The Presidency is considered one of the most important jobs in the world, and as the saying goes, with great power comes great responsibility. But where’s the line? How much power is too much power? In this episode, we look at Presidents past and present to figure out… are they really above the law? To help me answer this question, who else but Dr. Emma Long, Associate Professor of American History and Politics and Head of the Department of American Studies at the University of East Anglia. If you like what you hear, don't forget to subscribe, rate and review this podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In America, Thanksgiving is comparable to Christmas on the holiday calendar. It’s when everyone gets together with turkey, football, and the Macy’s parade to be thankful for what they have. But where did this holiday really come from? In this episode we explore the history and the real meaning of America’s favourite holiday as we answer… what is Thanksgiving? Our guest this week is David Silverman, a Professor of history a George Washington University. He specializes in Native American, Colonial American, and American racial history, and his most recent book is This Land is Their Land: The Wampanoag Indians, Plymouth Colony, and the Troubled History of Thanksgiving. Additional reources: BOOK: This Land Is Their Land: The Wampanoag Indians, Plymouth Colony, and the Troubled History of Thanksgiving by David J. Silverman If you like the podcast, please show your support and leave a review and rating wherever you're listening. Additionally you can connect with Liam on LinkedIn or X (@thisistheheff) or with UEA's American Studies department on X (@AmericanStudies) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Insomnia Cafe doesn't sound like the name of one of the most successful TV shows of all time. And yet, this was almost the title for little comedy about 6 new yorkers navigating life, love and work. So in this episode, as we remember the late Matthew Perry, we discuss why it became so huge and what that tells us about America, as we ask... could Friends BE any bigger? Joining the podcast is Dr Rachael McLennan, Senior Lecturer in American Literature and Culture, and Head of School for Art, Media and American Studies at the University of East Anglia. If you enjoy this podcast, please follow wherever you get your podcasts, and let us know you love us on X via @AmericanStudies and @thisistheheff Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 1979, author Octavia Butler published a novel which would become a foundational text in our understanding of slavery. Kindred tells the story of Dana, an African American writer from California, who travels back uncontrollably to early 1800s Maryland to protect her ancestors and ensure her own existence. In this episode, we are going to take a closer look at Kindred, both the book and its recent 2023 TV adaptation, as we answer the question... what does Kindred tell us about plantation life? Guests on this episode: Dr. Rebecca Fraser, a historian of 19th century America with a particular interest in the history of African Americans, especially relating to their resistance against slavery and the enslaved experience. Dr. Hilary Emmett, an Associate Professor in American Studies at the University of East Anglia. She researches the afterlives of enslavement in literature and visual culture, with a particular interest in the transnational reach of the late, great, Nobel prize winner, Toni Morrison. Additional Resources: BOOK: Kindred (1979) by Octavia E. Butler SERIES: Kindred (2023) BOOK: Closer to Freedom: Enslaved Women & Everyday Resistance in the Plantation South (2004) by Stephanie Camp BOOK: Dispossessed Lives: Enslaved Women, Violence and the Archive (2016) by Marisa J. Fuentes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Halloween has become a distinctly American holiday, but it wasn't always like this. In fact, the roots of this holiday may be frighteningly closer to home than you might think! In this episode, Professor Thomas Ruys Smith returns to the podcast for an unscripted chat about the history of Halloween, and why it managed to proliferate so much in America and become the commercial holiday staple we know and love today. And remember, if you enjoy this podcast please do click follow or subscribe wherever you're listening, and leave us a rating or review. Or alternatively you can give us a shout out on X via @thisistheheff and @AmericanStudies. If you have an episode idea or would like to be a guest on the show, please get in touch and email hello@podcastsbyliam.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ahead of the release of our Halloween special, Professor Thomas Ruys Smith recites a lost poem from 19th century America. This is 'Twas the Night of All Hallows in its full, original glory. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You may not have heard the name Ed Gein before, but he's probably your worst nightmare. Otherwise known as the butcher of Plainfield, his crimes inspired some of the most iconic American horror characters of all time, including Norman Bates and Leatherface. So in this episode, we get to know a little more about Eddie - who he was, what he did, and how he became one of the most influential serial killers in American history, as we ask... who is Ed Gein? Guests: Alex James, an American Studies postgraduate student at the University of East Anglia, with an interest in American’s obsession with serial killers and true crime. Harold Schecter, a Professor Emeritus at Queens College, the City University of New York, where he taught American literature for forty-two years. He has published over forty books including ‘Deviant: The True Story of Ed Gein’ and he is a two-time Edgar Award nominee. If you want to know anything about American serial killers, this is the man to speak to. Additional Resources: BOOK: Deviant by Harold Schecter GRAPHIC NOVEL: Did You Hear What Eddie Gein Done? By Harold Schecter BOOK: Psycho by Robert Bloch Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You might think that the civil rights movement ended in the 1960s, but America is still a deeply divided country. In recent years, thanks to high profile cases of racially motivated police brutality such as George Floyd, Black Lives Matter has become a global movement. So in this episode, we explore what it is, why now, and what this means for the US, as we ask... what challenge does Black Lives Matter represent to America? This week's guest: Dr. Nicholas Grant, a historian of twentieth century United States and author of 'Winning Our Freedoms Together: African Americans and Apartheid, 1945-1960.' His research focuses on race, internationalism and transnational activism. Key talking points: The history of Black Lives Matter, from the first raised fist at the 1968 Olympics to the formation of Black Lives Matter in 2013. George Floyd really made BLM a key issue of public interest and garnered worldwide attention, so is Black Lives Matter just an American movement anymore? What does the proliferation of the BLM movement in the last ten years tell us about America? One of the key arguments from the critics of BLM is that all lives matter. So why is Black Lives Matter only about Black Lives? Additional resources: WEBSITE: Black Lives Matter If you like this podcast, please do show your support by liking and following wherever you get your podcasts, and tell your friends by sharing across social media. Additionally, tell us your listening via Twitter/X at @AmericanStudies or @thisistheheff Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You have probably heard the names Harriet Tubman or Booker T. Washington (not the WWE superstar), but what about Frederick Douglass? As an African American born into slavery, nobody would have suspected this man would grow up to be one of the greatest public speakers of all time. Learning how to read and write by exchanging bread for books with local white children, Frederick Douglass broke out of bondage and became the most photographed person in 19th century America. In this episode celebrating Black History Month 2023, we discuss the life and achievements of an abolitionist, a politician and, most importantly, a free black man in 19th century America, as we ask... who is Frederick Douglass? Guests on this episode: Dr. Rebecca Fraser, a historian of 19th century America with a particular interest in the history of African Americans, especially relating to their resistance against slavery and the enslaved experience. Tony Phillips, a former undergraduate in American Studies at UEA. He forged a career as a documentary maker at the BBC, later becoming a commissioning editor at BBC World Service and BBC Radio 4. He was also Vice President of Content at WNYC Studios in New York, and he’s currently the exec producer on Every Voice with Terrance McKnight for WQXR NY. Key Points of Discussion: Douglass' upbringing as a slave, and his time in Maryland. What Frederick Douglass' can still tell us about the black experience in America today. Douglass the abolitionist and public speaker Post civil-war and his political career Additional Resources: BOOK: Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave BOOK: Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom PODCAST: Every Voice with Terence McKnight BOOK: Frederick Douglass by Wililam S. Mcfeely WEBSITE: Frederick Douglass’ Fifth of July Speech If you like the show, please remember to follow, rate and review wherever you get your podcasts, or visit our website. Additionally, get in touch or tweet us at @AmericanStudies or @thisistheheff Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From Huck Finn to Drag Queens, children’s literature has always been a deeply divisive subject. But is this driven by parental overprotectiveness, or political bias? In this episode, to celebrate Banned Books Week 2023, we look at the books and the people who have made headlines for all the wrong reasons, as we ask… why is children’s literature so political? Our guests this week: Professor Thomas Ruys Smith, Professor of American Literature and Culture and Deputy Director of Area Studies at the University of East Anglia. Jonathan Hamilt, Executive Director of Drag Story Hour. Hamilt is the first Executive Director of Drag Story Hour, taking it from a loose string of a few state’s events to a national 501 c 3 with an international chapter network. He has connected the chapter’s organizers and storytellers with each other on a global scale. Since being named Executive Director, Drag Story Hour has presented at Harvard, Yale, SXSW EDU, ABA, and the Medical Library Association. Additional Resources: WEBSITE: Drag Story Hour WEBSITE: Banned Books Week Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From the war on Disney to the calamitous Presidential campaign launch on Twitter, Ron DeSantis is no stranger to the news, but what do we really know about him? In this episode, we take a closer look at Trump's early challenger for the Republican nomination. Where does he come from? What does he stand for? And what does his meteoric rise through the GOP tell us about politics in America, as we answer the question... who is Ron DeSantis? Returning from the faculty is Dr. Emma Long, Associate Professor of American History and Politics and Head of the Department of American Studies at the University of East Anglia. Talking Points: DeSantis' rapid rise up the GOP, from a 0.4% victory margin in Florida to Presidential candidate Is he too young and inexperienced to run for President? The Culture Wars DeSantis vs Disney How can DeSantis beat Trump? Staying moderate enough to win the Presidency Additional Resources: WEBSITE: DeSantis for President SOCIAL: DeSantis on Twitter WATCH: Fox News (conservative) coverage of DeSantis READ: New York Times (liberal) coverage of DeSantis READ: BBC Coverage of DeSantis This episode was recorded in July 2023 If you enjoy the podcast, please remember to give us a nice rating, leave a review or contact us: you can reach host Liam on Twitter/X via @thisistheheff or the American Studies team via @AmericanStudies Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When you think of slavery, you most likely picture an African American on a white southern plantation, but the roots of slavery extended to Native American communities too. In this episode we take a closer look at Cherokee freedpeople, why emancipation didn't necessarily mean freedom, and the complicated relationship with the federal government as we answer... how did slavery impact Cherokee Nation? Joining the podcast is Dr. Andi Bawden. Her PhD considered Cherokee freedpeople and was interested in questions of race, identity, citizenship and sovereignty in the 19th and 20th centuries. If you like this episode, you may also be interested in: How Did the 50 States Become the 50 States? Who Are Native Americans? If you enjoy the podcast, please remember to leave us a rating and review. You can also Tweet/X Liam via @thisistheheff or UEA's American Studies team at @AmericanStudies Alternatively, if you have any episode or guest suggestions, please email hello@podcastsbyliam.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From peanut farmer to Nobel Peace Prize winner via the White House, Jimmy Carter is a man driven by his strong faith in God, and a strong desire to succeed. But what exactly did the 39th President achieve, and what will his enduring legacy be? In this episode, we dive a bit deeper in our first Presidential biography as we ask... who is Jimmy Carter? Our guests this week are: Iwan Morgan, an emeritus professor of US Studies at University College London and an expert on the US Presidency. His most recent books are ‘Reagan: American Icon’ and ‘FDR: Transforming the Presidency and Renewing America’. Daniel K. Williams, a professor of history at the University of West Georgia and the author of several books on religion and politics in the United States, including ‘The Election of the Evangelical: Jimmy Carter, Gerald Ford, and the Presidential Contest of 1976’. Additional Resources: READ: Reagan: American Icon READ: FDR: Transforming the Presidency and Renewing America READ: The Election of the Evangelical: Jimmy Carter, Gerald Ford, and the Presidential Contest of 1976 LISTEN: Presidential - Jimmy Carter: Keeping the Faith LISTEN: American Elections: Wicked Games - 1976, Ford vs Carter: Unimpeachable WEB: The Carter Center Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The American Dream has come to define what every American should reach for. You'll hear it in almost every Presidential campaign speech, you'll read about it in every American novel, and you'll see it depicted in every classic American painting (basically anything by Edward Hopper), but do we even know what it is? Is it the same for everyone? And how can you get it? In this episode we are going to take a closer look and figure out if there's any actual reality to this Dream, or if it's one big PR scam, as we answer the question... what is the American Dream? Joining me on the podcast for the first time, but hopefully not the last, is Christopher Bigsby, an emeritus professor at the University of East Anglia. He has published more than sixty books, co-written radio and television plays, and published a number of novels, as well as a biography of Arthur Miller. Points of Discussion: The first use of the American Dream and its popularization through works such as The Great Gatsby Is the American Dream really just the Caucasian Dream? We discuss the intent behind the American Dream, and its applicability to non-white, non-males. If you want to achieve the American Dream, is it more complicated than just buying some land and a gun? Additional Resources: BOOK: The Epic of America by James Truslow Adams SONG: Only in America by Jay & the Americans PLAY: The Iceman Cometh by Eugene O’Neill BOOK: The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck BOOK: Who Are We? by Samuel P. Huntington Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On average, there is at least one mass shooting in America every single day. News of the latest school shooting has become a regular occurrence, as gun crime in America draws attention not just domestically, but around the world. Gun violence is an epidemic that shows no signs of stopping, but why? Why is banning guns so controversial? Who is standing in the way? And why would anyone still be in support of gun ownership? In this episode, we discuss an issue that continues to plague and divide America, as we figure out... why are guns still legal? Returning to the podcast from the faculty is Emma Long, Associate Professor of American History and Politics and Head of the Department of American Studies at the University of East Anglia. Our special guest is Chris Marvin, a retired Army officer, Black Hawk helicopter pilot, and a combat-wounded veteran of the war in Afghanistan. Today he serves as the veteran lead for the nation’s largest gun violence prevention organization, Everytown for Gun Safety. He is also an expert on gun suicide prevention, and he is currently producing a documentary exploring American gun culture. Chris shares his insights as he continues the fight to end gun violence, and prevent guns from being the single biggest killer of children in the US. Additional Resources: WEBSITE: Everytown for Gun Safety ARTICLE: Gun Violence a Major and Growing National Problem by Pew Research Center Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When you think of the Civil Rights Movement, you probably think of Martin Luther King, the back of the bus, or maybe even the Klu Klux Klan. Over time, the battle for civil rights in America has been simplified, tweaked, even fabricated. So in this episode we take a closer look at a struggle which has torn apart, reshaped and defined the United States of America as we ask... what do we get wrong about the Civil Rights Movement? Joining from the faculty is Dr. Nicholas Grant, a historian of twentieth century United States and author of 'Winning Our Freedoms Together: African Americans and Apartheid, 1945-1960.' His research focuses on race, internationalism and transnational activism. We also have the pleasure of being joined on this episode by Gary Younge, an award-winning author, broadcaster and professor of sociology at the University of Manchester. His books include The Speech: The Story Behind Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Dream, and he is one of the most highly regarded voices on global civil rights. Connect with Gary Younge: Visit his website Follow on X Additional Resources: BOOK: Winning Our Freedoms Together: African Americans and Apartheid, 1945-1960 by Nicholas Grant BOOK: The Speech: The Story Behind Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s Dream by Gary Younge WEBSITE: The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) BOOK: Ella Baker and the Black Freedom Movement: A Radical Democratic Vision by Barbara Ransbury BOOK: Montgomery Bus Boycott and the Women Who Started It: The Memoir of Jo Ann Gibson Robinson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Super Bowl has evolved from just an American football game to an annual entertainment spectacle. But how did the Super Bowl manage to live up to its name so much? Why is football so deeply rooted in American life? And what does America's love of sport tell us about their national identity? In this episode, we explore how a national sport became a multi-billion dollar economy as we answer the question… what makes the Super Bowl so super? From the faculty this week, and making his professional debut on the podcast, is Thomas Ruys Smith, Professor of American Literature and Culture and Deputy Director of Area Studies at the University of East Anglia. And our special guest is a guy who, to many NFL podcast fans, will be a very recognisable voice. Robert Mays is the host of The Athletic Football Show and all-round expert of the sport. Additional Resources: PODCAST: The Athletic Football Show WEBSITE: NFL Website BOOK: The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When you think of US history, do Native Americans come to mind? In this episode, we begin our journey into the history of indigenous people of North America, their complicated relationship with the US federal government, and their ongoing fight to protect the land they call home, as we answer the question... who are Native Americans? Returning from the faculty today is Jacqueline Fear-Segal, Professor of American and Indigenous Histories at the University of East Anglia. And our special guest is Stephanie Pratt, who was appointed as the first Cultural Ambassador for the Crow Creek Dakota Tribal Council, where she is an enrolled member. She is also a highly respected academic who has published extensively on the visual and museum representations made of Indigenous American peoples from early contact to the present day. Additional Resources: WEBSITE: Edward S. Curtis Gallery BOOK: Mni Sota Makoce: The Land of the Dakota by Gwen Westerman & Bruce White FILM: We Shall Remain Please remember to follow and share wherever you're listening to this podcast, and connect with us on twitter via @thisistheheff or @AmericanStudies Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The US Supreme Court is not averse to grabbing headlines. It caused a major recent controversy for overturning Roe v Wade in 2022. The decisions made by the Supreme Court set precedence and define the US legal landscape. However, the small group of justices are comprised of individuals nominated by the President. In this episode we're going to look at the politics of the Supreme Court - who are the justices and what power do they really have - as we find out... what exactly is the Supreme Court? Joining from the faculty this week is Dr. Emma Long, Associate Professor of American History and Politics and Head of the Department of American Studies at the University of East Anglia. Additional Resources: WEBSITE: The Supreme Court Official Website WEBSITE: SCOTUSblog Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Over the past 250 years, the United States of America have grown from 13 founding colonies to 50 states and multiple territories, but what does it take to become a state? Why is expansionism so important? And what about Native Americans? In this episode, we explore how colonialism created a blueprint for modern America as we answer the question... how did the 50 states become the 50 states? We're joined on this episode by Jacqueline Fear-Segal, Professor of American and Indigenous Histories at the University of East Anglia, with an interest in the American West, immigration and Americanisation. Additional Resources: BOOK: The Invasion of America by Francis Jennings PAMPHLET: Common Sense by Thomas Paine Please share this podcast with friends, colleagues or peers, and leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts to help others find us. Alternatively, you can tweet us at @AmericanStudies Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices