America's Worst President

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1. 

   E422 · 24 Sep 2026 · 56 min

   LBJ & the Vietnam War

   How did a President who was so reluctant to ramp up America's presence in Vietnam become the one who increased it more than any other? When Lyndon B. Johnson was sworn in as President, he had big plans for his domestic agenda... but it would be his foreign policy decisions that eventually brought him down. Our guest today is Pierre Asselin, professor of American Foreign Relations at San Diego State University. He is a leading authority on the Vietnam War and is the author of A Bitter Peace: Washington, Hanoi, and the Making of the Paris Agreement and Hanoi’s Road to the Vietnam War,…

2. 

   E421 · 21 Sep 2026 · 50 min

   The Mormon Founding of Salt Lake City

   What drew the Latter Day Saints to Utah? Was anyone living there before the arrival of Brigham Young? And how did the city develop? Max Perry Mueller joins Don today to discuss Salt Lake City. Max is an associate professor of Religious Studies at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He writes more about this topic in 'Wakara’s America: The Life and Legacy of a Native Founder of the American West'. Produced by Sophie Gee. Edited by Aidan Lonergan. Senior Producer was Freddy Chick. Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free…

3. 

   E420 · 17 Sep 2026 · 41 min

   Jefferson & the Revolutionary War

   Thomas Jefferson has had no issue being remembered in American History. Ask anyone, this man was fundamental to Independence. But did he fight in the Revolutionary war itself? Don is joined by Michael Hattem, author of 'The Memory of ’76: The Revolution in American History'; 'Past and Prologue: Politics and Memory in the American Revolution'; and 'The Declaration of Independence: A Concise History', which will be published in November 2026. Produced by Sophie Gee. Edited by Tim Arstall. Senior Producer was Freddy Chick. Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries,…

4. 

   E419 · 14 Sep 2026 · 54 min

   What Really Happened At Waco?

   76 people died on 19th April 1993 when the compound of a religious sect, the Branch Davidians, went up in flames. It had been under siege by government agencies for 51 days, but no one knows what started the fire. Don is joined by Jeff Guinn, investigative reporter and author of ‘Waco: David Koresh, the Branch Dividians, and a Legacy of Rage’ to find out why the United States’ Government was interested in this religious compound outside Waco, Texas, and how the situation escalated to this point. Produced and edited by Sophie Gee. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long. Sign up to History Hit for…

5. 

   E418 · 10 Sep 2026 · 56 min

   Sherman's March: Invading the South

   General William Tecumseh Sherman's famous invasion of the Confederacy in 1864 has become American legend... but what did Union troops do along their route and how consequential was it to the final defeat of the Confederates? Our guest today is Anne Sarah Rubin, professor of history at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. She is the author of ‘ Through the Heart of Dixie: Sherman’s March and American Memory ’, and her most recent work is ‘ The Perfect Scout: A Soldier’s Memoir of the Great March to the Sea and the Campaign of the Carolinas, ’ Produced by Tomos Delargy. Edited by Tim…

6. 

   E416 · 3 Sep 2026 · 41 min

   The People's Founding Father

   Signatory of both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, James Wilson was a sitting Supreme Court justice when he died. So why is he missing from popular history? From inspiring the phrase 'we the people' to starting the ball rolling on the Electoral College, Jesse Wegman joins Don to discuss Wilson's influence on the United States. Jesse is Senior Fellow at the Brennan Center for Justice and author of 'The Lost Founder: James Wilson and the Forgotten Fight for a People's Constitution'. Edited by Tim Arstall. Produced by Sophie Gee. Senior Producer was Freddy Chick. Sign up to…

7. 

   E415 · 31 Aug 2026 · 43 min

   The Truth About the Louisiana Purchase

   We're all taught in school about the Louisiana Purchase, supposedly the greatest bargain in American history. Napoleon's deal with the Americans is widely remembered as a triumph for the United States… but is this history really as simple as we’re often taught? Our guest today is historian Alexander Mikaberidze, Professor of History at Louisiana State University in Shreveport. He is the author of award winning books including ‘ The Napoleonic Wars: A Global History ’ and, most recently, ‘ The Louisiana Purchase: The Grand Bargain and the Making of America’ . Edited by Tim Arstall. Produced…

8. 

   E414 · 27 Aug 2026 · 41 min

   Did Lee's Surrender End the Civil War?

   When and where did the Civil War end? Was it really over when Lee surrendered at Appomattox? Don is joined for this episode by Caroline E. Janney, Professor at the University of Virginia and author of 'Ends of War: The Unfinished Fight of Lee’s Army after Appomattox'. Listen to hear why Lee's and Grant's armies ended up at Appomattox Court House, what the terms of surrender were, and when the war actually ended. Edited by Tim Arstall. Produced by Sophie Gee. Senior Producer was Freddy Chick. Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week…

9. 

   E413 · 24 Aug 2026 · 49 min

   Why Did Reconstruction Fail?

   Over the course of this series, we've discussed the extraordinary promise of Reconstruction, as well as the relentless attacks these efforts came under. In this final episode, we're stepping back from the events themselves to ask the biggest question of all: why did Reconstruction fail? For today's episode, we welcome Prof. Aaron Sheehan-Dean of Louisiana State University back onto the show. His works include ‘ Why Confederates Fought: Family and a Nation in Civil War Virginia ’ and most recently ‘ Fighting with the Past: How Seventeenth Century History Shaped the American Civil War ’.…

10. 

    E412 · 20 Aug 2026 · 46 min

    The Fire That Changed New York

    On March 5 1911, 146 people died in a fire that lasted just 18 minutes. This event was to change the history of New York, and has an ongoing impact in each of our workplaces. Don is joined for this episode by David Conrad-Pérez to find out what made the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire so deadly, who is to credit for the changes made after it, and whether anyone ever faced justice for it. David is the author of ‘Fire in the Heart of the City: The Triangle Shirtwaist Tragedy and the Origins of Modern Charity’. Edited by Aidan Lonergan. Produced by Sophie Gee. Senior Producer was Freddy Chick.…