"Fake news" has agitated for war, smeared political opponents, and stoked tensions within the country... and that's just talking about the role of newspapers before 1850. We've come a long way since then; some things have changed, and some things haven't. What exactly qualifies as "fake news" and how has that term evolved over time?

This episode traces the history of "fake news" in America, from sensational Revolutionary-era reports and partisan 18th-century newspapers to yellow journalism, the rise of investigative muckrakers, and the development of broadcast and cable news.

Why are tariffs such a big political issue? What's the purpose of tariffs and, do they work? What does the Constitution say about tariffs?

Did you know that tariffs had a role in the onset of the American Revolution? How about the fact that they both protected the economy, and caused economic depressions? On more than once occasion, they influenced presidential elections. They also contributed to sectionalism and civil war.

This episode traces the American history with tariffs, their role in shaping the economy, and how they have impacted the politics of the United States.

Why do people have such conflicting views of American history? What is revisionist history, and why does it have such a bad reputation? And what do we make of this current idea of “patriotic history?”

This episode explores why American history is so hotly debated, contrasting descriptive history (facts of who, what, when, where, and how) with interpretive history (the why), and traces how perspectives—from the Southern Lost Cause to voices of marginalized communities—have shaped the nation's story.

With help from John Wayne, Thomas Jefferson, the Enola Gay, and one of the best historical analogies you'll ever hear, this episode examines revisionism, patriotic history, and the ongoing struggle to balance pride, truth, and lessons from the past.