Civics & Coffee: A History Podcast
Civics & Coffee delivers bite-sized U.S. history with clear, engaging storytelling — all in the time it takes to drink your morning cup of coffee. Host Alycia brings America’s past to life with well-researched episodes that are approachable, human, and impossible to forget.
In 2026, Civics & Coffee dives into the Gilded Age - a transformative era of booming industry, powerful presidents, labor uprisings, immigration waves, inequality, and social reformers. From national crises like the Great Railroad Strike of 1877 to personal stories of figures such as Rutherford B. Hayes, Lucy Webb Hayes, and the Exodusters, each episode uncovers the people, tensions, and turning points that shaped modern America.
Whether you’re a longtime history lover or just history-curious, Civics & Coffee offers context without the homework and storytelling without the fluff. Grab your mug and join the conversation, one cup at a time.
Episodes
330 episodes
A President Forgotten: James Garfield Part Two
Join me for the concluding chapter of President James Garfield. After spending nearly two decades in Congress, James Garfield became the dark horse candidate for the 1880 presidential election. Yet, he would serve only a few months before being...
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Season 1
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Episode 329
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21:19
Misplaced Rage: Fear and Fury with Heather Ann Thompson
How did a New York City subway shooting in 1984 normalize white rage and create a media ecosystem that celebrates greed? Join me as I sit down with historian Heather Ann Thompson to discuss her latest book, Fear and Fury: The Reagan Eight...
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Season 1
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Episode 328
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38:33
Past, Present & Future: Rosie the Riveter Reporting for Duty
The Rosie the Riveter World War II Home Front National Historic Park is a small but mighty public history site dedicated to honoring the sacrifices and telling the stories of the women on the World War II Homefront. Situated along the Richmond ...
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Season 1
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Episode 327
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26:26
Complicated Legacies: Thy Will Be Done with John Garrison Marks
Tune in as I sit down with historian John Garrison Marks to discuss his upcoming book Thy Will Be Done: George Washington's Legacy of Slavery and the Fight for American Memory. We explore the complex legacy of George Washington's relationship w...
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Season 1
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Episode 326
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48:58
A President Forgotten: James Garfield Part One
Elected in 1880 in one of the closest contests in American history, twentieth president James Garfield sadly died before he could leave a lasting executive legacy. Largely remembered for how he died, Garfield had an extensive political career, ...
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Season 1
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Episode 325
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19:02
Grief, Love, and Connection: The Missing Pages with Alyson Richman
Joining me this week is author Alyson Richman to discuss her latest novel The Missing Pages. Tune in to learn all about what went into developing the world of Titanic victim Harry Elkins Widener, the power of historical fiction in conn...
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Season 1
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Episode 324
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29:50
Indian Boarding Schools in America: The Carlisle Indian Industrial School
In 1879, Richard Henry Pratt founded the Carlisle Indian Industrial School, the first federally supported off-reservation boarding school for Native American children. Designed to promote assimilation into American society, Carlisle became the ...
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Season 1
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Episode 323
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16:25
History Makers: Presidential Seclusion with Charles Ferguson
Join me as I sit down with author and historian Charles Ferguson to discuss his book Presidential Seclusion: The Power of Camp David, which explores the history of the presidential retreat and the men who've shaped it. Learn ...
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Season 1
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Episode 322
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45:36
Titans or Crooks: The Men Who Built Industrial America
The Gilded Age was marked by the rise of powerful industrialists - but four men in particular are known for the power they wielded and the complex legacies they left behind. John D. Rockefeller transformed oil. Andrew Carnegie's steel empire wa...
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Season 1
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Episode 321
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19:21
The Exodusters: The Great Migration You Haven’t Heard About
Before the Great Migration, there was a smaller, yet just as important emigration of Black Americans out of the South. For several months in 1879, thousands of freedmen and their families headed for Kansas, hoping to create a better life for th...
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Season 1
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Episode 320
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19:22
Selling Out Santa: A Deep Dive into Post-War Cinema with Dr. Vaughn Joy
Join me as I welcome historian and media literacy expert Dr. Vaughn Joy to discuss her book Selling Out Santa: Hollywood Christmas Films in the Age of McCarthy. The book explores the evolution of Christmas films during the post-war era, paying ...
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Season 1
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Episode 319
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49:57
The Posse Comitatus Act Explained
Why the U.S. military isn’t supposed to enforce civilian law — and when that rule breaks down.Passed in 1878, the Posse Comitatus Act was designed to limit the federal government’s use of the U.S. military in domestic law enforcement. Th...
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Season 1
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Episode 318
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14:30
Run to Freedom: The Nez Perce War
Over the span of four months, several small bands of Nez Perce tried in vain to escape the clutches of the United States government. Traveling over a one thousand miles, hundreds of Nez Perce outmaneuvered the military, only to be forced into s...
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Season 1
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Episode 317
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15:21
The Power of Representation: Dr. Orr on House of Diggs
Join me this week as I sit down with Dr. Marion Orr to discuss his book House of Diggs: The Rise and Fall of America's Most Consequential Black Congressman, Charles C. Diggs Jr. Learn about how Congressman Diggs brought national a...
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Season 1
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Episode 316
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53:41
Lucy Webb Hayes: The Quietly Radical First Lady
Entering the White House as women's roles in the United States were rapidly evolving, Lucy Webb Hayes represented a potential bridge for many. Would she be a champion for suffrage and temperance? Would she use her position as First Lady to ushe...
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Season 1
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Episode 315
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18:53
The Great Railroad Strike of 1877: The Uprising That Shocked the Nation
The Great Railroad Strike of 1877 stands as a pivotal moment in American labor history, illustrating the clash between workers' rights and corporate power. Sparked by wage cuts amid an economic depression, this strike transcended its origins, m...
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Season 1
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Episode 314
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19:23
Predator or Prey: The Real Jaws with Rachel Lee Perez
Join me this week as I sit down with Rachel Lee Perez to discuss her book The Real Jaws: The Attacks That Inspired the Movies. Learn how a series of deadly attacks along the New Jersey shore in the summer of 1916 inspired the 1975 summer blockb...
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Season 1
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Episode 313
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37:26
From Disputed Election to Gilded Age Leader: Rutherford B Hayes Part 2
Join me this week as I wrap up my coverage of Rutherford B. Hayes. Learn how the president jumped from one domestic crisis to another: from demands to recall federal troops in the south to tackling the issue of civil service reform. How did Hay...
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Season 1
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Episode 312
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17:41
From Disputed Election to Gilded Age Leader: Rutherford B Hayes Part 1
He came to office after a hotly contested election and served only a single term. How did Rutherford B. Hayes change the presidency and the United States? Tune into this episode where I lay the groundwork for understanding the twent...
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Season 1
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Episode 311
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16:23
Welcome to the Gilded Age: Wealth, Upheaval, and Reinvention
The Gilded Age began as the United States marked the 100th anniversary of independence, entering an era of rapid industrial growth and profound social change. This introductory episode sets the stage for what you can expect in my coverage of th...
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Season 1
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Episode 310
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19:23
Beyond Patriots vs. Loyalists: The Global American Revolution with Dr. Richard Bell
Was the American Revolution really just a colonial rebellion against Britain? According to historian Dr. Richard Bell, the answer is no.In this episode, we discuss Bell’s book The American Revolution and the Fate of the World, w...
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Season 1
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Episode 309
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35:38
With Her Own Hands: Dr. Nicole Nehrig on Women, Work, and the Meaning of Making
Join me as I sit down with Dr. Nicole Nehrig to discuss her book With Her Own Hands: Women Weaving Their Stories which explores the historical and psychological significance of textiles and knitting. She emphasizes the critical ro...
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Season 1
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Episode 308
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31:57
Entangled Alliances: The Global Roots of American Freedom with Dr. Ronald Angelo Johnson
Join me as I sit down with historian Ronald Angelo Johnson to explore his groundbreaking book Entangled Alliances: Black Internationalism in the Early American Republic. Johnson reveals how free Black communities, Caribbean revolutiona...
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Season 1
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Episode 307
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1:09:30
Fearless Women: Exploring Patriotic Feminism with Dr. Elizabeth Cobbs
Join me as I welcome historian and bestselling author Dr. Elizabeth Cobbs about her book Fearless Women and her powerful concept of patriotic feminism. Dr. Cobbs explains how generations of American women have pushed the nation to live up to it...
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Season 1
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Episode 306
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33:17
The Election of 1876: Bargain or Betrayal?
The presidential election of 1876 stands as one of the most contested and consequential turning points in American history. In this episode, I explore the dramatic showdown between Republican Rutherford B. Hayes and Democrat Samuel Tilden, unfo...
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Season 1
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Episode 305
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19:59
