History Is Relevant
This podcast links the past to the present. The programs seek new perspectives on current events by examining the history that brought us to where we are today. The host, Robert Brent Toplin, is a university-based professor of history. He has published a dozen books and more than 200 articles, and he has commented on history, politics, and film in several nationally broadcast television and radio programs.
History Is Relevant
Latest Episodes
Attention to Two Thousand Years of History Could Have Revealed the Perils of Attacking Iran
When looking at the current U.S. war against Iran, discussions in the mass media usually focus on events of the past year or, at most, the past 5, 10, or 15 years. Those short-term views of the relevance of Iranian history are help...
Attacks on Dr. Anthony Fauci Distract Attention from President Donald Trump’s Flawed Leadership During the Covid Pandemic
If you watched television on July 29, 2026, and saw Republican lawmakers grilling Dr. Anthony Fauci at a Senate committee hearing, you might believe Fauci was one of the most notorious villains in recent American history. The ugly criticisms of...
Threaten Canada, Greenland, Venezuela, etc.? History Reveals a Problem
Does it really matter if President Donald Trump threatens countries all over the world, and sometimes acts like he wants to take control? Are these just negotiating tactics – efforts to squeeze concessions? Or is Trump serious? Does he really w...
A Health Crisis in 1906 is Relevant to the Recent Problem of Lettuce that Sickened Thousands
The Jungle, a novel published in 1906 about terrible conditions in Chicago’s meatpacking plants, created a sensation about unhealthy meat products. Congress reacted by passing legislation that regulated production of food and medicine....
It’s More than Trump: Three Institutions Empower a Reckless President
President Donald Trump wields enormous power, but he doesn’t operate in a vacuum. He has a green light to engage in reckless actions. Presently, Trump encounters few stop signs or red lights. Especially during Trump’s second term in...