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American History Hit

American History Hit

By: History Hit
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Join Don Wildman twice a week for your hit of American history, as he explores the past to help us understand the United States of today.

We’ll hear how codebreakers uncovered secret Japanese plans for the Battle of Midway, visit Chief Powhatan as he prepares for war with the British, see Walt Disney accuse his former colleagues of being communists, and uncover the dark history that lies beneath Central Park.

From pre-colonial America to independence, slavery to civil rights, the gold rush to the space race, join Don as he speaks to leading experts to delve into America’s past.

New episodes every Monday and Thursday.

Brought to you by History Hit, the award-winning podcast network and world’s best history channel on demand, featuring shows like Dan Snow’s History Hit, Not Just The Tudors and Betwixt the Sheets.


Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Episodes
  • The Truth about Billy the Kid

    The Truth about Billy the Kid
    Jul 13 2026

    We're heading west again, this time looking for Billy the Kid. Who was he? What crimes did he really commit? Is there any chance he survived that final ambush?


    Don is joined by author George R. Matthews, who went back to the sources for his book 'Billy the Kid: The Life Behind the Legend'.


    Edited by Hannah Feodorov. Produced by Sophie Gee. Senior Producer was Freddy Chick.


    Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.


    All music from Epidemic Sounds.


    American History Hit is a History Hit podcast.
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    39 mins
  • Staten Island v. New York City | Revisionist History

    Staten Island v. New York City | Revisionist History
    Jul 10 2026
    On the 250th anniversary of the United States, Revisionist History, bestselling author Malcolm Gladwell’s podcast about things overlooked and misunderstood, investigates the story of what was, at the time, the biggest secession movement in the U.S. since the Civil War. The Staten Island Problem reconstructs the battle for New York City amidst the turbulent early 1990s — the rise of Rudy Giuliani, the peak of the homicide rate, the Wu-Tang Clan, young Donald Trump, and the first Black mayor of New York — all through the prism of the city’s Forgotten Borough. Staten Island’s secession movement is an early example of the politics of resentment that dominates America today and asks: what do you do when a democracy looks like it’s falling apart? Here’s episode 1. David Dinkins, the first Black mayor of New York City, faces off with the borough president of Staten Island, and tries to hold his city together. Find more episodes of Revisionist History: The Staten Island Problem wherever you get podcasts.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
    Show More Show Less
    38 mins
  • America's Deadliest Battle: Gettysburg

    America's Deadliest Battle: Gettysburg
    Jul 9 2026

    By July 1863, the American Civil War had reached a critical turning point. As Robert E. Lee led his army into the North, the two sides collided at Gettysburg in the deadliest battle of the war... How did three days of fighting at Gettysburg change the course of the Civil War? And how has the battle been remembered in the American consciousness since?


    Our guest today is award winning author Garry Adelman. He’s the Chief Historian at the American Battlefield Trust and has been a licensed battlefield guide at Gettysburg for thirty-one years.


    Edited by Tim Arstall, produced by Tom Delargy. Senior producer is Freddy Chick.


    Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.


    All music from Epidemic Sounds.


    American History Hit is a History Hit podcast

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
    Show More Show Less
    38 mins
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All stars
Most relevant
Don Wildman's enthusiastic thoughtful engagement with his subject and his relaxed agreeable voice make this my favourite historical podcast.

Excellent

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Like most Brits I thought that the United States had a limited history, but how wrong i was, even with the subjects I knew about Don and his crew provided me new and more detailed information. A must for all fans of American history.

Brilliant podcast

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