An Incomplete History

Brown v Board of Education, Roe v Wade, Loving v Virginia - Supreme Court decisions in the 20th century have affected the lives of Americans in a myriad of ways. There were repudiations of prior decisions and expansions of how Constitutional protections were understood. There were unanimous decisions and ones more fraught with dissension in the court. Join us for this episode as we touch on a few of the most important decisions.

Welcome to part two of our three-part series on the history of the U.S. Supreme Court. In this episode we discuss the Taney court (1836-1864) through the Fuller court (1888-1910). We break down two of the most landmark decisions of these courts with a discussion of Dred Scott vs. Sandford (1857) and Plessy vs. Ferguson (1896). Join us for a discussion of judicial overreach, precursors to Civil War, and the codification of racial segregation in the Jim Crow era.

The justices that sit on the US Supreme Court may be nine of the most powerful unelected officials in the world. Join us for the first of a multi-part deep dive into the story of the US Supreme. We'll cover that origins of the court as well as critical people and cases that fundamentally shaped the contemporary legal, political, economic, and social landscape of America. This week we discuss the origin of the court and the tenures of John Jay, the first Chief Justice, and John Marshall, arguably the most importandt Chief Justice in the history of the court.

Join us as we kick off An Incomplete History season 3 with a discussion of presentism. This week, we do a deep dive into the divisive debate happening within the field of history as the result of the American Historical Association’s president who wrote an opinion piece regarding our role as historians. The piece received extreme backlash leading to the AHA having to lock their Twitter account and many members canceling their memberships to the association. This week we talk about the concept of presentism, why the accusation was offensive to many historians, and what we could or should be doing to promote respectful debate and an open sharing of ideas in such a politically charged moment.

The current conflict in Ukraine has raised a lot of questions about Post-World War II Europe, the creation of strategic alliances in the second-half of the twentieth century, and the collpase of the Soviet Union in the 1990s and the effect it had on those relationships. At the center of many of these discussions sits NATO, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Join us for this episode as we discuss, in rather broad terms, the rise of NATO and its reimagining after 1989.

The current conflict in Ukraine has raised a lot of questions about Post-World War II Europe, the creation of strategic alliances in the second-half of the twentieth century, and the collpase of the Soviet Union in the 1990s and the effect it had on those relationships. At the center of many of these discussions sits NATO, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Join us for this episode as we discuss, in rather broad terms, the rise of NATO and its reimagining after 1989.

We continue our series on the history of the news and journalism in the United States with a look at the CNN Effect and the emergence of the 24-hour news cycle. How has it changed the way American's receive and respond to the news? Join us this week to find out.

We continue our series on the history of the news and journalism in the United States with a look at the CNN Effect and the emergence of the 24-hour news cycle. How has it changed the way American's receive and respond to the news? Join us this week to find out.

Politicians and journalists alike often claim Americans are more divided now than at any point in the nation's past. Pundits and commentators point to the stark divisions in the news media we voraciously consume. MSNBC and Fox present strikingly different views on almost every subject. But is this really something new? Join us as we take a dive into the tawdry and titillating history news and newspapers in America. From colonial broadsides criticizing the British crown to abolitionists tracks to scandalous tales of foreign intrigue and even domestic violence, the news from America's past seems strangely familiar in the 21st century.

Politicians and journalists alike often claim Americans are more divided now than at any point in the nation's past. Pundits and commentators point to the stark divisions in the news media we voraciously consume. MSNBC and Fox present strikingly different views on almost every subject. But is this really something new? Join us as we take a dive into the tawdry and titillating history news and newspapers in America. From colonial broadsides criticizing the British crown to abolitionists tracks to scandalous tales of foreign intrigue and even domestic violence, the news from America's past seems strangely familiar in the 21st century.

In this episode Hilary and Geoff discuss common misconceptions about medicine during the Civil War. They also talk about key advances that take place in medical professionalization, surgergy, the treatement of diseases, and even the expanding role of women.

In this episode Hilary and Geoff discuss common misconceptions about medicine during the Civil War. They also talk about key advances that take place in medical professionalization, surgergy, the treatement of diseases, and even the expanding role of women.

So, this week we start an extended series about the history of medicine. We start in Ancient Egypt and move around the Mediterranean finally ending up in Colonial America. Along the way we discuss the idea of bodily humors, the principal of extractive therapy, as well as the naissance of scientific approaches to medicine. We also discuss the critical and often unwilling role marginalized people played in the creation of medical knowledge.

So, this week we start an extended series about the history of medicine. We start in Ancient Egypt and move around the Mediterranean finally ending up in Colonial America. Along the way we discuss the idea of bodily humors, the principal of extractive therapy, as well as the naissance of scientific approaches to medicine. We also discuss the critical and often unwilling role marginalized people played in the creation of medical knowledge.

In this week's episode we look back on the events of September 11, 2001, and ask how we grapple with memory and recounting historical events. This is a unique episode because Geoff was there! he provides his own narrative of the day's events and readily admits his own recollections are incomplete.

In this week's episode we look back on the events of September 11, 2001, and ask how we grapple with memory and recounting historical events. This is a unique episode because Geoff was there! he provides his own narrative of the day's events and readily admits his own recollections are incomplete.

On June 28, 1969, what would normally have been a rather routine police bust of an unlicensed bar on New York City's west side, sparked a series a riots and protests that birthed the modern Gay Pride movement. Who was there, who started the riot, who did the police target and many other details surrounding the night of the 28th as well as the subsequent nights of rioting has been a point of contention within the LGBT community ever since. Join us this week as we discuss the origins of Pride Month and the complicated beginnings of the LGBT rights movement.

On June 28, 1969, what would normally have been a rather routine police bust of an unlicensed bar on New York City's west side, sparked a series a riots and protests that birthed the modern Gay Pride movement. Who was there, who started the riot, who did the police target and many other details surrounding the night of the 28th as well as the subsequent nights of rioting has been a point of contention within the LGBT community ever since. Join us this week as we discuss the origins of Pride Month and the complicated beginnings of the LGBT rights movement.

This week we delve into a topic we've been promising to cover for some time, the Second Great Awakening. This was the religious movement in the United States that spawned the Mormons and Adventists as well as the evangelical factions of more mainline churches. It truly was a time when American Christianity came into its own. As always, though, we'll complicate things a bit and talk about the First Great Awakening and other religious movements before the founding of the United States.

This week we delve into a topic we've been promising to cover for some time, the Second Great Awakening. This was the religious movement in the United States that spawned the Mormons and Adventists as well as the evangelical factions of more mainline churches. It truly was a time when American Christianity came into its own. As always, though, we'll complicate things a bit and talk about the First Great Awakening and other religious movements before the founding of the United States.

This week we wrap up a very brief introductory history of Mormonism in America. We continue the story from the previous episode with the church's reaction to the murder of Joseph Smith. We trace the rise of Brigham Young and the infamous Utah War. We end with the twentieth century church and its transition from fringe group to conservative religion.

This week we wrap up a very brief introductory history of Mormonism in America. We continue the story from the previous episode with the church's reaction to the murder of Joseph Smith. We trace the rise of Brigham Young and the infamous Utah War. We end with the twentieth century church and its transition from fringe group to conservative religion.

Join us for the first in a two-part series about a uniquely American religion, the Church of Jesus Christ Latter Day Saints, or Mormonism. In this episode we discuss the origins of the religion and the competing threads of official church history, non-official folklore, personal accounts, and governmental records and interactions to construct a more complete picture of how this religion developed.

Join us for the first in a two-part series about a uniquely American religion, the Church of Jesus Christ Latter Day Saints, or Mormonism. In this episode we discuss the origins of the religion and the competing threads of official church history, non-official folklore, personal accounts, and governmental records and interactions to construct a more complete picture of how this religion developed.

We continue our exploration of the history of cults in America this week with a discussion of two infamous groups from the 1990s: The Branch Davidians and Heaven's Gate. Both cults ended in the deaths of their charismatic leaders, but the trajectories were quite different. If you're interested in the militia movement, UFOs, Nike sneakers, Star Trek, the Book of Revelations, the FBI, or how to get cheap real estate in Southern California you should join us this week!

We continue our exploration of the history of cults in America this week with a discussion of two infamous groups from the 1990s: The Branch Davidians and Heaven's Gate. Both cults ended in the deaths of their charismatic leaders, but the trajectories were quite different. If you're interested in the militia movement, UFOs, Nike sneakers, Star Trek, the Book of Revelations, the FBI, or how to get cheap real estate in Southern California you should join us this week!

This week we continue the discussion we started last time about utopian experiments and cults by covering two of the most fascinating and disturbing figures of the twentieth century, Jim Jones and Charles Manson. What made these two men turn to violence and how did their lives and the people they convinced to do unspeakable things reveal deep fissures and anxieties in post-war America. Join us this week to find out.

This week we continue the discussion we started last time about utopian experiments and cults by covering two of the most fascinating and disturbing figures of the twentieth century, Jim Jones and Charles Manson. What made these two men turn to violence and how did their lives and the people they convinced to do unspeakable things reveal deep fissures and anxieties in post-war America. Join us this week to find out.

So, this week we start a little series about cults in American history, but this first episode took a slight detour into a more general discussion of utopian communities in America, particularly in the nineteenth century. We discuss Oneida, Harmony, and New Harmony, among others. We also trace the way religion and the Second Great Awakening shaped utopian ideas including the concept of moral perfectionism.

So, this week we start a little series about cults in American history, but this first episode took a slight detour into a more general discussion of utopian communities in America, particularly in the nineteenth century. We discuss Oneida, Harmony, and New Harmony, among others. We also trace the way religion and the Second Great Awakening shaped utopian ideas including the concept of moral perfectionism.

To celebrate spring and the return of America's pastime, we're delving into the history of baseball this week. From its origins as a children's game in England to a powerful tool of imperialism, baseball has it all.

To celebrate spring and the return of America's pastime, we're delving into the history of baseball this week. From its origins as a children's game in England to a powerful tool of imperialism, baseball has it all.

Death and Taxes. Is that all we can be sure of? In honor of traditional Tax Day (April 15), we present a history of taxes in the United States. Tariffs, excises, income taxes, anti-government movements, rebellions, paying for the military and infrastructure, they're all on the list of topics we cover in this week's episode.

Death and Taxes. Is that all we can be sure of? In honor of traditional Tax Day (April 15), we present a history of taxes in the United States. Tariffs, excises, income taxes, anti-government movements, rebellions, paying for the military and infrastructure, they're all on the list of topics we cover in this week's episode.

Join us for a deep dive into the causes and effects of the United States' involvement in the Vietnam War from 1954 to 1975. Along the way we'll discuss the aftermath of WWII and French attempts at renewing their empire in Southeast Asia. We'll also talk about what Dwight Eisenhower defined as the Military Industrial Complex and how the machine of war may have prolonged US involvement in Vietnam. Finally we'll talk about some well-known but often misunderstood moments in the war like the My Lai Massacre.

Join us for a deep dive into the causes and effects of the United States' involvement in the Vietnam War from 1954 to 1975. Along the way we'll discuss the aftermath of WWII and French attempts at renewing their empire in Southeast Asia. We'll also talk about what Dwight Eisenhower defined as the Military Industrial Complex and how the machine of war may have prolonged US involvement in Vietnam. Finally we'll talk about some well-known but often misunderstood moments in the war like the My Lai Massacre.

When people are asked to comment on the most famous figures of the American Revolution, the list is almost entirely men, with a few notable exceptions. Join us this week as we talk about the well-known women who participated and often literally fought during the American Revolution as well as some lesser-known women whose real stories are more fantastic than the myths surrounding Molly Pitcher and Betsy Ross. It's all on this week's episode!

When people are asked to comment on the most famous figures of the American Revolution, the list is almost entirely men, with a few notable exceptions. Join us this week as we talk about the well-known women who participated and often literally fought during the American Revolution as well as some lesser-known women whose real stories are more fantastic than the myths surrounding Molly Pitcher and Betsy Ross. It's all on this week's episode!

Margaret Sanger founded the organization that later became Planned Pioneer. She has been widely lauded as a staunch advocate of women's reproductive rights, but there's more to the story. Join us this week as we delve into Sanger's story as well as the simultaneous rise of eugenics. The United States in general and California pioneered the field of eugenics, and that is not necessarily a good thing! From forced sterilizations to medical experiments without the patient's consent, many of the ideas and methods emerging within the eugenics movement later found expression in the gruesome experiments and ideologies of Germany in the 1930s.

Margaret Sanger founded the organization that later became Planned Pioneer. She has been widely lauded as a staunch advocate of women's reproductive rights, but there's more to the story. Join us this week as we delve into Sanger's story as well as the simultaneous rise of eugenics. The United States in general and California pioneered the field of eugenics, and that is not necessarily a good thing! From forced sterilizations to medical experiments without the patient's consent, many of the ideas and methods emerging within the eugenics movement later found expression in the gruesome experiments and ideologies of Germany in the 1930s.

What is Second Wave Feminism? How does it differ from the First Wave? Join us as we do a deep dive into the ins and outs of Second Wave Feminism and its connections with Mary Wollstonecraft, Lucretia Mott, Simone de Beauvoir, and Betty Friedan. How did the Roe v Wade and Griswold v Connecticut change everything? And was the Houston Conference in 1977 really the end of the movement? Finally, how should we conceptualize the Third and Fourth Waves? Join us this week to find out!

What is Second Wave Feminism? How does it differ from the First Wave? Join us as we do a deep dive into the ins and outs of Second Wave Feminism and its connections with Mary Wollstonecraft, Lucretia Mott, Simone de Beauvoir, and Betty Friedan. How did the Roe v Wade and Griswold v Connecticut change everything? And was the Houston Conference in 1977 really the end of the movement? Finally, how should we conceptualize the Third and Fourth Waves? Join us this week to find out!

This week we return to an often-requested topic - conspiracy theories. We discuss George Washington, QANON, COVID-19, HIV/AIDS, Henrietta Lacks, and Pearl Harbor. Why are Americans so obsessed with conspiracy theories? What happens when there is some truth to a particular theory? Join us this week to find out!

This week we return to an often-requested topic - conspiracy theories. We discuss George Washington, QANON, COVID-19, HIV/AIDS, Henrietta Lacks, and Pearl Harbor. Why are Americans so obsessed with conspiracy theories? What happens when there is some truth to a particular theory? Join us this week to find out!

After a week off we return to our special series in honor of Black History Month. This time we discuss the two primary ways Black men and women have been characterized by white Americans for well over one hundred years: objects of desire and entertainment and subjects of scorn and suspicion. In the face of this stereotyping Black culture has responded, often quite opening, by exposing the white gaze and the inherent hypocrisy of Jim Crow. Along the way we discuss Ida Wells, Ma Rainey, Louis Armstrong, Jimi Hendrix, Collin Kaepernick, and Donald Glover.

After a week off we return to our special series in honor of Black History Month. This time we discuss the two primary ways Black men and women have been characterized by white Americans for well over one hundred years: objects of desire and entertainment and subjects of scorn and suspicion. In the face of this stereotyping Black culture has responded, often quite opening, by exposing the white gaze and the inherent hypocrisy of Jim Crow. Along the way we discuss Ida Wells, Ma Rainey, Louis Armstrong, Jimi Hendrix, Collin Kaepernick, and Donald Glover.

Join us for Part 2 of our series for Black History Month. We discuss the nation's founding documents and the ways slavery was and was not addressed in each. We also discuss early abolitionists like Sojourner Truth and her connections to the Second Great Awakening, a period of religious revivalism, and William Lloyd Garrison. We also discuss the oppositional approaches towards ending slavery adopted by Nat Turner and Frederick Douglass. Finally, we discuss the unlikely friendship of Douglass and John Brown, the man hanged for his attack on the Federal Arsenal at Harper's Ferry.

Join us in the first of a four-part series delving into the complicated and often contentious history of African Americans. In this first part we cover the transition from indentured servitude to slavery. We also cover the emergence of the "Middle Passage" and the creation and eventual hardening of racial divisions in the British colonies, most notably Virginia. We introduce you to Estavanico the Moor, an early explorer in the Southwestern US, Antony Johnson a former slave turned slave owner who is posthumously deprived of the right to own property, and the thousands of Africans who perished in the figurative and literal death of forcibly being transported across the Atlantic in the 18th century.

On January 17, 2021 as one of the last official acts of the Trump administration, the 1776 Commission Report was released. This report made an argument as to how the US education system had failed to educate the nation's youth on the "proper" history of the country. Join us as we delve into the commission's report and challenge some of its findings as well as its underlying premises.

Was January 6, 2021 an aberration or was it part of a long history of political violence in the United States? Join Hilary and Geoff as they discuss the role political violence played in the nation's founding, its presence in the Capitol Building prior ro January 6, and its potentially cyclical nature. Along the way we'll cover Tulsa 1920, the Oklahoma City Bombing of 1995, and the BLM movement.

Did you know celebrating a child's birthday, telling children stories about pirates and fairies, and entire industries focused on children (i.e. Disney) would have been unthinkable in the 18th and much of the 19th centuries? Childhood, as we understand it today, is a fairly recent invention. Join us as we discuss Puritans, the Devil, agricultural work, factories, labor unions, and motherhood in this episode!