Ohio V. The World

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 [email protected] with show ideas and to reach out to Alex. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 [email protected]  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 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 [email protected]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alex tells the story of the most famous lawyer in American history, Clarence Darrow. We welcome an all-star cast of guests to discuss the sterling career of "the Attorney for the Damned." We go through Darrow's life and legal career and how the issues he tackled 100 years ago are still problems in modern America. Alex looks at Darrow's three most famous cases in depth to reveal why many still consider Clarence Darrow to be America's greatest defense attorney. We welcome Pulitzer Prize winner, Ed Larson, author of Summer for the Gods, to discuss Darrow's rise to fame from a small town, country lawyer in Northeast Ohio to the preeminent lawyer for the explosive labor movement. We discuss Ed's award-winning book about Darrow's most famous case, the Scopes Monkey Trial. Larson helps us understood why the case was so important in America's continuing struggle between science and religion. Ed also discusses the landmark murder case of Leopold and Loeb, as Darrow battles against his lifelong nemesis, the death penalty. Buy Ed's amazing book Summer for the Gods here https://www.amazon.com/Summer-Gods-Americas-Continuing-Religion/dp/046507510X We sit down with Nadine Strossen, the former President of the American Civil Liberties Union (1991-2008) about the birth of the ACLU and Darrow's fight for Americans' civil liberties. Nadine talks to us about the evolving nature of our Constitutional right to free speech in Darrow's time and the ACLU's role in the Scopes trial. Go buy Nadine's wonderful book HATE: Why We Should Resist It With Free Speech, Not Censorship. https://www.amazon.com/HATE-Should-Resist-Censorship-Inalienable-ebook/dp/B07BH3LYZ1 Alex has a riveting discussion with Kevin Boyle about Darrow's representation of the African American Dr. Ossian Sweet, accused of murder in Detroit in 1925. Kevin talks us through the system of Northern segregation that leads to the killing and how Darrow takes on the issues of white supremacy and racial justice in America. Kevin won the National Book Award for Non-fiction in 2004 for his book Arc of Justice: A Saga of Race, Civil Rights and Murder in the Jazz Age, an absolute must read. Please purchase Arc of Justice here...https://www.amazon.com/Arc-Justice-Civil-Rights-Murder/dp/0805079335 Lastly we are joined by friend of the show and excellent criminal defense attorney, Jon Saia from Columbus, Ohio. Jon joins the show to talk about Darrow's early years as an attorney in Ohio, his eccentric lifestyle and the LA Times Bombing Case in 1911 that leads to Darrow being tried for allegedly attempting to bribe a jury. Don't forget Ohio v. the World is now part of the Evergreen Podcast Network. Check out all our past shows and the other great shows on their history channel by clicking https://evergreenpodcasts.com/history-podcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alex speaks with four experts on the black Civil War experience from emancipation to the post-war years. We're celebrating Juneteenth with a comprehensive look at the history of the battles, the struggles and the ultimate triumph of the United States Colored Troops (USCT), as they were known during the Civil War. From the battle of Fort Wagner to the disaster of the Battle of the Crater and the Union victory at Fort Fisher that accelerated the end of the Confederacy. Alex analyzes the too often overlooked contributions of black soldiers that helped win the Civl War.. We sit down with Doug Egerton, author of the definitive book about the black soldiers in the Civil War, Thunder at the Gates (2016). Doug speaks to us about the pioneering 54th and 55th Massachusetts regiments, the first two all-black regiments in the Union Army. We look at the life and service of Ohioan, James Monroe Trotter in the 55th and his rise to being one of the first African American army officers in US History. Doug takes us through the importance of the Battle of Fort Wagner in 1863 and how it shatters the racist image of the black soldier. Buy Thunder at the Gates here... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XKC3PJT We look at the experiences and bravery of the 5th and 27th USCT, the all-black Ohio USCT regiments. We're joined by authors and historians, Kelly Mezurek of Walsh University and Verb Washington from the University of Dayton. Both scholars take us inside the life of an all-black Civil War infantry regiment. The inequalities they faced when compared to the their white counterparts and their thrilling achievements on the battlefield from 1863-65. Both share the stories of two black Medal of Honor winners from Ohio, Robert Pinn and Milton Holland. As well as the black soldiers struggles and their impact on the broader civil rights battles of the 19th century. Buy Verb's book, Eagles On the Buttons here...https://www.amazon.com/Eagles-Their-Buttons-Infantry-Regiment/dp/0826212344/ Buy Kelly's book For the Own Cause here https://www.amazon.com/Their-Own-Cause-United-Colored-ebook/dp/B01LX3PLKY/ We also welcome Emmanuel Dabney, museum curator of the Petersburg National Battlefield Park in Virginia, to tell us about the catastrophic Battle of the Crater on July 30, 1864. This infamous battle is one of the most fascinating and disastrous days in the Union Army's history. Emmanuel looks at how the change of the battle plan involving black troops may have affected the outcome of the battle. Ohio v. the World: An American History podcast is now part of the Evergreen Podcast Network. Go to www.evergreenpodcasts.com to check out all our past episodes and dozens of other great podcasts. Don't forget to rate and review our show and we'll read your reviews on the air in a future episode. Also you can email Alex at [email protected]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Treason has been a popular topic in 2021 and Alex looks at two of the most infamous treason trials in American History w/Ohio connections: the Aaron Burr Conspiracy and the trial of Axis Sally. We sit down with one of our favorite historians, David O. Stewart, to discuss the long forgotten Burr Conspiracy of 1806-07. David sharers insight into Burr's life after he shoots and kills Alexander Hamilton while serving as the Vice President. We follow Burr into the West and his travels to Marietta, Ohio and nearby Blennerhassett Island. Did Burr really try to start a new country in the Western US with him as its leader? David Stewart, the author of the excellent book American Emperor: Aaron Burr's Challenge to Jefferson's America (Simon & Schuster, 2012) walks us through the ill-fated Burr Conspiracy and the country's first "Trial of the Century" as the former VP and founding father is tried for treason. Buy David's book about Aaron Burr here: https://www.amazon.com/American-Emperor-Challenge-Jeffersons-America/dp/1439157200 We also visit with Bill Reynolds, historian from Marietta, Ohio's River Museum and Campus Martius Museum about Burr's activities in the Ohio settlement. Visit Marietta's great two museums online here www.mariettamuseums.org. Also Craig Pyles, the Superintendent of Blennerhassett Island State Park takes us to the shady happenings on this historic island in the Ohio River. We analyze the conspiracy between Burr and his financier on the island, Harman Blennerhassett. The Burr Conspiracy comes unraveled in spectacular fashion and both Burr and Blennershassett are arrested. Take a boat and tour the island this summer, a great day trip. https://wvstateparks.com/park/blennerhassett-island-historical-state-park/ In the second part of the episode we travel to Nazi Germany to hear the story of Mildred Gillars, aka Axis Sally, the American voice of Nazi Germany. Author Richard Lucas describes the transformation of a struggling Ohio actress to the top Nazi propagandist on Nazi radio. Lucas' biography of Axis Sally broke new ground on one of the most hated women in American History. His book, Axis Sally: the American Voice of Nazi Germany is available here:https://www.amazon.com/Axis-Sally-American-Voice-Germany/dp/1935149431 We follow Mildred's rise from theatre student at Ohio Wesleyan University to one of the Third Reich's most prized radio propagandists. Richard leads us through her infamous treason trial in 1949, which is the subject of the new Al Pacino movie "American Traitor." Lucas and Alex also uncover just how much she knew about the atrocities of the Nazi regime and her quiet life in Columbus, Ohio decades after her treasonous activity. Ohio v. the World: An American History podcast is now part of the Evergreen Podcast Network. Go to https://evergreenpodcasts.com to check out all our past episodes and dozens of other great podcasts. Don't forget to rate and review our show and we'll read your reviews on the air in a future episode. Also you can email Alex at [email protected]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lions, tigers and bears...oh my! Alex travels to Eastern Ohio and the city of Zanesville to tell the story of one of the craziest and most dangerous events in Ohio history: the Zanesville Zoo Escape. When Terry Thompson released 50 of the world's most exotic and deadly animals on his hometown and then took his own life in October 2011. Alex relives the events of that surreal night with writers and even an animal activist that was on the ground in Zanesville. We tell the crazy true story of exotic animal ownership in the United States, it's bizarre history from Jack Hanna to Joe Exotic: the Tiger King. Alex is joined by Tim Harrison, Executive Director of Outreach for Animals to discuss his first hand experience of the Zanesville Zoo Escape and the continuing problem of exotic animal ownership and exploitation in America. Please donate to Tim's great organization Outreach for Animals by clicking here. https://outreachforanimals.org/175-2/ We sit down with award-winning journalist and author, Rachel Nuwer, to discuss the story of Terry Thompson and her excellent book, Poached: Inside the Dark World of Wildlife Trafficking (2018). Rachel discusses the rise of exotic pet numbers in the US, the role of reality TV and the lack of laws in place prior to the Zanesville Zoo Escape. Also, check out Rachel's podcast from 2020, "Cat People". Buy her book Poached here http://www.rachelnuwer.com/poached Our third guest, Matt Tullis, professor at Fairfield University and former Columbus Dispatch zoo reporter joins us to talk about the life and shocking death of Terry Thompson and the details surrounding his release of his dozens of exotic animals in October 2011. Matt also talks with us about Jack Hanna, former Columbus Zoo director and television start. We chat about his career and his role in the tragic Zanesville Zoo Escape. Check out Matt's great podcast "Gangrey" about narrative journalism and his interviews with our nation's finest reporters. Ohio v. the World: An American History podcast is now part of the Evergreen Podcast Network. Go to https://evergreenpodcasts.com to check out all our past episodes and dozens of other great podcasts. Don't forget to rate and review our show and we'll read your reviews on the air in a future episode. Also you can email Alex at [email protected]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In Episode 2 of Season 6, Alex analyzes the rise and fall of Senator Joseph McCarthy and McCarthyism's effect on the country and Ohio during the 2nd Red Scare of the 1950s. We study how America's love affair with bullies and how a paranoid nation briefly lost its way during the early years of the Cold War. We're joined by best selling author Larry Tye to discuss his book Demagogue, the definitive account of Senator Joe McCarthy from 2020. Buy Larry's book here https://www.hmhbooks.com/shop/books/demagogue/9781328959720 Larry talks about McCarthy's meteoric rise in American politics and his equally rapid descent from the top of the political world. McCarthy's crusade against Communism at home shakes the very foundation of the country and divides the nation in half. Lives are ruined by McCarthy's baseless attacks on the Constitutional rights of Americans and we analyze how he was enabled by his political party, the media and even the President of the United States. The Second Red Scare cast its long shadow on Ohio and Ohioans as well. We sit down with University of Akron professor, Greg Wilson, about McCarthyism's effect on the Buckeye State. From the halls of the Ohio Statehouse, the Ohio UnAmerican Activities Committee wields its inquisition into suspected communists and subversives throughout the state. Greg walks us through 1950s Ohio and the Cold War stories of Ohioans persecuted by its own government. Don't forget to buy Greg's book Ohio: the History of the Buckeye State, the most comprehensive book on Ohio history on the market today. Buy his book co-authored by Kevin Kern here: https://www.amazon.com/Ohio-History-Kevin-F-Kern/dp/1118548434 Ohio v. the World: An American History podcast is now part of the Evergreen Podcast Network. Go to https://evergreenpodcasts.com to check out all our past episodes and dozens of other great podcasts. Don't forget to rate and review our show and we'll read your reviews on the air in a future episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We're back! In the Season 6 premiere episode Alex looks at the extraordinary life of Akron, Ohio native NASA astronaut, Judy Resnik. We analyze the causes behind her tragic death in the Challenger Disaster on Jan. 28, 1986. On this 35th anniversary we take a fresh look at Judy's career and NASA's role in the loss of Challenger. Our guests include Helene Norin, Judy's cousin to discuss the Resnik family, Judy's youth in Akron and her journey to becoming the 2nd American female astronaut in space. Steven Leckart joins the show to talk about his excellent Netflix documentary, Challenger: The Final Flight. The 2020 documentary brings the Challenger crew and the controversy surrounding its final flight to millions of viewers. Lastly, we sat down with author and Columbia University professor Dr. Diane Vaughan to debunk some of the myths surrounding Challenger and her 1996 book Challenger Launch Decision. Click here to buy her award-winning book. https://www.amazon.com/Challenger-Launch-Decision-Technology-Deviance/dp/0226851761 This episode is in honor of Judy Resnik and Allan McDonald who passed away before we could complete our interview earlier this year. Allan was the "whistleblower" when it comes to the Challenger Disaster. We play some of Allan's testimony to the Rogers Commission following the accident and discuss his role in exposing the cover-up by some NASA administrators. Special thanks as well to friend of the show, Eric Hall, guitarist for the great Ohio band Red Wanting Blue. The music from today's episode was from Eric's new side project, Tick Tick Tick. Check out their debut EP at https://tick-tick-tick.bandcamp.com Ohio v. the World: An American History podcast is now part of the Evergreen Podcast Network. Go to https://evergreenpodcasts.com to check out all our past episodes and dozens of other great podcasts. Don't forget to rate and review our show and we'll read your reviews on the air in a future episode. We'll be releasing episodes every other Tuesday this season, great to be back and thanks for listening. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bonus Episode: Ohio v the Presidency. Alex sits down with Vince Tornero the host of “This is Wessler Media” on 610am WTVN in Columbus, Ohio. Alex discusses Ohio’s 8 presidents and how their terms in office show that history really does repeat itself. This interview aired back on October 31, 2020 and serves as a great recap for Season 5 on Ohio and the Presidency. Special thanks to Vince and the team at Wessler Media. If you’re looking to do a podcast of your own give Vince a shout. https://www.wesslermedia.com Thanks for listening this season. Go back and check out Season 5 about Ohio and the Presidency, our favorite season of the show thus far. We’ll be back with Season 6 in March 2021. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices