American History Hit

We've all seen the famous painting of General George Washington leading his men across the icy waters of the Delaware River. But what happened next? Today, we're exploring the Battle of Trenton, where Washington struck a devastating blow against the British and their Hessian allies, and discovering how this daring victory helped turn the tide of the American Revolutionary War.

Our guest today is Major Jonathan Bratten, Command historian with the Maine National Guard. He’s the award-winning author of ‘To the Last Man: A National Guard Regiment in the Great War, 1917-1919.’

Produced by Tomos Delargy. Edited by Aliza Dams. Senior Producer was Freddy Chick.

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All music from Epidemic Sounds.

American History Hit is a History Hit podcast.

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What made the Aztecs one of the most sophisticated empires of their age? How widespread was human sacrifice? And what brought about their fall from power?

Our guest today is Dr. Camilla Townsend, author of Fifth Sun: A New History of the Aztecs, to talk us through the rise of the Aztec Empire and the 16th century Spanish conquest.

Produced by Tomos Delargy. Edited by Tim Arstall. 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 podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.

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All music from Epidemic Sounds.

American History Hit is a History Hit podcast.

History Hit is part of Little Dot Studios, a Certified B Corp™

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Have you ever heard of the Jersey Devil? A creature with bat-like wings, horse's hooves and hellish horns that stalks the New Jersey Pine Barrens, terrorising humans and killing livestock.

According to legend, one cold New Jersey night in 1735, a woman in labour with her 13th child cried out, "Let this one be a devil!" If you believe the stories, she got her wish, and over the next two and a half centuries the Jersey Devil was sighted by some of history's most unlikely players, from Napoleon Bonaparte's brother to a distinguished Navy officer.

But what is the Jersey Devil really? Where did it come from? What can we learn from the continued popularity of the Jersey Devil today? And did Don ever catch a glimpse of it while camping in the Pine Barrens as a boy?!

Our guest today is Dr Lynne McNeill, Associate Professor of Folklore Studies in the Department of History, Culture & Ideas at Utah State University to bring the Jersey Devil to life like never before.

Produced by Tim Arstall & Sophie Gee. Edited by Aidan Lonergan. The Senior Producer is Freddy Chick.

Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.

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All music from Epidemic Sounds.

American History Hit is a History Hit podcast.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It all started with two young girls and three accused women. It ended with more than 200 accused, 20 executed and the name Salem forever connected with another word: witch.

Don is joined by Professor Mikki Brock from Washington and Lee University to find out what really happened in Salem Village in the late 17th century.

Produced by Sophie Gee. Edited by Aliza Dams. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long.

Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.

You can take part in our listener survey here.

All music from Epidemic Sounds.

American History Hit is a History Hit podcast.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In November 1969 a group of Native American activists, protesting against centuries of forced relocation, broken treaties and the erosion of tribal sovereignty, launched a daring operation to take over the old prison on the Island of Alcatraz. Over the following nineteen month, it would become one of the most remarkable acts of protest in American history... but who were the figures that led this movement? And what did it achieve?

Our guest today is Kent Blansett, Professor of Indigenous Studies and US History at the University of Kansas. He is the author of ‘A Journey to Freedom: Richard Oakes, Alcatraz, and the Red Power Movement’.

Produced by Tomos Delargy. Edited by Aliza Dams. Senior Producer is Freddy Chick.

Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.

You can take part in our listener survey here.

All music from Epidemic Sounds.

American History Hit is a History Hit podcast.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.