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. . AD FREE & BONUS CONTENT: https://www.patreon.com/cw/americathestoryoftheusa . GET THE NEWSLETTER: https://america-the-story-of-the-usa.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. In the Making: How Much Power Does Trump Have Over the Courts?

    2d ago

    In the Making: How Much Power Does Trump Have Over the Courts?

    This week, we discuss the ongoing war in the Middle East and Iran. Plus, three men in Spokane have been found guilty of conspiracy, after demonstrating against ICE in June last year. Is this justice taking its court? Or a dangerous indicator of just how much power Trump holds over the courts? AND we were supposed to bring you an interview with Max Martin, CEO and Founder of the Enhanced Games. Find out why it hasn't happened. Joining me this week is Ira Chaleff, friend of the show and author of To Stop a Tyrant: The Power of Political Followers, which is available to buy now. Ira. . Stories: 02:16 - The War in Iran 16:02 - Trump's Unchecked Power Over the Courts 33:14 - Not an Interview with Max Martin from the Enhanced Games . Sources: ICE demonstrators convicted: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/29/us/ice-protesters-convicted-spokane.html  Conspiracy charges: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/mar/20/us-army-veteran-ice-protest-trial  The War in Iran: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/crlpy8n7pr6o  Netanyahu orders Beirut bombing: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jun/01/european-leaders-condemn-israel-incursion-into-lebanon . 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://america-the-story-of-the-usa.beehiiv.com/ Join the community: https://www.patreon.com/americathestoryoftheusa Get in touch: america@podcastsbyliam.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    44 min
  2. How Did the Civil War End?

    4d ago

    How Did the Civil War End?

    The American Civil War did not end in a single moment, but from a cumulative momentum of several singular events: the fall of Richmond and Petersburg, the grinding Appomattox campaign, and a cascade of surrenders that dissolved the Confederacy. In April 1865, Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered his troops to Union General Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House in Virginia. The final surrender of Confederate troops on the western periphery came in Galveston, Texas, on this very day, June 2nd, 161 years ago. We are going to trace the final campaigns, the leaders and decisions that determined the outcome, and the circumstances that ultimately led to Lee’s surrender. So in this episode, I’m asking… how did the American Civil War end? . Special Guest: Gary Gallagher, a leading historian of the Civil War era and a Professor in the History of the American Civil War at the University of Virginia. His work focuses on Confederate politics and military culture, the meaning of surrender, and how the war’s end was experienced and remembered. . Highlights: 02:15 - The End Was Inevitable 06:14 - A Strategy of Exhaustion 13:24 - There's No US Without France 17:35 - Lee's Surrender 23:34 - Put the Nation Back Together 32:09 - What Political Right Do They Have? 35:51 - A Win for the Union 40:13 - Jefferson Davis . 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 Get the newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠https://america-the-story-of-the-usa.beehiiv.com/⁠⁠⁠ Brands & advertises: liam@mercurypodcasts.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    55 min
  3. In the Making: What’s the Fuss About the Enhanced Games?

    May 28

    In the Making: What’s the Fuss About the Enhanced Games?

    This week, UEA's Emma Long and former leader of the Liberal Democrats Sir Vince Cable join the show to discuss the controversial Enhanced Games, Pope Leo's apology for slavery, and the best graduation present ever... or not. Our guest today is Emma Long, Associate Professor in American History and Politics at the University of East Anglia. We're also delighted to welcome to the show the UK’s former Business Secretary, former leader of the Liberal Democrat party, and knight of the realm, Sir Vince Cable… . Stories: 01:28 - The Pope Apologises for Slavery 09:32 - White House Shooting 14:40 - The Enhanced Games 36:55 - Best Graduation Present Ever . Sources: White House shooter: https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-secret-service-investigates-reports-shots-near-white-house-2026-05-23/  The Pope apologises for slavery: Pope apologizes for Vatican's role in legitimizing slavery | AP News  The Enhanced Games: https://www.enhanced.com/  Swimmer unofficially breaks World Record at Enhanced Games: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/articles/cx211xyd298o  North Carolina student loans paid: https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/college-commencement-speaker-is-paying-off-final-year-of-loans-for-grads/ . 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://america-the-story-of-the-usa.beehiiv.com/ Join the community: https://www.patreon.com/americathestoryoftheusa Get in touch: america@podcastsbyliam.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    48 min
  4. How Did the Civil War Change the Republican Party?

    May 26

    How Did the Civil War Change the Republican Party?

    A nation can win a war and still spend generations arguing over what that victory meant. In the decades after Appomattox, the Republican Party - born in opposition to slavery and triumphant in preserving the Union - found itself wrestling with the very legacy it had created. Was the party the guardian of emancipation, the steward of Union memory, the engine of national reconciliation, or something more conflicted altogether? Today, we trace how the Civil War didn’t just shape the GOP’s past, but set it on a path that would define its identity, its voters, and its vision of America for more than a century. So in this episode, I’m asking… how did the civil war change the republican party? . Special Guest: Tim Galsworthy a lecturer in History and Military History at Lincoln Bishop University. He specializes in the interplay between memory, politics, and race in the modern United States, with a particular focus on the Republican Party and Civil War memory. He is also the author of The Republican House Divided: Civil War Memory, Civil Rights, and the Transformation of the GOP. . Highlights: 02:51 - Abraham Lincoln the Great Unifier 09:22 - The Lost Cause 13:16 - A Retreat from Civil Rights 20:14 - The National Union Strategy 27:50 - Remembering vs Celebrating 34:10 - Being Raised in the Lost Cause 38:01 - The Republican Pivot 46:25 - Lessons from the Past 49:57 - Did Obama Create Trump? . 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 Get the newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠https://america-the-story-of-the-usa.beehiiv.com/⁠⁠⁠ Brands & advertises: liam@mercurypodcasts.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1h 2m
  5. In the Making: Is Trump Running out of Patience with Iran?

    May 21

    In the Making: Is Trump Running out of Patience with Iran?

    This week, US senators have voted unanimously to withhold their own pay during future shutdowns. We also look at the latest redistricting news, and what it could mean for future elections. And, as the war in Iran continues, we take stock of what exactly is happening after Trump warned the clock is ticking on a peace deal. What does that even mean, and what does peace even look like? My guest this week is Andrew Gawthorpe from Leiden University, whose research focuses on the foreign policy and politics of the modern and contemporary United States, and is the host of the excellent newsletter, America Explained. . Stories: 03:54 - Redistricting https://apnews.com/article/redistricting-congress-trump-voting-rights-b939802fd1ee9c3ae47a8619151a9746 14:04 - Senators Withhold Pay During Shutdowns https://apnews.com/article/senate-pay-shutdown-withhold-government-face16eac3196ad4c3bedf3d699be87f 19:23 - The War in Iran https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cd0p4y9y48xo 39:56 - WordSkills Competition https://uk.news.yahoo.com/community-college-student-michigan-1st-113401010.html . Sources: Trump’s clock is ticking on Iran: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cd0p4y9y48xo  Redistricting is out of control: https://apnews.com/article/redistricting-congress-trump-voting-rights-b939802fd1ee9c3ae47a8619151a9746  Senator’s vote to withhold pay during future shutdowns: https://apnews.com/article/senate-pay-shutdown-withhold-government-face16eac3196ad4c3bedf3d699be87f Michigan student becomes first women at World Welding Championships: https://uk.news.yahoo.com/community-college-student-michigan-1st-113401010.html WorldSkills Shanghai 2026: https://worldskills2026.com/ . 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://america-the-story-of-the-usa.beehiiv.com/ Join the community: https://www.patreon.com/americathestoryoftheusa Get in touch: america@podcastsbyliam.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    49 min

Trailers

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. . AD FREE & BONUS CONTENT: https://www.patreon.com/cw/americathestoryoftheusa . GET THE NEWSLETTER: https://america-the-story-of-the-usa.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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