15-Minute History

Welcome back to Sketches in History! This segment, just for kids, shows that history isn't just a story, it's an adventure. Join Lottie Archer as she dives into her extraordinary notebook, where sketches from history come to life!
In this episode, Lottie finds a small piece of metal on her grandfather's desk, shiny silver on top and duller gray underneath, a row of tiny holes punched through it in a perfectly straight line, with a tag that reads "Willow Run. April 1944. One every sixty-three minutes." In this episode, your kids will discover what it looks like when a country builds a finished airplane faster than a single class period at school, why a woman saving bacon grease in a coffee tin can be part of the same enormous job as a mile-long factory, and how millions of ordinary people pulling in the same direction at the same time can change the world.
Listen and subscribe to the 15-Minute History podcast to hear Sketches in History every other Thursday. Got a favorite historical moment? Share it with us at [email protected], and it might just make its way into the notebook!

It's tempting to view the Second World War primarily through the lens of combat, but students of American history must also look at the transformation that occurred on the home front, in the rhythms of daily life, and of the structure of the nation itself. This is the story of how the United States of America reinvented itself at home while its soldiers fought in the greatest war on history's bloodstained pages.
Join us every Monday for new episodes and discussions, and on Thursdays for "Sketches in History" and pop quizzes.

The French nation has a reputation for being willing to surrender in battle, but is that a fair assessment?
This question came from an audience member, and we love getting these from you all. So leave a comment below if you have question you'd like Joe and Jon to answer!

Henry Ford paid his workers more than anyone thought reasonable, then beat them when they tried to organize. He put ordinary Americans on the open road and gave Nazi Germany a hero to admire. This week, we're sitting with the uncomfortable reality that both things are equally, undeniably true.
What do you think? Can a legacy be great and monstrous at the same time, or does one eventually cancel the other out? Drop your thoughts in the comments.
Join us every Monday for episodes and discussions, and Thursdays for pop quizzes and Sketches in History. We love hearing from you, so leave a comment below!

Welcome back to Sketches in History! This segment, just for kids, shows that history isn't just a story, it's an adventure. Join Lottie Archer as she dives into her extraordinary notebook, where sketches from history come to life!
In this episode, Lottie finds a telegram on her grandfather's desk, its edges yellowed and its paper thin and crinkly, printed in faded capital letters with a single sentence: the most powerful company in American history has just been ordered to stop existing. In this episode, your kids will discover what it looks like when one person controls nearly all of an industry, why the people who build enormous things aren't always the ones who carry the cost, and whether giving away a fortune can balance out how it was made.
Listen and subscribe to the 15-Minute History podcast to hear Sketches in History every other Thursday. Got a favorite historical moment? Share it with us at [email protected], and it might just make its way into the notebook!