From its outbreak, the coronavirus pandemic has prompted a wave of speculation, and worry, over an expected acceleration of the use of automated labor. After all, “the machine doesn’t fall ill.” Worries over the future of labor in the face of competition from robots and computers is especially acute, and serious, today. But as historian Dustin Abnet explains in his book “The American Robot: A Cultural History,” the idea of robots supplanting human  workers has captured the American imagination almost since the nation’s founding. The American obsession with robots is not confined to labor ..read more

Charlottesville, VA— After more than three hundred episodes that have reached millions of listeners over the last twelve years, BackStory, the American history podcast produced by Virginia Humanities, published its final episode today. “Virginia Humanities is proud to have produced BackStory for the past twelve years. The staff, guests, and hosts have created a show that makes history not just interesting, but also relevant. Without an understanding of what came before us in human experience, we run the risk of plodding through the present and into the future with amnesia,” said Matthew Gibson ..read more

Earlier this year, the Netflix documentary Tiger King briefly dominated American culture. In doing so, it shone a rare spotlight on Oklahoma, the setting for the wild, almost unbelievable antics of its characters. But for many people familiar with the history of Oklahoma, Tiger King is just another anecdote in a culture packed with contradictions, fraud, wealth, and swindles. Russell Cobb focuses on this last aspect of the state in the new book “The Great Oklahoma Swindle: Race, Religion, and Lies in America’s Weirdest State.” Cobb tells a fascinating story of his home state that balances betw ..read more

As BackStory wraps up production, we’ve been asking each of our hosts to select moments from the show’s history and compile their very own “Best of BackStory.” Now it’s your turn! We’re looking for suggestions for June’s Best of BackStory, the listener edition.  Leave us a voicemail at (434) 260-3320, telling us about your favorite interview or BackStory moment. Be sure to leave your name and a number so we can reach you. Oh, and one more thing! Try to be specific. We’ve had a lot of conversations over the years, so make sure we can tell which one you’re referring to, and why it stuck wit ..read more

In her latest book “Free Thinker: Sex, Suffrage, and the Extraordinary Life of Helen Hamilton Gardener,” historian Kimberly A. Hamlin tells the story of an influential and fascinating woman who you likely have never even heard of. Helen Hamilton Gardener dedicated her life to championing women’s rights and pushing back against the sexual double standard. She went toe-to-toe with some of the most prominent scientists and politicians of her day. She published 7 books and many more essays. By the time of her death in 1925, Gardener was the highest-ranking woman in federal government and a symbol ..read more

Urban renewal has received a bad rap over the last few decades. The phrase often brings to mind population displacement, the destruction of historic neighborhoods, and a general failure of the public sphere. But this is far from the whole story. Lizabeth Cohen’s book “Saving America’s Cities: Ed Logue and the Struggle to Renew Urban America in the Suburban Age” examines the history of urban renewal in the decades following World War II through the career of influential urban planner Ed Logue. The evolution of Logue’s work neatly follows the trajectory of urban policy over this time, tracing th ..read more

An image of BackStory host Ed Ayers with the text “The Best of BackStory” in the background. Photo: Sanjay Suchak As BackStory moves towards the end of its production, we’ve asked our hosts – both past and present – to select memorable moments from the show that we’re publishing as episodes once per month. As a founding host, Ed has had hundreds of conversations on a huge variety of topics. But some of his favorite BackStory moments touched on anniversaries and events related to his own field in American history: slavery, the Civil War, and Reconstruction. They are conversations of pain and ..read more

Toward the end of, “From Music to Madiba: A History of U.S. Relations with South Africa,” Brian Balogh speaks with Louis Meintjes about the links between South African and American music and the political influence of music during apartheid. Meintjes describes how some musicians performed within the confines of the state-owned system of censored radio. Many of these artists found ways to resist apartheid by speaking to everyday struggles, or by forging a unified, cosmopolitan identity through sound. But many artists chose exile instead. In doing so, they brought South African music to an inter ..read more

For many of us, political discourse is difficult to extricate from the cultural lexicon that mirrors and helps define it. Movies, music, award shows, and much much more, help us understand our world, and even have the potential to influence it. This interplay between culture and politics is nothing new, even if the lexicon has changed. That is why Jonathan Rosenberg’s book, Dangerous Melodies: Classical Music in America from the Great War through the Cold War, is such an original and necessary look at the United States on the political world stage. Trained as  a classical musician and edu ..read more

It’s Black History Month, when we recognize the achievements and history of African Americans throughout US history. BackStory frequently highlights these stories, whether across a whole show or in a specific interview. So to celebrate, we’ve put together a playlist of some of our favorites from different time periods, generations, and viewpoints. The topics range from the long history of plantations, to the unique African American UFO tradition. Enjoy, and let us know your thoughts in the comments below!   Burnt Corks & Cakewalks: The Toxic Legacy of Blackface in American History Ed ..read more