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The AskHistorians Podcast

The AskHistorians Mod Team

The AskHistorians Podcast showcases the knowledge and enthusiasm of the AskHistorians community, a forum of nearly 1.4 million history academics, professionals, amateurs, and curious onlookers. The aim is to be a resource accessible to a wide range of listeners for historical topics which so often go overlooked. Together, we have a broad array of people capable of speaking in-depth on topics that get half a page on Wikipedia, a paragraph in a high-school textbook, and not even a minute on the History channel. The podcast aims to give a voice (literally!) to those areas of history, while not neglecting the more commonly covered topics. Part of the drive behind the podcast is to be a counterpoint to other forms of popular media on history which only seem to cover the same couple of topics in the same couple of ways over and over again.

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  • 20 episodes
  • Avg 54 min
  • English

Episodes 20

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  • June 12 · 58 min

    AskHistorian Podcast Episode 251: American Medieval

    Prof. Matthew Gabriele hosts the American Medieval podcast. /u/Steelcan909 talks to him about his work as a podcaster, the importance of the Medieval world to contemporary America, pop culture, and more! 58min.

  • April 30 · 43 min

    AskHistorians Podcast Episode 250: Emily Winderman and the rhetoric of back alley abortion

    This week, u/EdHistory101 talks with Emily Winderman about her book, Back-Alley Abortion: A Rhetorical History. The conversation covers specifics around rhetoric and rhetorical histories including the role of the canon, working in the archives while pregnant, how discussion of abortion has shifted over time, and how abortion is not unique when it comes to American rhetoric but does hold a particular position in discourse because it's not just about abortion, how white and Black women have talked to each other and about abortion and the phrase "we won't go back." Texts she mentions include Reading Rhetorical Theory: Speech, Representation, and Power by Atilla Hallsby, Sign of Pathology: U.S. Medical Rhetoric on Abortion, 1800s–1960s by Nate Stormer, the We Testify Project, Sherie M. Randolph's biography of Florynce "Flo" Kennedy, Tamika L. Carey's work on "impatient rhetoric", Patricia Collins and others on how women are talked about in anti-abortion efforts, and Linda Kerber's The Republican Mother: Women and the Enlightenment--An American Perspective. (43 minutes)

  • January 9 · 1 hr 16 min

    AskHistorians Podcast Episode 248: Truman and The Bomb with Alex Wellerstein

    u/Steelcan909 and u/restricteddata, better known as Alex Wellerstein, discuss the relationship of President Harry Truman and the atomic bombs. Dr. Wellerstein charts Truman's first encounters with nuclear technology, through the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and finally up to the Korean War. Was Truman as anti-nuclear as is often portrayed? Was MacArthur as gung-ho for the bomb? Find out! 76min.

  • #246
    Nov 13, 2025 · 51 min

    AskHistorians Podcast Episode 246: The Nursing Clio Collective

    This week, u/EdHistory101 talks with members of the Nursing Clio Collective and editors of the book, The Nursing Clio Reader: Histories of Sex, Reproduction, and Justice. (Use code RUP30 at checkout for 30%). The conversation covers the history of the Nursing Cliocollective, the dynamics of such a project as members moved in and out of academia, and how the book came together. They also talk about what makes for a great history essay and what connects with readers, the concept of "bias" and historical empathy, and how historians work. During the conversation, the work of historians such as Judith Leavitt], Susan Reverby, and Janet Golden were mentioned. They're open to pitches from anyone who has an opinion and expertise! (52 minutes)

  • Oct 16, 2025 · 47 min

    AskHistorians Podcast Episode 245: Heiresses with Dr. Miranda Kaufmann

    This week, Dr. Miranda Kaufmann chats with Mimicofmodes about British heiresses of Caribbean fortunes, and the enslaved people that underwent untold suffering to support their lifestyles. (47 min.) Find Dr. Kaufmann on BlueSky as @drmirandakaufmann or on her website. Heiresses: Marriage, Inheritance, and Slavery in the Caribbean Discussion post on AskHistorians

  • Oct 2, 2025 · 57 min

    AskHistorians Podcast Episode 244: The Ancient Americas

    Hello and welcome back! On this episode, Steelcan909 and the host of the Ancient Americas YouTube Channel discuss the challenges of doing history on poorly recorded times in history, the influence of modern media on perceptions of the time period, and the challenges of doing broad Pre-Columbian History. 57min.

  • Sep 4, 2025 · 1 hr 8 min

    AskHistorians Podcast Episode 243 Doing Hellenistic History, with the Hellenistic Age Podcast

    Hello and welcome back! On this episode, Steelcan909 and the host of the Hellenistic Age Podcast discuss the challenges of doing history on poorly recorded times in history, the influence of Hollywood on perceptions of the time period, and what historical records we wish were still around. 67min. Please check out the Hellenistic Age Podcast wherever you get your podcasts!

  • Jul 16, 2025 · 51 min

    AskHistorians Podcast Episode 240: Translating the Crusades with Dr. James Curry

    Hello all! Welcome to another episode between Steelcan909 and Dr. James Curry who joins us once again to talk about his recent work on a translation of crusading narratives. In this episode we discuss the First Crusade, the various narrative accounts that are made afterwards, and the surprisingly long legs that many of these accounts developed. 51min.

  • Jun 6, 2025 · 38 min

    AskHistorians Podcast Episode 240: Personhood with Mary Zeigler

    This week, u/EdHistory101 talks with Mary Ziegler about her book, [Personhood: The New Civil War over Reproduction](https://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300273045/personhood/). The conversation covers Ziegler's role as the first historian looking at the intersection of law and abortion, some of the history of personhood, what it's like to do an AMA from the other side of the keyboard and more! (38 minutes) Be sure to visit the subreddit thread if you have any questions for Dr. Ziegler.

  • May 2, 2025 · 48 min

    AskHistorians Podcast Episode 238: The Rum Rebellion with HaloFreak1171

    This time we have a flaired user, u/HaloFreak1171, talking about Australian History with u/Steelcan909. This is part one of a two part conversation, about the start of Australian colonization, the later career of one Willliam Bligh, and the outbreak of a military coup in Sydney! 48min. Be sure to check out their podcast, A History of Australia, here!

  • Apr 10, 2025 · 40 min

    AskHistorians Podcast Episode 237: Judy Hart, founder of the Women's Rights National Historical Park in Seneca Falls, NY

    A slightly different episode this week! u/EdHistory101 talks with Judy Hart about her book, A National Park for Women's Rights: The Campaign That Made It Happen. Judy not only made history as the lead advocate for the park, she helped ensure women's history would be immortalized. The conversation covers the shift from thinking about National Parks as being about places to a way to memorialize stories, the role of women in the creation of the park and other national parks, and the role of "winsome smiles" for park rangers. You can see the maps that Judy praises here. 40 minutes.

  • Mar 6, 2025 · 49 min

    AskHistorians Podcast Episode 234: /u/warneagle on Soviet Prisoners in WW2

    Steelcan909 and warneagle discuss the unique nature of Soviet prisoners of war during the Second World War. The differences between Soviet and Western prisoners, soviet political commissars, and the intersection of the Soviet experience of the war with the Holocaust are discussed. 49min

Showing 1–20 of 20 episodes