American History Tellers

In 1723, a teenage Benjamin Franklin arrived in Philadelphia ready to reinvent himself. He was a penniless apprentice printer with a hunger for knowledge and a burning ambition. Over the next 50 years...

In the spring of 1775, Benjamin Franklin left London for America after years of fruitless attempts to ease tensions with the British government. By the time he arrived home in Philadelphia, American a...

June 24, 1535. A radical political uprising comes to an end when the city of Münster falls to an Bishop’s army. You can listen ad-free in the Wondery or Amazon Music app. Or for all that and more, go...

The new book from American History Tellers, The Hidden History of the White House: Power Struggles, Scandals, and Defining Moments, is available now from William Morrow. Click here to order your copy!...

 June 10, 1692. Accusations of witchcraft spark hysteria in a town in Massachusetts, leading to the execution of Bridget Bishop – the first victim of the Salem Witch Trials. You can listen ad-free in...

In the early 1850s, Scottish immigrant Allan Pinkerton stumbled upon a counterfeiting operation while gathering wood for his barrel-making business. After helping the authorities arrest the criminals,...

In the mid-1870s the Pinkerton Detective Agency’s fame was growing, and founder Allan Pinkerton began to pen bestselling books that promoted his and the agency’s crime-fighting image even more. But af...

By the late 1800s, the Pinkerton Detective Agency faced public criticism for their anti-labor practices. So the company pivoted, sending Pinkerton detectives out to do what they did best, traveling th...

Allan Pinkerton started the Pinkerton National Detective Agency to catch robbers, counterfeiters and spies. For a time, Pinkerton detectives enjoyed their good image, carefully crafted by Pinkerton hi...

May 13th 1981: Pope John Paul II is shot in a mysterious assassination plot with potential ties to the KGB. You can listen ad-free in the Wondery or Amazon Music app. Or for all that and more, go to ...