Podcast · History
by 15-Minute History Podcast · English · History
Walking in the footsteps of history, fifteen minutes at a time. Join us for a 15-minute episode covering a person, place, or event in history, and stay for an extended discussion. New episodes and discussions every week.
12 Oct 2026 · 26 minNew
Last week, we covered imperialism through two examples, King Leopold's Congo and India under the British Empire. This week, we discuss the hard questions about imperialism, starting in Berlin, where fourteen powers divided Africa without inviting anyone from the countries being redefined. What do you think? Let us know in your comments.
8 Oct 2026 · 22 min
This season, we're giving the Pop Quizzes a break. Instead, every Thursday we'll have new content from each of our presenters. On the first Thursday of the month, we will be discussing recent political events through a historical lens. Today, Joe and Jon cover the promised $5,000 checks offered by President Donald Trump if his party wins the midterm elections, as well as the historical irony of Germany's traditional parties ignoring a serious political issue and how it is fueling the rise of what many believe to be a radical movement that promises fundamental change in that nation.
S10 · E1 · 5 Oct 2026 · 19 min
Welcome back to a new season of 15-Minute History! Jon, Joe, and the rest of the team are glad to be back for season 10, where we are looking at the forces that made us, both the good and the bad. It was November 15, 1884, and the German chancellor had company. Representatives from fourteen powers arrived at his home in Berlin that day, including Britain, France, Belgium, Portugal, and the United States. Otto von Bismarck had called them together because the governments of Europe all wanted pieces of Africa, their claims were starting to overlap, and he wanted it settled before it turned…
1 Oct 2026 · 6 min
Was the Treaty of Versailles the cause of World War Two? And what might Germany have looked like without the political chaos that it caused? We hope you've enjoyed these summer pop quizzes. Join us next Monday for the start of Season Ten!!
S9 · 28 Sep 2026 · 16 min
New Season starting this coming Monday, October 6th! During the break, the 15-Minute History team will be republishing some of your favorite episodes. This episode originally aired on December 9, 2024. --- The benefits of hindsight let us examine faults in national policy through the lens of what followed. But in the midst of a global threat of nuclear war, the United States chose to support vicious dictators in the name of anti-communism. Were they right or wrong? Did it save humanity from death in atomic fire? Was this a good idea or a bad idea?
24 Sep 2026 · 5 min
What rights do citizens of US territories have, and what changes when their homes become states?
S9 · 21 Sep 2026 · 18 min
New Season starting on Monday, October 6th! During the break, the 15-Minute History team will be republishing some of your favorite episodes. This episode originally aired on May 5, 2025. --- It was still dark. The group of men felt the breeze getting warmer as the eastern horizon began to show signs of light. One of the men, tall with no expression, watched as final preparations were made to a large object in front of the group. The others saw the anxiety in his face in a way that only those had had been around him could discern. The man walked forward, spoke with some of the technicians,…
17 Sep 2026 · 7 min
Can conservatives promote the "common good" and public virtue using the power of government? This will be our last new pop quiz before the start of Season 10 in a few short weeks. We hope you've enjoyed these quizzes as much as we've enjoyed having these conversations!
S9 · 14 Sep 2026 · 14 min
During the summer break, the 15-Minute History team will be republishing some of your favorite episodes. This episode originally aired on February 12, 2024. --- As we look at villains in history, we want to look at actions and their effects. The policies of Lyndon Baines Johnson and Ho Chi Minh were the reflection of two leaders operating in different contexts. Though the method by which they exercised their intentions was different, the root of their “why” is in question. Join us as we look at both the intention and result from each leader by examining comparisons of policy during their…
10 Sep 2026 · 10 min
Joe asked a perfectly legitimate question about the definition of prosperity, and within minutes Jon was ranting about other podcasters. The conversation then turned to the national debt's real impact on American life. Fun times!!
S9 · 8 Sep 2026 · 17 min
During the summer break, the 15-Minute History team will be republishing some of your favorite episodes. This episode originally aired on April 22, 2024. --- "In the chill of a drizzling rain on an October morning, I saw them loaded like cattle or sheep into six hundred and forty-five wagons and started toward the west. One can never forget the sadness and solemnity of that morning. Chief John Ross led in prayer, and when the bugle sounded and the wagons started rolling, many of the children rose to their feet and waved their little hands goodbye to their mountain homes, knowing they were…
3 Sep 2026 · 7 min
During the Gilded Age, companies paid employees in scrip redeemable at corporate stores instead of in hard cash. Is this similar to modern job benefits like health insurance and pensions? Join us every Thursday for new pop quizzes, and stay tuned for the start of our new season in just a few weeks!
S9 · 31 Aug 2026 · 15 min
During the summer break, the 15-Minute History team will be republishing some of your favorite episodes. This episode originally aired on March 22, 2022. --- Samuel Colt’s name is forever linked to the company he founded and the revolver he called the “Peacemaker.” Born in Connecticut in 1814, he was steeped in America’s gun culture from an early age. His grandfather had served in George Washington’s army, and Samuel inherited an old flintlock pistol from the family hero when he was only six. At the age of fifteen, while working in his father’s textile plant, he built a galvanic cell…
27 Aug 2026 · 8 min
What was the Bank of the United States, and why did Andrew Jackson work so hard to destroy it? And why is Eva Braun always referred to as Adolf Hitler's "mistress" even though he was not married? Find out the answer to both questions on this week's pop quiz!
S9 · 24 Aug 2026 · 16 min
During the summer break, the 15-Minute History team will be republishing some of your favorite episodes. This episode originally aired on October 4, 2021. --- The steamboat passed the port and he looked out at the brown, muddy water. The heat was failing and the humidity began to soak his clothes. Soon it would be twilight and the lighting bugs would begin to flash on the shoreline. As the boat moved downriver, he saw an old wooden raft hitched to a tree near the shore. It had a battered steering rudder, and the logs that were tied together looked so beaten he would have guessed it…
20 Aug 2026 · 6 min
Is America approaching an end similar to Rome's? No. But are there lessons from how the Roman Empire collapsed in the West that nations and leaders can apply to their own situations? Of course, so Joe and Jon explore those topics today. Join us every Thursday this summer for new pop quizzes and on Mondays for rebroadcast episodes!
S9 · 17 Aug 2026 · 16 min
During the summer break, the 15-Minute History team will be republishing some of your favorite episodes. This episode originally aired on November 14, 2022. --- "I once knew a little boy whose mother and father died when he was six years old. He was a slave and had no one to care for him. He slept on a dirt floor in a hovel, and in cold weather would crawl into a meal bag head foremost and leave his feet in the ashes to keep them warm. Often he would roast an ear of corn and eat it to satisfy his hunger, and many times has he crawled under the barn or stable and secured eggs, which he would…
13 Aug 2026 · 5 min
Why do people continue to believe the worst about historical villains even if the facts prove they aren't quite as bad as some people thought? Join us every Thursday this summer for new pop quizzes and on Mondays for rebroadcast episodes!
S1 · 10 Aug 2026 · 15 min
During the summer break, the 15-Minute History team will be republishing some of your favorite episodes. This episode originally aired on October 20, 2025. --- America is often described as a nation of ideas because its founders risked everything for principles in which they believed. But the revolutionaries had to overcome fears in their own hearts and those of their more hesitant countrymen. In this episode, Jon takes us through how America found these ideas, overcame those fears, and clung to hope of victory. Join us for new episodes and discussions every Monday, and comment below with…
6 Aug 2026 · 5 min
Why do politicians always call back to an idea--real or imagined--of the past? Is it as simple as wanting to make their country great again, or is there a deeper motivation? Join us every Thursday this summer for new pop quizzes and on Mondays for rebroadcast episodes!
S9 · 3 Aug 2026 · 15 min
During the summer break, the 15-Minute History team will be republishing some of your favorite episodes. This episode originally aired on February 9, 2026. --- American progressives at the turn of the 20th century saw major flaws in the United States Constitution and worked to correct them through the process of amendments. Each one was the subject of debate and controversy, and all four made measurable changes to American society (though one can debate the merits of some). Join us for this survey of the four progressive amendments--as well as a funny story from Jon's classroom--and tune in…
30 Jul 2026 · 5 min
Would Britain have surrendered if Germany had destroyed its army at Dunkirk? This week, Joe and Jon explore one of the classic "what ifs" of the Second World War. Join us every Thursday this summer for new pop quizzes and on Mondays for rebroadcast episodes!
S9 · 27 Jul 2026 · 19 min
During the summer break, the 15-Minute History team will be republishing some of your favorite episodes. This episode originally aired on December 1, 2025. --- Washington burns. The White House is in flames. But from the smoke and ashes, a nation discovers what it means to be American. The War of 1812's darkest hour became its defining triumph. As British veterans fresh from defeating Napoleon torched the capital, as rockets rained on Fort McHenry, as peace was signed but war raged on, Americans transformed humiliation into legend. Join us for the explosive conclusion of our two-part series…
23 Jul 2026 · 4 min
The Europeans may envy America's mighty air conditioners, but what would our country look like without this wondrous invention? Join us every Thursday for new Pop Quizzes this summer!
S9 · 20 Jul 2026 · 20 min
During the summer break, the 15-Minute History team will be republishing some of your favorite episodes. This episode originally aired on November 17, 2025. --- Detroit falls without a fight. War Hawks demand blood. But on a blood-slick deck, four words become legend: Don’t give up the ship. The War of 1812 is often dismissed as a minor conflict, overshadowed by the Revolution and the Civil War. But this overlooked war forged American identity through fire and defiance on land and sea. Join us as we launch our two-episode exploration of the War of 1812. In this first installment, we…
16 Jul 2026 · 3 min
Jon didn't give his students a reading list this summer, but if he had, what books would he have assigned? Join us every Monday for rebroadcast episodes this summer and on Thursdays for new Pop Quizzes! (Even when they're late--Jon got his dates mixed up because he's a teacher on summer break...)
S9 · 13 Jul 2026 · 14 min
During the summer break, the 15-Minute History team will be republishing some of your favorite episodes. This episode originally aired on November 3, 2025. --- In the popular mind, John Adams' life and one term as President of the United States is often treated as a footnote alongside the careers of Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and George Washington. But Adams left an indelible mark on his country's history. So as we continue our look into the revolutionary period, this episode shares three elements from his life that capture the essence of this fascinating man.
9 Jul 2026 · 3 min
How do we know when a political party goes "too far" on policy? And what happens when there is a backlash against their ideas? Join us every week this summer for rebroadcast episodes and new pop quizzes!
S9 · 8 Jul 2026 · 22 min
During the summer break, the 15-Minute History team will be republishing some of your favorite episodes. This episode originally aired on January 26, 2026. --- "You must make your body." An asthmatic boy in wire-rimmed spectacles nods. Decades later, shot in the chest, he'll deliver a 90-minute speech: "It takes more than that to kill a Bull Moose." Theodore Roosevelt is often reduced to caricature - the Rough Rider, the big game hunter, the face on Mount Rushmore. But this oversimplified image misses the man who transformed personal weakness into national strength. Join us as we explore the…
4 Jul 2026 · 22 min
To celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, we've re-recorded an episode from season 1 entitled "Their Safety and Happiness," which looks at the historical and philosophical roots of the document. Joe and Jon then have a new discussion about America's best moments in history, the Declaration's role in our history, and dangerous fun involving fireworks! We hope you all have a happy Independence Day--and that you wake up tomorrow with the same number of fingers and toes!
Walking in the footsteps of history, fifteen minutes at a time. Join us for a 15-minute episode covering a person, place, or event in history, and stay for an extended discussion. New episodes and discussions every week.
15-Minute History is a English history podcast from 15-Minute History Podcast. Melo plays each episode straight from the publisher's own feed — no ads added, no account needed — and remembers where you stopped, in this browser only.
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