Episodes

Join me this week as I sit down with Dr. Marion Orr to discuss his book House of Diggs: The Rise and Fall of America's Most Consequential Black Congressman, Charles C. Diggs Jr. Learn about how Congressman Diggs brought national attention to the murder trial of Emmett Till, fought against apartheid in South Africa, and pioneered Black political influence in establishing the Congressional Black Caucus.

Entering the White House as women's roles in the United States were rapidly evolving, Lucy Webb Hayes represented a potential bridge for many. Would she be a champion for suffrage and temperance? Would she use her position as First Lady to usher in a new era for the United States? Tune in to find out.

The Great Railroad Strike of 1877 stands as a pivotal moment in American labor history, illustrating the clash between workers' rights and corporate power. Sparked by wage cuts amid an economic depression, this strike transcended its origins, morphing into a widespread social revolution that echoed the frustrations of ordinary Americans across the nation. Tune in to learn all about the causes, lessons, and legacies of the Great Strike of 1877 and how it influenced future labor movements.

Join me this week as I sit down with Rachel Lee Perez to discuss her book The Real Jaws: The Attacks That Inspired the Movies. Learn how a series of deadly attacks along the New Jersey shore in the summer of 1916 inspired the 1975 summer blockbuster movie Jaws and permanently altered Americans relationship with sharks -- and how we can become better stewards of the ocean.

To hear more from Rachel, be sure to check her out over on her podcast Hashtag History or at her website.

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Join me this week as I wrap up my coverage of Rutherford B. Hayes. Learn how the president jumped from one domestic crisis to another: from demands to recall federal troops in the south to tackling the issue of civil service reform. How did Hayes deal with the anti-Chinese sentiment brewing out west? Or the debates over land distribution regarding Indigenous Americans? Tune in to find out. 

And don't forget to tune into the episode dedicated to the election of 1876 so you know just how Hayes entered the office. 

Want more from Civics & Coffee? Be sure to subscribe to the Substack! Links to both the episode and substack in the show notes below.

He came to office after a hotly contested election and served only a single term. How did Rutherford B. Hayes change the presidency and the United States? 

Tune into this episode where I lay the groundwork for understanding the twentieth president of the United States. Learn about Hayes' early days, his military service, and his pre-presidential political appointments.

The Gilded Age began as the United States marked the 100th anniversary of independence, entering an era of rapid industrial growth and profound social change. This introductory episode sets the stage for what you can expect in my coverage of the Gilded Age, exploring how new technologies, expanding railroads, and rising industrial power transformed everyday life.

Learn how as wealth accumulated at the top and economic inequality widened workers organized and demanded better and safer working conditions. I also touch on how political corruption flourished alongside unprecedented prosperity, sparking growing demands for reform. We have so much to cover together - get ready for one wild ride!

Was the American Revolution really just a colonial rebellion against Britain? According to historian Dr. Richard Bell, the answer is no.

In this episode, we discuss Bell’s book The American Revolution and the Fate of the World, which reframes the Revolution as a global, transnational conflict with consequences stretching far beyond North America—from Spain and the Caribbean to Indigenous nations and British India.

Bell challenges familiar myths about the Revolution, including the simplistic po...

Join me as I sit down with Dr. Nicole Nehrig to discuss her book With Her Own Hands: Women Weaving Their Stories which explores the historical and psychological significance of textiles and knitting. She emphasizes the critical role of textiles in human survival, community building among women, and the economic participation of women throughout history. Our conversation also touches on the connections between textile work and witchcraft accusations, the impact of influential figures like Elizabe...

Join me as I sit down with historian Ronald Angelo Johnson to explore his groundbreaking book Entangled Alliances: Black Internationalism in the Early American Republic. Johnson reveals how free Black communities, Caribbean revolutionaries, and geopolitical alliances shaped the rise of U.S. diplomacy during the nation’s formative decades.

From the Haitian Revolution to the complex relationship between African American activists and U.S. officials, Johnson explains why early American history can...

Join me as I welcome historian and bestselling author Dr. Elizabeth Cobbs about her book Fearless Women and her powerful concept of patriotic feminism. Dr. Cobbs explains how generations of American women have pushed the nation to live up to its founding ideals, often pairing a deep love of country with a bold willingness to demand change.

Our conversation explores the women who shaped U.S. history—famous and forgotten—and the surprising ways their activism, labor, and leadership moved the coun...

The presidential election of 1876 stands as one of the most contested and consequential turning points in American history. In this episode, I explore the dramatic showdown between Republican Rutherford B. Hayes and Democrat Samuel Tilden, unfolding at a moment when the country was still grappling with the legacy of Reconstruction.

Join me as I highlight how a political crisis emerged when disputed returns from the South threw the nation into chaos without a constitutional remedy. What followed was an unprecedented political standoff: the creation of a federal election commission, intense negotiations between Hayes supporters and southern Democrats, and the controversial deal that ended Reconstruction in exchange for securing the presidency.

This episode unpacks the maneuvering, the stakes, and the lasting consequences of the 1876 election—all while setting the stage for the next era in the podcast timeline: the rise of the Gilded Age.

Your favorite history podcasters are back again! Join myself, Kenny from Abridged Presidential Histories, Howard from Plodding Through the Presidencies, and Jerry from The Presidencies of the United States as we chat about the upcoming 250th anniversary of the American Revolution, our dream historical projects, and our affinity for dueling.

Happy Holidays!

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What really happened at the Battle of Little Bighorn and how did a single momentous victory seal the fate of the Plains tribes?

Join me this week as I dive into the events that led to Custer’s defeat, the broken treaties and gold rush that fueled the conflict, and how the Lakota, Northern Cheyenne, and Arapaho achieved one of the most decisive Native victories in U.S. history. I also explore how the aftermath reshaped federal policy, public opinion, and the future of the Great Plains.

In this episode, I sit down with Jonathan Mahler, author of The Gods of New York, to explore the four years that transformed America’s greatest city—and foretold the divisions that would come to define the nation.

From Wall Street’s boom to the crack epidemic, from Howard Beach to the Central Park jogger case, from ACT UP to Spike Lee, the New York of 1986–1989 was a city teeming with conflict, creativity, and change. Mahler paints a vivid portrait of a metropolis at war with itself: between gr...

Passed in 1798 as part of the notorious Alien and Sedition Acts, the Alien Enemies Act has outlived its controversial siblings — and it’s still on the books today. In this episode, I trace its origins in the fear and politics of the early republic, how presidents from Madison to FDR have invoked it in times of war, and what it means that this 18th-century law remains active in the 21st century.


From the tension between liberty and security to the ways old laws shape modern policy, this is the story of how a relic of the Federalist Era continues to echo through American history.

In this episode, I look back on the Reconstruction era — a period that represented both a second founding of the United States and one of its greatest unfinished revolutions. Over the past year, I explored the political battles, social transformations, and cultural reckonings that defined Reconstruction. Now, I reflect on what that history means and how it set the stage for the Gilded Age that followed.

Join me as I sit down with author Matthew Davis to discuss his new book, A Biography of a Mountain, an in-depth look at the creation, meaning, and legacy of Mount Rushmore. Davis explores how the monument came to symbolize both American pride and historical injustice, tracing its evolution from a tourist attraction to a contested landmark at the heart of U.S. public history.

Learn more about Matthew at his website: www.matthewdaviswriter.com
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The Insurrection Act has stood at the crossroads of law, power, and public order for over two centuries. This episode traces its roots from the Militia Acts of 1792 and 1795 to its modern interpretations in moments of national crisis. Discover how this rarely invoked law has shaped presidential authority, balanced federal and state power, and influenced some of the most turbulent chapters in American history. A civics deep dive into how one statute continues to test the boundaries of democracy and governance.

She was a child clairvoyant, the first woman to own a Wall Street brokerage firm—and in 1872, she became the first woman to run for president of the United States. Join me as I sit down with author Eden Collinsworth to unpack the astonishing, unconventional, and often-overlooked life of Victoria Woodhull. Drawing from her new book The Improbable Victoria Woodhull, Collinsworth shares insights into Woodhull’s rise from spiritualist and outsider to a figure who challenged nearly every social and political norm of her time.

What kind of epidemic could turn a thriving American city into a ghost town almost overnight?

Join me as I explore the chilling story of the 1878 yellow fever epidemic—a public health disaster that decimated Memphis and echoed far beyond the Mississippi River Valley. While yellow fever had haunted the U.S. since the slave trade, it was the post–Civil War era—with its railroads, riverboats, and lack of national infrastructure—that turned an outbreak into a catastrophe. The fever emptied cities, bankrupted local governments, and revealed just how unprepared the nation was. But in the aftermath came something surprising: a rare moment of national unity and the first federal steps toward epidemic response. This is a haunting chapter of U.S. history, where disease reshaped the map, the economy, and the legacy of Reconstruction.

What if America’s first serial killer wasn’t H.H. Holmes—but someone far more brutal and completely forgotten?

In this episode, I unravel the chilling mystery of the Servant Girl Annihilator, a violent and elusive murderer who stalked Austin, Texas from 1884 to 1885—years before Holmes ever claimed a victim. Eight people were slaughtered in their homes, yet this case remains buried beneath history’s more famous headlines. Who was this killer? Why were the crimes so quickly forgotten? And could this American predator have crossed the Atlantic to become the infamous Jack the Ripper?

Step into the shadows of Reconstruction-era Texas, where fear gripped a city, justice was elusive, and a killer vanished into legend.

What can one church in Washington, D.C. reveal about American religious life, social justice, and the power of oral history? In this episode, I talk with public historian Shae Corey, the creator and producer of the podcast Holy Local, which grew out of an in-depth oral history project focused on the Church of the Saviour.

Shae shares what it takes to build a public history project from the ground up, the unexpected challenges of capturing living memory, and why stories of faith—especially local, community-based ones—matter deeply in understanding our present moment.

In 1877, the body of a woman was found near a twisted oak tree in Jefferson, Texas—dressed in fine clothes, shot in the head, and missing a diamond ring. Her name was Bessie Moore, better known as Diamond Bessie. What followed was one of the most sensational murder trials in Texas history.

Join me as I dive into the tangled story behind her death and the man accused of killing her—Abraham Rothschild, a wealthy Cincinnati heir with powerful family connections.