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The "Other" Great Depressions

History Shorts

Release Date: 06/03/2025

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History Shorts

In this riveting episode of History Shorts, host Peter Zablocki welcomes one of America's most celebrated historians, Rick Atkinson, to discuss the second installment of his Revolutionary War trilogy: The Fate of Day. Together, they explore the pivotal years of 1777 to 1780, a period that saw both near-collapse and unexpected momentum for the American cause. Atkinson shares insights into the decisive Battles of Saratoga, the harrowing winter at Valley Forge, and the shifting loyalties in a war that was as much a civil war as it was a war for independence. Highlights & Takeaways: How...

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In this gripping episode of History Shorts, we unravel the story behind one of the most dangerous jokes in modern political history, President Ronald Reagan’s infamous quip during a 1984 radio mic check: “My fellow Americans, I’m pleased to tell you today that I’ve signed legislation that will outlaw Russia forever. We begin bombing in five minutes.” It was meant to be a joke. But in the middle of the Cold War, with tensions between the U.S. and the Soviet Union running dangerously high, the fallout was anything but funny. From international panic to Soviet military alerts, this...

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The The "Other" Great Depressions

History Shorts

The 1929 stock market crash is burned into America’s memory, but it wasn’t the first economic catastrophe that rocked the United States! In this episode of History Shorts, we uncover the forgotten depressions and recessions that rocked the United States before and after the Great Depression. From the Panic of 1837 to the Long Depression of the 1870s, we explore how each economic collapse shaped public trust, national policy, and the role of government. What caused these downturns? How did Americans respond—and what lessons did we learn (or ignore)? Why did only the 1930s crisis embed...

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Long after the fatal duel at Weehawken, the names Hamilton and Burr would meet again, this time, not on a dueling ground, but in a courtroom. In this episode of History Shorts, we unravel the astonishing legal battle between Alexander Hamilton Jr., son of the slain Founding Father, and Aaron Burr, the man who killed him. At the heart of the story is Eliza Jumel, a woman of ambition and wealth who married Burr late in life, and quickly came to regret it. When Burr’s financial schemes came to light, she hired Hamilton Jr. as her divorce attorney, setting the stage for a surreal and...

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More Episodes

The 1929 stock market crash is burned into America’s memory, but it wasn’t the first economic catastrophe that rocked the United States!

In this episode of History Shorts, we uncover the forgotten depressions and recessions that rocked the United States before and after the Great Depression. From the Panic of 1837 to the Long Depression of the 1870s, we explore how each economic collapse shaped public trust, national policy, and the role of government.

What caused these downturns?
How did Americans respond—and what lessons did we learn (or ignore)?
Why did only the 1930s crisis embed itself in national memory?

This episode reframes the Great Depression not as a singular event, but as the culmination of a historical pattern America has faced time and again.

 

DON’T FORGET TO SUBSCRIBE AND LEAVE A RATING OR A REVIEW! THANK YOU IN ADVANCE!

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