Rephonic
Artwork for Lectures in History

Lectures in History

C-SPAN
American Revolution
World War II
Cold War
Civil Rights Movement
George Washington
Vietnam War
C-Span
Gilded Age
Baseball
Slavery
Civil War
Richard Nixon
Abortion
Great Depression
Lizzie Borden
Ronald Reagan
Reproductive Rights
Appalachia
Title IX
American Revolutionary War

Go back to school with the country's top professors lecturing on a variety of topics in American history. New episodes posted every Saturday evening. From C-SPAN, the network that brings you "After Words" and "C-SPAN's The Weekly" podcasts.

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes600Founded15 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
PoliticsHistoryNews

Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for Lectures in History

Latest Episodes

Washington University hosts its “1776: Then and Now” lecture series. This lecture examines why Thomas Jefferson owned a Qur’an and explores his study of Islam and its influence on his thinking about religion and religious freedom.

Learn more about y... more

YouTube

Santa Clara University music professor Christina Zanfagna teaches a class about the relationship between race and music throughout history.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

YouTube

Bestselling presidential historian Michael Beschloss joins David M. Rubenstein for a wide-ranging conversation on American history. They discuss the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, and the pivotal events and presidents that shaped the United States... more

YouTube

Washington University hosted a series of lectures called "1776: Then and Now." This lecture examined the international context of the American Revolution.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

YouTube

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
Accepts Sponsors
Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

Similar Podcasts

People also subscribe to these shows.

Recent Guests

Michael Beschloss
Presidential historian and author
Author and historian
Episode: Michael Beschloss Explores the Revolutionary War, Civil War & 20th Century America
Kathleen Duvall
Professor of history at the University of North Carolina
University of North Carolina
Episode: The American Revolution Era and the Rest of the World
Dr. Aaron Aster
Professor of history at Maryville College
Maryville College
Episode: Appalachia's Role in America's Founding
Dr. Doug Sofer
Faculty colleague of the presenter
Maryville College
Episode: Appalachia's Role in America's Founding
Kathleen DuVal
Pulitzer Prize-winning historian
Washington University in St. Louis
Episode: International Context of the American Revolution
Ken Burns
Documentary filmmaker
PBS/C-SPAN project
Episode: Revolutionary War Leadership
Rick Atkinson
Pulitzer Prize-winning author
Harper/WW II War history
Episode: Revolutionary War Leadership
Joseph Dunford
Retired Marine Corps General, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
U.S. military
Episode: Revolutionary War Leadership
Gordon S. Wood
Historian and professor, Brown University; renowned expert on early American history
Brown University
Episode: Revolutionary War Roots of the Civil War

Host

Peter Castor
Host/lecturer accompanying the audience in the lecture series

Reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars from 841 ratings
  • Great stuff but…

    don’t expect to hear only opinions you like. These are lectures presenting historical facts which are sometimes then interpreted and applied to contemporary life. But unlike so many podcasts it isn’t pretending to be what it’s not.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    TV Food and Drink
    United States3 months ago
  • !

    Cool

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    !huh
    United States3 months ago
  • Great Overall

    Many of the lectures are very good. Skip the cult and the prison gang ones, though. You won’t learn much about either.

    Would enjoy more variety of subjects. History has a lot of great topics.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    historyheather
    United States6 months ago
  • 1876 Great Sioux War

    I was just grinding my teeth this entire lecture. It was extremely biased against USA. Is the Professor by any chance Native American for crying out loud? It was too one sided for me. He was unsuccessful in taking a balanced approach. Too much liberal sentiments studded this interesting subject. 🤷🏻‍♂️

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    ballpeen brain
    United Statesa year ago
  • Mark Moyar on Vietnam

    It was very informative and points out how some historians and journalists have clearly overlooked what was happening in South Vietnam from 1968-73. After 1967, many on the left focus on what was happening in America while selectively highlighting a few highly negative events in South Vietnam.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Nate in GA
    United Statesa year ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Listeners praise the scholarly rigor and broad guest mix, noting strong historical context and engaging Q&As.
A few critiques mention bias or selectivity in topic choices and sound quality from certain lectures.
Some episodes draw attention for balance concerns or pacing, with feedback on voice speed and editorial balance.
Positive feedback often highlights high-profile guests and practical leadership takeaways from history.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#213
United States/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#79
South Korea/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#128
Ukraine/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#177
Israel/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#221
Saudi Arabia/News/Politics

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Michael Beschloss Explores the Revolutionary War, Civil War & 20th Century America
Q: If you could change the presidency, how would you change the way presidents are elected or constrained?
He advocates preserving a democratic element in choosing presidents while strengthening checks on executive power, noting past attempts at reform and emphasizing the importance of accountability and clear constitutional boundaries.
Michael Beschloss Explores the Revolutionary War, Civil War & 20th Century America
Q: How did you get access to those tapes, and what did you learn from them?
Beschloss explains that access came through key archival contacts and introductions, notably involving Johnson Library directors, and that the tapes offered an unprecedented, intimate window into decisions, emotions, and real-time leadership during moments of national crisis.
The American Revolution Era and the Rest of the World
Q: Would loyalties change if you were Métis, like mixed?
The Métis tended to align with mixed identities, often siding with British or Indigenous communities depending on proximity and kinship, illustrating how personal and community identities influenced allegiance during the war.
Appalachia's Role in America's Founding
Q: How would you respond to the idea that Native American identity evolved as a defining quality of America, changing over time?
The lecturer agrees and expands that Americans differentiated themselves from English norms partly through dress and cultural representations, signaling a developing American identity that included Native imagery and interactions, but also acknowledges that this process was complex and often shaped by conflict and negotiation.
Why Did America Declare Independence?
Q: At the beginning of the Revolutionary War, do we have any information on what percentage of the colonists were loyalists or not?
Historically, claims have varied, but it's clear that support for the revolution was more widespread than earlier scholars suggested, with many people supporting it for different reasons and at different times.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About Lectures in History

What is Lectures in History about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A rigorous history-focused series featuring top university professors, historians, journalists, and authors examining American history from the Revolutionary era to modern times. Episodes emphasize deep context, primary sources, and thoughtful discussion on leadership, religion, politics, and culture, often including Q&A or panel formats to illuminate complex historical debates. Notable strengths include high-profile guest appearances, strong scholarly grounding, and a clear mission to educate while connecting past events to contemporary discussions. The format mixes lectures, expert commentary, and narrative storytelling to help curious listeners discern nuance in historical narratives and leadership lessons across eras.

Where can I find podcast stats for Lectures in History?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for Lectures in History. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to Lectures in History and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does Lectures in History get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for four million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for Lectures in History, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.

What are the audience demographics for Lectures in History?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for Lectures in History, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

How many subscribers and views does Lectures in History have?

To see how many followers or subscribers Lectures in History has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to Lectures in History?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Lectures in History:

1. Booknotes+
2. For the Ages: A History Podcast
3. Washington Today
4. My History Can Beat Up Your Politics
5. Listening to America

How many episodes of Lectures in History are there?

Lectures in History launched 15 years ago and published 600 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact Lectures in History?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for Lectures in History?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for Lectures in History from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.

How do I access podcast episode transcripts for Lectures in History?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of Lectures in History. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on Lectures in History?

Recent guests on Lectures in History include:

1. Michael Beschloss
2. Kathleen Duvall
3. Dr. Aaron Aster
4. Dr. Doug Sofer
5. Kathleen DuVal
6. Ken Burns
7. Rick Atkinson
8. Joseph Dunford

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

Find and pitch the right podcasts

We help savvy brands, marketers and PR professionals to find the right podcasts for any topic or niche. Get the data and contacts you need to pitch podcasts at scale and turn listeners into customers.
Try it free for 7 days