In 1985, a new Treasury Secretary had a shocking idea. Get the financial leaders of the world large economies in one gilded hotel room and don't tell the press, or the markets, until the deal is done. The Plaza Accords, as they were dubbed, has come up again in today's tariff discussions. At least one administration official would say it's what's n…

You know about the Battles of Lexington and Concord, the shot heard around the world, the minutemen and their trifold hats and muskets. But how much do you really know about the day's events? This episode we look at the day of fighting at Concord, when a British raiding party turned into a display of American resistance and a trial run for American…

If you like My History Can Beat Up Your Politics, you’ll enjoy the new season of Fiasco, a podcast from Slow Burn creator Leon Neyfakh. Leon transports listeners into the day-to-day reality of the United States’ most pivotal historical events, bringing to life the forgotten twists and turns of the past while shedding light on the present. In his ne…

Lincoln owned land in Iowa, but didn't get a chance to see it. It did remain in the family for a while. We talk about it, what happened to it, and the area around Tama county where one of his lots was. It's part of the bonus content on the Patreon. Subscribe to the Patreon for as little as $5 dollars a month and get ad-free episodes, and bonus epis…

The 22nd and 24th President staked his first re-election bid opposing tariffs. There were reasons. He felt they increased prices on all goods, including non-imports, he thought they were limited in benefit to working people, and he had a third warning that is not as prominent in debates today. We discuss his 1887 Tariff Message. Learn more about yo…

You may know his tariff, but not him. A look at the man behind the Smoot-Hawley Tariff. Reed Smoot, Senator from Utah. His history, his politics, his views on tariffs. His battles for a mix of conservative issues and progressive stands. And his battle to keep his own seat from religious intolerance. Plus a discussion on tariffs in history and the v…

That's right - sign up for Patreon for our most recent episode about the 21st President, Chester Alan Arthur. In this episode, the establishment takes on the establishment, but just a little. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesBy Bruce Carlson

Federal judges and Presidents have clashed in the past. It's rarely been cheery. As executive power exists only within the frame of law, this should be expected. There are freak events where Presidents have ignored judicial orders, but it is not the routine. We get into it, including a case of a man on a horse following U.S. soldiers, a tribe's rem…

Samuel Tilden won the popular vote but lost the Presidency to Rutherford B. Hayes in the disputed electoral college. That is is his footnote in history. He's also known for taking down Boss Tweed. Though his actual role is disputed by people at the time. What's less known about him is the source of the family money. His family sold patent medicines…

A bit from TR on making peace, why we should drop the Mary Todd and other stories. Ad Free for Airwave History subscribers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesBy Bruce Carlson

Andrew Jackson and Martin Van Buren's policy of Indian population removal, which lead to the Trail of Tears and thousands of deaths, was not uncontested or passively allowed at the time. Nearly half of Congress opposed it, as did petition writers all over the nation. So did one of the President's former friends and of course, most of the elected re…

What does it mean to be a Stalwart? In history, it's just a name for political machine pros seeking jobs and being corrupt. But it was more. While telling how Chester Arthur became the nation's most famous fired civil servant, we explain politics in the 19th century. The real battles then were inside the party. On our Patreon now, [www.patreon.com/…

It was clunky, and a little Office Space-like. And it cut federal jobs. But then-Vice President Al Gore's "REGO" program was different in many ways from "DOGE" -The 1993 program was bipartisan, considered [cuts were identified, then made, in that order. And it was slow, and generated little protest. It did generate tension in the Clinton White Hous…

A bit about what we've got cooking at Patreon, including the first of three parts of our series on the 21st President. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesBy Bruce Carlson

Bruce is on a tear being told that given the norm-breaking going on there is no place for history. Nothing can be farther from the truth. He outlines why, instead of history not being useful, it's actually quick history (comparing say Trump to Obama) that is still interesting, but maybe won't lock down the kind of results you want. But in the long …

From the man who answered T.R.'s phone and maybe saved his life, to the secret "Sphinx" around Woodrow Wilson, to Coolidge's surprise enforcer. We look at all sorts of Presidential assistants and aides, both official ones and non-official ones. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices…

This episode is all about voting in the federal capital we now call the District of Columbia. We talk about a movement to get voting rights that succeeded for a group of (then) D.C. residents 180 years ago, And about the petitions, committees, tea parties, bus trips and statements by Presidents over the years, and the reactions of Congress to them.…

Now on the Patreon: Franklin Roosevelt Takes on Jimmy Walker In the sweltering summer of 1932, Franklin Delano Roosevelt found himself ensnared in a political web spun by the most notorious machine in New York politics—Tammany Hall. As governor of New York, Roosevelt was well aware of the rampant corruption within the city’s government, but his pos…

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesBy Bruce Carlson

The idea of saving manufacturing jobs is front-and-center in American politics today. Examining the history of plant closings and job losses In the 70's and 80's provides an interesting contrast. "We ought to make stuff here, or we should try to keep this plant open." were radical stances, confined to political fringes, and usually left. In once ca…

In our series on American commerce, a look at three instances of when U.S. commerce was stopped, for a variety of reasons. The embargo of 1807 is an important part of the Presidency of Thomas Jefferson, not often examined in detailed compared to other events. It brought serious economic problems, but was held up by Jefferson as an experiment by a p…

In the 1970's a President, seeking to reduce inflation, tried a new tactic. Simply not spending the money that congress appropriated. OK, it wasn't entirely new, but it had been used in defense spending after the war where demand was needed or in very small amounts. This was billions of collars. As we discuss impoundment could be considered unfair …

When it comes to citizenship decided by birth, the story of Wong Kim Ark, a young man born in the US of Chinese descent who was denied entry to his country, should be on a few minds. We tell that story in this episode, along with the Sand Lot protests that led to his change in status, and the 1804 about a ship that helped reinforce their thinking. …

An unknown man in a forgotten office develops a number that makes and breaks Presidents. A poet turns his song away from beautiful pastures and towards a metal object. Two 19th century men tire themselves out making machines. They can't know their work will one day put us on the Moon And a man tries to invent an un-commerce, but may have built the …

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesBy Bruce Carlson

Air commerce is covered in this episode. Not only vehicles that imitate naval travel in the skies, which seemed to be the future of travel. But also, putting waves into the air and changing the air's temperature. Plus, building large buildings that touch the sky. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices…

The history of American retail, from Mrs. Lincoln's shopping trips and the innovator who accommodated her, to the price salvationists and tea servers, and finally the Socialist concept that gets the shopping mall going, and the possible death of the shopping mall. Plus the movies, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adcho…

A mysterious crash. A strange contraption. A fateful race, an outbreak of violent activity and a crafty watch-seller. A look at the railroad history of America and the changes the railroad brought. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesBy Bruce Carlson

Random, yet relevant stories about Jimmy Carter as a candidate, a governor and President Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesBy Bruce Carlson

For Wall Street Insiders, Black Monday was not the worst day. The next day, Terrible Tuesday was an agonizing test of the financial system. As part of our series on the commercial history of the United States, we examine the events of Tuesday the 20th. And we look at the history of insurance in America, the reasons there is a stock market, what was…

A unique boat is built to overcome a powerful challenge in interstate water commerce. a revolution is fed by fish. A writer turns commerce into words. A well known Revolutionary figure finds an agreeable industry, while young workers take a stand. A new high tech monopoly is broken, and a young boy gets his dream. Learn more about your ad choices. …

What's the stock market crash of 1987 got to do with the price of eggs/ Plenty, in a historical context. We look at the infamous crash of 1987 and how the computers did not save us. Nor did insurance which has a lot do with eggs, and eggs have a lot do with feeding Americans and making Americans a little money, and they have a lot do with needing m…

We are replaying our series on American business history with an eye to its inseparable effect on politics. In this look at American commercial history we discuss the Black Thursday Stock market crash, the early career of Thomas Edison, how a popular game evolved from a anticorporate activist, and how Wall Street was once in Philadelphia, so to spe…

We will be running the Ark of Commerce series again between now and February. Also pardons, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesBy Bruce Carlson

A transition between Presidents of opposite parties. Nothing starts a good presidential transition like charges of treason, and thus it was in 1968 that a tense election ending started a transition between Presidents of two parties. Yet all things considering, Richard Nixon and Lyndon Johnson's transition is considered one of the better ones. We al…

Viewing newspapers from November, 1892 we get a sense of what was being said the last time a former president came back and the "ex" was switched from the former President to the current President. From parades to sour notes and recriminations, from stories of how the election was lost, to predictions that it would be a quick 4 years for the winner…

We get into a little on history compared to 2024 this on the episode. Join the Patreon GET THIS EPISODE AD-FREE to ask questions or listen to extra episodes, www.myhistorycanbeatupyourpolitics.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesBy Bruce Carlson

Can a President shut down the Senate. Legal scholars agree on an answer "Yes but..." President-Elect / President Trump has invoked an obscure section of the Constitution that has never been used, in order to prod Senators on his appointments. Is it a true power? What is the clause, why is it there, what does it mean, and what might a Supreme Court …

We look at three stories from history. How did Bismarck North Dakota retain its name? Is there really a Stockholm Syndrome, and Lincoln's pardons and commutations, as seen by a supporter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesBy Bruce Carlson

In case it's interesting, here's some of what Bruce said back in 2016 when President Trump won his first full term. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesBy Bruce Carlson

From the early attempts to depict Washington, to the first Congressional attempts to block Confederate statues, to today's debate. In this episode Bruce examines the history behind statues in America, and Bruce looks at every debating point and angle he can think of regarding Confederate statues, the dates of their construction and their removal. P…

A look at the Neo Nazi rally in Skokie, IL in 1977 and the resulting Supreme Court Case and the ACLU's role. In recent days Skokie has been brought up; and a look at the history of events is useful. We look at Louis Brandeis's great speech on the First Amendment, Chief Justice Robert's view of it recently, Alito's other take. Finally Bruce wonders …

It wasn't supposed to be close. Then new strategies, a speech and a surprising foreign policy event completely changed the election between Richard Nixon and Hubert Humphrey. Two vice presidents battled it out. One major poll said Nixon had a lead, the other said Humphrey. Both by only a couple of points. The candidates do their Telethons, and the …

We look at the Chase, Clinton and Johnson precedents for attempted impeachment, we attempt to answer questions about this oft-discussed, rarely used, and perhaps, poorly understood Constitutional function. Why is impeachment so rarely used? Why does the Senate try the President? Does the Senate become a Court when it does, or stay the Senate? What …

As we discuss with David Priess of Chatter Podcast (and the author of books on national security and presidential history) - it's tough to run for President when you are the sitting VP. It hasn't worked that often. Just twice since the 12th Amendment changed the election rules surrounding VPs, a vice president has won the big job. David goes into w…

The "bone and sinew" in Pennsylvania, the voters there, would determine the election of Zachary Taylor or Cass. So said the candidate Zachary Taylor himself. In the final part of our two-party series on the 1848 Presidential Election, we look at stump speeches, the third party Free Soilers, Stephen Douglas speaking for Democratic candidate Lewis Ca…

In Part 1 of our two-parter on the 1848 election, American politics is experiencing its greatest tumult. To long-time politicos the world is upside down as Whigs are working with Democrats, Democrats with Whigs. Writers are declaring a new Young America and an out with the old. America's territory is about to expand greatly, and there's arguments a…

Only one person has been elected President twice in non-consecutive terms. But it was not easy. To do it Grover Cleveland had to pass a few difficult tests. From Goody-Goodies to Anti-Snappers, to Anti-Egoists and Scarecrow Festivals; from entering opposing party contests in secret ways to placing bets for your own candidate, to pretending to run i…

'The public and the public papers have been much occupied lately in placing us in a point of opposition to each other. ' So wrote Jefferson to Adams about the 1796 Presidential Election, America's first with two candidates with true campaigns. ... Before it was over there would feature negative ads, misconstructions of candidate statements, foreign…

When President Kennedy inspired the nation to put a man on the Moon, he did so at a time when the word "inflation" was not on the mind of most Americans. Why should it have been, the rate was a paltry 1.1%. And we needed to beat the Soviets to the Moon. Once we did, and as the cost of goods, materials and rocket fuel rose over time, The United Stat…