American History Hit

Their name is synonymous with power, influence ... and tragedy. And with so much of the latter, many have taken to speculating - are the Kennedy family cursed? To find out more, Don is joined by Profe...

The Trail of Tears is one of the darkest chapters in American history: the forced removal of thousands of Native Americans from their ancestral lands in the Southeast to territories west of the Missis...

The United Society of Believers in Christ's Second Appearing, best known as the Shakers, emerged in the UK in the 18th Century. So how is it that the three remaining Shakers are based in the US? How d...

We've all heard of the Texas Rangers: an undoubted icon of the American West. In this week’s instalment of our Frontier series, we’ll be exploring the history of lawmen famed for riding across a viole...

This is the largest battle, by number of combatants, of the entire Civil War. But why? What was the federal objective at Fredericksburg? And how did it all go so wrong for Burnside and his troops? Don...

The words 'Donner Party' have become synonymous with disaster in the American imagination. In this week’s instalment of our Frontier miniseries, we’ll be exploring how this group of pioneers' journey ...

It's known as the deadliest single day in American history: the Battle of Antietam. After weeks of Union defeats, Confederate forces pushed north into Maryland and carried the war onto Northern soil f...

Heroic cowboys on horseback. Bands of outlaws. Brawls in small town saloons. This is the Wild West as popular culture remembers it. But was it really as “wild” as we’ve been led to believe? Did the vi...

Franklin D Roosevelt is consistently considered one of the United States' best Presidents. Elected four times, he oversaw the end of the Great Depression and victory in the Second World War. But was a...

In the first instalment of our Frontier miniseries, we explore one of the most iconic symbols in American history: the Oregon Trail. For decades, thousands of Americans packed their lives into wooden ...