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.
Podcasting since 2025 • 16 episodes
History Is Relevant
Latest Episodes
A Riot in 2000 May Serve as a Model for Corrupting Elections in 2026 and 2028
Critics worry that President Trump has threatened a federal takeover of voting activities throughout the USA. That is a significant danger, but another risk is getting much less attention. Americans stirred by false charges about voter fraud mi...
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Season 1
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Episode 16
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16:20
A Woman Died in a Confrontation with ICE: A Famous Shooting in 1970 Showed How Such Tragedies Occur
There have been many shocking news stories recently about aggression by uniformed, masked, and armed ICE agents, but none excited as much public outrage as the shooting of Renee Good in Minneapolis. That tragedy was sadly predictable. When arme...
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Season 1
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Episode 15
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17:32
New York Has a Socialist Mayor. What’s That About?
Why has socialism, which failed to attract many voters throughout American history, gained popularity in recent years? How did a Democratic Socialist, Zohran Mamdani, manage to win a mayoral election in New York City, the hub of American capita...
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Season 1
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Episode 14
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19:28
Will Stocks Surge or Crash? Insights from History
One of the current best-selling books is about excessive risk-taking that preceded the meltdown on Wall Street in 1929 and the Great Depression that followed in the 1930s. The author warns that similar practices are putting economies at risk to...
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Season 1
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Episode 13
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23:12
The Story of Fugitive Slaves in the 1850s Resembles Current Reports About Immigrants Threatened with Deportation
In the 1850s stories about desperate runaway slaves trying to evade capture in the northern states aroused sympathy for the fugitives and stoked anti-slavery sentiment. A related impact seems to be taking shape in our times. Videos...
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Season 1
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Episode 12
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16:57