The Speech That First Made Lincoln [Some Sunday Context]

The Speech That First Made Lincoln [Some Sunday Context]

Author: Jody Avirgan & Radiotopia March 8, 2026 Duration: 18:20
For our "Sunday Context" episode, we look at another speech by Abraham Lincoln, one he gave in 1860 at the Cooper Union in New York City. Before the speech, he was relatively unknown and not considered a viable candidate for president in that fall’s election. This speech changed everything. Jody, NIki, and Kellie discuss how the speech both boosted Lincoln as a candidate, but also laid out his intellectual vision — one that was as much about continually evolving ideas on slavery as anything. Join our America250 newsletter community! Subscribe for free to get the latest news and analysis of how America250 is playing out. Paying subscribers get access to early, ad-free versions of the show. Plus bonus features throughout the year. To support our work and get access to everything, subscribe now. This Day is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. Your support helps foster independent, artist-owned podcasts and award-winning stories. If you want to support the show directly, you can do so on our website: ThisDayPod.com Get in touch if you have any ideas for future topics, or just want to say hello. Follow us on social @thisdaypod Our team: Jacob Feldman, Researcher/Producer; Khawla Nakua, Transcripts; music by Teen Daze and Blue Dot Sessions; Audrey Mardavich is our Executive Producer at Radiotopia.

Hosted by Jody Avirgan alongside historians Nicole Hemmer and Kellie Carter Jackson, This Day is a historical podcast from Radiotopia that steps back from the relentless news cycle to find context in the past. The series "50 Weeks That Shaped America" serves as its core, offering a rich, narrative-driven examination of pivotal moments that have fundamentally influenced the nation's political landscape and cultural identity. This isn't a dry recitation of dates but a deep, engaging exploration of the stories and decisions that collectively brought us to the present. Each episode functions as a carefully researched journey, unpacking the complexities and unintended consequences of historical events you might think you know, revealing the surprising threads that connect them to contemporary life. By focusing on these formative weeks, the podcast provides a unique and clarifying lens, arguing that to understand today's headlines, you often need to listen to the echoes of yesterday. The conversations between Avirgan, Hemmer, and Jackson are insightful and accessible, blending scholarly depth with compelling storytelling. Tuning into this podcast feels like gaining a new set of tools for thinking about America, its ongoing struggles, and its evolving character, all through the meticulous and thoughtful work of its hosts.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 100

This Day (An America 250 History Show)
Podcast Episodes
"With Malice Towards None" w/ Jamelle Bouie [Part Two] [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:39
We continue our conversation about Lincoln's second inaugural address with a close reading of how it was written and addressed. Jody, Niki, and Kellie are joined by special guest Jamelle Bouie to break it down, line by l…
Lincoln's Second Inaugural w/ Jamelle Bouie (1865) [Part 1] [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:26
This week on "50 Weeks That Shaped America," we're headed to March 1865 to talk ab out Abraham Lincoln for the first time in our series. There are two speeches inscribed in the Lincoln Memorial - Gettysburg, of course, b…
How To 250: Live from On Air Fest! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 25:59
This past week, we took part in On Air Fest in Brooklyn, soft-launching a series of bonus conversations about America 250 and the work of history in 2026. We talked about which events we're actually excited to attend, ho…
How Valley Forge Forged George Washington [Part Two] [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:21
Our conversation about the Continental Army's winter at Valley Forge, PA continues with a look at how the troops were trained, and what the winter of 1777-1778 tells us about the truth and legend of George Washington, hu…
Valley Forge: From Militia To US Army (1778) [Part One] [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:33
This week on "50 Weeks That Shaped America," we're headed to the winter of 1777-1778 and the strategic retreat by the Continental Army to Valley Forge, PA. Over the course of that winter, George Washington worked to turn…
The Bomb And The Flag [Some Sunday Context] [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:29
For our "Sunday Context" series, we advance the story from Iwo Jima by a few months to August 1945, when the United States drops nuclear weapons on Japan in order to bring an end to WWII. We're joined by Garrett Graff to…
The Iwo Jima Mystery And The Power Of War Images [Part Two] [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:17
It's part two of our look at Joe Rosenthal's iconic photo "Raising The Flag On Iwo Jima." Jody, Niki, and Kellie discuss the mystery over who is actually in the photograph, how the photo shaped American's perception of t…
"Raising The Flag On Iwo Jima" (1945) [Part 1] [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:56
This week on "50 Weeks That Shaped America," we're headed to February 1945, when attention in WWII has shifted to the Pacific. American forces are "island hopping" towards Japan, and in February a fierce battle broke out…
Roots: The Book [Some Sunday Context] [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 16:38
For our "Sunday Context" series, we look at Alex Haley's book "Roots" -- how it became a sensation, accusations of plagiarism, and how it led to the TV series. Join our America250 newsletter community! Subscribe for free…
What Roots Viewers Saw [Part 2] [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:08
It's part two of our "50 Weeks That Shaped America" look at the premiere of Alex Haley’s “Roots.”Jody, Niki, and Kellie discuss some of the key scenes and characters in the eight-part epic, and why so many Americans were…