piece image
Peter Onuf sits down with historian Carolyn Eastman, who explains the emphasis placed upon Native American speeches in the early Republic, and the ...

Bought by WOUB, Radio Newark, PRX Remix, and KFAI Minneapolis


  • Added: Nov 18, 2013
  • Length: 09:23
  • Purchases: 4
Piece image
Brian Balogh talks with historian Lisa Tetrault about the rise of women orators in the Lyceum movement of the late 19th Century.

Bought by WOUB, Radio Newark, PRX Remix, and KFAI Minneapolis


  • Added: Nov 18, 2013
  • Length: 10:03
  • Purchases: 4
Caption: Abraham Lincoln at Gettysburg, November 19th, 1863., Credit: Library of Congress
November 19th, 2013 marks the 150th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address. It’s one of the most iconic speeches in American history, ...

Bought by KSVR Studios: Skagit Valley Radio, KSVR Studios: Skagit Valley Radio, WMMT, and WRPI


  • Added: Nov 15, 2013
  • Length: 54:00
  • Purchases: 4
Caption: Abraham Lincoln at Gettysburg, November 19th, 1863. , Credit: Library of Congress
30-second promo for BackStory episode, "Talk of the Nation: Oratory in America," with 5-second music bed at end for station-specific time/date tag.

Bought by WUFT


  • Added: Nov 12, 2013
  • Length: :30
  • Purchases: 1
Piece image
Host Ed Ayers talks with psychotherapist Edward Tick about the history of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD.

Bought by KVNF and Radio Newark


  • Added: Nov 12, 2013
  • Length: 11:00
  • Purchases: 2
Piece image
Host Brian Balogh interviews historian Rebecca Plant about war veterans and “mom-ism.”

Bought by Radio Newark and PRX Remix


  • Added: Nov 12, 2013
  • Length: 07:24
  • Purchases: 2
Caption: Detail from 1919 Red Cross poster, “Facing the Future: Uncle Sam offers training to every man disabled in the service.”, Credit: Library of Congress
The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have created thousands of new combat veterans - but what is it like for those soldiers as they return home? How we...

Bought by WMMT, WHRV, WGCU, WLPR , KSVR Studios: Skagit Valley Radio and more


  • Added: Nov 08, 2013
  • Length: 54:00
  • Purchases: 7
Caption: Detail from 1919 Red Cross poster, “Facing the Future: Uncle Sam offers training to every man disabled in the service.”, Credit: Library of Congress
30-second promo for BackStory episode, "Coming Home: A History of War Veterans [rebroadcast]," with 5-second music bed at end for station-specific ...

Bought by WHRV, WUFT, and WLPR


  • Added: Nov 07, 2013
  • Length: :30
  • Purchases: 3