Author: ohiovtheworld

60 Years Ago on Feb. 20, 1962 John Glenn of New Concord, Ohio made history when he orbited the world three times in 4 hours, 55 minutes. He was the first American to orbit the Earth.

Episode 2: “John Glenn v. the World” Alex interviews 4 guests about one of the greatest Ohioans of all-time, Senator John Glenn from New Concord, Ohio. From the Great Depression, to World War II, the Korean War, the Space Race, a serious run for the presidency in 1984, nearly a quarter of a century in the U.S. Senate, and a return to space in the 1990s we follow the life of the amazing Col. John Glenn (1921-2016) during the American Century. 

Alex is joined by Kyle Eberly, professor and former Exec. Director of the John and Annie Glenn Museum (http://johnglennhome.org), historian and podcast host Bruce Carlson from “My History Can Beat Up Your Politics” to discuss Glenn’s failed 1984 presidential run (https://myhistorycanbeatupyourpolitics.wordpress.com), Trevor Brown, the Director of the Glenn College of Public Affairs and Herb Asher, author, professor and political commentator, both from The Ohio State University.  These 4 distinguished guests help us span 95 years of American history with the life of John and Annie Glenn. 

Be sure to listen Bruce Carlson’s podcast My History Can Beat Up Your Politics and his recent episode about the 1984 Democratic Presidential Primary and its similarities to the 2020 Democratic Presidential field and John Glenn’s failed candidacy. (https://myhistorycanbeatupyourpolitics.wordpress.com/2019/06/09/stop-talking-about-momentum-the-race-for-president-1984/). 

Rate and review the show on iTunes. Email us at ohiovtheworld@gmail.com and follow us on Twitter @ohiovtheworld. Ohio v. the World is part of the Evergreen Podcast Network.

Ohio is rich with history. It was the first free state formed from the Northwest Territory and home to the first private historically Black college or university (HBCU). It’s also the birthplace of presidents, astronauts, inventors and writers. Many of these Ohio heroes were African Americans who fought tirelessly for equity and justice. Below are several episodes from seasons past on Ohio v. the World. You can listen here by clicking the play button or select the link if you Apple podcasts.

Season 6, Episode 5: “Ohio v. Bravery”: the Black Civil War soldiers that won the war. Click link to hear episode on Apple Podcasts.

Season 3, Episode 3: Ohio v. Black Power: Alex journeys through the 1960s in Cleveland. This episode discusses: the Hough Rebellion, Martin Luther King, Jr., the election of Carl Stokes and the deadly Glenville Shootout in July 1968. We see the impact of Malcolm X, MLK, RFK and others on black power politics in CLE.

Season 4, Episode 12: “Ohio v. Segregation”. Alex studies the proud history of African American service in the military and the racism and discrimination faced by the hero pilots at Tuskegee. A number of Tuskegee Airmen were from Ohio and they were stationed in Central Ohio following the war. Click the link above for the full episode.

Season 6, Episode 10: “Ohio v. Terror”: Millions of African Americans were freed following the Civil War, but they weren’t really free. Alex follows the rise of the Ku Klux Klan and Reconstruction political strife over the destiny of the Freedmen. Click the link above to hear this important episode about why the failure of Reconstruction doomed our country to an inequitable system even 150 years later.

Season 1, Episode 12: “Ohio v. the Nazis”: We study Jesse and the Owens family’s symbolic role in the Great Migration, his record-breaking performances at the 1936 Olympics in the racist bastion of Nazi Germany and how the Buckeye Bullet still faced racial discrimination at home. Suck it, Hitler!

Season 4, Episode 5: “Ohio v. Invention”: Cleveland, Ohio inventor, Garrett Morgan, too long overlooked for such inventions as the gas mask, the modern traffic light and more are detailed here with Morgan’s granddaughter guided our discovery.

Season 2, Episode 10: “Ohio v. Slavery”: Alex looks at the central role of Ohio in the Underground Railroad and the abolition movement to defeat African American slavery and the Fugitive Slave Act in the mid-19th century.

Season 3, Episode 8: “Ohio v. Discrimination”: Born into slavery, Charles Young of Wilberforce, OH would rise to be the highest-ranking African American military officer in US history up until 1940. We see appearances by such luminaries as: W.E.B. Dubois, George Patton, Booker T. Washington and Presidents Teddy Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson. We follow Young’s struggle to serve his nation in the face of unrelenting racism that reaches all the way to the White House.

It’s the Season 6 Finale and we saved our best for last. Powered by interviews from a proposed documentary we give an oral history of the infamous Ten Cent Beer Night in Cleveland, Ohio on June 4, 1974. We hear from the peope who were there that muggy night on Lake Erie when a baseball game became a beer-fueled riot. Special thanks to our friends John and Seth from Grey Lodge Productions for sharing over 7 hours of their interviews with those who lived through Ten Cent Beer Night.

Ten Cent Beer Night, the misguided promotional idea by the Cleveland Indians turned violent as over-served Clevelanders stormed the field and attacked the players. We hear the story told through the words of the players, announcers, umpires, journalists, photographers and even the son of the Indians Executive VP. Mike Hargrove, first baseman that night for the visiting Texas Rangers, shares his story of that night on the field at Cleveland Municipal Stadium, two decades before he became the Cleveland Indians manager. We sit down with filmmaker Seth Moherman about the ridiculous scene that night in Downtown Cleveland when the Cleveland Indians decided to sell beer for 10 cents a cup.

We look at the economic and political troubles that defined the summer of 1974: the oil crisis, Watergate, stagflation and high unemployment numbers. We also discuss the deteriorating situation in the City of Cleveland in the 1970s and how the money problems of the Cleveland Indians led to this event happening in the first place. Also, we analyze the career and antics of the Rangers manager, Billy Martin, and his role in Ten Cent Beer Night. You can learn more about Martin and just how wild 1970s baseball was in our guest Mike Shropshire’s excellent book Seasons in Hell. Buy Mike’s book here…https://www.amazon.com/Seasons-Hell-Baseball-History-1973-1975/dp/0803292775

We’ll be back next year with Season 7 with our friends at Evergreen Podcast Network. Go to http://www.evergreenpodcasts.com for our show and dozens of other great podcasts. Share this show with your Cleveland sports fan friends and family, follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Don’t hesitate to reach out to Alex by email at ohiovtheworld@gmail.com with a future show idea or to buy one of our great Ohio v. the World t-shirts. See you in 2022!

In the penultimate episode of Season 6 Alex dives into the history of America’s First War on Terror against a new white supremacist group, the Ku Klux Klan in the 1870s. We study the Reconstruction Era (1865-1877) following the Civil War and the ultimate failure to reconcile the country and the races. The heartbreaking story of the birth of the KKK is told in Episode 11: “Ohio v. Terror.”

Charles Lane, author and Washington Post columnist and editorial board member, joins the show to talk about his great 2019 book Freedom’s Detective: The Secret Service, the Ku Klux Klan, and the Man Who Masterminded America’s First War on Terror. Lane’s protagonist is an Ohioan and a complicated anti-hero, Hiram C. Whitley. We follow Whitley’s winding career from an Ohio farm boy to the second Director of the Secret Service. Whitley finds himself on the frontlines of a war against domestic terrorists, the newly formed and shadowy organization the Ku Klux Klan. Chuck Lane takes us through Whitley and his agents covert efforts to combat the KKK. The Secret Service helps to arrest hundreds of members in the South during Reconstruction. Buy Freedom’s Detective here…https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079S8XK5Q/

Alex is rejoined by Steven Walters and Erik Archilla the co-creators of the great history podcast, 1865. They sit down to discuss Season 2 of 1865, which focuses on the war with the KKK and the presidency of Ulysses S. Grant. Grant, an Ohio native, joins the fight against the Klan and its violent tactics with the full force of the federal government. We look at his response to the killings and terror in the South and how his administration ultimately falls short of their goal of equality between black and white Americans.

Go listen to 1865 Podcast from the fine folks at the Wondery podcast network. It’s one of our absolute favorite shows. Both Season 1 about the crazy days after the Lincoln assassination and the end of the Civil War. And check out Season 2 which follows the story of Reconstruction in the 1870s. Listen here and follow them on Facebook and Twitter. https://wondery.com/shows/1865/

Only one episode left in Season 6 of Ohio v. the World. Thanks to our friends at the Evergreen Podcast Network. All of our old episodes are available at Evergreen and check out their entire history network here https://evergreenpodcasts.com/history-podcasts

In the wake of the chaotic end to the War in Afghanistan, Alex & Co. revisit America’s first Asian counterinsurgency war, the Philippine-American War (1899-1902). America’s quest for empire is met with stiff resistance on the Philippine Islands as well as on the homefront. We follow the bloody conflict and political upheaval through the decisions and careers of President William McKinley of Canton, Ohio and two future presidents, Theodore Roosevelt and Cincinnati’s William Howard Taft.

We’re joined by historian and podcast host Richard Lim from the fellow Evergreen Podcast Network show, This American President. Richard discusses the US Navy and Admiral Dewey’s smashing victory at Manila Bay in 1898 as part of the Spanish-American War. This American President, one of our favorite US history pods, has a two-part episode on the Span-Am War and the perils of American imperialism entitled “Will and Ted’s Excellent Adventure” click here to listen. https://www.thisamericanpresident.com/episodes/

Author Gregg Jones, an Asian history expert and author of Honor in the Dust: Theodore Roosevelt, War in the Philippines and the Rise and Fall of America’s Imperial Dream, joins the show to discuss America’s most forgotten war. The Philippine rebel leader Emilio Aguinaldo, President Roosevelt and the famous Ohioans at the center of the war including Gen. Fred Funston and General Jacob H. Smith are discussed in depth. Gregg shares his excellent book from 2012 and the political consequences of US military misconduct at the turn of the century. Buy Honor in the Dust here…https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/303658/honor-in-the-dust-by-gregg-jones/

Cornell University professor and author David Silbey sits down to discuss the guerrilla war and counterinsurgency strategy that defines the Philippine-American War. Professor Silbey the author of two great books about the epic Battle of Manila and the Philippine American War, details the similarities between this conflict and our recent wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Buy David’s newest book, The Other Face of Battle here. https://global.oup.com/academic/product/the-other-face-of-battle-9780190920647

Lastly, Erik Archilla, writer/creator on 2 of 2020’s most popular history podcasts, Wicked Game: American Elections and 1865 Podcast rejoins the program. Erik comes on to discuss the explosion of the USS Maine and how it sparks war with the Spanish Empire in 1898. Erik shares the popular dissent movement known as the Anti-Imperialist League and the debate on the homefront about America’s occupation of the Philippines and expansionist policies of William McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt. Erik and Alex discuss the similarities between the Philippine-American War and the War on Terror and the Iraq War 100 years later. Check out American Elections: Wicked Game and this episode written by Erik about the Election of 1900 (click to listen).https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/1900-mckinley-vs-bryan-the-rise-and-fall-of-empires/id1481254566?i=1000471424969

Only 2 episodes left in Season Two! Don’t forget to visit Ohio v. the World at evergreenpodcasts.com. For all of our past episodes and other great history podcasts from our friends at the Evergreen Podcast Network. Please rate/review the show and you can reach out to us at ohiovtheworld@gmail.com.

Alex travels to the Sunshine State to discover the story of Henry Flagler, the Cleveland native, known as “the Father of Modern Florida.” We analyze Flagler’s career at Standard Oil and his close relationship with John D. Rockefeller during their years building the oil giant in Cleveland, Ohio. We follow Flagler’s second act as a railroad tycoon and developer in cities like St. Augustine, Palm Beach and Miami. The Florida that Flagler builds during the 1920s grows exponentially. But the economic boom goes bust and perhaps even sparks the Great Depression.

Kevin Callahan, trustee from the Western Reserve Historical Society, rejoins the show to share Henry Flagler’s rise from failed businessman to one of the co-founder’s of Standard Oil. The oil company, which started in Cleveland, with Rockefeller and Flagler becomes one of the most successful and despised companies in American history.

We follow Flagler’s journey south to Florida in the 1880s, Leslee Keys from Flagler College in St. Augustine, Florida shares the history of the Ancient City and Flagler’s landmark resort the Hotel Ponce de Leon. Professor Keys discusses the new empire that Henry Flagler begins to behind along Florida’s Atlantic Coast. Check out Leslee’s book, Hotel Ponce de Leon: The Rise, Fall and Rebirth of Flagler’s Gilded Age Palace. https://upf.com/book.asp?id=9780813061498

Finally, we sit down with Dr. Paul George from the History Miami Museum and discuss the Roaring Twenties in Florida. Dr. George outlinesHenry Flagler’s final achievement, the Key West Extension of the Florida East Coast Railroad, completed in 1912. We discuss the historic Florida real estate boom of the 1920s that transforms the state to the hot new destination for America’s fortune seekers. We meet the incomparable developer of Miami Beach, Carl Fisher as his rise and fall mirror that of the entire state in the 1920s. Lastly, we ponder the role of the Sunshine State in two of America’s most infamous financial crises, the Great Depression and the Great Recession of 2008. Visit the History Miami Museum next you’re in South Beach. https://www.historymiami.org

Don’t forget to go and read our book recommendation from this episode Christopher Knowlton’s most excellent 2019 book Bubble in the Sun. Buy it here…https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Bubble-in-the-Sun/Christopher-Knowlton/9781982128388

Don’t forget to visit Ohio v. the World at evergreenpodcasts.com. For all of our past episodes and other great history podcasts from our friends at the Evergreen Podcast Network. Please rate/review the show and you can reach out to us at ohiovtheworld@gmail.com.

Listen to the two-part episode on William Morgan, the Toledo, Ohio native who becomes a hero of the Cuban Revolution only to try and remove Castro and his communists from his power after the Revolution. See episode descriptions for both parts below…

In Part 1 of a 2-part episode, Alex reveals the fascinating story of the American Comandante, William Alexander Morgan of Toledo, Ohio and how his unlikely service in the Cuban Revolution of the 1950s changed world history. We look at the story of the Cuban Revolution of Fidel Castro on the whole and the improbable victory of the Cuban rebels over the dictator Fulgencio Batista in 1959. This story was too good to fit into one episode and Part 2 of “Ohio v. Revolution” will come out next Tuesday August 10, 2021. 

We are joined by author and journalist Michael Sallah to discuss William Morgan’s crazy life story and Michael’s excellent book Yankee Comandante: The Untold Story of Courage, Passion and One American’s Fight to Liberate Cuba (2019). Michael details William’s privileged youth and juvenile delinquency in “The Glass City”. From jumping off roofs, to running away to join the circus, even going AWOL while in the Army, to being an associate of the Toledo mafia. There’s not a more unlikely revolutionary leader in the Cuban War for Independence. Buy Michael’s book here, a truly fantastic read. https://www.amazon.com/Yankee-Comandante-Courage-Americans-Liberate/dp/0762792876

Our second guest Juan Santamarina, professor of history at the University of Dayton. Born in Cuba shortly after the Revolution, Juan takes us through the history of Cuba-American relations in the first half of the 20th Century leading to Castro and Morgan’s separate guerrilla movements in the mountains of Cuba. Professor Santamarina shares the story of the brutal dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista and his surprising resignation on New Years Eve 1958. 

Lastly, we’re joined by Australian writer and historian Tony Perrottet. Tony, who writes for Smithsonian Magazine is the author of the great book Cuba Libre!: Che, Fidel and the Improbable Revolution That Changed World History (2019). Tony takes us inside Fidel Castro’s revolutionary movement in the Sierra Maestra Mountains in Eastern Cuba from his disastrous landing in 1956 to their stunning victory in 1959. Castro was not a communist during the war but we begin to see that shift in the year following his successful revolution and taking power as Prime Minister of Cuba. He would remain in power for nearly 50 years. Buy Cuba Libre! here. http://tonyperrottet.com/cubalibre/

In Part 2 of a 2-part episode, Alex concludes the fascinating saga of the American Comandante, William Alexander Morgan of Toledo, Ohio and how his central role in the Cuban Revolution and its aftermath changed world history.

We are joined again by author and journalist Michael Sallah to discuss William Morgan’s rise to international fame following his thrilling turn as a double agent for Castro to thwart an international coup attempt. William Morgan’s rise to fame occurs at the same time as the Castro government turns towards socialism and an alliance with the Soviet Union. Morgan, an avowed anti-communist, moves against Castro and begins raising his own army only to be discovered. We discuss Michael’s excellent book Yankee Comandante: The Untold Story of Courage, Passion and One American’s Fight to Liberate Cuba (2019). Michael details William’s demise and the fallout of his downfall to his rebel wife, Olga.

We’re rejoined by writer and historian Tony Perrottet. Tony, who writes for Smithsonian Magazine is the author of the great book Cuba Libre!: Che, Fidel and the Improbable Revolution That Changed World History (2019). Tony takes us inside Fidel Castro’s initially warm reception by Americans and his trip to the States to his turn as villain when he aligns with the Soviets leading to the Cuban Missile Crisis and over 60 years as an enemy of the United States. We discuss his many trips to Cuba, his great podcast “History Unzipped” and the failed foreign policies of the US in the 1950s.

University of Dayton history professor and Cuban filmmaker Juan Santamarina joins to analyze Castro’s Machiavellian decision making process following the Cuban Revolution and the failure of the Bay of Pigs invasion in 1961. Juan shares with us his thoughts on the current protests in Cuba and their significance in Cuban history and American politics.

Ohio v. the World: an American History Podcast is part of the Evergreen Podcast Network www.evergreenpodcasts.com Check out all or old shows there. Please rate/review the show as well on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts. Few stories we’ve done are more tailor made for a blockbuster Hollywood production than the story of William Morgan, the Yankee Comandante. You can email the show at ohiovtheworld@gmail.com with show ideas and to reach out to Alex.

In Part 2 of a 2-part episode, Alex concludes the fascinating saga of the American Comandante, William Alexander Morgan of Toledo, Ohio and how his central role in the Cuban Revolution and its aftermath changed world history. If you haven’t listened to Part One from last week go back and do that, we’ll wait…ok, good, you’re caught up.

We are joined again by author and journalist Michael Sallah to discuss William Morgan’s rise to international fame following his thrilling turn as a double agent for Castro to thwart an international coup attempt. William Morgan’s rise to fame occurs at the same time as the Castro government turns towards socialism and an alliance with the Soviet Union. Morgan, an avowed anti-communist, moves against Castro and begins raising his own army only to be discovered. We discuss Michael’s excellent book Yankee Comandante: The Untold Story of Courage, Passion and One American’s Fight to Liberate Cuba (2019). Michael details William’s demise and the fallout of his downfall to his rebel wife, Olga. Buy Michael’s book here, a truly fantastic read. https://www.amazon.com/Yankee-Comandante-Courage-Americans-Liberate/dp/0762792876

We’re rejoined by writer and historian Tony Perrottet. Tony, who writes for Smithsonian Magazine is the author of the great book Cuba Libre!: Che, Fidel and the Improbable Revolution That Changed World History (2019). Tony takes us inside Fidel Castro’s initially warm reception by Americans and his trip to the States to his turn as villain when he aligns with the Soviets leading to the Cuban Missile Crisis and over 60 years as an enemy of the United States. We discuss his many trips to Cuba, his great podcast “History Unzipped” and the failed foreign policies of the US in the 1950s. Buy Cuba Libre! here. http://tonyperrottet.com/cubalibre/

University of Dayton history professor and Cuban filmmaker Juan Santamarina joins to analyze Castro’s Machiavellian decision making process following the Cuban Revolution and the failure of the Bay of Pigs invasion in 1961. Juan shares with us his thoughts on the current protests in Cuba and their significance in Cuban history and American politics.

Ohio v. the World: an American History Podcast is part of the Evergreen Podcast Network www.evergreenpodcasts.com Check out all or old shows there. Please rate/review the show as well on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts. Few stories we’ve done are more tailor made for a blockbuster Hollywood production than the story of William Morgan, the Yankee Comandante. You can email the show at ohiovtheworld@gmail.com with show ideas and to reach out to Alex.

In Part 1 of a 2-part episode, Alex reveals the fascinating story of the American Comandante, William Alexander Morgan of Toledo, Ohio and how his unlikely service in the Cuban Revolution of the 1950s changed world history. We look at the story of the Cuban Revolution of Fidel Castro on the whole and the improbable victory of the Cuban rebels over the dictator Fulgencio Batista in 1959. This story was too good to fit into one episode and Part 2 of “Ohio v. Revolution” will come out next Tuesday August 10, 2021. 

We are joined by author and journalist Michael Sallah to discuss William Morgan’s crazy life story and Michael’s excellent book Yankee Comandante: The Untold Story of Courage, Passion and One American’s Fight to Liberate Cuba (2019). Michael details William’s privileged youth and juvenile delinquency in “The Glass City”. From jumping off roofs, to running away to join the circus, even going AWOL while in the Army, to being an associate of the Toledo mafia. There’s not a more unlikely revolutionary leader in the Cuban War for Independence. Buy Michael’s book here, a truly fantastic read. https://www.amazon.com/Yankee-Comandante-Courage-Americans-Liberate/dp/0762792876

Our second guest Juan Santamarina, professor of history at the University of Dayton. Born in Cuba shortly after the Revolution, Juan takes us through the history of Cuba-American relations in the first half of the 20th Century leading to Castro and Morgan’s separate guerrilla movements in the mountains of Cuba. Professor Santamarina shares the story of the brutal dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista and his surprising resignation on New Years Eve 1958. 

Lastly, we’re joined by Australian writer and historian Tony Perrottet. Tony, who writes for Smithsonian Magazine is the author of the great book Cuba Libre!: Che, Fidel and the Improbable Revolution That Changed World History (2019). Tony takes us inside Fidel Castro’s revolutionary movement in the Sierra Maestra Mountains in Eastern Cuba from his disastrous landing in 1956 to their stunning victory in 1959. Castro was not a communist during the war but we begin to see that shift in the year following his successful revolution and taking power as Prime Minister of Cuba. He would remain in power for nearly 50 years. Buy Cuba Libre! here. http://tonyperrottet.com/cubalibre/

Ohio v. the World: an American History Podcast is part of the Evergreen Podcast Network www.evergreenpodcasts.com Check out all or old shows there. Please rate/review the show as well on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts. We’ll be back with the conclusion of this story next week in Episode 8: Ohio v. Revolution (Part Two). That’s when things really get crazy for William Morgan and the Cuban Revolution. You can email the show at ohiovtheworld@gmail.com 

The Japanese American incarceration during World War II is a policy decision that will live in infamy. Alex analyzes why did FDR and the American government forcible remove 120,000 Japanese Americans to 10 camps across the American West? We speak with three experts about this complicated and fateful decision that remains a stain on US history.

We sit down with Shirley Ann Higuchi, the Chair of the Heart Mountain Wyoming Foundation. Heart Mountain was one of the 10 camps and where we spend the majority of our time in this episode. You can visit them online at http://www.heartmountain.org. Shirley’s family was confined to the Heart Mountain Relocation Center during the War and she tells the story in her excellent new book, Setsuko’s Secret: Heart Mountain and the Legacy of Japanese American Incarceration (2020). You can buy the book here. https://uwpress.wisc.edu/books/5799.htm

Author and journalist Bradford Pearson joins the show to discuss why this decision was made, what were the consequences for the incarcerees and the legacy of Japanese American incarceration. Brad’s hit new book from Simon & Schuster, The Eagles of Heart Mountain: A True Story of Football, Incarceration and Resistance in World War II America (2021). We discuss the war time hysteria that gripped the nation following the Pearl Harbor attack, Executive Order 9066 and the resistance to this treatment by Japanese Americans. And how does football play such a big role in the Heart Mountain story? Buy Brad’s great book here: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Eagles-of-Heart-Mountain/Bradford-Pearson/9781982107031

We check in with Karen Robertson of the Ohio History Connection about the connection to the Buckeye State in this episode. She tells us the tragic story of Mae and Kingo Takasugi, a young married couple in Alliance, Ohio that is wrongly incarcerated at the Tule Lake camp in California. Karen is the author of the fun book, Little Ohio, about 100 small towns in Ohio. Check it out here. https://www.amazon.com/Little-Ohio-Nostalgic-Buckeye-Smallest/dp/159193849X

Don’t forget to visit Ohio v. the World at evergreenpodcasts.com. For all of our past episodes and other great history podcasts from our friends at the Evergreen Podcast Network. Please rate/review the show and you can reach out to us at ohiovtheworld@gmail.com.