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Artwork for Listening to America

Listening to America

Listening to America
Thomas Jefferson
John Steinbeck
Louisiana Purchase
Slavery
Native American Tribes
John Randolph Of Roanoke
Western Flyer
Lindsay Chervinsky
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Mississippi River
Napoleon Bonaparte
Christmas
Cold War
Henry Wallace
Virginia
Cannery Row
Sea Of Cortez
Haitian Revolution
Edward S. Curtis
College Football

Listening to America aims to "light out for the territories," traveling less visited byways and taking time to see this immense, extraordinary country with fresh eyes while listening to the many voices of America's past, present, and future. Led by noted historian and humanities scholar Clay Jenkinson, Listening to America travels the country's less visited byways, from national parks and forests ... more

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes542Founded19 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
Society & CultureHistory

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Artwork for Listening to America

Latest Episodes

Clay and frequent guest Beau Breslin of Skidmore College try to place Donald Trump's war in Iran in the context of American history with a particular emphasis on the war powers language of the U.S. Constitution. The Founders considered war so grave t... more

Clay's conversation with Dr. Susan Ryan of the Crow Canyon Archaeological Center in Cortez, Colorado, about the history of the National Monuments and Antiquities Act, signed into law by President Theodore Roosevelt on June 8, 1906. The Monuments and ... more

Frequent guest host David Horton welcomes Thomas Jefferson to the podcast to discuss political theater and State of the Union addresses. Although Jefferson was a master of political theater, he chose not to take his annual State of the Union messages... more

Clay's conversation with Char Miller, an endowed professor of environmental history at Pomona College and author of more than a dozen highly regarded books. How did America develop its public lands? Who were the key players in the formation of Nation... more

Key Facts

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Recent Guests

Susan Ryan
Executive Vice President of the Research Institute at Crow Canyon Archaeological Center
Crow Canyon Archaeological Center
Episode: #1698 The Future of America's National Monuments
Thomas Jefferson
The third president of the United States, here in conversation about early State of the Union messages and political theater
United States Presidency
Episode: #1697 The State of the Union as Political Theater
Char Miller
WM. Keck Professor of Environmental Analysis and History at Pomona College
Pomona College
Episode: #1696 Assessing America's National Parks & Public Lands at 250
Erik Ewers
Director/Co-creator of Ken Burns–style Thoreau documentary
Florentine Films / Ken Burns shop
Episode: #1695 New Ken Burns Documentary on Henry David Thoreau
Christopher Ewers
Director/Co-creator of Ken Burns–style Thoreau documentary
Florentine Films / Ken Burns shop
Episode: #1695 New Ken Burns Documentary on Henry David Thoreau
Jonathan Thompson
Contributing editor to High Country News and author of "Sagebrush Empire".
High Country News
Episode: #1692 The Crisis of the Public Lands
Matthew Davis
Author of 'Biography of a Mountain, The Making and Meaning of Mount Rushmore'
Episode: #1690 Mount Rushmore: Its Back Story and the Continuing Controversy
John Bacon
Author of The Gales of November, The Untold Story of the Edmund Fitzgerald
Self-published
Episode: #1687 The Sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald, 50 Years Later
Walter Borneman
Historian and author of numerous books on American history
Episode: #1684 America at 250: How Did We Get Here?

Host

Clay Jenkinson
Host of Listening to America

Reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars from 1.3k ratings
  • Very disappointing

    The Thomas Jefferson Hour was a rare source of optimism and inspiration. Listening to America is just another overly pessimistic political show that presents few facts. It is higher brow than most, but it is shocking the click bait qualities it has acquired.

    Apple Podcasts
    2
    Trot87
    United States16 days ago
  • Great podcast for history nerds like me 👍🏼

    I listened to my first podcast today on the National parks with Char Miller and it was such a great conversation. I appreciate both Char and Clays knowledge of history. I’m so glad this conversation is happening. I actually like that you bring politics into the conversation because not talking about it is a disservice to the United States’ history.

    I can’t wait to listen to more especially finding the episode discussing Theodore Roosevelt’s pets in the White House. Great historical podcast for l... more

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Maizie daisy
    United States25 days ago
  • Informative Interesting Show

    One of my favorite podcasts.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    vfaler
    United States6 months ago
  • Very enjoyable

    Just recently discovered this podcast. Started with episodes from late 2016. Intend to listen to them all. Recent reviews say this becomes more political. Time will tell. Understand also the change to listening to America emerges from the TJ Hour. Should be as interesting I guess expect.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Cfeman
    United States7 months ago
  • Listening

    Thank you for seeking out these conversations.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    midway-through
    United States10 months ago

Listeners Say

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

Guests and topics are appreciated for depth and credibility, with strong interest from listeners who value scholarly insight.
A subset of reviews notes the host's interviewing style as strong, though a few fans miss the classic Jefferson-centric focus of earlier iterations.
Overall, the show is praised for informative, thoughtful historical discussions and a calm, reasoned tone.
Some listeners feel recent episodes have become more political or partisan, and there are complaints about format changes and audio quality.
Listeners consistently value the educational, civics-forward perspective and the unique travel-and-history format, even when opinions diverge about current events.

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Focus: Adults in the Room
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Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

#1696 Assessing America's National Parks & Public Lands at 250
Q: What are two concrete steps you'd like to see to heal the land-lands relationship?
Return meaningful land to Indigenous nations where appropriate, and implement robust, inclusive governance that includes tribal voices in decision-making—coupled with transparent, science-based conservation policies that protect water, wildlife, and public access.
#1696 Assessing America's National Parks & Public Lands at 250
Q: How do you see the core purpose of public lands evolving in the near future?
The core purpose should be to balance preservation with sustainable access, ensuring Indigenous rights and ecological integrity are central to any expansion or contraction, while recognizing the economic realities of western communities.
#1692 The Crisis of the Public Lands
Q: Is Glen Canyon Dam going to come down or be used as just a pass-through?
Jonathan suggests that in the long term, Glen Canyon Dam may not be viable as a storage facility and could potentially serve only as a pass-through, depending on future agreements regarding water management.
#1692 The Crisis of the Public Lands
Q: What do you think is going to happen to the Colorado River issue?
Jonathan explains that they must cut back on water usage for alfalfa farmers in Arizona and California, as most of the water is used for irrigation and there are urgent cuts needed to address the crisis.
#1692 The Crisis of the Public Lands
Q: What's the mood in Greece and Europe now about what's going on in the US?
Jonathan notes that Europeans are shocked by the state of American politics and see parallels with issues in their own countries, expressing both concern and bewilderment.

Audience Metrics

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

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Frequently Asked Questions About Listening to America

What is Listening to America about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A history- and civics-forward series that blends deep dives into American historical narratives with contemporary cultural and political reflection. Across recent episodes, topics span public lands governance and water crises, the legacies of slavery and Native dispossession, monuments and memory (including Mount Rushmore and Western expansion), international affairs through a founding-era lens, and the evolving meaning of democracy in the United States. The show frequently features historians, authors, and academics who offer nuanced takes on difficult subjects, while maintaining a measured, dialog-driven tone that invites multiple viewpoints. Notable strengths include high-profile historical guests, a willingness to tackle thorny national... more

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Which podcasts are similar to Listening to America?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Listening to America:

1. Ben Franklin's World
2. For the Ages: A History Podcast
3. Lectures in History
4. Booknotes+
5. This American President

How many episodes of Listening to America are there?

Listening to America launched 19 years ago and published 542 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on Listening to America?

Recent guests on Listening to America include:

1. Susan Ryan
2. Thomas Jefferson
3. Char Miller
4. Erik Ewers
5. Christopher Ewers
6. Jonathan Thompson
7. Matthew Davis
8. John Bacon

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.

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