Dr. Esmacher's History Podcast

In this episode, we cover the transformation of the American West between the Civil War and 1900, including the Homestead Act, the impact of the Second Industrial Revolution on western settlement, conflict between settlers and Native Americans, and rapid changes in Native American life.

In this episode, we look at why the 1870s-1890s gets nicknamed the Gilded Age, the Second Industrial Revolution, robber barons and monopolies, and the experience of the working classes.The first episode in Season 2: U.S. History from 1877-1941.

In this episode, I talk about the impact of 9/11 - the larger pattern of terrorism against the U.S., the Bush Doctrine, our wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and the War on Terrorism's impact on civil liberties at home and abroad thanks to the Patriot Act.

In this episode, I cover the Culture Wars and extreme responses, the Lewinsky scandal and Clinton's impeachment, and the 2000 election.

In this episode, I discuss the impact of computers and the internet, the roaring 1990s economy (before the bubble bursts), changing immigration patterns, and a snapshot of rising minority groups and the unique situations they faced in the 1990s.I promise I get to the Lewinsky scandal and impeachment next time!

In this episode, we cover the collapse of several Communist nations and the end of the Cold War, how the US grapples with trying to figure out a post-Cold War foreign policy, the First Gulf War, and the big picture items of the George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton administration.Note: the culture wars, domestic terrorism, and the Monica Lewinsky scandal and impeachment are all coming next episode!

In this episode, I cover the 1980s and Ronald Reagan!  Lots of discussion of Reaganomics, yuppies, Star Wars (not the movies, sadly), Iran-Contra, and Cold War showmanship with the Soviet Union.

In this episode, I discuss the declining economy of the 1970s, Presidents Ford and Carter, the rise of the modern conservatism movement, and the (not dead yet?) Equal Rights Amendment.

In this episode, I talk about Richard Nixon's presidency.  The Sexual Revolution, welfare, environmentalism, school busing and affirmative action, and Vietnamization all get a shoutout.  And of course, I discuss how the Watergate scandal led to the downfall of Nixon and explosive revelations about the federal government that shook people's faith and helped strengthen the nascent conservative movement.

In this episode, I talk about the counterculture (hippies!), religious movements, civil rights movements (women, LGBTQ, Latinx, Native American), important Supreme Court cases during this time period, and why 1968 was such a pivotal year and in many ways, the end of the 1960s.

In this episode, we talk about the Black Power movement, Malcolm X, urban rioting, student protests, the escalation of American involvement in Vietnam, and the growing antiwar movement.

In this episode, I talk about the early 1960s through the lens of the presidencies of John F. Kennedy (JFK) and Lyndon Baines Johnson (LBJ).  The Space Race, Cuban Missile Crisis, sit-in protests and the March on Washington, early escalation in Vietnam, and LBJ's Great Society programs all get a mention in this episode.

In this episode, we discuss changes in American conservatism, the presidency of Dwight D. Eisenhower, the CIA regime changes in Iran and Guatemala, early involvement in Vietnam, and dissent in popular culture (rock and roll!).

In this episode, I discuss 1950s economy and culture.  Cameo by my loud dogs, once again.

In this episode, we discuss the search for Communists in America, Joseph McCarthy vs. Edward Murrow, and why Americans were so paranoid about being labeled a suspected Communist

In this episode, we talk about human rights and the Cold War, Harry Truman's domestic policies, and how the Democratic party adopting a civil rights platform in the 1948 election shows the early warning signs of a split in the party.

In this episode, I talk about what exactly a "cold war" is, how World War II ties into the Cold War, and some key concepts of the early Cold War era, like containment, the Berlin Blockade, and the Korean War.

In this episode, I talk about celebrating America's cultural diversity in propaganda, while minorities faced discrimination and challenges on the home front.  Cameo by my dogs, who were VERY loud while recording this episode.

In this episode, I talk about the concept of "total war," changes to industry during World War II, more economic opportunities for women and minorities, propaganda, and ideas for what the U.S. should look like after World War II

In this episode, I talk about why World War II is nicknamed "the Good War," how and when it started (spoiler alert: fascism), why the United States got involved, and an overview of the Pacific and European theaters of war.The first episode of Season 1: U.S. History from 1941-2008.