What Really Happened At Waco?

What Really Happened At Waco?

Author: History Hit September 14, 2026 Duration: 53:43

76 people died on 19th April 1993 when the compound of a religious sect, the Branch Davidians, went up in flames. It had been under siege by government agencies for 51 days, but no one knows what started the fire.


Don is joined by Jeff Guinn, investigative reporter and author of ‘Waco: David Koresh, the Branch Dividians, and a Legacy of Rage’ to find out why the United States’ Government was interested in this religious compound outside Waco, Texas, and how the situation escalated to this point.


Produced and edited by Sophie Gee. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long.


Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.  


You can take part in our listener survey here.


All music from Epidemic Sounds.


American History Hit is a History Hit podcast.

History Hit is part of Little Dot Studios, a Certified B Corp™


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.


Tune in twice a week as host Don Wildman digs into the stories that shaped a nation. American History Hit moves beyond textbook dates to explore the people, conflicts, and surprising events that define the American experience. Each episode is a deep dive into a different moment, whether it's the tense war preparations of Chief Powhatan, the clandestine work of codebreakers at Midway, or even the unexpected political accusations hurled by Walt Disney. You'll find that the past is never truly buried, as the series also uncovers the hidden layers beneath landmarks like New York's Central Park. This isn't just a chronicle of what happened; it's an investigation into how these echoes from pre-colonial times onward continue to resonate today. For anyone curious about the complex tapestry of the United States, this podcast from History Hit serves as an engaging and thoughtful guide, turning historical inquiry into a compelling narrative journey.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

American History Hit
Podcast Episodes
A Day in the Life of a Puritan [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:36
What if we told you that puritans were actually sex-crazed? Well maybe not crazed but definitely not opposed to it.What if we told you that, actually, the entire mainstream belief of puritans being bound to strict moral…
George Washington's Spies [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:13
During the Revolutionary War a vital web of intelligence was established, with General Washington at its head. Operating through coded letters, hidden signals, and a chain of ordinary civilians turned spies, their secrec…
Geronimo's Rebellion and the Apache Wars [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:01
Geronimo's name is famous across the world: the Apache warrior who led a resistance movement against the United States out in the South West for years...But what happened to Geronimo (or Goyaałé) that led to his campaign…
The Astors, The Gilded Age & The Building of New York [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:29
From fur traders to rulers of the New York social scene - how did the Astors rise to the top? What did it mean to be 'Old Money' in the Gilded Age? And where did that power go?Don is joined by New York Times best-selling…
Shays' Rebellion: An Honorable Rebellion? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:44
Shays’ Rebellion has long been taught as a dangerous uprising, one that risked shaking the newly founded United States of America. But by tracing the events from mounting grievances to the march on the Springfield Armory…
How to Escape Alcatraz [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:51
What was it like to live on Alcatraz? And was it possible to escape? In this episode, Don speaks to a historian with the unique experience of growing up there.Jolene Babyak's father worked on Alcatraz during its 29 years…
When the Mormons Rebelled Against America [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:27
Driven from the United States, the Mormons journeyed West to build a new society in the desert- one that would challenge the political, economic, and moral norms of the nation they had left behind. But when the United St…
The Origins of Chicago [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:11
Chicago is the third most populous city in the United States. It's the windy city, the railroad capital, and home of countless film and tv hits.But when was it founded? Who were the first people living and working on thi…
Nat Turner's Rebellion [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:00
In 1831, a rebellion erupted in Virginia that sent shockwaves across the United States, and challenged the brutal system of slavery in a way that white slave-owners had long feared. Led by an enslaved man named Nat Turne…