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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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.
Recent
Oct. 13, 2026
How the South's Priorities Backfired #shorts #history #civilwar
We often debate the role of government in building infrastructure and connecting the country, and these arguments are nothing new. Before the Civil War, Henry Clay and John Quincy Adams advocated for national investment in transportation and economic development. The South, meanwhile, built much of its railroad network around getting cotton to port. When war came, those priorities became a serious liability. How did a debate over the nation's future help shape the outcome of the Civil War? Expl
Oct. 12, 2026
Image Gallery for "The U.S. and Iran: What Went Wrong?"
This gallery of photos, maps, and other images add to our "The U.S. and Iran: What Went Wrong?" audio series about how America's relations with Iran – where the United once was viewed as a refreshing alternative to predatory imperial powers and some…
Oct. 12, 2026
"In God We Trust" Isn't as Old as You Think! #history #shorts #usoa
“In God We Trust” is not an ancient American tradition. It first appeared on U.S. currency during the Civil War, when some Christians interpreted the conflict as divine punishment for the nation’s lack of faith. Nearly a century later, during the Cold War and the Red Scare, it became the official motto of the United States. How did a phrase shaped by the Civil War become a national symbol in the fight against communism? And what does that history tell us about the assumptions we project onto
Oct. 11, 2026
Are You Voting for a Politician or Buying a Product? #history #usoa
Catchy slogans. Political spectacle. Candidates marketed like consumer products. From Andrew Jackson's era to JFK's campaign trail, American politicians have long relied on image, emotion, and memorable slogans to win voters. So how much has political campaigning really changed? Do we see any patterns continuing today? #AmericanHistory #USHistory #Politics #PoliticalHistory
Oct. 10, 2026
The Founding Fathers Didn't Trust the Voters? #shorts #history
The Founders designed a government where the states had far more power, and ordinary voters had far less direct influence, than we might expect today. Senators were chosen by state legislatures, and presidential electors were meant to exercise their own judgment. The idea was to keep the will of the people in check. How much of that original vision can we see in American government today? #USHistory #AmericanHistory #Founders #USGovernment #Politics
Oct. 9, 2026
Early American Roads Were How Bad? #history #usoa #podcast
In the early 1800's, moving goods across the United States was much harder than today. Railroads didn't really exist, waterways were limited, and roads were barely considered roads by today's standards. America was politically united, but economically fragmented. The Internal Improvements movement in the post-Civil War period would help change that, connecting markets and turning a collection of loosely connected regions into a more integrated national economy. This is an excerpt from episode
Oct. 8, 2026
YouTube video: "The United States is Not a Christian Nation"
Listeners who enjoyed our "A Christian Nation?" series might find this video interesting: The United States Is Not A Christian Nation | TheThinkingAtheist | YouTube | October 7, 2026 The speaker is atheist activist Seth Andrews. He gives his perspe…
Oct. 7, 2026
"In God We Trust" Isn't as Old as You Think!
“In God We Trust” is not an ancient American tradition. It first appeared on U.S. currency during the Civil War, when some Christians interpreted the conflict as divine punishment for the nation’s lack of faith. Nearly a century later, during the Cold War and the Red Scare, it became the official motto of the United States. How did a phrase shaped by the Civil War become a national symbol in the fight against communism? And what does that history tell us about the assumptions we project onto A
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