America: Study Notes are quickfire explainers for all the things you want to know about the USA, but don't want to ask.

Today: the sixth President of the United States, John Quincy Adams - his election, his presidency, his key achievements and challenges, and his lasting legacy.

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This week, as the death of Henry Nowak causes political chaos in the UK, Vice President JD Vance decides to weigh in, but why?

Plus, the Kennedy Center removes Trump's name from the building after months of protestation, and...

NASA are building a Moon Base. Would you live there?

Joining me this week is Kate Ballantyne, a Senior Lecturer in American History at Liverpool John Moores University.

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Stories:

01:16 - The Kennedy Center Drops Trump

07:55 - More Deaths at Louisiana ICE Facility

16:45 - JD Vance and Henry Nowak

34:01 - NASA's Moon Base

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Sources:

• The Kennedy Center drops Trump: https://www.usnews.com/news/entertainment/articles/2026-06-08/the-kennedy-center-drops-trump-branding-as-bill-mahers-twain-award-guests-are-revealed 
• Deaths at an ICE detention facility: https://apnews.com/article/ice-detainee-death-winn-a1ab66753aa4a1effdff0b7abef2240f 
• Inhumane conditions: https://apnews.com/article/ice-immigration-detention-medical-neglect-dhs-32c3fbeef0c44dfb02fcab890b2c9a96 
• Downing Street response to JD Vance comments: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/crlplwn1jkro 
• What is the Henry Nowak case? https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cpvpv2xylgeo 
• Black arrests in the UK: https://irr.org.uk/research/statistics/criminal-justice/ 
• JD Vance on X: https://x.com/JDVance/status/2062938286977421755
• Moon Base: https://www.nasa.gov/moonbase/

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America: The Story of the USA is a Podcasts by Liam production for ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Mercury⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, in partnership with the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠British Association for American Studies⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

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The memory of the United States is preserved through The National Archive - the institution responsible for protecting the documents that define the nation’s laws, identity, and democratic accountability.

From the Charters of Freedom to billions of federal records, it safeguards the evidence of government action and the stories of the American people.

But the Archives is more than a repository: it’s a public trust, a cultural institution, and increasingly a political battleground

So in this episode, I’m asking… what is the National Archive?

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Special Guest:

Colleen Shogan, the former Archivist of the United States, leading the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). She has overseen the preservation of federal records, the expansion of public access, and the stewardship of some of the nation’s most iconic documents. Her experience places her at the centre of debates about transparency, record‑keeping, and the political pressures facing cultural institutions today.

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Highlights:

02:16 - Why was the archive created?

08:46 - Why did it take so long?

11:23 - What's in the archive?

15:50 - The selection process

21:13 - The social value of the National Archive

28:22 - A record of enslaved history

31:57 - The archive and politics

37:36 - A very presentist view of our lives

42:47 - A digital future

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For an extended reading list and to learn more, join our Patreon community now: ⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/cw/americathestoryoftheusa⁠

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America: Study Notes are quickfire explainers for all the things you want to know about the USA, but don't want to ask.

Today, The History of Soccer in the United States - where it came from, why it struggled, why it’s booming now, and what the future looks like with the World Cup on the horizon.

If you're looking for the UFC White House card, this isn't the place for you!

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Contact us: [email protected]

Join the community: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/cw/americathestoryoftheusa⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Get the newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://america-the-story-of-the-usa.beehiiv.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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This week, we discuss the ongoing war in the Middle East and Iran. Plus, three men in Spokane have been found guilty of conspiracy, after demonstrating against ICE in June last year.

Is this justice taking its court?

Or a dangerous indicator of just how much power Trump holds over the courts?

AND we were supposed to bring you an interview with Max Martin, CEO and Founder of the Enhanced Games. Find out why it hasn't happened.

Joining me this week is Ira Chaleff, friend of the show and author of To Stop a Tyrant: The Power of Political Followers, which is available to buy now. Ira.

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Stories:

02:16 - The War in Iran

16:02 - Trump's Unchecked Power Over the Courts

33:14 - Not an Interview with Max Martin from the Enhanced Games

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Sources:

• ICE demonstrators convicted: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/29/us/ice-protesters-convicted-spokane.html 
• Conspiracy charges: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/mar/20/us-army-veteran-ice-protest-trial 
• The War in Iran: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/crlpy8n7pr6o 
• Netanyahu orders Beirut bombing: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jun/01/european-leaders-condemn-israel-incursion-into-lebanon

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America: The Story of the USA is a Podcasts by Liam production for ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Mercury⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, in partnership with the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠British Association for American Studies⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter: https://america-the-story-of-the-usa.beehiiv.com/

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The American Civil War did not end in a single moment, but from a cumulative momentum of several singular events: the fall of Richmond and Petersburg, the grinding Appomattox campaign, and a cascade of surrenders that dissolved the Confederacy.

In April 1865, Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered his troops to Union General Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House in Virginia. The final surrender of Confederate troops on the western periphery came in Galveston, Texas, on this very day, June 2nd, 161 years ago.

We are going to trace the final campaigns, the leaders and decisions that determined the outcome, and the circumstances that ultimately led to Lee’s surrender.

So in this episode, I’m asking… how did the American Civil War end?

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Special Guest:

Gary Gallagher, a leading historian of the Civil War era and a Professor in the History of the American Civil War at the University of Virginia. His work focuses on Confederate politics and military culture, the meaning of surrender, and how the war’s end was experienced and remembered.

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Highlights:

02:15 - The End Was Inevitable

06:14 - A Strategy of Exhaustion

13:24 - There's No US Without France

17:35 - Lee's Surrender

23:34 - Put the Nation Back Together

32:09 - What Political Right Do They Have?

35:51 - A Win for the Union

40:13 - Jefferson Davis

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For an extended reading list and to learn more, join our Patreon community now: ⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/cw/americathestoryoftheusa⁠

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Contact us: [email protected]

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America: Study Notes are quickfire explainers for all the things you want to know about the USA, but don't want to ask.

Today, The History of White House Renovations - how the president’s home was built, how it’s changed, and the controversies that came with every major makeover.

If you're looking for the UFC White House card, this isn't the place for you!

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Contact us: [email protected]

Join the community: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/cw/americathestoryoftheusa⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Get the newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://america-the-story-of-the-usa.beehiiv.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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This week, UEA's Emma Long and former leader of the Liberal Democrats Sir Vince Cable join the show to discuss the controversial Enhanced Games, Pope Leo's apology for slavery, and the best graduation present ever... or not.

Our guest today is Emma Long, Associate Professor in American History and Politics at the University of East Anglia.

We're also delighted to welcome to the show the UK’s former Business Secretary, former leader of the Liberal Democrat party, and knight of the realm, Sir Vince Cable…

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Stories:

01:28 - The Pope Apologises for Slavery

09:32 - White House Shooting

14:40 - The Enhanced Games

36:55 - Best Graduation Present Ever

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Sources:

• White House shooter: https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-secret-service-investigates-reports-shots-near-white-house-2026-05-23/ 
• The Pope apologises for slavery: Pope apologizes for Vatican's role in legitimizing slavery | AP News 
• The Enhanced Games: https://www.enhanced.com/ 
• Swimmer unofficially breaks World Record at Enhanced Games: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/articles/cx211xyd298o 
• North Carolina student loans paid: https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/college-commencement-speaker-is-paying-off-final-year-of-loans-for-grads/

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America: The Story of the USA is a Podcasts by Liam production for ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Mercury⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, in partnership with the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠British Association for American Studies⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter: https://america-the-story-of-the-usa.beehiiv.com/

Join the community: https://www.patreon.com/americathestoryoftheusa

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A nation can win a war and still spend generations arguing over what that victory meant. In the decades after Appomattox, the Republican Party - born in opposition to slavery and triumphant in preserving the Union - found itself wrestling with the very legacy it had created. Was the party the guardian of emancipation, the steward of Union memory, the engine of national reconciliation, or something more conflicted altogether?

Today, we trace how the Civil War didn’t just shape the GOP’s past, but set it on a path that would define its identity, its voters, and its vision of America for more than a century.

So in this episode, I’m asking… how did the civil war change the republican party?

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Special Guest:

Tim Galsworthy a lecturer in History and Military History at Lincoln Bishop University. He specializes in the interplay between memory, politics, and race in the modern United States, with a particular focus on the Republican Party and Civil War memory. He is also the author of The Republican House Divided: Civil War Memory, Civil Rights, and the Transformation of the GOP.

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Highlights:

02:51 - Abraham Lincoln the Great Unifier

09:22 - The Lost Cause

13:16 - A Retreat from Civil Rights

20:14 - The National Union Strategy

27:50 - Remembering vs Celebrating

34:10 - Being Raised in the Lost Cause

38:01 - The Republican Pivot

46:25 - Lessons from the Past

49:57 - Did Obama Create Trump?

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For an extended reading list and to learn more, join our Patreon community now: ⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/cw/americathestoryoftheusa⁠

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Contact us: [email protected]

Get the newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠https://america-the-story-of-the-usa.beehiiv.com/⁠⁠⁠

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America: Study Notes are quickfire explainers for all the things you want to know about the USA, but don't want to ask.

Today: and the latest in our Presidents series, is about the fifth President, James Monroe - his election, presidency, key achievements and legacy.

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Contact us: [email protected]

Join the community: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/cw/americathestoryoftheusa⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - use code USA26 for 50% off your first month

Get the newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://america-the-story-of-the-usa.beehiiv.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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This week, US senators have voted unanimously to withhold their own pay during future shutdowns. We also look at the latest redistricting news, and what it could mean for future elections.

And, as the war in Iran continues, we take stock of what exactly is happening after Trump warned the clock is ticking on a peace deal. What does that even mean, and what does peace even look like?

My guest this week is Andrew Gawthorpe from Leiden University, whose research focuses on the foreign policy and politics of the modern and contemporary United States, and is the host of the excellent newsletter, America Explained.

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Stories:

03:54 - Redistricting https://apnews.com/article/redistricting-congress-trump-voting-rights-b939802fd1ee9c3ae47a8619151a9746

14:04 - Senators Withhold Pay During Shutdowns https://apnews.com/article/senate-pay-shutdown-withhold-government-face16eac3196ad4c3bedf3d699be87f

19:23 - The War in Iran https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cd0p4y9y48xo

39:56 - WordSkills Competition https://uk.news.yahoo.com/community-college-student-michigan-1st-113401010.html

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Sources:

• Trump’s clock is ticking on Iran: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cd0p4y9y48xo 
• Redistricting is out of control: https://apnews.com/article/redistricting-congress-trump-voting-rights-b939802fd1ee9c3ae47a8619151a9746 
• Senator’s vote to withhold pay during future shutdowns: https://apnews.com/article/senate-pay-shutdown-withhold-government-face16eac3196ad4c3bedf3d699be87f
• Michigan student becomes first women at World Welding Championships: https://uk.news.yahoo.com/community-college-student-michigan-1st-113401010.html
• WorldSkills Shanghai 2026: https://worldskills2026.com/

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America: The Story of the USA is a Podcasts by Liam production for ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Mercury⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, in partnership with the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠British Association for American Studies⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter: https://america-the-story-of-the-usa.beehiiv.com/

Join the community: https://www.patreon.com/americathestoryoftheusa

Get in touch: [email protected]

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices