BackStory
With the American History Guys
BackStory is a brand-new call-in radio show
that
brings historical perspective to the events
happening around us every day. Read More...
BackStory is in development and will soon be available on public radio stations. We are using this website and word-of-mouth to encourage people to participate as callers on the show. Take a look at our list of upcoming topics and email us with your reactions.
You could be invited to share your ideas on the air!
We're interested in personal stories and observations related to upcoming topics, but most of all in your questions. Remember – there are no bad ones!
Airing Soon!
Newcomers in American Government
With all the talk we've been hearing lately about potential "presidential firsts," it's easy to forget that the history of American government is a history of firsts. In this inaugural episode of the show, the History Guys examine the backstory of Campaign '08. How have unrepresented constituencies broken into politics in the past? Is it an asset or a liability for a candidate to be identified along ethnic or gender lines? When have we heard promises of "change" before? You'll find answers to all these, and more, on BackStory's first episode ever. It's history-in-the-making!
Have a question or comment? Email us to be part of the show!
Who are the American History Guys?
Ed Ayers is President of the University of Richmond. Previously, he served as Hugh P. Kelly Professor of History and Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Virginia.
Brian Balogh is Mayo Distinguished Teaching Professor of History at the University of Virginia and Co-Chair of the Governing America in a Global Era Program at UVA’s Miller Center of Public Affairs.
Peter Onuf is the Thomas Jefferson Memorial Foundation Professor of History at the University of Virginia.
Credits
BackStory was created and developed by VFH Radio at the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities. Major production support is provided by the David A. Harrison Fund for the President’s Initiatives at the University of Virginia and the Perry Foundation, Incorporated. Program research and development support was provided by Alumni of the University of Virginia, with additional funding from UVA’s Corcoran Department of History.
Be a Part of the Show!
Independence Daze: A History of July 4th - For the first several decades of our nation’s existence, July 4th was not an official holiday at all-- in fact, it wasn't until 1938 that it became a paid federal holiday. The Declaration of Independence itself went largely untended in a dusty archive for 150 years.
So how did the Fourth become the holiest day on our secular calendar? How did its celebration become a measure of patriotism? Has the holiday really belonged to all Americans (Confederates? Slaves?) What exactly happened on 7/4/76, and why do we celebrate it with explosions, hot dogs, and mattress sales? What does Independence Day mean to you?
We're looking for callers, and need your help! Email us with your thoughts on our upcoming topic, and we'll arrange for you to be part of this week's show!
Coming Up Next Week
Serving Time: The History of Punishment in America - For the first time in history, more than one in every 100 American adults is behind bars. For black men between the ages of 20 and 34, that figure is one in nine. Our incarceration rate dwarfs that of every other nation, but our overall crime rate is average for Western countries. So how did we get to this point? How did Americans used to punish wrongdoers, and what does that have to do with today’s prison-industrial complex? Have the various prison reform movements worked? Or have they made things worse?
On this show, we’ll speak with scholars of punishment, a prison warden, and hopefully, you! Send us your thoughts, your questions, and your stories… and we’ll send you an invitation to join us on-the-air!
In The News
- Show seeks drama, fun in history - Daily Progress
