American History Hotline

Did JFK Save a Man's Life?

You can't spell "hero" without JFK. Ok, so you can. But that doesn't take away from the fact that a young John F. Kennedy saved a man's life in WWII — a war he wasn't even supposed to be in! Bob calls up Alexis Coe, New York Times bestselling presidential historian and author of Young Jack: A Biography of John F. Kennedy, 1917–1957, to uncover the thrilling true story of JFK towing an injured crew mate through shark infested waters (by his teeth!) to safety.  Alexis also helps us understand why JFK fought so hard to serve in WWII, despite serious health problems and a free pass out of the conflict. It's this bravery and selflessness that made JFK a dreamboat to the ladies and ultimately our 35th president.  GUEST: Alexis Coe, author of Young Jack: A Biography of John F. Kennedy, 1917–1957 [https://www.alexiscoe.com/] (to be released in 2026) See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

Is it Time for a Third Party?

Are our two main political parties so toxic that a third party may soon takeover American politics? Don't count on it. We'll dive into why right now is the opportune time for a third party to rise to power ... and why that party is destined to fail.  But who knows?! Anything is possible.   GUEST: Michael Cullinane [https://www.michaelpatrickcullinane.com/], professor of U.S. History and the Lowman Walton Chair of Theodore Roosevelt Studies at Dickinson State University in North Dakota. He’s also author of the soon-to-be released book: Theodore Roosevelt and the Tennis Cabinet. See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

Did Thomas Jefferson Steal the Declaration of Independence?

Good artists borrow, great artists steal. Apparently, Thomas Jefferson got the memo. It turns out some North Carolinians penned their own Declaration of Independence nearly a year before TJ scribed his.  So, if Thomas Jefferson stole (borrowed/homaged) the language for the Declaration of Independence, why have we never talked about this? Well, there was one heck of cover up!  To get the full story, we call up David Fleming, author of Who's Your Founding Father?: One Man’s Epic Quest to Uncover the First, True Declaration of Independence [https://a.co/d/f5Cmvkb].  See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

Was Clara Barton a Bad Ass?

Clara Barton spent the Civil War kicking butts and taking names … except she was actually SAVING butts. In fact, her efforts to treat injuries on the battlefield and identify missing soldiers changed war forever. But what led Clara Barton to become the “Angel of the Battlefield”?  Bob calls up historian Susan Rosenvold [https://www.linkedin.com/in/susan-rosenvold-34974819/]to get some answers. From the chaos of Antietam to the creation of the American Red Cross, Clara Barton redefined nursing, humanitarian aid, and disaster relief in the United States. Oh yeah, and she did it all with no formal training.  See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

What's the Real Story of Disney's "Newsies"?

You may have seen it on Broadway ... or maybe your high school gym. The Tony Award-winning musical Newsies is a favorite for school productions because the story centers around newspaper-hawking kids who stand up to titan-of-industry Joseph Pulitzer.  Of course, we've learned that we shouldn't take our history lessons from Disney. So we've called up Vincent DiGirolamo (Crying the News: A History of America's Newsboys [https://vincentdigirolamo.com/crying-the-news-book/]) to give us the REAL story of the famous 1899 newsboys strike that inspired the Disney film.  You can find DiGirolamo's newest essay in the collection Newsies, Newsies — Read All About It!: Essays on the Film and Broadway Productions [https://www.amazon.com/Newsies-Newsies-Read-All-About-Productions/dp/1476691789].  See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.