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. 20h ago

    The Home Front

    The brunt of the war’s damage occurred far from United States soil, but Americans at home were still greatly affected by the war. Women struggled to care for children with scarce resources at their disposal and sometimes while working full time. Economically, the country surged forward, but strict rationing for the war effort meant that Americans still went without. New employment opportunities opened up for women and ethnic minorities, as White men enlisted or were drafted. These new opportunities were positive for those who benefited from them, but they also created new anxieties among White men about racial and gender equality. Race riots took place across the country, and Americans of Japanese ancestry were relocated to internment camps. Still, there was an overwhelming sense of patriotism in the country, which was reflected in the culture of the day.             All images referenced in this podcast can be found at https://openstax.org/books/us-history/pages/27-2-the-home-front             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. 2d ago

    The Origins of War: Europe, Asia, and the United States

    America sought, at the end of the First World War, to create new international relationships that would make such wars impossible in the future. But as the Great Depression hit Europe, several new leaders rose to power under the new political ideologies of Fascism and Nazism. Mussolini in Italy and Hitler in Germany were both proponents of Fascism, using dictatorial rule to achieve national unity. Still, the United States remained focused on the economic challenges of its own Great Depression. Hence, there was little interest in getting involved in Europe’s problems or even the China-Japan conflict.          I t soon became clear, however, that Germany and Italy’s alliance was putting democratic countries at risk. Roosevelt first sought to support Great Britain and China by providing economic support without intervening directly. However, when Japan, an ally of Germany and Italy, attacked Pearl Harbor, catching the military base unaware and claiming thousands of lives, America’s feelings toward war shifted, and the country was quickly pulled into the global conflict.             All images referenced in this podcast can be found at https://openstax.org/books/us-history/pages/27-1-the-origins-of-war-europe-asia-and-the-united-states             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. 4d ago

    The Second New Deal

    Despite his popularity, Roosevelt had significant critics at the end of the First New Deal. Some on the right felt that he had moved the country in a dangerous direction towards socialism and fascism, whereas others on the left felt that he had not gone far enough to help the still-struggling American people. Reeling after the Supreme Court struck down two key pieces of New Deal legislation, the AAA and NIRA, Roosevelt pushed Congress to pass a new wave of bills to provide jobs, banking reforms, and a social safety net. The laws that emerged—the Banking Act, the Emergency Relief Appropriation Act, and the Social Security Act—still define our country today.          Roosevelt won his second term in a landslide and continued to push for legislation that would help the economy. The jobs programs employed over eight million people and, while systematic discrimination hurt both women and African American workers, these programs were still successful in getting people back to work. The last major piece of New Deal legislation that Roosevelt passed was the Fair Labor Standards Act, which set a minimum wage, established a maximum-hour workweek, and forbade child labor. This law, as well as Social Security, still provides much of the social safety net in the United States today.         While critics and historians continue to debate whether the New Deal ushered in a permanent change to the political culture of the country, from one of individualism to the creation of a welfare state, none deny the fact that Roosevelt’s presidency expanded the role of the federal government in all people’s lives, generally for the better. Even if the most conservative of presidential successors would question this commitment, the notion of some level of government involvement in economic regulation and social welfare had largely been settled by 1941. Future debates would be about the extent and degree of that involvement.             All images referenced in this podcast can be found at https://openstax.org/books/us-history/pages/26-3-the-second-new-deal             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. Oct 23

    The First New Deal

    After assuming the presidency, Roosevelt lost no time in taking bold steps to fight back against the poverty and unemployment plaguing the country. He immediately created a bank holiday and used the time to bring before Congress legislation known as the Emergency Banking Act, which allowed federal agencies to examine all banks before they reopened, thus restoring consumer confidence. He then went on, in his historic first hundred days, to sign numerous other significant pieces of legislation that were geared towards creating jobs, shoring up industry and agriculture, and providing relief to individuals through both refinancing options and direct handouts. Not all of his programs were effective, and many generated significant criticism. Overall, however, these programs helped to stabilize the economy, restore confidence, and change the pessimistic mindset that had overrun the country.             All images referenced in this podcast can be found at https://openstax.org/books/us-history/pages/26-2-the-first-new-deal             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. Oct 21

    The Rise of Franklin Roosevelt

    Franklin Roosevelt was a wealthy, well-educated, and popular politician whose history of polio made him a more sympathetic figure to the public. He did not share any specifics of his plan to bring the country out of the Great Depression, but his attitude of optimism and possibility contrasted strongly with Hoover’s defeated misery. The 1932 election was never really in question, and Roosevelt won in a landslide. During the four-month interregnum, however, Americans continued to endure President Hoover’s failed policies, which led the winter of 1932–1933 to be the worst of the Depression, with unemployment rising to record levels.        When Roosevelt took office in March 1933, he infused the country with a sense of optimism. He still did not have a formal plan but rather invited the American people to join him in the spirit of experimentation. Roosevelt did bring certain beliefs to office: the belief in an active government that would take direct action on federal relief, public works, social services, and direct aid to farmers. But as much as his policies, Roosevelt’s own personality and engaging manner helped the country feel that they were going to get back on track.            All images referenced in this podcast can be found at https://openstax.org/books/us-history/pages/26-1-the-rise-of-franklin-roosevelt             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. Oct 19

    Assessing the Hoover Years on the Eve of the New Deal

    In Hoover, Americans got the president they had wanted, at least at first. He was third in a line of free-market Republican presidents, elected to continue the policies that had served the economy so well. But when the stock market crashed in 1929, and the underlying weaknesses in the economy came to the fore, Hoover did not act with clear intentionality and speed. His record as a president will likely always bear the taint of his unwillingness to push through substantial government aid, but, despite that failing, his record is not without minor accomplishments. Hoover’s international policies, particularly in regard to Latin America, served the country well. And while his attitude toward civil rights mirrored his conviction that government intervention was a negative force, he did play a key role changing living conditions for Native Americans. In all, it was his—and the country’s—bad luck that his presidency ultimately required a very different philosophy than the one that had gotten him elected.             All images referenced in this podcast can be found at https://openstax.org/books/us-history/pages/25-4-assessing-the-hoover-years-on-the-eve-of-the-new-deal             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. Oct 16

    The Depths of the Great Depression

    The Great Depression affected huge segments of the American population—sixty million people by one estimate. But certain groups were hit harder than the rest. African Americans faced discrimination in finding employment, as White workers sought even low-wage jobs like housecleaning. Southern Black people moved away from their farms as crop prices failed, migrating en masse to Northern cities, which had little to offer them. Rural Americans were also badly hit. The eight-year drought that began shortly after the stock market crash exacerbated farmers’ and ranchers’ problems. The cultivation of greater amounts of acreage in the preceding decades meant that land was badly overworked, and the drought led to massive and terrible dust storms, creating the region’s nickname, the Dust Bowl. Some farmers tried to remain and buy up more land as neighbors went broke; others simply fled their failed farms and moved away, often to the large-scale migrant farms found in California, to search for a better life that few ever found. Maltreated by Californians who wished to avoid the unwanted competition for jobs that these “Okies” represented, many of the Dust Bowl farmers were left wandering as a result.        There was very little in the way of public assistance to help the poor. While private charities did what they could, the scale of the problem was too large for them to have any lasting effects. People learned to survive as best they could by sending their children out to beg, sharing clothing, and scrounging wood to feed the furnace. Those who could afford it turned to motion pictures for escape. Movies and books during the Great Depression reflected the shift in American cultural norms, away from rugged individualism toward a more community-based lifestyle.             All images referenced in this podcast can be found at https://openstax.org/books/us-history/pages/25-3-the-depths-of-the-great-depression             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. Oct 14

    President Hoover’s Response

    President Hoover’s deeply held philosophy of American individualism, which he maintained despite extraordinary economic circumstances, made him particularly unsuited to deal with the crisis of the Great Depression. He greatly resisted government intervention, considering it a path to the downfall of American greatness. His initial response of asking Americans to find their own paths to recovery and seeking voluntary business measures to stimulate the economy could not stem the tide of the Depression. Ultimately, Hoover did create some federal relief programs, such as the Reconstruction Finance Corporation (RFC), which sought to boost public confidence in financial institutions by ensuring that they were on solid footing. When this measure did little to help impoverished individuals, he signed the Emergency Relief Act, which allowed the RFC to invest in local public works projects. But even this was too little, too late. The severe limits on the types of projects funded and type of workers used meant that most Americans saw no benefit.           The American public ultimately responded with anger and protest to Hoover’s apparent inability to create solutions. Protests ranged from factory strikes to farm riots, culminating in the notorious Bonus Army protest in the spring of 1932. Veterans from World War I lobbied to receive their bonuses immediately, rather than waiting until 1945. The government denied them, and in the ensuing chaos, Hoover called in the military to disrupt the protest. The violence of this act was the final blow for Hoover, whose popularity was already at an all-time low.             All images referenced in this podcast can be found at https://openstax.org/books/us-history/pages/25-2-president-hoovers-response             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
    241
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
  • Show Website
    A Journey into Human History