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.
Civics & Coffee: A History Podcast
Art, Ambition & the Gilded Age: The Miniature Painter Revealed with Kathleen Langone
What can a miniature portrait painter teach us about fame, fortune, and forgotten women of the Gilded Age?
In this episode I welcome historian and author Kathleen Langone to explore the fascinating life and career of Amalia Kussner — one of the Gilded Age’s most sought-after portrait artists. Drawing from her new book, The Miniature Painter Revealed: Amalia Kussner's Gilded Age Pursuit of Fame and Fortune, Langone discusses Kussner’s remarkable rise, her elite clientele (including American and European royalty), and her lasting impact on art and society.
The conversation also dives into how The Gilded Age HBO series overlaps with Kussner’s world, the challenges of writing about a lesser-known historical figure, and the overlooked contributions of women artists during this glamorous and turbulent period in American history. Be sure to check out Langone's podcast, People Hidden in History and check out her website.