The United States of Amnesia

Marshall Newman, Blake Henke, and Mike Mendenhall
  • 5.0 (8)
  • History

Welcome to The United States of Amnesia, where yesterday's history meets today's realities. History, politics, and religion are full of forgotten lessons, misunderstood events, and stories shaped by myth and bias. But the past never stays buried. Its ideas, conflicts, and consequences continue to shape the world we live in, often in ways we fail to recognize. We look beyond familiar narratives to examine what happened, why it matters, and what we might be missing. Because understanding where we've been is essential to understanding where we are, and where we may be headed. Yesterday's lessons. Today's realities. Tomorrow's consequences.

  1. 1d ago

    The U.S. And Iran: What Went Wrong? - The Road to Victory

    Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode! As World War II engulfs the globe, Iran finds itself caught between empires. Mohammed Reza Shah looks to the United States for a counterweight to British and Soviet influence. But when Hitler invades the Soviet Union in 1941, Iran's strategic importance becomes impossible for the Allies to ignore. Britain and the Soviet Union invade, occupy the country, and divide control between them. Iran's so-called Persian Corridor becomes a lifeline for Allied weapons and supplies flowing to the Soviet war effort. After America enters the war, U.S. personnel arrive to help keep that lifeline open, building a logistical network that benefits Iran even as it serves the Allied cause. But the war leaves behind a legacy far more consequential than roads, railways, and supply lines. As World War II gives way to the Cold War, America's priorities shift toward containing Soviet power, often at the expense of Iranian sovereignty and the wishes of its people. A relationship forged in wartime cooperation is about to take a very different turn. For a more immersive experience while you listen, visit our image gallery for this series at https://www.usofamnesia.com/blog/image-gallery-for-the-us-and-iran-what-went-wrong/. Sharon Bibee joins us in this episode. For more from Sharon, read her column, "Redacted No More," in which she explores history, politics, travel, culture, and whatever else sparks her curiosity. You can find it on Substack at https://sharonbibee.substack.com/.

    The U.S. And Iran: What Went Wrong? - The Road to Victory

  2. Oct 14

    The U.S. And Iran: What Went Wrong? - Meet the Pahlavis

    Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode! Can a nation modernize and reclaim its independence when powerful foreign empires are determined to keep it within their grasp? Between 1920 and 1941, Iran's attempt to forge its own future collides with the ambitions of Britain, the Soviet Union, and the upheaval of World War II. Reza Pahlavi rises to power as Reza Shah, founding the Pahlavi dynasty and launching an ambitious campaign to transform Iran, inspired in part by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk's modernization of Turkey. But strengthening his country proves difficult when foreign powers continue to exert pressure over its future. As World War II reshapes the region, Reza Shah's perceived sympathies toward Germany contribute to his downfall. In 1941, British and Soviet forces invade Iran, forcing him to abdicate in favor of his teenage son, Mohammed Reza Pahlavi. A new Shah takes the throne, but Iran's struggle for sovereignty is far from over. For a more immersive experience while you listen, visit our image gallery for this series at https://www.usofamnesia.com/blog/image-gallery-for-the-us-and-iran-what-went-wrong/. Sharon Bibee joins us in this episode. For more from Sharon, read her column, "Redacted No More," in which she explores history, politics, travel, culture, and whatever else sparks her curiosity. You can find it on Substack at https://sharonbibee.substack.com/.

    The U.S. And Iran: What Went Wrong? - Meet the Pahlavis

  3. Sep 30

    The U.S. and Iran: What Went Wrong? - The Third Way

    Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode! Intelligence professional and Substack author Sharon Bibee joins us to begin our new series on the complicated history of U.S.-Iran relations. We travel back to Qajar Persia, where Iran was caught between the competing ambitions of the British and Russian Empires. Along the way, we meet two Americans who played surprising roles in Iran's Constitutional Revolution: missionary and teacher Howard Baskerville, remembered as Iran's "American Lafayette," and lawyer William Shuster, whose efforts to reform Iran's finances brought him into conflict with the foreign powers dominating the country. We also examine the devastating famine of 1918-1919 and the forces that shaped Iran's relationship with the West. For a more immersive experience while you listen, visit our image gallery for this series at https://www.usofamnesia.com/blog/image-gallery-for-the-us-and-iran-what-went-wrong/. For more from Sharon, read her column, "Redacted No More," in which she explores history, politics, travel, culture, and whatever else sparks her curiosity. You can find it on Substack at https://sharonbibee.substack.com/. Rimsky-Korsakov., "Scheherazade, Symphonic Suite, Op. 35, The Young Prince And Princess," the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra conducted by Pierre Monteux, violin solo by Naoum Blinder, from Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rimsky-Korsakov._Scheherazade,_Symphonic_Suite,_Op._35_-_03_The_Young_Prince_And_Princess.ogg), used under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication license.

    The U.S. and Iran: What Went Wrong? - The Third Way

  4. Sep 16

    403: Internal Improvements - Enter Lincoln

    Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode! For obvious reasons, Abraham Lincoln's presidency is best remembered for his emancipation of America's slaves, determination to preserve the Union in the face of Southern secession, and leadership in the American Civil War. But an often-overlooked aspect of his administration was its promotion of the United States Government as an active, positive actor in such matters as infrastructure improvement and economic affairs. In this conclusion to the series, Marshall leads our discussion of how the first four years of Lincoln’s presidency in the 1860s were among the most consequential in U.S. history for civic infrastructure and economic reform, rivaling the achievements of Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal of the 1930s and Lyndon Johnson’s Great Society of the 1960s. For a more immersive experience while you listen, visit our image gallery for this series at https://www.podpage.com/dashboard/usamnesia/blog/posts/14142090260774/edit/?next=/dashboard/usamnesia/blog/posts/#14142090260774. Join us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61584388890202 Check out our website to learn more about us, leave a review, read our blog, and more: https://www.usofamnesia.com/ Email us: usa.amnesia@gmail.com.

    403: Internal Improvements - Enter Lincoln

  5. Sep 2

    402: Internal Improvements - By The Eternal!

    Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode! President Andrew Jackson took office in 1829. beginning a 30-year period in which his Democratic Party blocked the efforts of the 'elitist" Whig Party to give the U.S. federal government a greater role in developing the country's infrastructure and stabilizing its financial system. Although the existence of slavery in the South did not divide the two political parties at the time, its possible expansion into the western territories did, leading to increasing sectional hostility between North and South. The fear in Southern states that any increase in federal power might lead to the abolition of slavery limited the federal role in domestic affairs, blocking the development of a national transportation system and beginning a cycle of financial panics and economic depressions that would repeat roughly every 20 years. It would take a civil war to tip the balance in favor of government activism. For a more immersive experience while you listen, visit our image gallery for this series at https://www.podpage.com/dashboard/usamnesia/blog/posts/14142090260774/edit/?next=/dashboard/usamnesia/blog/posts/#14142090260774. Join us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61584388890202 Check out our website to learn more about us, leave a review, read our blog, and more: https://www.usofamnesia.com/ Email us: usa.amnesia@gmail.com.

    402: Internal Improvements - By The Eternal!

  6. Aug 19

    401: Internal Improvements - The American System

    Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode! In the 1820s, Henry Clay envisioned a bold new role for the federal government: building America’s infrastructure, strengthening its economy, and shaping the nation’s future. He called it the 'American System.' But was the Constitution willing to let Washington build? In this premier episode of our new series, Marshall traces the battle over “Internal Improvements” from Clay and John Quincy Adams to Andrew Jackson and the rise of populist democracy. What began as a fight over roads, canals, and federal power soon became entangled with the deepest conflict in American politics: slavery. For the next three decades, Southern opposition would help derail the vision of a more economically activist federal government. This episode begins a series exploring what Americans wanted their government to build, what they believed it had the power to build, and why those questions still haunt American politics. For a more immersive experience while you listen, visit our image gallery for this series at https://www.podpage.com/dashboard/usamnesia/blog/posts/14142090260774/edit/?next=/dashboard/usamnesia/blog/posts/#14142090260774. Join us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61584388890202. Check out our website to learn more about us, leave a review, read our blog, and more: https://www.usofamnesia.com/ Email us: usa.amnesia@gmail.com.

    401: Internal Improvements - The American System

  7. Aug 5

    306: A Christian Nation? - Facts and Fiction

    Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode! The debate over whether America was founded as a Christian nation has endured for more than two centuries, but what does the historical record actually say? In the final installment of this series, Blake, Marshall, and Mike revisit the evidence, challenge some of the most persistent myths surrounding the American Founding, and examine what the Founders believed about Christianity, government, and religious freedom. Drawing together the evidence from across the series, they separate fact from fiction and ask what the Founding generation actually intended when it came to religion, government, and the identity of the United States. Is America a Christian nation? The answer is more complicated and more fascinating than either side of the debate often admits. For a more immersive experience while you listen, visit our image gallery for this series at https://www.usofamnesia.com/blog/image-gallery-for-a-christian-nation/. Join us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61584388890202. Check out our website to learn more about us, leave a review, read our blog, and more: https://www.usofamnesia.com/ Email us: usa.amnesia@gmail.com.

    306: A Christian Nation? - Facts and Fiction

  8. Jul 22

    305: A Christian Nation? - The Awakenings

    Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode! History remembers the Founding Fathers. It often forgets the revivalists. Between the Revolution and the modern era, a series of religious awakenings swept across America, changing not only how people worshiped, but how they understood the nation itself. In this conversation, Blake guides Marshall and Mike through the Great Awakenings, tracing the origins of evangelicalism, fundamentalism, and ideas that many now assume have always been part of American Christianity. If today's religious landscape wasn't inherited from the Founders, when was it created? And what happens when centuries of theology, politics, and national identity become tangled together? Sometimes the most influential chapters in American history are the ones we rarely think to read. For a more immersive experience while you listen, visit our image gallery for this series at https://www.usofamnesia.com/blog/image-gallery-for-a-christian-nation/. Join us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61584388890202 Check out our website to learn more about us, leave a review, read our blog, and more: https://www.usofamnesia.com/ Email us: usa.amnesia@gmail.com.

    305: A Christian Nation? - The Awakenings
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
8 Ratings

About

Welcome to The United States of Amnesia, where yesterday's history meets today's realities. History, politics, and religion are full of forgotten lessons, misunderstood events, and stories shaped by myth and bias. But the past never stays buried. Its ideas, conflicts, and consequences continue to shape the world we live in, often in ways we fail to recognize. We look beyond familiar narratives to examine what happened, why it matters, and what we might be missing. Because understanding where we've been is essential to understanding where we are, and where we may be headed. Yesterday's lessons. Today's realities. Tomorrow's consequences.

Information

  • Creator
    Marshall Newman, Blake Henke, and Mike Mendenhall
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    29
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Blake Henke
  • Show Website
    The United States of Amnesia

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