BackStory with the American History Guys

BackStory is a public radio program & podcast that brings historical perspective to the events happening around us today. On each show, renowned U.S. historians Ed Ayers, Peter Onuf, and Brian Balogh tear a topic from the headlines and plumb its historical depths. Over the course of the hour, they are joined by fellow historians, people in the news, and callers interested in exploring the roots of what’s going on today. Together, they drill down to colonial times and earlier, revealing the connections (and disconnections) between past and present. With its passionate, intelligent, and irreverent approach, BackStory is fun and essential listening no matter who you are. Segments may be streamed online or downloaded and used in your classroom as desired.

Teachers tell the History Guys that BackStory segments are well suited for use in the classroom, adding depth to discussions of the historical roots of contemporary issues. Shows like “Body Politics: A History of Health Care” give context to pressing social issues in today’s news. Seasonal specials like “American Pie: A History of Thanksgiving” reveal little-known facts about our holiday traditions, and are accompanied on our website by a wide range of resources for further exploration, including primary source documents and audio slide shows.

Production support for “BackStory with the American History Guys” is provided by the David A. Harrison Fund for the President’s Initiatives at the University of Virginia; the National Endowment for the Humanities*; the University of Richmond; the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation; James Madison’s Montpelier; the Perry Foundation, Incorporated; Cary Brown-Epstein and the W. L. Lyons Brown, Jr. Charitable Foundation; UVA’s Miller Center of Public Affairs; Caroleen Feeney; Marcus and Carole Weinstein; Jay M. Weinberg; Trish and David Crowe; Claire Gargalli and David Carley; JoAnn Hofheimer; and an anonymous donor.