For the Ages: A History Podcast New-York Historical Society

Of all the threats facing the country today, perhaps the most critical are those coming from within. In the face of rising apathy, anger, division, and disinformation, how can U.S. citizens ensure the survival of the American experiment? Richard Haass, an esteemed diplomat and policymaker, looks beyond the nation’s Bill of Rights and emphasizes key commitments that citizens can make to one another and to the government to safeguard the future of democracy. Recorded on February 9, 2023

While institutional and systemic racism is well documented in the Postbellum and Reconstruction South, its effects on African Americans in the Northern United States, as well as how those practices have shaped contemporary society, is often less understood. Scholar and historian Khalil Gibran Muhammed sits down with David M. Rubenstein to shine a light on the 19th and 20th century manipulation of racial crime statistics that has erroneously guided much of American public policy—influencing ev...

Marking one of the shortest presidencies in American history, James A. Garfield died less than seven months after inauguration due to a bullet wound sustained during an attempted assassination. A Civil War hero born into abject poverty, President Garfield’s attempted assassination set off a bitter struggle for power in the American government—even extending to contention surrounding the medical care used to treat his wound. Candice Millard, in conversation with David M. Rubenstein, offers an ...

After serving for three months as vice president, Harry S. Truman, at age 60, suddenly inherited the White House. The nearly eight years that followed were unusually turbulent—marked by victory in the wars against Germany and Japan, the first use of an atomic weapon and the development of far deadlier weapons, the Cold War, the Red Scare, the Marshall Plan, and the fateful decision to fight a land war in Korea. How did Truman become the steadfast leader who, in the rush of events, helped shap...

Following America’s violent entrance into World War II with the attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States needed to swiftly mobilize for its fight in the Pacific Theater. In those tense days following the attack, President Roosevelt tapped Chester W. Nimitz to lead the charge. With the nation calling for swift justice against a complex backdrop of military challenges and internal politics, Nimitz rose to the challenges of his time and station to lead the United States in the fight for victory...

John F. Kennedy was one of the most iconic political figures of the 20th century, a man known universally by his initials. From his college days to the end in Dallas, he was fascinated by the nature of political courage and its relationship to democratic governance. David M. Rubenstein is joined by historian Frederik Logevall to discuss how we should understand JFK and his role in both US and world politics, particularly during this time of growing threats to democracy both at home and abroad...