A Journey into Human History

Miranda Casturo

Welcome to a journey into human history. This podcast will attempt to tell the whole human story. You may be asking yourself what is history? Is it simply a record of things people have done? Is it what writer Maya Angelou suggested—a way to meet the pain of the past and overcome it? Or is it, as Winston Churchill said, a chronicle by the victors, an interpretation by those who write it? History is all this and more. Above all else, it is a path to knowing why we are the way we are—all our greatness, all our faults—and therefore a means for us to understand ourselves and change for the better. But history serves this function only if it is a true reflection of the past. It cannot be a way to mask the darker parts of human nature, nor a way to justify acts of previous generations. It is the historian’s task to paint as clear a picture as sources will allow. Will history ever be a perfect telling of the human tale? No. There are voices we may never hear. Yet each new history book written and each new source uncovered reveal an ever more precise record of events around the world. You are about to take a journey into human history. The content contained in this podcast was produced by OpenStax and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License. For more information please review the links and resources in the description. Podcast produced by Miranda Casturo as a creative common sense production. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/a-journey-into-human-history--5860966/support.

  1. 2d ago

    The Spanish American War and Overseas Empire

    In the wake of the Civil War, American economic growth combined with the efforts of Evangelist missionaries to push for greater international influence and overseas presence. By confronting Spain over its imperial rule in Cuba, the United States took control of valuable territories in Central America and the Pacific. For the United States, the first step toward becoming an empire was a decisive military one. By engaging with Spain, the United States was able to gain valuable territories in Latin America and Asia, as well as send a message to other global powers. The untested U.S. Navy proved superior to the Spanish fleet, and the military strategists who planned the war in the broader context of empire caught the Spanish by surprise. The annexation of the former Spanish colonies of Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines, combined with the acquisition of Hawaii, Samoa, and Wake Island, positioned the United States as the predominant world power in the South Pacific and the Caribbean. While some prominent figures in the United States vehemently disagreed with the idea of American empire building, their concerns were overruled by an American public—and a government—that understood American power overseas as a form of prestige, prosperity, and progress.             All images referenced in this podcast can be found at https://openstax.org/books/us-history/pages/22-2-the-spanish-american-war-and-overseas-empire             Welcome to A Journey into Human History.     This podcast will attempt to tell the whole human story.        The content contained in this podcast was produced by OpenStax and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License.      Access for free at https://openstax.org/details/books/us-history            Podcast produced by Miranda Casturo as a Creative Common Sense production.        No part of this podcast is made with generative AI          Voice narration provided by computerized text-to-speech through voicemaker.in        For those who prefer ad free listening other options of support are available.           https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/a-journey-into-human-history--5860966/support

  2. 4d ago

    Turner, Mahan, and the Roots of Empire

    In the last decades of the nineteenth century, after the Civil War, the United States pivoted from a profoundly isolationist approach to a distinct zeal for American expansion. The nation’s earlier isolationism originated from the deep scars left by the Civil War and its need to recover both economically and mentally from that event. But as the industrial revolution changed the way the country worked and the American West reached its farthest point, American attitudes toward foreign expansion shifted. Businesses sought new markets to export their factory-built goods, oil, and tobacco products, as well as generous trade agreements to secure access to raw materials. Early social reformers saw opportunities to spread Christian gospel and the benefits of American life to those in less developed nations. With the rhetoric of Fredrick J. Turner and the strategies of Alfred Mahan underpinning the desire for expansion abroad, the country moved quickly to ready itself for the creation of an American empire.             All images referenced in this podcast can be found at https://openstax.org/books/us-history/pages/22-1-turner-mahan-and-the-roots-of-empire             Welcome to A Journey into Human History.      This podcast will attempt to tell the whole human story.        The content contained in this podcast was produced by OpenStax and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License.      Access for free at https://openstax.org/details/books/us-history            Podcast produced by Miranda Casturo as a Creative Common Sense production.        No part of this podcast is made with generative AI          Voice narration provided by computerized text-to-speech through voicemaker.in        For those who prefer ad free listening other options of support are available.           https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/a-journey-into-human-history--5860966/support

  3. 6d ago

    Progressivism in the White House

    Theodore Roosevelt became president only by historical accident, but his activism in the executive branch spoke to the Progressive spirit in the nation and transformed the president’s office for the twentieth century. The courage he displayed in his confrontation of big business and willingness to side with workers in capital-labor disputes, as well as his commitment to the preservation of federal lands, set an agenda his successors had to match. Like Roosevelt, William Howard Taft pushed antitrust rulings and expanded federal oversight of interstate commerce. But estrangement from his predecessor and mentor left Taft in a difficult position for reelection. Roosevelt’s third-party challenge as a Progressive split the Republican vote and handed Woodrow Wilson the presidency in 1912.   A Progressive like his predecessors, Wilson was also a political creature who understood the need to do more in order to ensure his reelection. He, too, sought to limit the power of big businesses and stabilize the economy, and he ushered in a wave of Progressive legislation that grassroots Progressives had long called for. The nation’s entanglement in World War I, however, soon shunted the Progressive goals of democracy, efficiency, regulation, and social justice to the back burner. The nation’s new priorities included national security and making the world “safe for democracy.”             All images referenced in this podcast can be found at https://openstax.org/books/us-history/pages/21-4-progressivism-in-the-white-house             Welcome to A Journey into Human History.     This podcast will attempt to tell the whole human story.        The content contained in this podcast was produced by OpenStax and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License.      Access for free at https://openstax.org/details/books/us-history            Podcast produced by Miranda Casturo as a Creative Common Sense production.        No part of this podcast is made with generative AI          Voice narration provided by computerized text-to-speech through voicemaker.in        For those who prefer ad free listening other options of support are available.          https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/a-journey-into-human-history--5860966/support

  4. Sep 4

    New Voices for Women and African Americans

    The Progressive commitment to promoting democracy and social justice created an environment within which the movements for women’s and African American rights grew and flourished. Emergent leaders such as Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony, Carrie Chapman Catt, and Alice Paul spread the cause of woman suffrage, drawing in other activists and making the case for a constitutional amendment ensuring a woman’s right to vote. African Americans—guided by leaders such as Booker T. Washington and W. E. B. Du Bois—strove for civil rights and economic opportunity, although their philosophies and strategies differed significantly. In the women’s and civil rights movements alike, activists both advanced their own causes and paved the way for later efforts aimed at expanding equal opportunity and citizenship.             All images referenced in this podcast can be found at https://openstax.org/books/us-history/pages/21-3-new-voices-for-women-and-african-americans             Welcome to A Journey into Human History.     This podcast will attempt to tell the whole human story.        The content contained in this podcast was produced by OpenStax and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License.      Access for free at https://openstax.org/details/books/us-history            Podcast produced by Miranda Casturo as a Creative Common Sense production.        No part of this podcast is made with generative AI          Voice narration provided by computerized text-to-speech through voicemaker.in        For those who prefer ad free listening other options of support are available.          https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/a-journey-into-human-history--5860966/support

  5. Sep 2

    Progressivism at the Grassroots Level

    Progressive campaigns stretched from the hurricane-ruined townships of Texas to the slums of New York, from the factory floor to the saloon door. But what tied together these disparate causes and groups was the belief that the country was in dire need of reform, and that answers were to be found within the activism and expertise of predominantly middle-class Americans on behalf of troubled communities. Some efforts, such as the National Child Labor Committee, pushed for federal legislation; however, most Progressive initiatives took place at the state and local levels, as Progressives sought to harness public support to place pressure on politicians.        At the beginning of the twentieth century, a more radical, revolutionary breed of Progressivism began to evolve. While these radical Progressives generally shared the goals of their more mainstream counterparts, their strategies differed significantly. Mainstream Progressives and many middle-class Americans feared groups such as the Socialist Party of America and the Industrial Workers of the World, which emphasized workers’ empowerment and direct action. All images referenced in this podcast can be found at https://openstax.org/books/us-history/pages/21-2-progressivism-at-the-grassroots-level             Welcome to A Journey into Human History.     This podcast will attempt to tell the whole human story.        The content contained in this podcast was produced by OpenStax and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License.      Access for free at https://openstax.org/details/books/us-history            Podcast produced by Miranda Casturo as a Creative Common Sense production.        No part of this podcast is made with generative AI          Voice narration provided by computerized text-to-speech through voicemaker.in        For those who prefer ad free listening other options of support are available.          https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/a-journey-into-human-history--5860966/support

  6. Aug 31

    The Origins of the Progressive Spirit in America

    In its first decade, the Progressive Era was a grassroots effort that ushered in reforms at state and local levels. At the beginning of the twentieth century, however, Progressive endeavors captured the attention of the federal government. The challenges of the late nineteenth century were manifold: fast-growing cities that were ill-equipped to house the working poor, hands-off politicians shackled into impotence by their system of political favors, and rural Americans struggling to keep their farms afloat. The muckraking journalists of the era published books and articles highlighting the social inequities of the day and extolling everyday Americans to help find solutions. Educated, middle-class, Anglo-Saxon Protestants dominated the movement, but Progressives were not a homogenous group: The movement counted African Americans, both women and men, and urban as well as rural dwellers among its ranks. Progressive causes ranged from anti-liquor campaigns to fair pay. Together, Progressives sought to advance the spread of democracy, improve efficiency in government and industry, and promote social justice.             All images referenced in this podcast can be found at https://openstax.org/books/us-history/pages/21-1-the-origins-of-the-progressive-spirit-in-america             Welcome to A Journey into Human History.     This podcast will attempt to tell the whole human story.        The content contained in this podcast was produced by OpenStax and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License.      Access for free at https://openstax.org/details/books/us-history            Podcast produced by Miranda Casturo as a Creative Common Sense production.        No part of this podcast is made with generative AI          Voice narration provided by computerized text-to-speech through voicemaker.in        For those who prefer ad free listening other options of support are available.          https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/a-journey-into-human-history--5860966/support

  7. Aug 28

    Social and Labor Unrest in the 1890s

    As the economy worsened, more Americans suffered; as the federal government continued to offer few solutions, the Populist movement began to grow. Populist groups approached the 1896 election anticipating that the mass of struggling Americans would support their movement for change. When Democrats chose William Jennings Bryan for their candidate, however, they chose a politician who largely fit the mold of the Populist platform—from his birthplace of Nebraska to his advocacy of the silver standard that most farmers desired. Throwing their support behind Bryan as well, Populists hoped to see a candidate in the White House who would embody the Populist goals, if not the party name. When Bryan lost to Republican William McKinley, the Populist Party lost much of its momentum. As the country climbed out of the depression, the interest in a third party faded away, although the reformist movement remained intact.             All images referenced in this podcast can be found at https://openstax.org/books/us-history/pages/20-4-social-and-labor-unrest-in-the-1890s             Welcome to A Journey into Human History.     This podcast will attempt to tell the whole human story.        The content contained in this podcast was produced by OpenStax and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License.      Access for free at https://openstax.org/details/books/us-history            Podcast produced by Miranda Casturo as a Creative Common Sense production.        No part of this podcast is made with generative AI          Voice narration provided by computerized text-to-speech through voicemaker.in        For those who prefer ad free listening other options of support are available.          https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/a-journey-into-human-history--5860966/support

  8. Aug 26

    Farmers Revolt in the Populist Era

    Factors such as overproduction and high tariffs left the country’s farmers in increasingly desperate straits, and the federal government’s inability to address their concerns left them disillusioned and worried. Uneven responses from state governments had many farmers seeking an alternative solution to their problems. Taking note of the labor movements growing in industrial cities around the country, farmers began to organize into alliances similar to workers’ unions; these were models of cooperation where larger numbers could offer more bargaining power with major players such as railroads. Ultimately, the alliances were unable to initiate widespread change for their benefit. Still, drawing from the cohesion of purpose, farmers sought to create change from the inside: through politics. They hoped the creation of the Populist Party in 1891 would lead to a president who put the people—and in particular the farmers—first.             All images referenced in this podcast can be found at https://openstax.org/books/us-history/pages/20-3-farmers-revolt-in-the-populist-era             Welcome to A Journey into Human History.     This podcast will attempt to tell the whole human story.        The content contained in this podcast was produced by OpenStax and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License.      Access for free at https://openstax.org/details/books/us-history            Podcast produced by Miranda Casturo as a Creative Common Sense production.        No part of this podcast is made with generative AI          Voice narration provided by computerized text-to-speech through voicemaker.in        For those who prefer ad free listening other options of support are available.           https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/a-journey-into-human-history--5860966/support

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About

Welcome to a journey into human history. This podcast will attempt to tell the whole human story. You may be asking yourself what is history? Is it simply a record of things people have done? Is it what writer Maya Angelou suggested—a way to meet the pain of the past and overcome it? Or is it, as Winston Churchill said, a chronicle by the victors, an interpretation by those who write it? History is all this and more. Above all else, it is a path to knowing why we are the way we are—all our greatness, all our faults—and therefore a means for us to understand ourselves and change for the better. But history serves this function only if it is a true reflection of the past. It cannot be a way to mask the darker parts of human nature, nor a way to justify acts of previous generations. It is the historian’s task to paint as clear a picture as sources will allow. Will history ever be a perfect telling of the human tale? No. There are voices we may never hear. Yet each new history book written and each new source uncovered reveal an ever more precise record of events around the world. You are about to take a journey into human history. The content contained in this podcast was produced by OpenStax and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License. For more information please review the links and resources in the description. Podcast produced by Miranda Casturo as a creative common sense production. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/a-journey-into-human-history--5860966/support.

Information

  • Creator
    Miranda Casturo
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    220
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
  • Show Website
    A Journey into Human History

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