EVERY THURSDAY American History

Land of the free and home of the brave. See the stories of bold visionaries who set a course for the new world and helped to build the American Experiment.

THURSDAY ON STORY

July 23, 2026

All times Eastern
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8:00A

How the States Got Their Shapes

A Boom With a View

Did money make our map? Through boom and through bust, the sweet smell of profit has drawn and redrawn our states. How did Green Bay help carve our border with Canada?

9:00A

How the States Got Their Shapes

Living on the Edge

What secrets are hiding in our map? What's behind the "blank spots" like Area 51? What possessed the citizens of Key West to throw down their margaritas and secede from Florida?

10:00A

How the States Got Their Shapes

Church and States

Ever since the Pilgrims boarded the Mayflower, what we believe and how we believe has shaped the American map. Could Utah have been bigger than Texas?

11:00A

How the States Got Their Shapes

Red vs. Blue

It's a rivalry that tears us apart every four years, but how did our nation divide into red states vs. blue states, and what happens to the states caught in the middle?

11:30A

How the States Got Their Shapes

White Collar vs. Blue Collar

Deep in the Rust Belt, the white collar and blue collar divide has shaped our cities and our states. How did this rivalry change the way we all bring home the bacon?

12:00P

Story Feature

Whitewash: The Clarence Brandley Story

Based on a true story, in 1981, Clarence Brandley, a young African American, is accused of rape and murder simply because of his skin color. With the help of a renegade legal team, he must go up against tainted testimony, stolen evidence, and century-old prejudice.

2:30P

Story Feature

Skokie

When a Neo-Nazi selects a predominately Jewish suburb for a rally, the townspeople protest to make sure that the Holocaust will never be forgotten or allowed to happen again. Based on the controversial 1977 trial in Skokie, Illinois, this dramatization explores the meaning of freedom and First Amendment rights.

5:30P

How the States Got Their Shapes

Battle of the Bible Belt

With 85% of Americans affiliated with an organized religion, we're a nation of believers, but have we always practiced what we preached?               

6:00P

How the States Got Their Shapes

City vs. Country

In the battle between city and country, it looks like the city is coming out ahead in population, but is there something about the country that all the city slickers are missing?

6:30P

How the States Got Their Shapes

Midwest vs. the Rest

It's the glue that holds our map together and feeds America, but the Midwest is more than just state fairs and flyover country.                        

7:00P

How the States Got Their Shapes

Is West Best?

Americans have been racing to tame the West since they first set foot on the continent, but now that the West has been won, what's next? Is the West still the best?

7:30P

How the States Got Their Shapes

Rebels & Outlaws

Which states like to make their own rules, and which do the heat have on lockdown?                                                                     

8:00P

How the States Got Their Shapes

Mess With Texas

Everything is bigger in Texas. It's the only state that acts like a country, but has it grown too big for its britches? We'll mess with Texas to settle this ten-gallon rivalry.

8:30P

How the States Got Their Shapes

Hatfields vs. McCoys

America's most iconic rivalry was more than just a feud between families. The fight between the Hatfields and McCoys nearly launched a war between two states.

9:00P

How the States Got Their Shapes

Hillbilly vs. Redneck

Two underdogs of American culture go head-to-head to prove how hillbillies and rednecks have shaped our states.                                        

9:30P

How the States Got Their Shapes

A Boom With a View

Did money make our map? Through boom and through bust, the sweet smell of profit has drawn and redrawn our states. How did Green Bay help carve our border with Canada?

10:30P

How the States Got Their Shapes

Living on the Edge

What secrets are hiding in our map? What's behind the "blank spots" like Area 51? What possessed the citizens of Key West to throw down their margaritas and secede from Florida?

11:30P

How the States Got Their Shapes

Church and States

Ever since the Pilgrims boarded the Mayflower, what we believe and how we believe has shaped the American map. Could Utah have been bigger than Texas?

12:30A

How the States Got Their Shapes

Red vs. Blue

It's a rivalry that tears us apart every four years, but how did our nation divide into red states vs. blue states, and what happens to the states caught in the middle?

1:00A

How the States Got Their Shapes

White Collar vs. Blue Collar

Deep in the Rust Belt, the white collar and blue collar divide has shaped our cities and our states. How did this rivalry change the way we all bring home the bacon?

1:30A

How the States Got Their Shapes

Battle of the Bible Belt

With 85% of Americans affiliated with an organized religion, we're a nation of believers, but have we always practiced what we preached?               

2:00A

How the States Got Their Shapes

City vs. Country

In the battle between city and country, it looks like the city is coming out ahead in population, but is there something about the country that all the city slickers are missing?

2:30A

How the States Got Their Shapes

Midwest vs. the Rest

It's the glue that holds our map together and feeds America, but the Midwest is more than just state fairs and flyover country.                        

3:00A

How the States Got Their Shapes

Is West Best?

Americans have been racing to tame the West since they first set foot on the continent, but now that the West has been won, what's next? Is the West still the best?

3:30A

How the States Got Their Shapes

Rebels & Outlaws

Which states like to make their own rules, and which do the heat have on lockdown?                                                                     

4:00A

How the States Got Their Shapes

Mess With Texas

Everything is bigger in Texas. It's the only state that acts like a country, but has it grown too big for its britches? We'll mess with Texas to settle this ten-gallon rivalry.

4:30A

How the States Got Their Shapes

Hatfields vs. McCoys

America's most iconic rivalry was more than just a feud between families. The fight between the Hatfields and McCoys nearly launched a war between two states.

5:00A

How the States Got Their Shapes

A Boom With a View

Did money make our map? Through boom and through bust, the sweet smell of profit has drawn and redrawn our states. How did Green Bay help carve our border with Canada?

6:00A

How the States Got Their Shapes

Living on the Edge

What secrets are hiding in our map? What's behind the "blank spots" like Area 51? What possessed the citizens of Key West to throw down their margaritas and secede from Florida?

7:00A

How the States Got Their Shapes

Church and States

Ever since the Pilgrims boarded the Mayflower, what we believe and how we believe has shaped the American map. Could Utah have been bigger than Texas?

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