Reframing America

Painted Sky Podcasts
  • 5.0 (15)
  • HISTORY
  • UPDATED MONTHLY

Frame by frame, the faces of US presidents are hung from the walls of America's history classrooms — but are those men REALLY the faces of America's history? Who REALLY belongs in the picture frames that line America's history classrooms? Welcome to "Reframing America," the podcast that explores American history — president by president, frame by frame — to determine the best faces to symbolize the evolution of American history. Join us for "Historical Hot Takes", the "Worst Person in America award," "What Actor Should Play this President?" and more!

  1. FEB 16

    The Buck Stops Here: Harry Truman's Legacy (The Late Bloomer, Part 2)

    In the second of this two-part episode, Ryan Rasmussen and Tony Rydberg dissect the best, the worst, and the controversial about Harry Truman's time as president. They break down his personality, answer the unanswerable, drop some historical hot takes, and ultimately decide if Harry Truman's portrait should remain on the walls of America's history classrooms.

    1h 8m

  2. FEB 9

    The Late Bloomer: Harry Truman's Small Starts and Big Finishes (Part 1)

    Harry Truman was never good at first impressions. The army didn't want him. He was just a cog in the Missouri political machine. Even his future wife had to warm up to the idea of being with him. And yet — when he finally had a moment in the spotlight, Harry Truman's indomitable will and indefatigable spirit carried him to victory after victory, though victory came without a cost. In the first of a two-part examination, Tony Rydberg and Ryan Rasmussen unpack the life and career of a president who gave America some of its proudest moments and its greatest moral conundrum.

    1h 50m

  3. JAN 12

    The World War II Special, Part 2: Forged from the Flames

    World War II seemed like the end of the world, but in truth, it signaled the birth of a new world. In Part Two of their analysis of the Second World War, Ryan Rasmussen and Tony Rydberg discuss the myriad ways the conflict shaped the world long after the guns stopped firing. From historical outrages to how the war defined the legacy of Franklin D. Roosevelt, Ryan and Tony address a wide range of issues, capping the episode with their selection for the "face on the wall" that will represent World War II in America's high school history classrooms.

    1h 17m

  4. 12/22/2025

    The World War II Special, Part 1: Consumed in the Conflagration

    World War II is the singular event of modern history, encompassing the darkest depths of the human soul, the highest aspirations of invention, and the tenacious capacity to persevere with the fate of the world at stake. Tony Rydberg and Ryan Rasmussen piece together the mosaic of history that ushered the world to the brink of annihilation and back again. After checking out this episode, be sure to return for the Part 2 episode, where Ryan and Tony will break down the many legacies, for better or worse, of World War II.

    1h 14m

  5. 11/24/2025

    American Phoenix: FDR Raises America from the Ashes

    The life cycle of the Phoenix: creation, destruction, rebirth. This was also the cycle for Franklin Delano Roosevelt, his wife Eleanor, and the nation he would lead. During his unprecedented tenure of four elections, he led America through unprecedented times. Ryan Rasmussen and Tony Rydberg sift through his domestic policies to solve the mystery of how a man who never knew financial trouble in his life became the beacon of hope for a nation in the deepest throes of financial strife.

    1h 49m

  6. 10/27/2025

    Millions Saved, Billions Lost: The Presidential Paradox of Herbert Hoover

    Whenever a crisis reared its ugly head, Herbert Hoover was there to resolve it. He was called "The Great Humanitarian," and at one point, he was the most beloved American on Earth. So, why was he so ineffective when the Great Depression hit during his presidency? Tony Rydberg and Ryan Rasmussen try to bring some sense to this paradox as they explore Hoover's life and his profound legacy, for better and worse.

    1h 45m

  7. 09/29/2025

    American Gangsters: Harding, Coolidge, and a Nation of Scofflaws

    America from 1921-1929 was, in some ways, a nation defined by crime. From greasing the wheels of business with bribes to making a fortune selling illegal liquor during Prohibition, everyone was wetting their beak - and that's just the politicians. In their Season 4 premiere, Ryan Rasmussen and Tony Rydberg jump 100 years back in time to examine America during the presidencies of Warren G. Harding and Calvin Coolidge to answer the question: What separates the politicians from the criminals?

    1h 59m

  8. 05/19/2025

    The World War I Special, Part 2

    In the second episode of this two-part season finale, Ryan Rasmussen and Tony Rydberg dig deeper into the implications of World War I. They discuss how World War I impacted America, for better and worse. They answer unanswerable questions, serve up some hot takes, and ultimately bestow a "bonus" picture frame to the person who should symbolize America's involvement in the so-called "War to End All Wars."

    1h 14m
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About

Frame by frame, the faces of US presidents are hung from the walls of America's history classrooms — but are those men REALLY the faces of America's history? Who REALLY belongs in the picture frames that line America's history classrooms? Welcome to "Reframing America," the podcast that explores American history — president by president, frame by frame — to determine the best faces to symbolize the evolution of American history. Join us for "Historical Hot Takes", the "Worst Person in America award," "What Actor Should Play this President?" and more!

Information

  • Creator
    Painted Sky Podcasts
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    35
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Painted Sky Podcasts
  • Show Website
    Reframing America