American History Too!

It's Part 3 of Lyndon Johnson's America and we arrive at the event which arguably shaped LBJ's presidency more than anything else - the Vietnam War.

In this episode, we cover the early years of the conflict (1964-67) and discuss:

Why Vietnam?

Why does Johnson escalate in 1965?

What role do race and gender play during the Vietnam War?

The early anti-war movement

American strategic mistakes in Vietnam

In next month's episode we'll examine The Downfall as Johnson's America comes apart as a result of events at home and abroad.

Thanks again for listening!

Cheers,

Mark and Malcolm

Reading List:

Heather Stur, Beyond Combat: Women and gender in the Vietnam War era (Cambridge University Press, 2011)

Daniel Lucks, Selma to Saigon: The Civil Rights Movement and the Vietnam War (University of Kentucky Press, 2014)

Lien-Hang T. Nguyen, Hanoi’s War: An International History of the War for Peace in Vietnam (Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2012)

Paul Thomas Chamberlin, The Cold War's Killing Fields: Rethinking the Long Peace (New York: HarperCollins, 2018)

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Picking up from last month's episode on Native Americans and slavery, this month's episode with Reeta Humalajoki (University of Turku) explores the relationship between the American government from the civil war to the present day.

We explore the various policies from assimilation to termination that characterised this fractious relationship, all the way up to the recent policies pursued by the Obama and Trump White Houses.

How much say did have Native Americans had in shaping their fate? And how was this all affected by the Civil Rights era? And why is Richard Nixon one of the most laudable presidents in relation to Native American affairs?

Reetta guides us through these issues and much more in this tour de force podcast!

Cheers for listening,

Mark and Malcolm

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As we prepare to return in November with two episodes, including a special on the midterm election results, here is a re-run of an old episode on Black History Month (which falls in October in the UK, so we felt it was ideal to re-post this now)

On Episode 34 of American History Too! we were joined by the University of Birmingham's James West (@ejwestuk) to discuss the history of Black History Month and the debates that surround BHM.

Over the course of the hour we get stuck into the legacy of the Civil Rights movement, the origins of Black History Month and whether it is viewed in a positive light by black Americans. Finally, James offers us a fascinating insight into how corporations have advertised during BHM, and whether their efforts are cynical or genuine.

ur apologies for the recording quality on one of the microphones for this episode - snowstorms and internet connections don't go well!

Cheers,

Mark and Malcolm

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On Episode 45, we are joined by UCL's Nick Witham (@ndwitham) to examine the turbulent events of 1968 in the United States. 50 years on, what are the legacies of the 365 days of tumult?

What happened? What impact did it have on various groups in society? And how important were the 'Sixties' more broadly? We guide you through the assassinations, cultural upheavals, Vietnam protest, and - of course - the music of 1968.

Thanks again for listening. We'll be back next month to examine Native Americans and slavery.

Cheers,

Mark and Malcolm

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On Episode 46, we're joined by the University of Hull's Edd Mair, who discusses his research on Native Americans as slaveholders during the 18th and 19th centuries, particularly the Seminole tribe of Florida.

We have a wide-ranging discussion of the history of Native American slavery - both as enslaved people and as slaveholders themselves.

Why did the enslave Africans? Was it out of necessity or more nefarious reasons? As we find out, some Native Americans even held similar racial beliefs to those that would become common among white people during Social Darwinism's heyday.

Mostly, we get at the question of whether or not Native American were more benevolent slaveholders in comparison with their white counterparts - a common myth that was accepted in American society.

We'll be back next month with a follow-up episode on Native Americans when we discuss how they fared during the 20th century.

Cheers,

Mark and Malcolm

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