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: Chief Hollow Horn Bear depicted as the “American Indian” on a 14-cent stamp, 1922. , Credit: U.S. Postal Service.
Historian Christian McMillan discusses a legal case between the Hualapai tribe and the Santa Fe Pacific Railroad, which makes it all the way to the...

Bought by PRX Remix


  • Added: Dec 01, 2014
  • Length: 09:53
  • Purchases: 1
Caption: Chief Hollow Horn Bear depicted as the “American Indian” on a 14-cent stamp, 1922. , Credit: U
Historian David Wallace Adams tells the story of the Carlisle Indian Industrial School football team, who were successful on the field - but not al...

Bought by WXDU, New Hampshire Public Radio, WABE, and PRX Remix


  • Added: Dec 01, 2014
  • Length: 07:52
  • Purchases: 4
Caption: Chief Hollow Horn Bear depicted as the “American Indian” on a 14-cent stamp, 1922. , Credit: U.S. Postal Service.
Producer Kelly Jones and scholar Barbara Meek talk through Hollywood Indian English - a grammatical stereotype that often endures in today's media ...

Bought by Troy Public Radio and PRX Remix


  • Added: Dec 01, 2014
  • Length: 07:11
  • Purchases: 2
Caption: John Adams presented to King George III, in 1785, as first American ambassador to the English court. Wood engraving, 19th century., Credit: The Granger Collection, New York.
Historian Rebecca Brannon tells the story of brutal fighting between Loyalists and Patriots in South Carolina during the Revolutionary War, and the...

Bought by PRX Remix


  • Added: Nov 11, 2014
  • Length: 09:45
  • Purchases: 1
Caption: John Adams presented to King George III, in 1785, as first American ambassador to the English court. Wood engraving, 19th century., Credit: The Granger Collection, New York.
From BackStory's episode on the history of reconciliation in America. BackStory producer Andrew Parsons has the story of a peace summit between gan...

Bought by WABE and PRX Remix


  • Added: Nov 11, 2014
  • Length: 09:16
  • Purchases: 2
Caption: John Adams presented to King George III, in 1785, as first American ambassador to the English court. Wood engraving, 19th century., Credit: The Granger Collection, New York.
From BackStory's episode on reconciliation in American history. Brian Balogh speaks with Shigeko Sasamori, a survivor of the Hiroshima bombing, and...

Bought by KUAF Public Radio, KPIK-LP, and PRX Remix


  • Added: Nov 11, 2014
  • Length: 09:31
  • Purchases: 3
Caption: John Adams presented to King George III, in 1785, as first American ambassador to the English court. Wood engraving, 19th century., Credit: The Granger Collection, New York.
From BackStory's episode on reconciliation in American history. Anthropologist Orin Starn tells us about the the battle between the Smithsonian and...

Bought by Radio Newark


  • Added: Nov 11, 2014
  • Length: 10:14
  • Purchases: 1
Piece image
Producer Eric Mennel tells the story of a 24-second experiment that saved one of America’s most beloved sports. This story is part of the BackStory...

Bought by WABE


  • Added: Oct 31, 2014
  • Length: 07:00
  • Purchases: 1
Piece image
Contributor Meg Cramer tells the story of the first electrically lit town in America — Wabash, Indiana. This story is part of BackStory episode "On...

Bought by New Hampshire Public Radio and WABE


  • Added: Oct 31, 2014
  • Length: 06:21
  • Purchases: 2
Caption: Classroom in the Islamic School in Seattle, Washington, 1982., Credit: Library of Congress
Scholar Su’ad Abdul Khabeer tells BackStory producer Kelly Jones about Islam’s impact on hip-hop – and how hip-hop opened doors between different M...

Bought by KBCS 91.3 FM Community Radio, New Hampshire Public Radio, WABE, and PRX Remix


  • Added: Oct 31, 2014
  • Length: 08:35
  • Purchases: 4