Professor Buzzkill History Podcast

Inner emigration - Wikipedia

When Did the US Civil War End?

Professor Michael Vorenberg joins us to address one of the most perplexing questions in US history. Did the Civil War end on April 9, at Appomattox, as conventional wisdom holds, where Lee surrende...

The Irish Slaves Myth: 2025 Encore

White supremacy has been rising at an alarming rate in the last few years. The “Irish Slaves” myth has been given new life by these extremists. The famous “Irish: the Forgotten White Slaves” email...

The Sound of Music - 60th Anniversary Show!

Carla Von Trapp Hunter (descendant of Captain and Maria Von Trapp) joins Dr. Rebecca Brenner Graham to talk about The Sound of Music, the famous musical that appeared in theaters 60 years ago this...

The Bombing of Dresden: 80th Anniversary Episode

This week sees the 80th anniversary of the bombing of Dresden on February 13-14, 1945. It was one of the most destructive of the Allies’ late-war bombing campaigns over Germany. Somewhere between...

“Dear Miss Perkins”: Frances Perkins and Refugees from Nazi Germany

Frances Perkins was one of the most important Americans in the 20th century. She helped hundreds of people flee Nazi Germany and come to the United States when she was Secretary of Labor in the...

Auld Lang Syne: That Grand Old Song!

“Should old acquaintance be forgot”? What? Should we forget old friends? What does Auld Lang Syne actually mean? Why do we sing it every New Year’s Eve? Join the Professor as he waxes lyrical and...

"It's a Wonderful Life" Myths and Urban Legends: a Professor Buzzkill...

One of the most popular movies of all time, “It’s a Wonderful Life” (starring Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed) is a holiday classic. It has also given us a cornucopia of history myths and urban legends....

How Churchill Waged War

How exactly did Winston Churchill go about directing and managing first the Battle of Britain and then Britain’s part in the wider war? Did he act like a CEO or more like a Chairman of the Board when...

The Weeping Frenchman: the Emotion of National Loss

The “The Weeping Frenchman” photograph from the fall of France in 1940 is one of the most emotional images from World War II. Professor Buzzkill explains the story behind that famous image, and why...

“Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory” - Why the Battle Hymn of the Republic...

Professor Buzzkill finally gives you the “summation and inspiration” episode about The Battle Hymn of the Republic that he promised you! He traces the Battle Hymn from the post-Civil War years, the...