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About This Podcast
BackStory is a weekly public podcast hosted by U.S. historians Ed Ayers, Brian Balogh, Nathan Connolly and Joanne Freeman. We're based in Charlottesville, Va. at Virginia Humanities.
There’s the history you had to learn, and the history you want to learn - that’s where BackStory comes in. Each week BackStory takes a topic that people are talking about and explores it through the lens of American history. Through stories, interviews, and conversations with our listeners, BackStory makes history engaging and fun.
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Recent Episodes
Anatomy of a Geo-Block
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All About Geo-Fencing
This episode is all about the fascinating world of geo-fencing. This practice allows content distributors to either allow or prevent digital consumers from accessing their content, based on their…
Amazing video episode
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331: The End of the Road: BackStory and the History of Finales in America
On this final episode of BackStory, Nathan, Brian, Joanne and Ed explore different kinds of finales throughout American history. They also consider what it’s like being a part of their own finale and…
Teaser: BackStory and the History of Finales in America
Coach Tony Bennett knows a thing or two about big finales. He’s the head coach of the men’s basketball team at the University of Virginia. This is a clip from Brian's conversation with Coach Bennett…
330: Best of BackStory: The Time the People Picked
As BackStory nears the end of its production, we’ve asked our listeners to call in with moments from the show’s history and compile their very own “Best of BackStory.”We got some great responses…
Introducing: Seizing Freedom
Coming Feb 2021…In most history classes, students learn that the Emancipation Proclamation and Union victories “freed the slaves.” But ending slavery in America required much more than battlefield…
329: Great, Small and Other Expectations: Charles Dickens and His History with America
Charles Dickens died 150 years ago this month. A famous chronicler and critic of English industrial capitalism, Dickens was also immensely popular in the United States. But in an age of widespread…
328: The Clue of the Blue Bottle from "The Last Archive"
The Last Archive is a show from Pushkin Industries about the history of truth, and the historical context for our current fake news, post-truth moment. It’s a show about how we know what we know, and…
327: Another Burden to Bear: A History of Racial Health Disparities in America
The COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately impacted communities of color. According to the CDC, 33% of people who’ve been hospitalized due to the virus have been African-American, despite making…
326: Mystery, Murder, and Mayhem: A History of True Crime in America
For the last decade or so, true crime has been everywhere -- Netflix shows like Making a Murderer and podcast series like Serial. All of them are a testament to the fact that for some strange reason,…
325: American Empire: From Scene on Radio
“America” and “empire.” Do those words go together? If so, what kind of imperialism does the U.S. practice, and how has American empire changed over time? By host and producer John Biewen, with…
324: Best of BackStory: The Time Joanne Freeman Went to Congress
As BackStory moves towards the end of its production, we’ve asked our hosts to select memorable moments from the show that we’re publishing as episodes once per month. Joanne Freeman joined BackStory…
276: Red in the Stars and Stripes?: A History of Socialism in America
With the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and record levels of unemployment, the conversation around socialism in the U.S. has resurfaced in surprising ways. So we thought we'd revisit this episode from…
323: Zooming Ahead: How Virtual Learning is Shaping the College Classroom
Today, the word zoom has become synonymous with an application millions of people are using to learn, teach and work. COVID-19 has impacted every aspect of our lives, including how we teach and how…
322: 1980s Environmentalism and How the Reagan-Era Shaped the Natural World
This week, environmentalism was in the spotlight, thanks to the 50th anniversary of Earth Day. Over the decades, environmentalism has adapted to new challenges, like increasing levels of greenhouse…
321: Give Us the Ballot: From LBJ and the Great Society
By his own account, and by many others as well, the Voting Rights Act of 1965 was Lyndon Johnson’s greatest achievement – the jewel in the crown of the Great Society, and widely considered the most…
Frequently Asked Questions
BackStory has published 265 episodes since September 2015, covering topics in Education, History.
BackStory is currently dormant with new episodes weekly. Average episode length is 48m.
Sign up on Grep.FM to access contact details for BackStory, including email and social media links.
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