Throughline
326 episodes - English - Latest episode: 18 days ago - ★★★★★ - 14.4K ratingsThroughline is a time machine. Each episode, we travel beyond the headlines to answer the question, "How did we get here?" We use sound and stories to bring history to life and put you into the middle of it. From ancient civilizations to forgotten figures, we take you directly to the moments that shaped our world. Throughline is hosted by Peabody Award-winning journalists Rund Abdelfatah and Ramtin Arablouei.
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Episodes
Milliken v. Bradley
July 25, 2019 04:02 - 35 minutes - 33.2 MBAfter the landmark decision in Brown v. Board of Education, public schools across the country were supposed to become more integrated, but by the 1970s, many weren't. As a way to remedy segregation in their city, the Detroit school board introduced busing across Detroit. But the plan was met with so much resistance that the issue eventually led all the way to the Supreme Court. This week, segregation in Detroit public schools and the impact of a Supreme Court case that went far beyond that c...
Rules Of Engagement
July 18, 2019 04:01 - 48 minutes - 45.8 MBAfter Iran shot down an American surveillance drone in June, tensions between the two countries have only gone up. But the US and Iran have been in some state of conflict for the last 40 years, since the Iranian revolution. This week, we look at three key moments in this conflict to better understand where it might go next. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy
Four Days In August
July 11, 2019 04:04 - 36 minutes - 34.6 MBThe U.S. and Iran have had a tense relationship for decades — but when did that begin? Over the next two weeks, we're exploring the history. This week, we feature our very first episode about an event from August 1953 — when the CIA helped to overthrow Iran's Prime Minister. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy
American Anthem
July 04, 2019 04:01 - 26 minutes - 25.2 MBThe Star-Spangled Banner is the official anthem for the United States, but there are plenty of songs that have become informal American anthems for millions of people. This week, we share three stories from NPR Music's American Anthem series that highlight the origins of songs that have become ingrained in American culture. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy
Before Stonewall
June 27, 2019 04:01 - 38 minutes - 37 MBFifty years ago, a gay bar in New York City called The Stonewall Inn was raided by police, and what followed were days of rebellion where protesters and police clashed. Today, that event is seen as the start of the gay civil rights movement, but gay activists and organizations were standing up to harassment and discrimination years before. On this episode, the fight for gay rights before Stonewall. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy
The X On The Map
June 20, 2019 04:01 - 39 minutes - 37.4 MBIn 1965, Jimmie Lee Jackson was an unarmed black civil rights activist who was murdered in Marion, Ala., after a peaceful protest. His murder brought newfound energy to the civil rights movement, leading to the march to Montgomery that ended in "Bloody Sunday." This week, we share an episode we loved from White Lies as they look for answers to a murder that happened more than half a century ago. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy
Apocalypse Now
June 13, 2019 04:01 - 54 minutes - 51.6 MBEvangelicals have played an important role in modern day American politics - from supporting President Trump to helping elect Jimmy Carter back in 1976. How and when did this religious group become so intertwined with today's political issues? In this episode, what it means to be an evangelical today and how it has changed over time. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy
Mitch McConnell
June 06, 2019 04:01 - 32 minutes - 30.9 MBMitch McConnell has been described as "opaque," "drab," and even "dull." He is one of the least popular - and most polarizing - politicians in the country. So how did he win eight consecutive elections? And what does it tell us about how he operates? This week, we share an episode we loved from Embedded that traces McConnell's political history. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy
Savarkar's India
May 30, 2019 04:01 - 33 minutes - 31.4 MBRight-wing Hindu nationalist Narendra Modi has won reelection as India's Prime Minister. As the political philosophy of Hindu nationalism gains ground in India we look back at one of its architects - Vinayak Savarkar. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy
A Dream Of Modern China
May 23, 2019 04:01 - 45 minutes - 43.3 MBChina is a world superpower today. But just over a century ago, the country was in complete turmoil — foreign powers had carved up the country, the ruling dynasty was losing control, and millions of citizens were struggling to survive. However, that political chaos inspired a nationalist movement that reshaped China as we know it, and it was led by one man - Sun Yat-sen. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy
El Libertador
May 16, 2019 04:01 - 54 minutes - 51.6 MBVenezuela is facing an economic and humanitarian crisis as extreme poverty and violence have forced many to flee the country in recent years. How did a country once wealthy with oil resources fall into such turmoil? Through the lives of two revolutionaries turned authoritarian leaders separated by two centuries, we look back at the rise and fall of Venezuela. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy
White Nationalism
May 09, 2019 04:01 - 33 minutes - 31.8 MBThe white nationalist ideas of Madison Grant influenced Congress in the 1920s, leaders in Nazi Germany, and members of the Trump administration. This week, we share an episode we loved from It's Been A Minute with Sam Sanders that explores a throughline of white nationalism in American politics from the early 20th century to today. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy
Outbreak
May 02, 2019 04:01 - 21 minutes - 20.3 MBMore than 700 measles cases have been recorded in the U.S. in the recent outbreak, the worst being in New York. This past April, Mayor Bill de Blasio issued a public health emergency that required residents in parts of Brooklyn to get vaccinated or face a fine of $1,000. In this episode, we look back at a 1905 Supreme Court case that set a precedent for enforcing compulsory vaccinations. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy
Resistance Is Futile
April 25, 2019 04:01 - 35 minutes - 34.2 MBArtificial intelligence, gene modification, and self-driving cars are causing fear and uncertainty about how technology is changing our lives. But humans have struggled to accept innovations throughout history. In this episode, we explore three innovations that transformed the world and show how people have adapted — and ask whether we can do the same today. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy
War Of The Worlds
April 18, 2019 04:01 - 33 minutes - 32.7 MBThe Sunni-Shia divide is a conflict that most people have heard about - two sects with Sunni Islam being in the majority and Shia Islam the minority. Exactly how did this conflict originate and when? We go through 1400 years of history to find the moment this divide first turned deadly and how it has evolved since. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy
Nancy Pelosi
April 11, 2019 06:06 - 23 minutes - 22.1 MBNancy Pelosi is the highest-ranking woman in American politics. She made her first run for public office at 47 years old and went on to become Speaker of the House twice. How has she had such an enduring career, and where does her power lie? On this episode, we trace the rise of the Speaker. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy
Opioids In America
April 04, 2019 04:01 - 42 minutes - 40.3 MBA record number of Americans have died from opioid overdoses in recent years. But how did we get here? And is this the first time Americans have faced this crisis? The short answer: no. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy
The Phoebus Cartel
March 28, 2019 04:02 - 32 minutes - 30.2 MBHave you ever wondered why your smartphone or toaster oven doesn't seem to last very long, even though technology is becoming better and better? This week, in a special collaboration with Planet Money, we bring you the history of planned obsolescence – the idea that products are designed to break. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy
The Border
March 21, 2019 04:01 - 14 minutes - 14.1 MBIn February, President Trump declared a national emergency at the US-Mexico border. Last year, he ordered thousands of National Guard troops to the border. Is this the first time an American president has responded with this level of force? In this week's episode, the history of militarization at the U.S.-Mexico border. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy
The Moth
March 14, 2019 04:42 - 32 minutes - 31.8 MBVladimir Putin has been running Russia since 2000 when he was first elected as President. How did a former KGB officer make his way up to the top seat — was it political prowess or was he just the recipient of a lot of good fortune? In this episode, we dive into the life of Vladimir Putin and try to understand how he became Russia's new "tsar." Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy
American Shadows
March 07, 2019 05:02 - 41 minutes - 38.6 MBConspiracy theories are a feature of today's news and politics. But they've really been a part of American life since its founding. In this episode, we'll explore how conspiracy theories helped to create the U.S. and how they became the currency of political opportunists. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy
High Crimes And Misdemeanors
February 28, 2019 05:09 - 15 minutes - 15.5 MBWhen Andrew Johnson became president in 1865, the United States was in the middle of one of its most volatile chapters. The country was divided after fighting a bloody civil war and had just experienced the first presidential assassination. We look at how these factors led to the first presidential impeachment in American history. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy
The Forgotten War
February 21, 2019 05:11 - 33 minutes - 32.1 MBPresident Trump and North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un are preparing to meet for a second nuclear summit. What has fueled the hostility between these two countries for decades? On this episode, we look back at the tangled history. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy
On the Shoulders of Giants
February 14, 2019 05:40 - 37 minutes - 36 MBWhen Colin Kaepernick stopped standing for the national anthem at NFL games it sparked a nationwide conversation about patriotism and police brutality. Black athletes using their platform to protest injustice has long been a tradition in American history. In this episode we explore three stories of protest that are rarely told but essential to understanding the current debate: the heavyweight boxer Jack Johnson, the sprinter Wilma Rudolph, and the basketball player Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf. Learn ...
Four Days in August
February 07, 2019 05:00 - 36 minutes - 34.9 MBIt's no secret that Iran and the U.S. have a history of animosity toward each other. But when and how did it begin? This week we look back at four days in August 1953, when the CIA orchestrated a coup of Iran's elected Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy
Introducing Throughline
January 30, 2019 20:12 - 2 minutes - 2.47 MBNPR's new history podcast hosted by Ramtin Arablouei and Rund Abdelfatah. New episodes every Thursday starting February 7th. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy