Welcome to The United States of Amnesia, a podcast bringing history to the present!
The United States of Amnesia
The United States of Amnesia
Welcome to The United States of Amnesia, a podcast exploring the lessons we’ve forgotten, misunderstood, or never learned. As the saying goes, history repeats itself. Mark Twain allegedly refined this: “History doesn’t repeat itself, but it rhymes.” But Ecclesiastes said it best: “What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.” Yet over time, history, politics, and religion have been distorted by bias, oversimplification, and myth. Misunderstanding the past means misreading the present and misstepping into the future. This podcast aims to cut through the fog, reconnecting past and present to help us think more clearly about the world we’re in, and the one we're heading toward. Join us as we delve into the great struggle of humanity: to reconcile who we were with who we are becoming.
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The United States of Amnesia

The United States of Amnesia

Welcome to The United States of Amnesia, a podcast exploring the lessons we've forgotten, misunderstood, or never learned. We examine history, politics, and religion beyond the myths and oversimplifications, connecting past and present to better understand the world we live in, and the one we're shaping.

New episodes every other Wednesday. Explore our blog for sources and episode materials, leave a review, and stay up to date on what's coming next.

401: Internal Improvements - The American System
The United States of Amnesia
401: Internal Improvements - The American System

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Aug. 18, 2026

401: Internal Improvements - The American System

In the 1820s, Henry Clay envisioned a bold new role for the federal government: building America’s infrastructure, strengthening its economy, and shaping the nation’s future. He called it the 'American System.' But was the Constitution willing to let Washington build? In this premier episode of our new series, Marshall traces the battle over “Internal Improvements” from Clay and John Quincy Adams to Andrew Jackson and the rise of populist democracy. What began as a fight over roads, canals, and
Aug. 5, 2026

306: A Christian Nation? - Facts and Fiction

The debate over whether America was founded as a Christian nation has endured for more than two centuries, but what does the historical record actually say? In the final installment of this series, Blake, Marshall, and Mike revisit the evidence, challenge some of the most persistent myths surrounding the American Founding, and examine what the Founders believed about Christianity, government, and religious freedom. Drawing together the evidence from across the series, they separate fact from fi
Aug. 5, 2026

Upcoming Episodes!

New Series: "The American System" -- Episode 401 "Internal Improvements" (coming August 19!): In the 1820s, Henry Clay and John Quincy Adams proposed an activist role for the United States government in envisioning, funding, and overseeing improveme…
306
Aug. 4, 2026

306: A Christian Nation? - Facts and Fiction

The debate over whether America was founded as a Christian nation has endured for more than two centuries, but what does the historical record actually say? In the final installment of this series, Blake, Marshall, and Mike revisit the evidence, challenge some of the most persistent myths surrounding the American Founding, and examine what the Founders believed about Christianity, government, and religious freedom. Drawing together the evidence from across the series, they separate fact from
July 29, 2026

Mythos and Logos #shorts #religion #philosophy #mythology #logic

Blake gets our discussion of the Second and Third Great Awakenings in the United States underway as he guides Marshall and Mike through the ancient Greek concepts of "mythos" and "logos" in this excerpt from Episode 305 ("The Awakenings") of the United States of Amnesia podcast's series "A Christian Nation?", which explores the idea advocated by some Americans that the United States was founded as a Christian country. The United States of Amnesia is a long-format podcast exploring the lessons w
July 24, 2026

Image Gallery (Part Two) for "A Christian Nation?" (Episodes 305–306)

This gallery of photos, maps, and other images add to our "A Christian Nation?" audio series about whether the United States was founded as a Christian nation. We expand the gallery as the series continues – and sometimes after it has concluded – an…
July 22, 2026

305: A Christian Nation? - The Awakenings

History remembers the Founding Fathers. It often forgets the revivalists. Between the Revolution and the modern era, a series of religious awakenings swept across America, changing not only how people worshiped, but how they understood the nation itself. In this conversation, Blake guides Marshall and Mike through the Great Awakenings, tracing the origins of evangelicalism, fundamentalism, and ideas that many now assume have always been part of American Christianity. If today's religious landsca
305
July 21, 2026

305: A Christian Nation? - The Awakenings

History remembers the Founding Fathers. It often forgets the revivalists. Between the Revolution and the modern era, a series of religious awakenings swept across America, changing not only how people worshiped, but how they understood the nation itself. In this conversation, Blake guides Marshall and Mike through the Great Awakenings, tracing the origins of evangelicalism, fundamentalism, and ideas that many now assume have always been part of American Christianity. If today's religious l