Lectures in History

Robert Rowland, a political communications professor at the University of Kansas, critiques George W. Bush's October 2002 Iraq speech. He breaks down the speech's threat claims and evidence. He presents an informed-citizen method to evaluate rhetoric. He examines fear appeals, risks of regime change, and how citizens can demand clearer government reasoning.

Robert Donnelly, a Gonzaga history professor who studies modern America and the Cold War, makes the case that Jimmy Carter reshaped Cold War dynamics. He explores Carter’s human rights diplomacy, covert and overt responses to Soviet actions, economic and cultural pressures, and military modernization that later influenced U.S. strategy. Short, provocative takes on policy, dissent, and geopolitical consequences.

David Sirota, who is based in Denver, Colorado, has some very strong views about money and politics. His book is called "Master Plan: The Hidden Plot to Legalize Corruption in America." There are 11 chapters which reflect the 11 episodes of his podcast, "Master Plan." In order to tell his story, he points his finger at the 1971 Powell secret memo. That's former US Supreme Court Associate Justice Lewis Powell, who served on the Supreme Court from 1972 to 1987. He died in 1998 at age 90. Author Sirota, who is 50, writes that the Powell memo laid out a comprehensive step-by-step strategy for corporate America to regain control, protect its interests, and reshape the political and legal system of the United States to favor business. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Veda Schlimgen, a Gonzaga professor of Hawaiian history and culture, traces 20th-century Hawaiian language revival, canoe rebuilding, and political activism. Short segments cover wayfinding’s rebirth, protests over land and military use, and how language work unlocked archival records. The conversation ties Hawaiian movements to wider Pacific decolonization.

Lawrence Cappello, University of Alabama history professor who teaches American constitutional history and privacy law. He traces Fourth Amendment rules through Olmstead, Katz, and Carpenter. Short takes on wiretaps, phone booths, reasonable expectations of privacy, surveillance harms, and privacy-preserving tech and legal balances.

University of Louisville history professor Matthew Goldberg chronicles the 1898 Spanish-American War, fought primarily in Cuba, Guam, and the Philippines. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Brigham Young University professor Grant Madsen examines supply-side economics which was termed "Reaganomics." Brigham Young University is located in Provo, Utah. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Brown University professor Marion Orr lectures on the life & legacy of Congressman Charles Diggs, Jr. The Michigan Democrat founded the Congressional Black Caucus and was the only federal official to attend the trial of Emmett Till's killers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 1957, the beeps from Sputnik, a small Russian satellite, sent the USSR & US into a space race. Teasel Muir-Harmony of the Air & Space Museum chronicles the history of space travel and how the U.S. landed on the Moon and how we're going back in 2026. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Shannon White, a geospatial researcher who maps historic landscapes, and Rob Garnett, a hands-on interpreter of Continental Army camp life, join to trace Lafayette’s 1781 encampment on the William & Mary grounds. They map the site, explain why water and terrain mattered, and bring camp life to life with drills, rations, disease risks, and logistics.