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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
Reed Peggram
Charles C. Diggs, Jr.
Abraham Lincoln
Federal Theatre Project
Nazi Germany
Synchronized Swimming
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire

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

PublishesTwice monthlyEpisodes226Founded5 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
EducationHistory

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Artwork for Unsung History

Latest Episodes

The Statue of Liberty and the Empire State Building loom large in the American imagination, symbolizing the conflicting ideas of liberty and empire; their meanings and characters have shifted over time as the American ethos has shifted. Joining me in... more

Today the US handbag market is estimated to be nearly $12 billion, with most of the purchasing done by women, but into the early 20th Century purses hadn’t yet become the nearly-exclusive domain of women. The integration of pockets into men’s clothin... more

YouTube

On the morning of Tuesday, October 6, 1964, the Lady Bird Special, a 19-car train carrying First Lady Claudia “Lady Bird” Johnson, her supporters, members of the press, and a security detail, departed Union Station in Washington, DC, for an ambitious... more

YouTube

Enslaved Africans were forcibly shipped to Virginia starting in 1619 in response to a severe labor shortage. From the beginning, enslaved laborers resisted by fleeing and through violence, and white enslavers reacted by creating a racialized system o... more

YouTube

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Recent Guests

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
Rashauna Johnson
Associate Professor of History at the University of Chicago and author of Sweet Home Feliciana
University of Chicago
Episode: The Feliciana Parishes of Louisiana
Dr. Monica Sandler
Film and media historian at Ball State University
Ball State University
Episode: The Academy Awards
Dr. John Garrison Marks
Vice President of Research and Engagement at the American Association for State and Local History and author of Thy Will Be Done, George Washington's Legacy of Slavery and the Fight for American Memory
American Association for State and Local History
Episode: Slavery and the Complicated Legacy of George Washington
Dr. Jarvis Givens
Professor of Education and African and African-American Studies at Harvard University
Harvard University
Episode: Black History Month

Host

Kelly Therese Pollack
Host of Unsung History

Reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars from 141 ratings
  • 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 States2 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 Kingdom8 months ago
  • Good information, but the opening is soooo slow and halting. I have to listen at 1.5 speed.

    Podcast Addict
    4
    eastwood
    9 months ago
  • Superb

    Subject matter, delivery: excellent.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Fuva
    United Statesa year ago
  • Weird Delivery

    Your reading of the restaurant episode was weird.

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    80221
    United Statesa year ago

Listeners Say

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

Well-researched and engaging for history buffs and teachers.
Hosts and guests are consistently knowledgeable and articulate.
Episodes often broaden understanding of overlooked historical topics.
The show provides accessible, thorough context even for complex subjects.
Guest expertise is diverse, covering academia, publishing, and public history.

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John Kiriakou's Dead DropJohn Kiriakou & Alan Katz

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

An American History of Purses
Q: Can you talk about how gender norms and purses becoming identified with women evolved over time, and which decades were pivotal?
The 1920s and 1930s were critical decades when purses became closely tied to women's bodies and the maintenance of their appearance and privacy, with the rise of the makeup and hygiene industries and expansive advertising targeting women, while male associations with purses faded.
An American History of Purses
Q: So my first question for you is, you write in your book that you're not really a person per se. What got you started on writing a whole book about purses?
My motivation came from family stories and a broader interest in clothing as a cultural artifact; I wanted to understand how femininity and everyday objects shape history, not just the famous figures. I also wanted to show how purses reflect social norms, gendered expectations, and the ways people navigate public space.
The Lady Bird Special
Q: You had an abundance of sources for this book. Talk a bit about sorting through all the sources and piecing the story together.
Shannon explains that four days of travel generated an enormous volume of material, from newspapers to the LBJ Library archives, advance notebooks, and correspondence, which she organized chronologically with careful outlining to reconstruct the route and conversations.
Magnus Hirschfeld, Dora Richter, and the Institute for Sexual Science in Weimar Germany
Q: Can you talk some about the process of sorting out what is meant by different terms and how people are thinking about themselves and their patients?
Language in this history is living and evolving; terms like transgender, queer, and concepts around sex and gender shifted as new science emerged, with Hirschfeld promoting a spectrum view and recognizing many possible combinations beyond binary categories.
Magnus Hirschfeld, Dora Richter, and the Institute for Sexual Science in Weimar Germany
Q: Can you talk some about the sources that you're able to use, the things that you can find out?
The sources were sometimes destroyed, requiring archaeologist-like reconstruction from fragments; a crucial piece was Dora Richter's intake interview found in an archive, plus a long timeline and glossaries that were fact-checked with Hirschfeld Archive experts to ensure accuracy.

Audience Metrics

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

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Frequently Asked Questions About Unsung History

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

This show concentrates on lesser-known people and moments in American history, often exploring overlaps between culture, politics, and social change. Recent episodes spotlight Oscar history, the legacy of slavery and founding figures, Black history movements, and overlooked women and activists, all anchored by accessible storytelling and scholarly context. The format tends to feature expert guests who provide archival insights and critical analysis, making complex histories approachable for curious listeners, teachers, and professionals seeking deeper context for public discourse or education. A notable strength is its ability to connect niche historical topics to broader societal themes, offering thorough research, nuanced perspectives, an... more

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1. Stuff You Missed in History Class
2. Ben Franklin's World
3. Stuff You Should Know
4. The Gilded Gentleman
5. Mission Implausible

How many episodes of Unsung History are there?

Unsung History launched 5 years ago and published 226 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. Kathleen B. Casey
2. Shannon McKenna Schmidt
3. Gautham Rao
4. Megan Kate Nelson
5. Brandy Schillace
6. Rashauna Johnson
7. Dr. Monica Sandler
8. Dr. John Garrison Marks

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