Claim OwnershipCivics & Coffee: A History Podcast
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© 2025 Civics & Coffee: A History Podcast
Description
Civics & Coffee delivers bite-sized U.S. history with clear, engaging storytelling — all in the time it takes to drink your morning cup of coffee. Host Alycia brings America’s past to life with well-researched episodes that are approachable, human, and impossible to forget.
In 2026, Civics & Coffee dives into the Gilded Age - a transformative era of booming industry, powerful presidents, labor uprisings, immigration waves, inequality, and social reformers. From national crises like the Great Railroad Strike of 1877 to personal stories of figures such as Rutherford B. Hayes, Lucy Webb Hayes, and the Exodusters, each episode uncovers the people, tensions, and turning points that shaped modern America.
Whether you’re a longtime history lover or just history-curious, Civics & Coffee offers context without the homework and storytelling without the fluff. Grab your mug and join the conversation, one cup at a time.
308 Episodes
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Join me as I sit down with historian Ronald Angelo Johnson to explore his groundbreaking book Entangled Alliances: Black Internationalism in the Early American Republic. Johnson reveals how free Black communities, Caribbean revolutionaries, and geopolitical alliances shaped the rise of U.S. diplomacy during the nation’s formative decades. From the Haitian Revolution to the complex relationship between African American activists and U.S. officials, Johnson explains why early American history c...
Join me as I welcome historian and bestselling author Dr. Elizabeth Cobbs about her book Fearless Women and her powerful concept of patriotic feminism. Dr. Cobbs explains how generations of American women have pushed the nation to live up to its founding ideals, often pairing a deep love of country with a bold willingness to demand change. Our conversation explores the women who shaped U.S. history—famous and forgotten—and the surprising ways their activism, labor, and leadership moved the co...
The presidential election of 1876 stands as one of the most contested and consequential turning points in American history. In this episode, I explore the dramatic showdown between Republican Rutherford B. Hayes and Democrat Samuel Tilden, unfolding at a moment when the country was still grappling with the legacy of Reconstruction. Join me as I highlight how a political crisis emerged when disputed returns from the South threw the nation into chaos without a constitutional remedy. What follow...
Your favorite history podcasters are back again! Join myself, Kenny from Abridged Presidential Histories, Howard from Plodding Through the Presidencies, and Jerry from The Presidencies of the United States as we chat about the upcoming 250th anniversary of the American Revolution, our dream historical projects, and our affinity for dueling. Happy Holidays! Support the show
What really happened at the Battle of Little Bighorn and how did a single momentous victory seal the fate of the Plains tribes? Join me this week as I dive into the events that led to Custer’s defeat, the broken treaties and gold rush that fueled the conflict, and how the Lakota, Northern Cheyenne, and Arapaho achieved one of the most decisive Native victories in U.S. history. I also explore how the aftermath reshaped federal policy, public opinion, and the future of the Great Plains. Support...
In this episode, I sit down with Jonathan Mahler, author of The Gods of New York, to explore the four years that transformed America’s greatest city—and foretold the divisions that would come to define the nation. From Wall Street’s boom to the crack epidemic, from Howard Beach to the Central Park jogger case, from ACT UP to Spike Lee, the New York of 1986–1989 was a city teeming with conflict, creativity, and change. Mahler paints a vivid portrait of a metropolis at war with itself: between ...
Passed in 1798 as part of the notorious Alien and Sedition Acts, the Alien Enemies Act has outlived its controversial siblings — and it’s still on the books today. In this episode, I trace its origins in the fear and politics of the early republic, how presidents from Madison to FDR have invoked it in times of war, and what it means that this 18th-century law remains active in the 21st century. From the tension between liberty and security to the ways old laws shape modern policy, this is th...
In this episode, I look back on the Reconstruction era — a period that represented both a second founding of the United States and one of its greatest unfinished revolutions. Over the past year, I explored the political battles, social transformations, and cultural reckonings that defined Reconstruction. Now, I reflect on what that history means and how it set the stage for the Gilded Age that followed. Support the show
Join me as I sit down with author Matthew Davis to discuss his new book, A Biography of a Mountain, an in-depth look at the creation, meaning, and legacy of Mount Rushmore. Davis explores how the monument came to symbolize both American pride and historical injustice, tracing its evolution from a tourist attraction to a contested landmark at the heart of U.S. public history. Learn more about Matthew at his website: www.matthewdaviswriter.com Support the show
The Insurrection Act has stood at the crossroads of law, power, and public order for over two centuries. This episode traces its roots from the Militia Acts of 1792 and 1795 to its modern interpretations in moments of national crisis. Discover how this rarely invoked law has shaped presidential authority, balanced federal and state power, and influenced some of the most turbulent chapters in American history. A civics deep dive into how one statute continues to test the boundaries of democrac...
She was a child clairvoyant, the first woman to own a Wall Street brokerage firm—and in 1872, she became the first woman to run for president of the United States. Join me as I sit down with author Eden Collinsworth to unpack the astonishing, unconventional, and often-overlooked life of Victoria Woodhull. Drawing from her new book The Improbable Victoria Woodhull, Collinsworth shares insights into Woodhull’s rise from spiritualist and outsider to a figure who challenged nearly every social an...
What kind of epidemic could turn a thriving American city into a ghost town almost overnight? Join me as I explore the chilling story of the 1878 yellow fever epidemic—a public health disaster that decimated Memphis and echoed far beyond the Mississippi River Valley. While yellow fever had haunted the U.S. since the slave trade, it was the post–Civil War era—with its railroads, riverboats, and lack of national infrastructure—that turned an outbreak into a catastrophe. The fever emptied cities...
What if America’s first serial killer wasn’t H.H. Holmes—but someone far more brutal and completely forgotten? In this episode, I unravel the chilling mystery of the Servant Girl Annihilator, a violent and elusive murderer who stalked Austin, Texas from 1884 to 1885—years before Holmes ever claimed a victim. Eight people were slaughtered in their homes, yet this case remains buried beneath history’s more famous headlines. Who was this killer? Why were the crimes so quickly forgotten? And coul...
What can one church in Washington, D.C. reveal about American religious life, social justice, and the power of oral history? In this episode, I talk with public historian Shae Corey, the creator and producer of the podcast Holy Local, which grew out of an in-depth oral history project focused on the Church of the Saviour. Shae shares what it takes to build a public history project from the ground up, the unexpected challenges of capturing living memory, and why stories of faith—especially loc...
In 1877, the body of a woman was found near a twisted oak tree in Jefferson, Texas—dressed in fine clothes, shot in the head, and missing a diamond ring. Her name was Bessie Moore, better known as Diamond Bessie. What followed was one of the most sensational murder trials in Texas history. Join me as I dive into the tangled story behind her death and the man accused of killing her—Abraham Rothschild, a wealthy Cincinnati heir with powerful family connections. Support the show
Join me this week as I dig into the real story behind Louisiana Voodoo — a spiritual tradition shaped by West African roots, Haitian resistance, and the streets of New Orleans. Discover how the Haitian Revolution sent shockwaves across the Atlantic, bringing people, beliefs, and tensions into the heart of Louisiana. Hear the story of Betsey Toledano, a name often left out of the textbooks, and unravel the legend of Marie Laveau. Voodoo in America has long been distorted by fear and folklore. ...
One of the costliest conflicts launched in opposition of Indigenous Americans, the Modoc War pitted the United States Army against a dwindling band of Modoc. Despite being outnumbered and outgunned, Modoc fighters successfully defended their post for six months. Yet the Modoc War remains one of the least known conflicts in history. Tune in to learn about the Modoc and what drove them to war. Support the show
From spinsters to old maids, women who broke conventions to remain single have long been derided as somehow outside of the norm. But history shows this has been happening for generations. What gives? Join me this week as I sit down with author and illustrator Emma Duval to chat about her debut book, Unwed & Unbothered: The Defiant Lives of Single Women Throughout History. Learn about what motivated Emma to write such a book, what she uncovered in her research, and what learning about thes...
Join me this week as I explore the vital but often overlooked role of Black women in the Reconstruction-era South. In the aftermath of the Civil War, Black women were central to rebuilding Black communities and creating the social foundation for future generations. Through everyday acts of care, resistance, and resilience, they redefined citizenship and freedom on their own terms. This episode is a closer look at how liberation was lived and fought for beyond policy and politics. Support the ...
Join me as I sit down with Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer William Taubman to explore his latest work, McNamara at War: A New History. Authors Philip and William Taubman take readers behind the scenes of Robert S. McNamara’s career, from his role in shaping U.S. defense policy to the internal conflicts that defined his legacy. In this episode, we discuss how McNamara navigated war, power, and moral complexity while telling the story through a new lens. Whether you're a student of leadership...
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