American Elections: Wicked Game
Wondery
On February 10th, 1796, Vice President John Adams wrote to his wife Abigail, lamenting the state of discourse in the country. The election was nearing—and becoming heated. Newspapers screamed, factions warred, and John Adams was dismayed with what he called “the wicked Game.” Americans in 2023 can relate. They still have to endure months of shouting, outrage, and the worst sort of political rancor as the country once again chooses its president. But it’s almost always been this way. And to prove it, American Elections: Wicked Game will review the entire history of presidential elections, from the unanimous and inevitable election of George Washington in 1789 to Donald Trump’s surprise electoral victory in 2016—and his contested defeat in 2020. From the host of the American History Tellers and American Scandal, this podcast will explore all 59 presidential elections to discover that there never never was a “good ol’ days,” and that presidential politics has always been played dirty.
Location:
United States
Genres:
History Podcasts
Networks:
Wondery
Description:
On February 10th, 1796, Vice President John Adams wrote to his wife Abigail, lamenting the state of discourse in the country. The election was nearing—and becoming heated. Newspapers screamed, factions warred, and John Adams was dismayed with what he called “the wicked Game.” Americans in 2023 can relate. They still have to endure months of shouting, outrage, and the worst sort of political rancor as the country once again chooses its president. But it’s almost always been this way. And to prove it, American Elections: Wicked Game will review the entire history of presidential elections, from the unanimous and inevitable election of George Washington in 1789 to Donald Trump’s surprise electoral victory in 2016—and his contested defeat in 2020. From the host of the American History Tellers and American Scandal, this podcast will explore all 59 presidential elections to discover that there never never was a “good ol’ days,” and that presidential politics has always been played dirty.
Language:
English
Episodes
1912, Wilson vs. Taft v. Roosevelt: The Bull Moose
4/23/2024
Teddy Roosevelt comes out of retirement and returns to the political fold to unseat his longtime political friend and ally, President William Howard Taft. As both parties struggle to hold their progressive and conservative factions together, Democrat Woodrow Wilson seeks to ride the wave of progressivism, capitalize on a divided Republican party, and win first place in a heated three way race. *** To listen to the entire series—all 59 episodes—right now and ad-free, become a subscriber at IntoHistory.com, a channel of history podcasts made just for history lovers like you. Enjoy ad-free listening, early releases, bonus content and more, only available at IntoHistory.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Duration:00:50:03
1908, Taft vs. Bryan: A Significant Loser
4/16/2024
Teddy Roosevelt’s hand-picked successor, Republican William Howard Taft, faces off against Democrat William Jennings Bryan. In his third and final presidential campaign, Bryan preaches the gospel of populism. In the end, his progressive ideas are no match for Roosevelt’s legacy, but Bryan’s failed campaign pushes the Democrat party out of the past and into the 20th Century. *** To listen to the entire series—all 59 episodes—right now and ad-free, become a subscriber at IntoHistory.com, a channel of history podcasts made just for history lovers like you. Enjoy ad-free listening, early releases, bonus content and more, only available at IntoHistory.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Duration:00:43:24
1904, Parker vs. Roosevelt: Rough Rider
4/9/2024
In the aftermath of President McKinley’s assassination at the hands of an anarchist, Vice President Teddy Roosevelt, a man known for his physical and mental strength, rises to power and to the occasion. In the 1904 contest, the Democrats, and their candidate Judge Alton B Parker, learn a hard lesson about Teddy Roosevelt: anyone standing in his way is bound to suffer a beating. *** To listen to the entire series—all 59 episodes—right now and ad-free, become a subscriber at IntoHistory.com, a channel of history podcasts made just for history lovers like you. Enjoy ad-free listening, early releases, bonus content and more, only available at IntoHistory.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Duration:00:45:25
1900, McKinley vs. Bryan: The Rise and Fall of Empires
4/2/2024
In a tumultuous period defined by change, innovation, expansion and war, the stage is set for a rematch between incumbent Republican William McKinley and Democrat William Jennings Bryan. After McKinley’s Vice President dies in office, a new star rises to power in the Republican Party. Teddy Roosevelt comes to Washington and on the heels of a new age in American politics: the Progressive Era. *** To listen to the entire series—all 59 episodes—right now and ad-free, become a subscriber at IntoHistory.com, a channel of history podcasts made just for history lovers like you. Enjoy ad-free listening, early releases, bonus content and more, only available at IntoHistory.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Duration:00:44:24
1896, Bryan vs. McKinley: The Battle of the Standard Bearers
3/26/2024
In the wake of the greatest economic depression in the country’s history so far, the Democrats battle it out over the future of monetary policy. In the midst of the debate, former Nebraska congressman William Jennings Bryan emerges as the Democrat Candidate. To win the election, Bryan will have to get the best of an affable Governor from Ohio with a message of hope for a suffering nation: William McKinley. *** To listen to the entire series—all 59 episodes—right now and ad-free, become a subscriber at IntoHistory.com, a channel of history podcasts made just for history lovers like you. Enjoy ad-free listening, early releases, bonus content and more, only available at IntoHistory.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Duration:00:47:14
1892, Harrison vs. Weaver vs. Cleveland: The Centennial President
3/19/2024
Benjamin Harrison, the Centennial President, survives a deadly strike, an international conflict, and the massacre at Wounded Knee. On the campaign trail, Harrison fights to overcome these obstacles and get the best of not one, but two challengers: former Democrat President Grover Cleveland and James Weaver of the Populist Party. During his campaign for re-election, Harrison’s prospects are further threatened by the death of a loved one. *** To listen to the entire series—all 59 episodes—right now and ad-free, become a subscriber at IntoHistory.com, a channel of history podcasts made just for history lovers like you. Enjoy ad-free listening, early releases, bonus content and more, only available at IntoHistory.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Duration:00:45:55
1888, Cleveland vs. Harrison: Tariffs and Truths
3/12/2024
Social unrest rocks the nation as labor riots, economic anxiety and widespread racial violence threaten Grover Cleveland’s chances for a second term. In the midst of the turmoil, President Cleveland faces off against the grandson of a former president, a deft campaigner, and a rising star in the Republican Party: Benjamin Harrison. *** To listen to the entire series—all 59 episodes—right now and ad-free, become a subscriber at IntoHistory.com, a channel of history podcasts made just for history lovers like you. Enjoy ad-free listening, early releases, bonus content and more, only available at IntoHistory.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Duration:00:46:41
1884, Blaine vs. Cleveland: Tell the Truth
3/5/2024
In an era known for corruption in politics, two presidential candidates strive for honesty and transparency: Republican James Blaine and Democrat Grover Cleveland. But as Cleveland and Blaine each advocate for their version of change, the forces of resistance to change circle the wagons around the decades old Washington tradition of federal patronage, also known as “the Spoils System.” *** To listen to the entire series—all 59 episodes—right now and ad-free, become a subscriber at IntoHistory.com, a channel of history podcasts made just for history lovers like you. Enjoy ad-free listening, early releases, bonus content and more, only available at IntoHistory.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Duration:00:44:36
1880, Hancock vs. Garfield: Maelstrom
2/27/2024
After Rutherford B Hayes steps aside, James Garfield rises to become the Republican nominee. To win the White House, Garfield fights to unite his party at the Republican Convention and get the best of a war hero Democrat. Hancock and Garfield battle it out for the presidency against the backdrop of the Gilded Age; an era infamous for greed, graft and corruption. *** To listen to the entire series—all 59 episodes—right now and ad-free, become a subscriber at IntoHistory.com, a channel of history podcasts made just for history lovers like you. Enjoy ad-free listening, early releases, bonus content and more, only available at IntoHistory.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Duration:00:50:35
1876, Tilden vs. Hayes: Faustian Bargain
2/20/2024
Fed up with the scandals of the Grant Administration, Republicans find a new leader in Rutherford B Hayes. To keep the White House Republican, Hayes will have to get the best of a do-gooder Democrat from New York with a reputation for uncompromising honesty: Samuel J Tilden. With the election too close to call, and the country in chaos, Republicans and Democrats in Congress strike a back room bargain that has disastrous consequences for the millions of newly freed Black Americans in the South. *** To listen to the entire series—all 59 episodes—right now and ad-free, become a subscriber at IntoHistory.com, a channel of history podcasts made just for history lovers like you. Enjoy ad-free listening, early releases, bonus content and more, only available at IntoHistory.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Duration:00:50:09
1872, Greeley vs. Grant: Progress Under Siege
2/13/2024
As President Grant seeks to protect the rights of the Freedmen, the forces of opposition inside the Democratic party zero in on his administration. In the run up to the 1872 election Grant battles his personal demons, a never ending list of political scandals, and the enemies of progress. To make good on his promise to the Freedmen, Grant goes to war with violent forces inside the Democratic party hell bent on turning back the clock on progress, and keeping the Freedmen away from the polls. *** To listen to the entire series—all 59 episodes—right now and ad-free, become a subscriber at IntoHistory.com, a channel of history podcasts made just for history lovers like you. Enjoy ad-free listening, early releases, bonus content and more, only available at IntoHistory.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Duration:00:51:29
1868, Seymour vs. Grant: The Rise of the General
2/6/2024
The death of Abraham Lincoln sets the stage for one of the greatest political showdowns in American history. On one side stands President Andrew Johnson, a notorious drunk and bigot who was sympathetic to the South. On the other side, Edwin M Stanton and the Radical Republicans in Congress, who want to secure Abraham Lincoln’s legacy and protect the 4 million Freed Slaves in the South. The Reconstruction era brings with it a series of firsts: the end of the Civil War, the first president assassinated, and the first impeachment of a president in US History. In the midst of the turmoil, a beloved war hero rises to the occasion and seeks to fill the void left by President Lincoln’s murder: General Ulysses S Grant. *** To listen to the entire series—all 59 episodes—right now and ad-free, become a subscriber at IntoHistory.com, a channel of history podcasts made just for history lovers like you. Enjoy ad-free listening, early releases, bonus content and more, only available at IntoHistory.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Duration:00:48:47
1864, McClellan vs. Lincoln: Providence.
1/30/2024
While President Lincoln battles the Confederacy down South, he fights to keep the White House from the clutches of the Democratic Party. In the midst of the Civil War, Lincoln faces off against a disgruntled General, a divided constituency and broken country. To win, Lincoln takes the first step towards finally confronting America’s original sin and makes the war, and the election of 1864, a referendum on a divisive political and moral issue: emancipation. *** To listen to the entire series—all 59 episodes—right now and ad-free, become a subscriber at IntoHistory.com, a channel of history podcasts made just for history lovers like you. Enjoy ad-free listening, early releases, bonus content and more, only available at IntoHistory.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Duration:00:49:42
1860, Lincoln vs. Douglas: A House Divided
1/23/2024
With the nation on the brink of disunion, two Illinois politicians battle it out for the soul of the country: Republican candidate Abraham Lincoln and Democrat candidate Stephen Douglass. Lincoln’s decisive victory is bittersweet. His ascension to the White House brings with it secession, assassination plots, the formation of the Confederacy and in the end: all out Civil War. *** To listen to the entire series—all 59 episodes—right now and ad-free, become a subscriber at IntoHistory.com, a channel of history podcasts made just for history lovers like you. Enjoy ad-free listening, early releases, bonus content and more, only available at IntoHistory.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Duration:00:48:25
1856, Fremont vs. Buchanan vs. Fillmore: The End of Compromise
1/16/2024
The issue of slavery takes a bloody turn as sectional tensions turn violent in the West. “Bloody Kansas” deprives President Pierce of his party’s nomination and leaves the door open for Democrat Candidate James Buchanan to take the reigns. With the Whig party in tatters, Buchanan faces off against two new political factions: a third party called the Know Nothings, and a brand new faction that is now known as The Republican Party. *** To listen to the entire series—all 59 episodes—right now and ad-free, become a subscriber at IntoHistory.com, a channel of history podcasts made just for history lovers like you. Enjoy ad-free listening, early releases, bonus content and more, only available at IntoHistory.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Duration:00:46:41
1852, Scott vs. Pierce: Bursting at the Seams
1/9/2024
In the wake of President Zachary Taylor’s sudden death, Millard Fillmore signs into law the Compromise of 1850, the so called “final settlement” on the issue of slavery. But the Compromise has unintended consequences. As regional interests trump party loyalty, the second Two Party System begins to crumble giving rise to five third parties and two nearly indistinguishable candidates from both sides of the aisle: Whig candidate General Winfield Scott and Democrat candidate Franklin Pierce. *** To listen to the entire series—all 59 episodes—right now and ad-free, become a subscriber at IntoHistory.com, a channel of history podcasts made just for history lovers like you. Enjoy ad-free listening, early releases, bonus content and more, only available at IntoHistory.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Duration:00:45:45
1848, Cass vs. Taylor: Old Rough and Ready
1/2/2024
In the wake of the Mexican-American war, the US gains two new territories: California and New Mexico. The victory over Mexico once again puts slavery at the center of the national political dialogue and it gives rise to a national hero. Whig candidate General Zachary Taylor rides his wave of popularity all the way to the White House in a victory over another war hero: Democratic Candidate Colonel Lewis Cass. *** To listen to the entire series—all 59 episodes—right now and ad-free, become a subscriber at IntoHistory.com, a channel of history podcasts made just for history lovers like you. Enjoy ad-free listening, early releases, bonus content and more, only available at IntoHistory.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Duration:00:45:14
1844, Clay vs. Polk: His Accidency
12/26/2023
After President Harrison passes away just one month into his term, Vice President John Tyler becomes the first accidental president in US History. While Tyler fights for the legitimacy of his presidency and sets precedents for future succession, the Whigs and Democrats fight it out on the campaign trail. Whig candidate Henry Clay and Democrat candidate James K Polk go head to head over the issue of Texas and the expansion of slavery. *** To listen to the entire series—all 59 episodes—right now and ad-free, become a subscriber at IntoHistory.com, a channel of history podcasts made just for history lovers like you. Enjoy ad-free listening, early releases, bonus content and more, only available at IntoHistory.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Duration:00:43:36
1840, Van Buren vs. Harrison: Ole Tip
12/19/2023
The Whigs seek to deny President Martin Van Buren a second term by taking a page out of the Republican playbook, and run a war hero candidate of their own: General William Henry Harrison; the hero of the Battle of Tippecanoe, a man the Whigs portray as a hero of the common man. *** To listen to the entire series—all 59 episodes—right now and ad-free, become a subscriber at IntoHistory.com, a channel of history podcasts made just for history lovers like you. Enjoy ad-free listening, early releases, bonus content and more, only available at IntoHistory.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Duration:00:44:50
1836, Van Buren vs. the Whigs: Sin on the Ballot
12/12/2023
As Jackson’s Vice President Martin Van Buren struggles to secure his place as Jackson’s Heir Apparent, the newly formed Whig party struggles to form a national identity. The Whigs unite against Van Buren with another political faction called the Antimasons; America’s first third party. *** To listen to the entire series—all 59 episodes—right now and ad-free, become a subscriber at IntoHistory.com, a channel of history podcasts made just for history lovers like you. Enjoy ad-free listening, early releases, bonus content and more, only available at IntoHistory.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Duration:00:47:33