How We Got Here

In this bonus episode of How We Got Here, we take a look back at the day President Abraham Lincoln visited Richmond. On April 4, 1865, just two days after Confederate troops evacuated the city, President Lincoln and his son Tad visited the still smoldering ruins of the South's former Capital. Mike Gorman with the Richmond National Battlefield Park takes us through this bizarre and unprecedented day when the President known as the great emancipator walked the streets of Richmond.

In this bonus episode of How We Got Here - we go behind the sounds with Host Rachel DePompa, Executive Producer Colten Weekley and Digital Director Kate Albright to dive deep into how we made this season. You'll hear about some of our favorite guests and which segments really stuck with us. 

In this episode of How We Got Here - the early days of Thomas Jefferson. While much of the focus on Jefferson's life turns to his later years, we dive into what is known about juvenile Jefferson and how experiences as a boy molded him into the man he became. Plus, a tribute to the lives lost in the Virginia Tech mass shooting.

In this episode of How We Got Here - Lee's surrender at Appomattox. What you don't know about the 90-minute meeting that signaled the end of the Civil War. Plus – born enslaved in Virginia, Booker T. Washington used his experience to shine an early light on civil rights and lay the groundwork for those who followed. And the legacy of Pocahontas in Virginia, whose story was enshrined by white colonists and corporations.

In this episode of How We Got Here - the burning of Richmond. Confederates fleeing the city aimed to set fire to warehouses, but Mother Nature had different plans that April day in 1865. Plus – how the 10th President of the United States rose up through the political sphere in Virginia before becoming known as “His Accidency” in the Oval Office. Finally, how women in Virginia fought inflation and food prices as their families starved. How the “Bread Riots” of the Civil War came raging into Richmond.

In this episode of How We Got Here - the famous plea for independence that Patrick Henry gave from a pew inside a church that still stands today. Plus, how an enslaved man in Richmond hid as cargo to try and find freedom, earning him the nickname Henry ‘Box' Brown. Finally, we take you back 400 years to an attack on colonists in Virginia on Good Friday. How the Powhatan Indians could have ended Britain's North American experiment once and for all. 

In this episode of How We Got Here - The birth of James Madison. Learn how the father of the Constitution was shaped by his early years at Montpelier and his contemporaries that included fellow Virginian Thomas Jefferson. Plus, the privileged, youthful Frenchman who sailed to the defense of a fledgling nation – only to play a crucial role in the bloodshed on Virginia soil. Why the Marquis de Lafayette was out for revenge against the British.

In this episode of How We Got Here - the birth of the ironclad. From the depths of the Chesapeake Bay rose a former Union warship that the Confederacy would craft into a juggernaut, unlike anything the world had seen. Plus, the rise and fall of Circuit City, the electronics retail giant that got its start along West Broad Street in Richmond.

Season 6 launches on Monday, March 7. How We Got Here, presented by NBC12 in Richmond, Virginia, is a podcast highlighting Virginia's rich history, one week at a time.

In this bonus episode of How We Got Here - we go behind the sounds with Host Rachel DePompa, Executive Producer Colten Weekley and Digital Director Kate Albright to dive deep into how we made this season. You'll hear about some of our favorite guests and which segments really stuck with us. 

In this episode of How We Got Here - the day English settlers raid the Powhatan town of Paspahegh, slaughtering two dozen including the chief's wife and children. Plus, we use our archives to take you back to Charlottesville for the Unite the Right rally, remembering those who died in the skies and below during this notorious day in Virginia history.  

In this episode of How We Got Here - the day a tornado touched down in the Tri-Cities, shearing storefronts in half and claiming lives along the way. Plus, a detective story 200 years in the making. Why the British may be to blame for Virginia's missing census records. And, the story behind the resignation letter from the commander of the Confederates after the shattering loss at Gettysburg. 

In this episode of How We Got Here - the mother of modern medicine, born in Virginia. The ethical seesaw surrounding Henrietta Lacks, and how her story changed medical discoveries for generations. Plus, meet the Gray Ghost of the Confederacy. The mystique of John Mosby during the Civil War, and how his own views changed after the Confederacy fell. And we'll take you inside the ‘room where it happened.' How two Virginians and a New Yorker moved the U.S. capital. Finally, hundreds were killed in an explosive instant outside of Petersburg after the Union decided to tunnel underneath their rebel foes.

In this episode of How We Got Here - how the bounties of the Caribbean island of Bermuda helped save Jamestown – in a story that inspired William Shakespeare. Plus, Virginia soil was stained with blood from the first major battle of the Civil War. How the First Battle of Manassas, or Bull Run, would shape years of conflict between the Union and Confederacy.

In this episode of How We Got Here - years before Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat in Alabama, Irene Morgan in Virginia did the same thing, leading to a landmark Supreme Court decision that became the starting point for dismantling segregation in the United States. Plus, the story of the man known as the father of the U.S. Navy. How Scottish-born John Paul Jones would rise to fame during the American Revolution. And the moment that humankind first touched foot on the moon.

In this episode of How We Got Here - A look at the final execution in Virginia before the first state in the South abolished the death penalty. Plus, the most ‘animated' of the Confederate statues comes down along Monument Avenue. Then, the decades-long tale of the Norfolk Four, from their wrongful convictions to their freedom. And revealing the identity of Virginia's most famous sorceress, the Witch of Pungo.

Season 5 launches on Monday, July 5. How We Got Here, presented by NBC12 in Richmond, Virginia, is a podcast highlighting Virginia’s rich history, one week at a time.

In this bonus episode of How We Got Here, we go behind the sounds with Host Rachel DePompa and Executive Producer Colten Weekley to dive deep into how we made this season. You’ll hear about some of our favorite guests and which segments really stuck with us.

In this episode of How We Got Here – The fight in Virginia to give women the right to vote; a three-generation, 72-year battle that came down to one vote. Plus, the day the angel of the Confederacy was born. Why the title she was given is still debated to this day. And we look at the founding of the Virginia Military Institute, including its fight to survive the Civil War and the social battles it faces today.

In this episode of How We Got Here – Tales from the Lewis and Clark expedition that you didn’t learn in school: how American myth-making dominates the way their story is taught. Plus, the political process to elect the first – and only – President of the Confederate States of America. Why Jefferson Davis was considered a moderate choice. And one of the worst plane crashes in Virginia history is a little-known story that changed the way the United States Army transported troops around the country, as dozens died less than a mile from the runway at Byrd Field.

In this episode of How We Got Here – the history of one of Richmond’s most glamorous and ritzy places to stay, the Jefferson Hotel. And, what you didn’t learn about Bacon’s rebellion in high school history class. We’ll take you inside a catastrophic disaster at NASA’s Wallops Island facility as a rocket headed for the International Space Station explodes just seconds after liftoff. Finally, the day British General Charles Cornwallis is suddenly paroled and allowed to sail back to Britain after his surrender at Yorktown.

In this episode of How We Got Here - the extraordinary life of a naval aviator and explorer from Virginia. The incredible journeys to both ends of the earth by Adm. Richard Byrd. Plus—a deadly delivery in the mail as anthrax is found in envelopes in the aftermath of 9/11. We take you inside the moment human speech first crossed the Atlantic Ocean, going from Virginia to Paris. And—one of NASCAR’s darkest days, as news of a tragedy in the skies finally reaches the half-mile of mayhem.

In this episode of How We Got Here – the search for a serial rapist and murderer in Charlottesville. Plus, the birth of a woman who would go on to lead a Union spy ring in the heart of the Confederate Capital. We delve deeper into the death of an American household staple—the phone book. One monument in Richmond that isn’t causing controversy on Capitol grounds. And we look back at one of the top five worst hurricanes to hit Virginia.

In this episode of How We Got Here – the death of founding father George Mason. How his extraordinary life was full of both contributions and contradictions. Plus, the day another revolutionary is hanged after working to break the bonds of slavery. Gabriel’s conspiracy in the context of today. We take a look back at a hurricane in Belize that claimed the lives of 17 Virginians. And the day the United States Supreme Court ruled love wins.  

In this bonus episode of How We Got Here, we take a look back at the infamous collapse of the Church Hill tunnel in Richmond. On Oct. 2, 1925, the train tunnel gave way during construction work, killing at least four men and entombing at least two people whose bodies remain there today. A steam locomotive and ten flatcars are still buried beneath Church Hill as well. We talk to the son of two survivors of that fateful day, as he visits the now-sealed tunnel entrance for the very first time

Season 4 launches on Monday, Oct. 5. How We Got Here, presented by NBC12 in Richmond, Virginia, is a podcast highlighting Virginia’s rich history, one week at a time.

In this bonus episode of How We Got Here, we sit down with Francis Gary Powers Junior, the son of the CIA spy who was shot down over the USSR on May 1, 1960. After Episode 4 of Season 3 was released, Powers Jr. contacted us to tell us he lives in Central Virginia and would be willing to discuss his father's incredible story of espionage and imprisonment by the KGB. Powers Jr. has written a book about his dad and travels the country to set the record straight about his dad’s famous crash in the Soviet Union.

In this bonus episode of How We Got Here, we go behind the sounds with Digital Director Kate Albright and Executive Producer Colten Weekley to dive deep into how we made this season. You’ll hear about some of our favorite guests and which segments really stuck with us. Plus, we have exciting news about the future of the podcast!

In this episode of How We Got Here – The birth of Richmond’s Monument Avenue. The day the Robert E. Lee monument is unveiled in a field west of the city to a crowd of thousands of Confederate veterans. How it’s meaning has evolved over the last 130 years. The day the world stopped in Virginia Beach - how the heroes among us emerged at yet another tragedy. And the birth of a man who fanned the flames of the American Revolution. “Give me liberty, or give me death.”

In this episode of How We Got Here – A tainted treaty for peace in the Virginia Colony. Colonists seeking revenge poison Powhatan Native Americans with a deadly drink. Plus, the hostess with the mostest – how Dolley Madison, the first “First Lady,” helped her husband navigate the precipitous political scene of a young United States. And, the angel of the battlefield. How a woman whose passion for helping soldiers during the Civil War led to her launching the American Red Cross.

In this episode of How We Got Here – A Virginian caught in the middle of U.S. and Soviet spy games after being taken prisoner by the KGB. Plus, how Confederate soldiers from Chesterfield protected Richmond from a Union attack along the James River in what became known as the Battle of Drewry’s Bluff.   And the story of a Richmond-born slave who possibly spied inside the Confederate White House - the mystery of Mary Jane Richards that is still being uncovered today. Finally, the imprisonment and eventual release of Confederate President Jefferson Davis - why the leader of the rebellion was never tried for treason.

In this episode of How We Got Here – Secretariat’s birth in a humble, foaling shed in Virginia. How the legend went on to become the greatest racehorse of all time. Plus, severely injured by friendly fire near Chancellorsville during the Civil War, we uncover the secret illness that ultimately killed Confederate General Stonewall Jackson. And the traditional anthem “Hail to the Chief” that is played for the arrival of U.S. Presidents actually started thanks to the wife of a Virginia-born President. How Julia Gardiner became a Tyler after a tragedy on the Potomac.

In this episode of How We Got Here – Dozens killed when a packed courtroom floor gives way at the Virginia State Capitol in what became known as the Capitol Calamity. Plus the epic Battle of Chancellorsville leads to Confederate General Stonewall Jackson being shot by his own men. A standoff tainted with treason ends the appointment of Sir John Harvey as Royal Governor of Virginia. And a day in history the U.S. Supreme Court would like to forget – how Virginia helped set the precedent of forced sterilization.

In this episode of How We Got Here - the largest manhunt in American history; the escape and eventual death of John Wilkes Booth. Inside the macabre mind of Richmond native Edgar Allan Poe. Plus a look back at the storied career of jazz legend and Virginian, Ella Fitzgerald. And when Robert E. Lee turned down an offer to command the Union army.

Season 3 launches on Monday, April 20. In this bonus trailer, we take you through some of its most memorable moments. How We Got Here, presented by NBC12 in Richmond, Virginia, is a podcast highlighting Virginia’s rich history, one week at a time.

Season 3 launches on Monday, April 20. How We Got Here, presented by NBC12 in Richmond, Virginia, is a podcast highlighting Virginia’s rich history, one week at a time.

In this bonus episode of How We Got Here, we go behind the sounds with Executive Producer Colten Weekley to dive deep into how we made this season. You’ll hear about some of our favorite guests and which segments really stuck with us. Plus, we have exciting news about the future of the podcast!

In this week’s episode of How We Got Here, the true story of albino brothers from Virginia who were abducted and exploited by the circus for decades before their mother finally found them when the circus came back to town. Plus, a fiery Christmas disaster at the Richmond Theater that claimed the life of Virginia’s Governor. We’ll tell you about the eighth and final U.S. President that was born in the commonwealth, and the emotional “first” goodbye from George Washington to Congress, as he was trying to get home to Martha for Christmas.

In this episode of How We Got Here, how a Virginia newspaper got the Wright Brother’s first flight oh so wrong. Plus—a brewing tea party demands independence, but not in Boston. We examine the day slavery was abolished in America, and the country finally learns of George Washington’s death from a famous Richmonder. And, an all-around-the-world show of America’s military might that steamed away from the shores of Virginia.

In this episode of How We Got Here, George Washington’s final moments after a torturous night of medical care. And it ended before it began - we take you inside what may have been the fastest battle of the American Revolution. Also the legacy of a black woman from Richmond who changed the face of business in America. And the slaughter pen known as The Battle of Fredericksburg, where hundreds took their final breath beneath the Northern Lights.

In this episode of How We Got Here, the newly uncovered tale of a 16-year-old heroine from Hopewell, Virginia, who rode through the night to expose a British plot to crush the American rebellion. Also, the Commonwealth’s dug-in defiance over a landmark court decision to integrate public schools. Why the Kennedy Administration apologized for getting the first celebration of a national holiday all wrong. And - get ready to dust up on 10th grade American History - we go old-school with the Monroe Doctrine. And finally, in their own words - the heroes of Pearl Harbor recount that horrific day that catapulted the United States into the hell of World War 2.

In this episode of How We Got Here, we relive the fiery death of the oldest electric streetcar system in America. We also introduce you to a slave-turned-spy-turned-folk hero who had to fight for his own freedom after American independence. And, as you start to think about Thanksgiving this year – we’ve got the low down on how it all began (in Virginia…sorry Massachusetts). Plus, we’ll explore how it became illegal in Virginia to duel to the death – and the politician who skirted the law to kill a member of his family! And finally, an army of rebels topples the mightiest power in the world at Yorktown.

In this episode of How We Got Here, how one of the greatest speeches in American history - The Gettysburg Address - was barely a footnote in newspapers up and down the coast. Also, President John F. Kennedy and his family built a home in Virginia - only to enjoy it for three weekends before his assassination. And we delve into a 400-year-old Thanksgiving tradition that started in the commonwealth and continues to this day on the Governor’s driveway.  The famed Richmond woman who helped usher in a new era of Southern literature - with a little ghost story mixed in. And why the Confederacy chose Richmond as its capitol – so close to the Union stronghold of Washington, D.C.

Season 2 launches on Monday, Nov. 18. How We Got Here, presented by NBC12 in Richmond, Virginia, is a podcast highlighting Virginia’s rich history, one week at a time.

In this bonus episode of How We Got Here, we go behind the scenes with Digital Director Kate Albright and Executive Producer Colten Weekley to tell you how we got to this idea, and what it takes to put each episode together. You’ll hear about some of our favorite guests and which segments really surprised us. Stick around for the end of the episode for exciting news about the future of How We Got Here.

In this episode of How We Got Here: Richmond’s role in the domestic slave trade, brought to light by the uncovering of a slave burial ground. Three men killed in a tank in World War II are finally honored 75 years later. How the river city remembered the longest serving Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, John Marshall. And we’re serving up a segment on the incredible life and legacy of tennis great and Richmond-native, Arthur Ashe.

In this episode of How We Got Here: Happy Birthday America! It’s also the anniversary for the deaths of several presidents. We show you how Virginia got its name and bring you the mythology behind the woman bearing her breast on the state seal. We hear from the “proud spirited ladies” left behind during the Civil War – plus the conclusion of the seven days’ battles.

In this episode of How We Got Here: The derecho that devastated Central Virginia, and Aaron Burr’s ties to Richmond that saved his life. A tap dancing legend breaks racial barriers, and how the Seven Days’ Battles changed the landscape of the Civil War. Plus, Elvis’ escapades in Virginia, and his last show in the river city.

In this episode of How We Got Here: The devastating path of Hurricane Agnes that paralyzed Richmond, and Virginia’s ties to the bungling burglars of Watergate. Find out how Captain John Smith got “Disney’ed,” and how country music was born out of the mountain music of southwest Virginia – with a chaser of Johnny Cash.  

In this episode of How We Got Here, we explain how the Civil War's Siege of Petersburg could have lasted two days instead of nine months and why Virginia played such a big role in shaping the Declaration of Independence. We also share a “loving” story that changed marriage laws across the country, plus the horrifying moments as lawmakers, practicing America’s pastime, take cover when a gunman opens fire on a baseball field.

In this episode of How We Got Here, we introduce you to the Paul Revere of the South, one of Ulysses S. Grant's biggest failures on the battlefield and why we learned more about death than liberty from Patrick Henry. We also catch up with a little boy who survived a lightning strike, and we examine why the 75th anniversary of D-Day means more to one Virginia community than most.