History Is Relevant

Robert Brent Toplin
  • 5.0 (3)
  • HISTORY

This podcast links the past to the present. The programs seek new perspectives on current events by examining the history that brought us to where we are today. The host, Robert Brent Toplin, is a university-based professor of history. He has published a dozen books and more than 200 articles, and he has commented on history, politics, and film in several nationally broadcast television and radio programs.

Episodes

  1. 3D AGO

    The Story of Fugitive Slaves in the 1850s Resembles Current Reports About Immigrants Threatened with Deportation

    In the 1850s stories about desperate runaway slaves trying to evade capture in the northern states aroused sympathy for the fugitives and stoked anti-slavery sentiment. A related impact seems to be taking shape in our times. Videos showing the tragic experiences of undocumented immigrants grabbed by ICE agents are provoking negative responses from the American public. Polls register growing criticism of the Trump Administration’s efforts to arrest, detain, and deport thousands of people that have lived and worked in the United States for many years.   The situations involving fugitive slaves and fugitive immigrants are different, yet a comparison is intriguing. Reactions to tragic cases involving fugitive slaves affected national politics in the 1850s. Outrage over the aggressive treatment of immigrants might shake up current politics.

    17 min

  2. DEC 6

    Surprising Lessons From America's War in Afghanistan

    When a refugee from Afghanistan allegedly shot two National Guardsmen in Washington D.C., discussions about the tragedy invoked memories of America’s chaotic exit from Afghanistan in 2021. Partisans invoked different lessons when describing that crisis. Republicans blamed President Joe Biden. They said he failed to plan an orderly withdrawal. Democrats blamed President Donald Trump. They pointed out that he arranged a pact with the Taliban that established a deadline for removing all U.S. troops from Afghanistan.  These sharply critical judgments about the American-led evacuation from Kabul, Afghanistan are short-sighted and essentially wrong.  No military withdrawal from Afghanistan was easily workable after twenty years of vast U.S. involvement in that country. In view of many challenges, the removal of U.S. troops and U.S. citizens along with 124,000 Afghans in August 2021 was a relative success.

    20 min

  3. NOV 21

    How a Battle Over President Reagan’s Nominee for the Supreme Court Weaponized Political Warfare

    American Society is now deeply split along ideological and cultural lines. When did this polarization intensify? One among several key turning points occurred in 1987 when President Ronald Reagan nominated Robert Bork for a seat on the Supreme Court. Bork’s controversial statements about American society and the law provoked intense opposition. Senators rejected the nomination. Many of the issues raised in that Senate hearing are familiar to us today. Robert Bork was an influential promoter of culture wars over identities,, values, and ideologies, and he championed the Unitary Executive Theory that justifies enormous presidential power.

    16 min

  4. NOV 11

    Why Movies About Nuclear Warfare Matter

    Can Netflix’s recent film, The House of Dynamite and other movies like it influence public opinion regarding nuclear warfare? The historical record from the 1950s until recent times shows that sometimes this cinema does have an impact. The films also reflect public concerns at the time they were produced. This discussion begins with an examination of two movies that influenced Ronald Reagan’s thinking about nuclear warfare, The Day the Earth Stood Still and The Day After. The podcast then explores the influence of other films produced during the Cold War, including On the Beach, The Mouse That Roared, Fail Safe, and Dr. Strangelove. Finally, explains why films about nuclear onflict have made a comeback in recent years.

    23 min

  5. NOV 3

    The Record of Joseph McCarthy's Rise and Decline Might Offer Clues About Donald Trump's Future

    Public opinion polls show President Trump’s approval rating has slipped substantially since his second inauguration. Do those results indicate vulnerability? If the trend line continues, could President Trump begin to lose his grip on the reins of political power?  Despite this evidence, discussions in the national media contain little speculation about declining influence. Instead, the national media report on the expansion of Trump’s influence in American life.   Will this state of affairs continue? Perhaps. Or perhaps not.  There are some intriguing similarities between Trump’s situation and that of Joseph McCarthy. Senator McCarthy seemed invincible in the early 1950s, but later, in a matter of months, he quickly fell from grace. McCarthy’s record demonstrates that political power can erode quickly when political conditions change and leaders overreach.

    18 min

  6. OCT 17

    Watergate: Four Key Lessons for Our Times

    This podcast discusses the significance of four important aspects of the Watergate scandal in the 1970s that led to the resignation of President Richard Nixon, and it considers the relevance of that history to politics in our times. First, the podcast deals with the controversy regarding President Gerald Ford’s decision to pardon Richard Nixon. Secondly, it examines the Nixon administration’s efforts to interfere in the 1972 election campaign and shape its outcome. Thirdly, it discusses the “Enemies List” that Nixon and his aides created, and it shows how the list threatened democracy. In the fourth section, the podcast notes that it took bipartisan pressure to compel Nixon’s resignation. Republicans, not just Democrats, contributed to resolution of the crisis.

    21 min

  7. OCT 8

    Free Speech from a Printer in Colonial America to Jimmy Kimmel

    When Kimmel returned to ABC Television after a temporary suspension, he delivered a powerful defense of the American people’s right to criticize political leaders and their policies. This podcast traces the evolution of ideas about free speech from a court case in 1735 to the present. It notes that some of the most important efforts to deal with the rights and limitations of speech and press occurred during wartime. The podcast also explores the relevance of this history to present-day controversies about the Trump Administration’s pressures against Jimmy Kimmel and the mass media.

    28 min

  8. SEP 10

    If George Washington Had Been Anti-Vax, the United States Might Not Exist Today

    Medical science had pretty much eradicated measles by the year 2000, but an outbreak occurred recently in Texas and other states largely because many children had not been vaccinated. Public resistance to vaccination has grown in recent years, and Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, has cut vaccine research drastically. Could resistance to medical science run amok, endangering public health?  This podcast cites the example of George Washington’s decision to immunize his troops against smallpox early in the American Revolution. The podcast also identifies how a worldwide vaccination campaign to eliminate smallpox eventually succeeded in the late twentieth century. Both histories are relevant to present-day clashes between the defenders and critics of vaccines.

    16 min

  9. SEP 2

    Everybody Broke the Immigration laws, Including American Citizens

    Why have Republicans and Democrats become sharply divided about dealing with immigration? Is compromise possible? There are no easy solutions for settling disputes, but this podcast suggests ideas. It identifies an important lesson from history that is frequently overlooked. For decades, we’ve all been engaged in illegal activity when dealing with immigration -- American citizens, American business leaders, and undocumented foreigners.

    19 min

  10. SEP 2

    Barack Obama May Have Told the Most Consequential Joke in American History

    Ordinarily, American presidents don’t vilify previous chief executives, but Donald Trump is different. Trump routinely criticizes former presidents, especially Democrats. No president is so consistently the target of Trump’s contempt as Barak Obama.  What is the source of that negativity? Trump’s behavior might spring from anger over humorous remarks Obama made years ago. Barack Obama’s jesting may have influenced Donald Trump’s decision to run for president and his decision-making at the White House.

    12 min

  11. SEP 2

    How a University Professor Made America Great

    From World War II until recent times, a partnership between government and universities contributed significantly to the United States’ emergence as the world’s most innovative, productive, and prosperous country. The story of that success is complex, yet one person played a crucial role in building the foundations of U.S. preeminence in science and technology. An examination of Vannevar Bush’s place in American history demonstrates how much we can lose if the Trump administration’s interference in university affairs continues.

    16 min

  12. AUG 27

    Tariff Man Ignores Lessons from a Century of History

    Donald Trump called himself “Tariff Man. He claimed, “Trade wars are good and easy to win.” Trump said tariff is “the most beautiful word in the dictionary.” Economists strongly disagree. Why does Trump reject expert opinion, and what could happen if his trade wars continue? This podcast notes how high tariffs in 1930 intensified the Great Depression. The podcast considers why Donald Trump holds simplistic views on trade that most economists reject, and it shows how Trump’s new tariffs could damage the U.S. and global economies.

    18 min
  • 12 Episodes

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

This podcast links the past to the present. The programs seek new perspectives on current events by examining the history that brought us to where we are today. The host, Robert Brent Toplin, is a university-based professor of history. He has published a dozen books and more than 200 articles, and he has commented on history, politics, and film in several nationally broadcast television and radio programs.

Information

  • Creator
    Robert Brent Toplin
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    12
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2025 History Is Relevant
  • Show Website
    History Is Relevant

You Might Also Like