“[We] had forgotten to be Republicans or Democrats. We were just a bunch of men trying to save the banking system.”

This is the story of FDR’s first 100 days in office. 

In early 1933, banks foreclose on thousands upon thousands of homes and farms every month. The banks have little choice–they too are failing! Meanwhile, unemployment is hovering near 25%. It’s a catastrophe. Capitalism itself and the American way of life appears to be on the precipice. 

Enter President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who calls an immediate “banking holiday” and an emergency session of Congress to face the hydra of crises sweeping the nation. During this 99-day congressional session that runs almost analogous to FDR’s first 100 days in the White House, they’ll pass 15 major pieces of legislation that create new organizations, regulations, and more with the hopes of getting the American people back on their feet. 

But how exactly, does Franklin navigate the divergent views, difficult personalities, and competing priorities to get this mountain of legislation through? That is precisely our story.

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“First of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself-–nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance.”

This is the story of Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s journey to the White House.

Even as a young boy, Franklin admires his fifth cousin Theodore Roosevelt and wants to follow in his footsteps. He seems to have a knack for it too. He attends the same schools. He serves in many of the same political positions. Even his failures only seemed to build his prestige. Ever congenial and likable, Franklin appears to have the world on a string.

Then the challenges arrive. Franklin’s affair rocks his and Eleanor’s marriage. Polio robs him of his physical strength, vigor, and ability to walk. As an independently wealthy Roosevelt, he has every excuse to fade into the background. 

But that isn’t who Franklin is. As Governor of New York, he’s as aggressive in fighting off the Great Depression as he is in fighting off the challenges of polio. Is he onto something? Is his “New Deal” what the nation needs? That’s a question for the American people to decide in 1932 as he runs for the White House.

Our gratitude to the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Presidential Library & Museum for its rich collection of speeches and other writings. Learn more at FDRlibrary.org.

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“I have not only grown gray but almost blind in service to my country.”

This is the story (or tale) of two cities. 

In Paris, Ben Franklin, John Adams, John Jay and (briefly) Henry Laurens are negotiating the terms of American independence. They know what they want, but getting there will require outmaneuvering the greatest powers on earth and defying Congress. Will they do as they’ve been instructed? Or risk it all and swing for the fence? 

Meanwhile, Continental Army officers in New Windsor, New York, are fed up with Congress’s broken promises. Soldiers have been waiting in vain for their payments for years—will the end of the war change anything, or will their pensions be ignored too? The beleaguered men are even considering violence… could a military coup end the American experiment before the peace treaty is even signed?

Help us George Washington. You’re our only hope.

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"The British officers in general behaved like boys who had been whipped at school.”

This is the story of the beginning of the Revolution's end.

Following Lord Cornwallis’ vow to take the fight to Virginia, infamous Lieutenant Colonel Tarleton raids Charlottesville, takes a few legislators captive, and forces Governor Thomas Jefferson to flee. Tom only escapes because of the brave ride of the “Paul Revere of the South,” Jack Jouett. Our French friend Lafayette is also on the run, always just a couple of cheeky steps ahead of Lord Cornwallis’ armies. 

Meanwhile, George Washington is facing down a mutiny in the north. The grievances that led to this insubordination are piling up, and though the mutiny is quickly suppressed, the challenges of feeding, clothing, and paying the army remain. However, the situation is about to improve drastically; George is about to receive the resources he needs, but not from Congress. From France. French allies, including new friends like General Rochambeau and Vice Admiral de Grasse, are ready to give George some serious support... enough support that the Americans just might turn the world upside down.

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"Arnold has betrayed us! Whom can we trust now?"

This isn't a story of betrayal; this is THE story of betrayal. 

After half a decade of giving his all for the Patriot cause, Benedict Arnold becomes America's Judas Iscariot. He betrays his brothers-in-arms for a commission in the British army and cold hard cash (a lot more than thirty pieces of silver). 

Meanwhile, after General Horatio Gates’ shameful showing at the Battle of Camden, American forces in the South are scattered and demoralized. Though a few determined local militiamen are operating guerilla-style, Lord Cornwallis seems to have Georgia and South Carolina well in hand. Now his sights are set on North Carolina and maybe even Virginia! Can anyone stop him? When all else fails… send the Quaker. Welcome to the South, Nathanael Greene.

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"Too much praise cannot be given to the President for the prompt and resolute and skillful way in which he has set about reassuring the country after the financial collapse.” 

This is the story of Herbert Hoover’s facing the early years of the Great Depression.

Just after the stock market crash of 1929, people aren’t expecting the worst. Most, including the experts, believe that this little downturn will blow over with time, just like past economic troubles. Avoiding the word “panic,” President Herbert Hoover comes up with a new term meant to describe how minor this downturn will be. He calls it a “depression.” He also pushes volunteerism. Congress cuts taxes. The Fed cuts the discount rate. Americans feel they are in good hands.

But national productivity keeps going down. Unemployment keeps going up. Breadlines are getting longer and a drought has hit the heartland. Then major banks start going under, both in the US and abroad. Britain goes off the gold standard. As “Hoovervilles” spread and Great War vets march to DC, Bert Hoover—the famous “Master of Emergencies”—finds himself facing an economic challenge unlike any ever faced by a president.

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“There is a million dollars here for the asking!”

This is the story of Christmas in the 1920s. 

Yeah, the whole decade—why not? One hundred years ago, people were just beginning (or reviving) traditions that are entrenched in our holiday celebrations today. Charitable giving at Christmas is ever present, and the winter of 1920 features the Great Humanitarian Herbert Hoover’s efforts to feed children in Europe with his “Invisible Guest” dinners. Another president, “Silent Cal” Coolidge, holds the first National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony in 1923, cementing electric tree lights into our celebrations. And carols on the radio are coming into full swing, with live broadcasts from musicians like the Mount Holyoke Carol Choir. 

And who can forget America’s proud tradition of consumerism? Ok, that didn’t start in the 1920s, but this is definitely the decade for some really swell presents. The Great War is over, wages are high, and it’s time to buy! Santa Claus himself appears at a 1928 Knoxville parade through the streets and stores, delighting children and business owners alike. After the Crash, Christmases get a bit more economical, so let’s celebrate while we still can. Merry Christmas and happy holidays! 

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“A wise man never sells out at the first sign of trouble. That’s for the pikers.”

This is the story of the 1929 Wall Street Crash. 

On October 24, or “Black Thursday,” stock prices plunge unexpectedly. Early the next week, whatever was left of the bottom falls out on “Black Tuesday.” The New York Stock Exchange has crashed. The Roaring 20s are over.

But what exactly is a stock market? How does the American financial system work in the 1920s? And how did the Crash of 1929 happen? From the origins of the NYSE to the development of the Federal Reserve System, we’ll unravel it all before it all unravels as we also meet the man that 1920s Americans overwhelmingly want to lead the nation. He’s a man known for his gifted abilities when handling a crisis. They call him the “Great Humanitarian.” Welcome to the White House, President Herbert Hoover. 

Check out this Spotify playlist if you’re looking for other HTDS episodes on economic panics, which are episodes 19, 27, 29, 30, 91, 97, 98, and 127.

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Our last few episodes have reveled in stories of the popularization of movies, music and sports during the Roaring 1920s. In this epilogue episode, Professor Jackson steps out of storytelling mode and into classroom mode (that doesn’t suck). 

To help us better understand the lasting cultural impact of this period, he’s invited Dr. Sarah Churchwell who has written extensively about 1920s American culture, including her acclaimed book Careless People: Murder, Mayhem, and the Invention of the Great Gatsby.

The conversation with Professor Churchwell includes fascinating takeaways from the 1920s that continue to resonate in our contemporary lives. These include the rise of American youth culture and the desire by older adults to be youthful like the popularity of monkey gland injections as a predecessor to modern-day Botox injections. They talk more about the birth of Tinseltown AKA Hollywood, radio, music and enduring literature like F. Scott Fitzgerald's masterpiece, The Great Gatsby…if you read it in high school but have forgotten, or if you’ve never read it, we get right to the major themes of it and why it’s still relevant today. 

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“His Lordship from Transylvania would like to purchase a nice house in our small town . . . it will take a bit of effort . . . a bit of sweat and perhaps . . . a bit of blood . . .”

This is the story of the Great Death in Wisborg in 1838. 

Nosferatu is a 1922 classic horror film, one of the first ever made. It sort of recalls Bram Stoker’s Dracula—enough to build a copyright lawsuit—but, fortunately for us, Nosferatu weathered the controversy via unlicensed copies and has survived into the twenty-first century. The film isn’t just Dracula revamped though, it contributed brand new techniques to the horror genre. The cinematography is also state-of-the-art for the 1920s, tastefully employing physical film tricks (à la Georges Méliès) and practical effects. 

We’ll take you through the film so you can truly appreciate it, following Herr Thomas Hutter and his young wife Ellen as they meet Count Orlok and face the consequences. Without spoiling too much: it gets bloody. 

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“We have a basket and a ball, and it seems to me that would be a good name for it.”

This is the story of America’s varied athletic endeavors (besides baseball). Though each sport could provide enough material for an entire episode, it would probably run us into overtime, and the 1920s are drawing to a close. As Black Thursday approaches, it’s time for some last-minute fun and games. 

The 1920s is the Golden Age of Sports—fans can’t get enough of the races, the ring, the court, or the gridiron. Of course, in the case of horse racing and boxing, the love of the competition is combined with the heady rush of gambling. But even when there’s no money changing hands, sports still draw people in. There’s simple bloodlust; boxing legends like John L. Sullivan and Jack Johnson are ruthless, and football actually gets so savage that it’s almost banned entirely until Teddy Roosevelt and a few others intervene, (much to the relief of fans today). There’s also novelty. James Naismith’s game “basketball” is a true original. But the most compelling factor is probably witnessing human excellence, best exemplified by the American Olympian dubbed “the greatest athlete in the world.” 

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