BackStory With The American History Guys Returns On Our HD-2 Channel

If you enjoyed BackStory with the American History Guys Saturdays at 3:00 PM this summer and fall, well, guess what? It’s back--and at the same day and time on our HD-2 lineup! For those that listen for the Thomas Jefferson Hour every Saturday at 3:00 PM, it's moving to Sundays at 1:00 PM so you can continue enjoying more historical perspective! Read on for more on BackStory and this week’s episode!

BackStory is a public radio program & podcast that brings historical perspective to the events happening around us today. On each show, renowned U.S. historians Ed Ayers, Peter Onuf, and Brian Balogh tear a topic from the headlines and plumb its historical depths. Over the course of the hour, they are joined by fellow historians, people in the news, and callers interested in exploring the roots of what’s going on today. Together, they drill down to colonial times and earlier, revealing the connections (and disconnections) between past and present. With its passionate, intelligent, and irreverent approach, BackStory is fun and essential listening no matter who you are.

About this week’s (1/5/13) show:
On January 1, 1863 – 150 years ago this week – President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation. It declared that all slaves in the rebellious states “shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free.” Today, Lincoln is remembered as “The Great Emancipator,” but the story of emancipation is complex and contradictory. And the question of how we choose to commemorate this anniversary can be touchy.

On this episode, we set out to understand the way Americans thought about emancipation in 1862, and reflect on its shifting meanings since then. Along the way, we make stops at the Emancipation Memorial in Washington D.C., the Civil War centennial commemorations in the height of the Civil Rights Era, and the former capital of the Confederacy today. And we hear the voices of former slaves themselves, remembering their first experiences of freedom.

We hope you enjoy our HD-2 offerings with more history to go along with our science programs as well as NPR news/talk shows and the BBC! You can stream our HD-2 channel 24/7 on our main Radio page or right here and check our HD-1 and HD-2 schedules that includes links to the programs here. As always, thank you for your support!