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Artwork for Unsung History

Unsung History

Kelly Therese Pollock
World War II
Slavery
Civil Rights Movement
Civil War
American Revolution
Segregation Scholarships
New Deal
Panama Canal
Reconstruction
Dare
Southern Plantation System
Frances Perkins
Marguerite Cartwright
Charles C. Diggs, Jr.
Reed Peggram
Abraham Lincoln
Nazi Germany
Synchronized Swimming
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire
Federal Theatre Project

A podcast about people and events in American history you may not know much about. Yet.

PublishesTwice monthlyEpisodes230Founded5 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
HistoryEducation

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Artwork for Unsung History

Latest Episodes

In the fall of 1889, Jane Addams and Ellen Gates Starr opened Hull House on Chicago’s Near West Side, full of good intentions to help the poor people of the neighborhood. They were a force for good, providing education, cultural enrichment, and workf... more

YouTube

Buddy Bradley, born in the Jim Crow South in 1905, made his way to Harlem at age 16 where he learned to tap dance and became a chorus boy. He was sought out on Broadway as both teacher and choreographer, but never got the credit he deserved, and he m... more

YouTube

During World War II, afraid that major league baseball would need to pause while men were overseas fighting, Philip K. Wrigley, chewing gum mogul and owner of the Chicago Cubs, spearheaded a new professional ball league, this one made up of women pla... more

YouTube

The Continental Congress voted to break from Great Britain on July 2, 1776, and approved the text of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, but it took weeks for the news to spread throughout the new country and even longer to reach the country t... more

YouTube

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Recent Guests

Terrence J. McDonald
Emeritus professor of history, University of Michigan; author of Nearly Neighbors, Jane Addams, Johnny Powers, and the Progressive Political Imagination
University of Michigan
Episode: Jane Addams, Hull House, and Chicago's Nineteenth Ward
Maureen Footer
Author of Feel the Floor, Restoring the Life and Legacy of Jazz Choreographer Buddy Bradley
Author
Episode: Buddy Bradley
Emily Sneff
Author of When the Declaration of Independence was News
Author
Episode: The Declaration of Independence
Dr. Vaneesa Cook
Writer, historian, and freelance editor, author of Empire and Liberty, the Tied Histories of Two American Landmarks
Author, Empire and Liberty
Episode: The Statue of Liberty and the Empire State Building
Kathleen B. Casey
Professor of History and Director of the Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Program at Furman University; author of The Things She Carried, A Cultural History of the Purse in America
Furman University; Oxford University Press (publisher)
Episode: An American History of Purses
Shannon McKenna Schmidt
Author of You Can't Catch Us, Lady Bird Johnson's trailblazing 1964 campaign train
Author
Episode: The Lady Bird Special
Gautham Rao
Associate Professor of History at American University, author of White Power, Policing American Slavery
American University
Episode: Policing Slavery & Black Rebellion in the American South
Megan Kate Nelson
Author of The Westerners, Mythmaking and Belonging on the American Frontier
Author/Scholar
Episode: The Frontier Myth and the People of the Western United States
Brandy Schillace
Historian and novelist, author of The Intermediaries, A Weimar Story
historian and novelist
Episode: Magnus Hirschfeld, Dora Richter, and the Institute for Sexual Science in Weimar Germany

Host

Kelly Therese Pollack
Co-host and lead interviewer; author of Unsung History; known for in-depth archival work and synthesis of complex political histories.

Reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars from 142 ratings
  • Fun History

    These are such fascinating episodes looking at underappreciated but nonetheless important topics or episodes in history.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Van Cook
    United States3 months ago
  • Good topics, but...

    I like the topics, and would really love to engage with this podcast, but the delivery is so slow and unnatural I simply can't.

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    salliefromseattle
    United States5 months ago
  • Fantastic podcast

    I found this podcast as I was looking for more information on the indigenous people of the US after watching 1883, part of the Yellowstone series. As I’m in the U.K. I didn’t learn about it at school. The podcast has many episodes that cover what I was looking for, but as they are so well researched and detailed I’ve started listening to other ones too.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Clareabel43
    United Kingdoma year ago
  • Good information, but the opening is soooo slow and halting. I have to listen at 1.5 speed.

    Podcast Addict
    4
    eastwood
    a year ago
  • Superb

    Subject matter, delivery: excellent.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Fuva
    United Statesa year ago

Listeners Say

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

Some listeners note pacing or delivery issues in a few episodes.
Listeners praise the thorough, well-researched history and engaging interviewing style.
Guests are consistently scholarly and bring valuable context to lesser-known histories.

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Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Jane Addams, Hull House, and Chicago's Nineteenth Ward
Q: Can you tell listeners how they can get a copy of the book?
The book was released on June 23 and is available on Amazon in all formats, with distribution through University of Chicago Press and Chicago-area bookstores, including the Newberry Library bookshop.
Jane Addams, Hull House, and Chicago's Nineteenth Ward
Q: How do Addams and Hull House end up shaping the legacy of the movement, given the clashes with Powers and the ward's ethnic politics?
Addams and her colleagues provided humane critiques of urban corruption but underestimated the power of ethnic identity and community ties; their emphasis on service and reform helped set a template for social ethics, yet their legacy was complicated by not fully recognizing immigrant culture and political realities.
Jane Addams, Hull House, and Chicago's Nineteenth Ward
Q: What did that work look like? What were the kinds of sources you were tapping into? How are you putting together this book?
The work combined an empirical, survey-based core—Hull House Maps and Papers—with essays that offered impressionistic interpretations of different ethnic groups, highlighting both the data and the descriptive analyses, while also revealing the limitations and biases in the study that shaped the narrative of the ward.
The Declaration of Independence
Q: What role did Mary Catherine Goddard play in the spread of the Declaration?
She printed the Baltimore-wide broadside under her own name and later copies with the signers' names, underscoring a rare example of female leadership in early American printing and ensuring authoritative records in state archives.
The Declaration of Independence
Q: How did the dispersion of the Declaration differ from how a modern government would release a statement?
Dissemination relied on broadsides, newspapers, and successive copies across cities and countries, with continual adaptations and translations that created imperfect but widespread awareness, rather than a single, rapid broadcast.

Audience Metrics

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Frequently Asked Questions About Unsung History

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

A history-focused show that highlights underrepresented people and moments in American history through expert interviews and archival research. Episodes frequently center on urban reform, gender and race in culture, and the social forces shaping public memory, often featuring scholars, authors, and museum/archival perspectives. Notable strengths include thorough historical context, accessible storytelling, and a track record of interviewing credentialed guests who bring deep research into narrative form. The format tends to balance rigorous analysis with engaging storytelling, making it a strong fit for listeners who enjoy well-sourced history that connects past events to contemporary questions and identity politics.

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Which podcasts are similar to Unsung History?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Unsung History:

1. The Gilded Gentleman
2. Stuff You Missed in History Class
3. You're Dead to Me
4. The Ancients
5. Ologies with Alie Ward

How many episodes of Unsung History are there?

Unsung History launched 5 years ago and published 230 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 Unsung History?

Recent guests on Unsung History include:

1. Terrence J. McDonald
2. Maureen Footer
3. Emily Sneff
4. Dr. Vaneesa Cook
5. Kathleen B. Casey
6. Shannon McKenna Schmidt
7. Gautham Rao
8. Megan Kate Nelson

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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