America: The Story of the USA

Liam Heffernan | A Mercury Podcast

This is your deep‑dive guide to how the United States became what it is today - politically, culturally, and socially. We unpack the pivotal moments, defining conflicts, influential leaders, and overlooked voices that shaped, and continue to shape, the nation’s identity. Designed for curious listeners, students, educators, and lifelong learners, this series blends accessible storytelling with historically grounded insight to help you understand not just what happened in America’s past, but why it still matters now. If you want a clear, compelling, and richly narrated journey through U.S. history, this is the podcast that brings the American story to life. Made in partnership with the British Association for American Studies. . JOIN THE COMMUNITY: https://sotus.beehiiv.com/community GET THE NEWSLETTER: https://sotus.beehiiv.com/ BRANDS & ADVERTISING: liam@mercurypodcasts.com . America: A History is a part of the Mercury Podcast Network, hosted by your resident US expert Liam Heffernan, in partnership with The British Association for American Studies: baas.ac.uk

  1. 1d ago

    In the Making: Putting the ‘odd’ in Todd Blanche

    JOIN TEAM SOTUS: https://sotus.beehiiv.com/community . This week, we take a closer look at the imminent approval of Todd Blanche as the US' new Attorney General. Who is Trump's former personal lawyer, and what does his appointment mean for the US? Plus, the UFC have confirmed losses of $30 for hosting the White House event on Trump's birthday, while the federal appeals court has reversed climate program cuts, restoring billions of dollars in funding. Joining me this week is Sian Round, a Leverhulme Early Career Fellow at Swansee University. . 01:42 - Climate funding restored 04:46 - US economic growth 10:18 - UFC White House Costs 16:45 - Todd Blanche: Attorney General 36:58 - Lifeguard Hero . News Sources: Federal appeals court throw out Trump’s climate cuts:https://apnews.com/article/epa-grants-climate-united-trump-36ad8c6684939a1788dd49979e0f3ad9  UFC loses $30 million on White House event: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/mixed-martial-arts/articles/ckgdky8d94eo  US economy grows by 1.5%: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/jul/30/us-economy-growth-inflation-second-quarter  Todd Blanche nomination moves to full Senate vote: https://www.forbes.com/sites/alisondurkee/2026/08/04/senate-judiciary-committee-approves-todd-blanche-as-ag-after-initial-delay/  16 year old lifeguard saves 10 year old’s life: https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/16-yo-rookie-lifeguard-leads-heroic-ocean-rescue-with-viral-video-of-harrowing-effort/ . America: The Story of the USA is a Podcasts by Liam production for ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Mercury⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, in partnership with the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠British Association for American Studies⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter: https://sotus.beehiiv.com/ Join the community: https://sotus.beehiiv.com/community Get in touch: america@podcastsbyliam.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    In the Making: Putting the ‘odd’ in Todd Blanche
  2. Jul 30

    In the Making: Why Does Ron DeSantis Love the Death Penalty?

    JOIN TEAM SOTUS: https://sotus.beehiiv.com/community . This week, former President Joe Biden comes under fire after leaked recordings seem to show him admitting to the possession of classified files. And we dive into the death penalty, in particular why executions are booming in Florida, and what Ron DeSantis has to do about it. Joining me this week is Professor Andrew Moran, the Head of Criminology, Sociology, Politics and International Relations at London Met. . 01:38 - Joe Biden's Classified Files 15:11 - Ron DeSantis and the Death Penalty 42:47 - Subway Surfing, USA . News Sources: Florida to execute two in a day: https://apnews.com/article/florida-execution-duckett-occhicone-4c313a84631ad20a62998f7dd061dbcf  NYC subway surfers: https://news.sky.com/video/nypd-drone-captures-teen-subway-surfers-13567341  Joe Biden admits possessing classified files to ghostwriter: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cr49znlz5ggo  Execution statistics: https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/executions/executions-overview/executions-by-state-and-year  Gun violence stats: https://theworlddata.com/fatal-shooting-statistics-in-us/  Florida’s new capital sentencing law: https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/floridas-new-non-unanimous-capital-sentencing-law-faces-retroactivity-challenge-in-state-supreme-court  Florida’s new capital punishment laws: https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/floridas-new-non-unanimous-capital-sentencing-law-faces-retroactivity-challenge-in-state-supreme-court  Ron DeSantis sees death penalty as a deterrent: https://www.wusf.org/politics-issues/2025-11-04/gov-desantis-says-executions-about-justice-amid-modern-era-record . America: The Story of the USA is a Podcasts by Liam production for ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Mercury⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, in partnership with the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠British Association for American Studies⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter: https://sotus.beehiiv.com/ Join the community: https://sotus.beehiiv.com/community Get in touch: america@podcastsbyliam.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    In the Making: Why Does Ron DeSantis Love the Death Penalty?
  3. Jul 28

    How Did the Beatles Conquer America?

    Join our new 24/7 SOTUS community now: https://sotus.beehiiv.com/community . When four musicians from Liverpool, England arrived in the United States in 1964, they didn’t just launch a tour. They triggered a cultural earthquake. Their appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show drew an audience of unprecedented size, their records dominated the charts, and their presence reshaped American youth culture almost overnight. But their conquest of America wasn’t inevitable. It was the product of timing, technology, post‑war optimism, and a nation searching for new forms of expression after the trauma of the Kennedy assassination. They transformed American music, fashion, media, and identity, and their influence still echoes across the cultural landscape today. So in this episode, I’m asking… how did The Beatles conquer America? . Special Guest: Brian Ward, one of the UK’s leading historians of American culture. His work explores the intersections of music, politics, media, and identity in the United States. . Reading List: Just My Soul Responding: Rhythm and Blues, Black Consciousness, and Race Relations by Brian Ward: https://a.co/d/0c8G4EzO  The Beatles and America (selected essays and lectures) The Beatles: The Biography by Bob Spitz: https://a.co/d/05vISlWp  The Beatles Are Coming! by Bruce Spizer: https://a.co/d/04g78dMb  The Sixties: Cultural Revolution in Britain, France, Italy, and the United States by Arthur Marwick: https://a.co/d/0dOtymvX  America in the Sixties by John Morton Blum Beatlemania: Technology, Fans, and the Making of a Cultural Phenomenon by André Millard: https://amzn.eu/d/0ieN280V  The British Invasion, American History Magazine archives . Highlights: 02:21 - Blowing away the cobwebs 07:27 - Ed Sullivan 15:32 - The secret to the Beatles' success 21:03 - The black American influence 27:20 - A voice for American youth 33:33 - For the people 41:10 - Do the Beatles still matter? . Contact us: america@podcastsbyliam.com Team SOTUS: ⁠⁠⁠https://sotus.beehiiv.com/⁠⁠⁠community Brands & advertisers: liam@mercurypodcasts.com . Credits: Producer - Liam Heffernan Host - Liam Heffernan Editor - Liam Heffernan In Partnership with the ⁠⁠British Association for American Studies Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    How Did the Beatles Conquer America?
  4. Jul 23

    In the Making: Will the Tate Brothers Finally Face Justice?

    JOIN TEAM SOTUS: https://sotus.beehiiv.com/community . This week, as Andrew and Tristan Tate face extradition to the UK, we discuss their ties to the Trump family, and the political headache this might cause the President. Plus, JD Vance has a baby, the price of gas soars, and new British Prime Minister Andy Burnham is winning points with the President. Joining me this week is Dr. Emma Long, an Associate Professor in American History and Politics at the University of East Anglia, though currently reporting from Heidelberg, Germany. . 02:01 - The Price of Oil 11:04 - Andy Burnham 18:56 - Andrew & Tristan Tate 41:36 - Baby Vance . News Sources: US gas prices back up: https://apnews.com/article/gas-prices-iran-war-4-gallon-4b82825734ec3ded192351e53a4be69e  Trump approves of new UK PM North Sea drilling plans: https://www.cnbc.com/2026/07/20/uk-prime-minister-burnham-trump-poverty-stricken-disaster.html  Vance become first Veep in 150 years to have a new child while in office: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cj63kngxpxpo  Vance won’t take paternity leave: https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/us-vice-president-jd-vance-paternity-leave-decision-1809573  The Tate Brothers arrested: https://edition.cnn.com/2026/07/20/us/tate-brothers-extradition-wwk  Trump’s connection to the Tate Brothers: https://www.forbes.com/sites/saradorn/2026/07/19/tate-brothers-arrested-in-florida-what-we-know-about-their-trump-ties/ . America: The Story of the USA is a Podcasts by Liam production for ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Mercury⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, in partnership with the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠British Association for American Studies⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter: https://sotus.beehiiv.com/ Join the community: https://sotus.beehiiv.com/community Get in touch: america@podcastsbyliam.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    In the Making: Will the Tate Brothers Finally Face Justice?
  5. Jul 21

    Why Did Thomas Jefferson Build a University?

    Join our new 24/7 SOTUS community now: https://sotus.beehiiv.com/community . Thomas Jefferson spent his life imagining the future of the American republic. Not just its politics, but its culture, its knowledge, and its citizens. After leaving the presidency, he turned to a new project: founding a university that would embody his Enlightenment ideals and prepare future generations for self‑government. A far cry from the acrimony between higher education and the White House we’re seeing today. The University of Virginia was Thomas Jefferson’s final great experiment, so today we explore why Jefferson built it, what he hoped it would achieve, and how it has evolved since. So in this episode, I’m asking… why did Jefferson start a university? . Special Guest: Andrew O’Shaughnessy, one of the leading historians of Thomas Jefferson and the early American republic. His book The Illimitable Freedom of the Human Mind is the definitive study of Jefferson’s educational vision and the founding of the University of Virginia. Buy Andrews' Book: https://a.co/d/0j9Tz5An . Highlights: 02:21 - From politics to education 06:26 - Essential to the American Experiment 10:23 - Jefferson's vision 17:52 - Take God out of the classroom 23:09 - Jefferson and slavery 30:02 - Was UVA a success? 35:00 - The top of the pyramid 39:11 - The civil war 42:27 - Upholding Jeffersonian principles . For an extended reading list and to learn more, join our Patreon community now: ⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/cw/americathestoryoftheusa⁠ . Contact us: america@podcastsbyliam.com Team SOTUS: ⁠⁠⁠https://sotus.beehiiv.com/⁠⁠⁠community Brands & advertises: liam@mercurypodcasts.com . Credits: Producer - Liam Heffernan Host - Liam Heffernan Editor - Liam Heffernan In Partnership with the ⁠British Association for American Studies Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    Why Did Thomas Jefferson Build a University?

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Ratings & Reviews

3.7
out of 5
7 Ratings

About

This is your deep‑dive guide to how the United States became what it is today - politically, culturally, and socially. We unpack the pivotal moments, defining conflicts, influential leaders, and overlooked voices that shaped, and continue to shape, the nation’s identity. Designed for curious listeners, students, educators, and lifelong learners, this series blends accessible storytelling with historically grounded insight to help you understand not just what happened in America’s past, but why it still matters now. If you want a clear, compelling, and richly narrated journey through U.S. history, this is the podcast that brings the American story to life. Made in partnership with the British Association for American Studies. . JOIN THE COMMUNITY: https://sotus.beehiiv.com/community GET THE NEWSLETTER: https://sotus.beehiiv.com/ BRANDS & ADVERTISING: liam@mercurypodcasts.com . America: A History is a part of the Mercury Podcast Network, hosted by your resident US expert Liam Heffernan, in partnership with The British Association for American Studies: baas.ac.uk

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