Civics & Coffee: A History Podcast

Join me this week as I sit down with educator and author Jessica Lander to review her new book Making Americans: Stories of Historic Struggles, New Ideas, and Inspiration in Immigrant Education.

Land…

Touted as the Happiest Place on Earth, Disneyland is one of the most iconic and well known amusement parks in history. Originally opening in 1955, the Disney brand has gone through a massive expansio…

Joining me this week is presidential historian and author, Dr. Lindsay M Chervinsky to discuss her latest work, Mourning the Presidents: Loss and Legacy in American Culture.

In this episode we talk a…

In the 1840s, the United States was in a mad dash to expand its borders under the guise of manifest destiny, or the belief that it was God's will for the United States to extend its territory and spr…

Join me this week as I interview historian, surfer, and author Steve Estes about his latest book, Surfing the South.

In this episode we talk about oral history, what you can learn about United States…

Eleventh President James K Polk is often touted as America's first "dark horse" candidate. Considered a man who was plucked from relative obscurity to command the republic, Polk's administration not …

A prolific writer, essayist, and poet, Alice Walker's career spans over five decades. 

Her most famous work to date, The Color Purple, won her both the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award and made …

The largest museum complex in the world, The Smithsonian boasts over twenty museums, a zoo, and several archives open to scholars and researchers.

But how did the Smithsonian begin? How has it evolve…

Widowed while in office, John Tyler remarried just a few short years after his wife passed at the age of 51.

Though he'd been courting Julia Gardiner for several months, it was a catastrophic accident…

The first First Lady to die in the White House and the first of two wives of tenth President John Tyler, Letitia Tyler was pivotal in her husband's success.

Staying behind to manage their plantation …

Despite our fascination with presidents and their administrations, historically little attention was paid to the transition process -- what happens between election night and Inauguration Day.

The de…

The first Vice President to assume the Presidency in the aftermath of the death of William Henry Harrison, John Tyler made a significant contribution to the functions of American democracy.

Amidst th…

Happy Holidays!

In December 1965, CBS aired a Peanuts holiday special they were sure was going to bomb with audiences. It was considered so bad there was doubt as to whether it would ever see the lig…

This week I welcome fellow graduate student and good friend Ethan Healey to the show. In this episode we provide a peek behind the curtain at the trials, tribulations, and high points of pursuing a M…

Wife of one president and grandmother to another, Anna Symmes Harrison was the backbone to her family, maintaining both the house and finances as her husband built his political career.

But who was A…

The man who holds the record of shortest presidential administration in United States history and the first President to die in office, William Henry Harrison is a man of many stories - and a few myt…

Located in central Florida, Fort King was a central site during the Seminole Wars and is a National Historic Landmark where visitors from across the globe can visit and learn about the indigenous tri…

Happy Thanksgiving Week!

Join me as I chat with three other super amazing hosts for a history podcast Friendsgiving. Kenny from Abridged Presidential Histories, Howard from Plodding Through the Presi…

One of the oldest federal institutions in the country, the Post Office is as American as apple pie. Originally intended as a method to ensure communication between the colonies and Britain, the post …

One of the founders of the city of San Francisco, very little is known about William Alexander Leidesdorff. Born on the island of St. Croix in 1810, Leidesdorff helped pave the way for the sleepy pue…