BackStory with the American History Guys

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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

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

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188 Pieces

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

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1 Piece

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

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42 Pieces

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

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


Pieces

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Host Peter Onuf talks with historian Katherina Vester about the rise of dieting in the 19th century and about how it was preferable for men to be s...

Bought by Radio Newark and KFAI Minneapolis


  • Added: Jul 29, 2013
  • Length: 10:05
  • Purchases: 2
Caption: Strongman Eugene Sandow, 1893, Credit: Library of Congress
It’s summer, the beach is calling, and so is the dreaded swimsuit! Americans are constantly bombarded by images of physical perfection, especially ...

Bought by WUFT, KSRQ, KBRP Community Radio, and Troy Public Radio


  • Added: Jul 26, 2013
  • Length: 54:00
  • Purchases: 4
Caption: Strongman Eugene Sandow, 1893
30-second promo for "Beach Bodies: A History of the American Physique" 5-second music bed at end for station-specific time/date tag.

Bought by WUFT


  • Added: Jul 23, 2013
  • Length: :30
  • Purchases: 1
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Host Brian Balogh talks with historian Beverly Gage about the breakthrough technological innovation J. Edgar Hoover brought to his work at the FBI:...

Bought by Radio Newark, KFAI Minneapolis, and PRX Remix


  • Added: Jul 22, 2013
  • Length: 07:35
  • Purchases: 3
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Private investigator Ron Brown walks hosts Brian Balogh and Ed Ayers through the process of tracking people down, how technology has dramatically r...

Bought by Radio Newark, Louisville Public Media, PRX Remix, and KFAI Minneapolis


  • Added: Jul 22, 2013
  • Length: 06:48
  • Purchases: 4
Caption: An enumerator interviews a woman for the 1940 census, Credit: National Archives
In June, Americans learned that the NSA has been collecting data on millions of American’s phone calls, and tapping into data gathered by tech comp...

Bought by KSVR Studios: Skagit Valley Radio, WUFT, KBRP Community Radio, KREV-LP, WRPI and more


  • Added: Jul 19, 2013
  • Length: 54:00
  • Purchases: 8
Caption: An enumerator interviews a woman for the 1940 census. , Credit: National Archives
Earlier this month, Americans learned that the NSA has been collecting data on millions of Americans’ phone calls, and tapping into data gathered b...

Bought by WUFT


  • Added: Jul 17, 2013
  • Length: 01:00
  • Purchases: 1
Caption: Detail from Collier’s magazine cover, May 28th, 1954, Credit: Smithsonian Institution
100 years ago this week, the thermometer in Death Valley, California, hit the highest temperature ever recorded anywhere in the world: 134°F. This ...

Bought by WUFT, KSVR Studios: Skagit Valley Radio, WRIR, Louisville Public Media, WTJU and more


  • Added: Jul 12, 2013
  • Length: 54:00
  • Purchases: 6
Caption: Weather Made to Order?, Credit: Weather Made to Order? Colliers Magazine Cover 1954
30-second promo for "Weathering the Storm: A History of Extreme Weather" with 5 second hole for station-specific time/date tag.

Bought by WUFT


  • Added: Jul 10, 2013
  • Length: :30
  • Purchases: 1
Caption: Photograph c1870, by Henry Pontier
America is a pet-owning nation. Over 60% of households, in fact, possess some sort of furry or feathered friend, and we spend over $50 billion a ye...

Bought by WNED Buffalo, KTNA, WFAE, WXXI Rochester, Northeast Indiana Public Radio and more


  • Added: Jul 05, 2013
  • Length: 54:00
  • Purchases: 12