Now & Then

Heather Cox Richardson, host of Now & Then, joins Stay Tuned with Preet to discuss her new book, “Democracy Awakening: Notes on the State of America.” They talk about the origins of the terms “liberal” and “conservative,” a 1937 anti-FDR manifesto that presaged today’s GOP, and the ways in which the nation might move beyond the chaos of the Trump years.  Head to the Stay Tuned feed to listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On this finale episode of Now & Then, Heather and Joanne are joined by the show’s production team to discuss behind-the-scenes reflections and favorite memories from the series. Editorial Producers David Kurlander and Sam Ozer-Staton, Executive Producer Tamara Sepper, and Audio Producer Matthew Billy celebrate history, democracy, and friendship with the historians.  For references & supplemental materials, head to: https://cafe.com/now-and-then/then-and-now/ Now & Then is presented by CAFE and the Vox Media Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How do political debates help and hurt American democracy? Heather and Joanne reflect on the recent Republican primary debate and discuss the long legacy of the institution, from Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr’s proto-debates with voters during the contentious 1800 election, to the 1858 Lincoln-Douglas debates, to the iconic 1960 televised debates between John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon.  Heather and Joanne discuss their own experiences participating in debates in the “Backstage” portion of the podcast. To get access to Backstage segments and other exclusive content, become a member at cafe.com/history. Now & Then is ending on September 13th. Leave us a voicemail with your favorite moment from the show at 669-247-7338 or write to us at letters@cafe.com. For references & supplemental materials, head to: cafe.com/now-and-then/looking-ahead-a-viewers-guide-to-presidential-debates/ Now & Then is presented by CAFE and the Vox Media Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What can we expect from the 2024 Conventions? Heather and Joanne look at the role of political conventions in American life, from the “King Caucus” era of the early 1800s, to President Lincoln’s ascendance at the 1860 RNC, to the impact of the 1968 DNC on the political process.  Heather and Joanne discuss the power of political history in the “Backstage” portion of the podcast. To get access to Backstage segments and other exclusive content, become a member at cafe.com/history. Now & Then is ending on September 13th. Leave us a voicemail with your favorite moment from the show at 669-247-7338 or write to us at letters@cafe.com. For references & supplemental materials, head to: cafe.com/now-and-then/looking-ahead-to-2024-conventions-caucuses-and-the-balance-of-democracy/ Now & Then is presented by CAFE and the Vox Media Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Can former President Trump pardon himself? Heather and Joanne explore the history of the pardon power, from constitutional debates, to President Andrew Johnson’s controversial Confederate pardons, to the corrupt Georgia pardon practices that precipitated the very relevant Georgia State Board of Pardons and Paroles.  Heather and Joanne discuss what pardons have in common with extensions and other professorial acts of clemency in the “Backstage” portion of the podcast. To get access to Backstage segments and other exclusive content, become a member at cafe.com/history. For references & supplemental materials, head to: cafe.com/now-and-then/pardons-politics-power/ Now & Then is presented by CAFE and the Vox Media Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team recently faced significant backlash after its World Cup defeat. Heather and Joanne explore how the team’s triumphs and losses fit into the history of women’s team sports, from the emergence of women’s basketball at Smith College in the 1890s, to the impact of Title IX, to the expansion of the Women’s World Cup in the 1990s.  Heather and Joanne also share their personal experiences playing sports in a special “Backstage” segment of the podcast. To get access to Backstage episodes and other exclusive content, become a member at cafe.com/history. For references & supplemental materials, head to: cafe.com/now-and-then/the-womens-world-cup-title-ix-and-power/ Now & Then is presented by CAFE and the Vox Media Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What can the controversy over Florida’s new Black history standards tell us about the politics of distorting the past? Heather and Joanne analyze the claims and framing of the standards and connect the curricular mandates to a century-old effort by the United Daughters of the Confederacy to control how Southern history was taught.  How have Heather and Joanne sought to teach accurate American history in their own classes? They share more of their thoughts in a special “Backstage” segment of the podcast. Become a member of CAFE Insider and get access to Backstage episodes and other exclusive content. Head to cafe.com/history to learn more and join. For references & supplemental materials, head to: cafe.com/now-and-then/telling-tales-of-history-the-florida-problem/ Now & Then is presented by CAFE and the Vox Media Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How should we make sense of the current labor activism in transportation and entertainment? Heather and Joanne explain how the fault lines in the UPS contract negotiation can be seen in the 1894 Pullman Strike. And they compare the WGA and SAG-AFTRA “double strike” in Hollywood to a similar walkout in 1960, led by none other than Ronald Reagan.  How do Heather and Joanne feel about the future of AI in their workplaces? And how do these feelings connect to worker protections and labor activism? They share more of their thoughts in a special “Backstage” segment of the podcast. Become a member of CAFE Insider and get access to Backstage episodes and other exclusive content. Head to cafe.com/history to learn more and join. For references & supplemental materials, head to: cafe.com/now-and-then/unions-strikes-and-the-public-what-matters/ Now & Then is presented by CAFE and the Vox Media Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What can the success of Barbie tell us about America? Heather and Joanne put the blockbuster film into context with other impactful dolls, from Raggedy Ann to G.I. Joe., exploring what these iconic playthings can show about U.S. debates over gender, race, and consumerism.  How did Heather and Joanne feel about dolls as young people? They share more of their thoughts in a special “Backstage” segment of the podcast. Become a member of CAFE Insider and get access to Backstage episodes and other exclusive content. For a limited time, you can get 40% off the initial annual membership price with discount code JUSTICE. Head to cafe.com/history to learn more and join. For references & supplemental materials, head to: cafe.com/now-and-then/barbie-g-i-joe-and-the-gang-dolls-are-us/ Now & Then is presented by CAFE and the Vox Media Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Heather and Joanne respond to the presidential candidacy of Robert F. Kennedy and the hype surrounding the No Labels political organization by looking at two past third-party bids that changed the nation: the 1844 presidential candidacy of James G. Birney’s anti-slavery Liberty Party and the 1912 campaign of Theodore Roosevelt’s Progressive Party.  How can third party candidacies reflect the values of the nation? How can they backfire? And how should Americans balance their interest in presidential purity with the strategic considerations of living in a democracy?  What are Heather and Joanne’s personal feelings about Third Party bids? They share more of their thoughts in a special “Backstage” segment of the podcast. Become a member of CAFE Insider and get access to Backstage episodes and other exclusive content. For a limited time, you can get 40% off the initial annual membership price with discount code JUSTICE. Head to cafe.com/history to learn more and join. For references & supplemental materials, head to: cafe.com/now-and-then/the-third-party-problem/ Now & Then is presented by CAFE and the Vox Media Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Heather and Joanne compare the national response to the implosion of the Titan submersible to two high-profile historical sea calamities: the 1813 ocean vanishing of Theodosia Burr and the 1872 Mary Celeste “ghost ship” drama.  How do Americans react to tragedies on the high seas? What can these mysterious and painful incidents tell us about our national anxieties and values?  How have Heather and Joanne processed sea dangers in their own lives? They share their experience in a special “Backstage” segment of the podcast. Become a member of CAFE Insider and get access to Backstage episodes and other exclusive content. For a limited time, you can get 40% off the initial annual membership price with discount code JUSTICE. Head to cafe.com/history to learn more and join. For references & supplemental materials, head to: cafe.com/now-and-then/the-titan-the-sea-and-what-we-see/ Now & Then is presented by CAFE and the Vox Media Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Heather and Joanne reflect on the recent Haaland v. Brackeen Supreme Court decision, which upholds the 1978 Indian Child Welfare Act. They put the case into context with past struggles by indigenous communities to define their place in the American story, from Tenskwatawa’s 1800s quest for representation, to the consequences of the 1887 Dawes Act, to the 1960s origins of the American Indian Movement.  How is the challenge of teaching indigenous history different from teaching other historical topics? Heather and Joanne share their experience in a special “Backstage” segment of the podcast. Become a member of CAFE Insider for $1 for the first month and get access to Backstage episodes and other exclusive content. Head to cafe.com/history to learn more and join. For references & supplemental materials, head to: cafe.com/now-and-then/the-american-nation-and-indigenous-nations-sovereignty-struggle/ Now & Then is presented by CAFE and the Vox Media Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How can personal lawyers help and hurt embattled presidents?  Heather and Joanne use the current chaos engulfing former President Trump’s legal team to explore the blurry roles of private presidential attorneys in American history. They explore conservative Unionist lawyer Reverdy Johnson’s effective role in helping President Lincoln to find legal rationale for escalations in the Civil War. And they compare Johnson’s role to the not-so-effective counsel of Nixon’s lawyer-fundraiser Herb Kalmbach.  How did the popular culture surrounding the Watergate scandal affect Heather and Joanne? Join CAFE Insider to listen to “Backstage,” where Heather and Joanne chat each week about the anecdotes and ideas that formed the episode. Head to: cafe.com/history Uncover history's impact on today's issues and get sharp insights into news at the intersection of law and politics with the weekly CAFE Brief newsletter. Sign up for free here: cafe.com/brief For references & supplemental materials, head to: cafe.com/now-and-then/presidential-lawyer-problems/ Now & Then is presented by CAFE and the Vox Media Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What can past struggles over American water access tell us about national power and politics?  Heather and Joanne place state and federal government responses to the Southwest’s current megadrought in the tangled history of water management, from Aaron Burr’s duplicitous scheme to give New York clean water, to William Mulholland’s Los Angeles “water wars,” to the proliferation of New Deal dams.  What were Heather and Joanne’s different experiences of water in the 1970s? Join CAFE Insider to listen to “Backstage,” where Heather and Joanne chat each week about the anecdotes and ideas that formed the episode. Head to: cafe.com/history For references & supplemental materials, head to: cafe.com/now-and-then/theres-something-in-the-water/ Now & Then is presented by CAFE and the Vox Media Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What can the contested and often-mythological history of Texas show us about America today?  Heather and Joanne use the current impeachment drama surrounding Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton as a window into the dramatic and ever-shifting legacies of the Alamo and the Texas oil boom.  What have been Heather and Joanne's personal experiences of Texas? Join CAFE Insider to listen to “Backstage,” where Heather and Joanne chat each week about the anecdotes and ideas that formed the episode. Head to: cafe.com/history For references & supplemental materials, head to: cafe.com/now-and-then/texas-tall-tales-ken-paxtonand-us/ Now & Then is presented by CAFE and the Vox Media Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Stories of remarkable heroism by women in Ukraine have captured the imagination of the world over the past 15 months. How have women warriors shaped conversations over gender, violence, and heroism over the course of United States history?  In this Memorial Day-inspired encore presentation of a March 2022 episode, Heather and Joanne discuss the Revolutionary War figures Molly Pitcher and Deborah Sampson, Harriet Tubman’s Civil War spying raids, and Ukrainian sniper Lyudmila Pavlichenko’s 1942 tour of the U.S.  Join CAFE Insider to listen to “Backstage,” where Heather and Joanne chat each week about the anecdotes and ideas that formed the episode. Head to: cafe.com/history For references & supplemental materials, head to: cafe.com/now-and-then/encore-women-warriors-ukraine-and-beyond/ Now & Then is presented by CAFE and the Vox Media Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the concluding episode of a two-part series, Heather and Joanne discuss alternative approaches to medicine throughout American history, and place them in the context of today’s non-traditional remedies, like psychedelic therapy and wellness brands. They talk through the 19th century diet movements of Sylvester Graham and John Kellogg, the popularity of cross-cultural practices like acupuncture, yoga, and Reiki, and the 1960s rise of psychedelic drugs.  What are Heather and Joanne’s own experiences with alternative medicine? Join CAFE Insider to listen to “Backstage,” where Heather and Joanne chat each week about the anecdotes and ideas that formed the episode. Head to: cafe.com/history For references & supplemental materials, head to: cafe.com/now-and-then/the-american-wellness-continuum-alternative-medicine/ Now & Then is presented by CAFE and the Vox Media Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the first episode of a two-part series, Heather and Joanne look at how the traditional American medical establishment has conceived of mental health over our national history. What can these designations say about the pandemic-associated mental health crises we currently face? How have powerful Americans defined “normalcy” and “abnormalcy” at various points? They explore the pioneering and controversial Philadelphia physician Benjamin Rush, the rise and fall of the “neurasthenia” diagnosis, and the 1950s emergence of antidepressants. How can we be in touch with our own mental health? Join CAFE Insider to listen to “Backstage,” where Heather and Joanne chat each week about the anecdotes and ideas that formed the episode. Head to: cafe.com/history For references & supplemental materials, head to: cafe.com/now-and-then/the-american-wellness-continuum-traditional-medicine/ Now & Then is presented by CAFE and the Vox Media Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What is the role of the Vice President in American political history? What is the road ahead for VP Kamala Harris? Heather and Joanne break down the evolving role of the VP, from John Adams’s frustrated tenure, to Chester A. Arthur’s transition from corruption to reform, to Walter Mondale’s close partnership with President Jimmy Carter.  Have Heather and Joanne ever felt like Vice Presidents? Join CAFE Insider to listen to “Backstage,” where Heather and Joanne chat each week about the anecdotes and ideas that formed the episode. Head to: cafe.com/history Uncover history's impact on today's issues and get sharp insights into news at the intersection of law and politics with the weekly CAFE Brief newsletter. Sign up for free here: cafe.com/brief For references & supplemental materials, head to: cafe.com/now-and-then/veep-the-real-story/ Now & Then is presented by CAFE and the Vox Media Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How can humor be used as a political weapon? Heather and Joanne discuss the recent White House Correspondents’ Dinner and the power of American comedy. They explore Seba Smith and his iconic Jack Downing character, Alice Duer Miller’s poetic suffragist satire, and Dick Gregory’s truth-telling on issues of race and class.  What do comedians and historians have in common? Join CAFE Insider to listen to “Backstage,” where Heather and Joanne chat each week about the anecdotes and ideas that formed the episode. Head to: cafe.com/history Uncover history's impact on today's issues and get sharp insights into news at the intersection of law and politics with the weekly CAFE Brief newsletter. Sign up for free here: cafe.com/brief For references & supplemental materials, head to: cafe.com/now-and-then/not-a-joke-humor-as-politics/ Now & Then is presented by CAFE and the Vox Media Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices