Episodes

Today, our hair is often a means of self-expression. But what if you had no control over what your hair expressed? And I’m not just talking about a bad hair day! In nineteenth-century America, hair conveyed something very different than what it does today. In this episode of The Clio Dialogues, I am joined by my friend and former classmate (Go Bears!), historian Dr. Sarah Gold McBride to discuss the surprising American cultural history of hair. She explains that by taki...

Wine with dinner. A beer after work. A whiskey to seal the deal. These rituals feel timeless, but they are far more recent than most Americans realize. In this episode of The Clio Dialogues, historian Lisa Jacobson explains how the repeal of Prohibition did not automatically restore alcohol's place in American life. Instead, breweries, wineries, distillers, advertisers, cookbook authors, physicians, government officials, and even Hollywood spent decades reshaping ...

Episode Description What if one of the world's most influential cultural industries wasn't built by publishers or artists alone? Today, manga is a global phenomenon. It has inspired blockbuster films, anime, video games, conventions, cosplay, and a multibillion-dollar merchandise industry. But according to historian Andrea Horbinski, manga's remarkable success cannot be understood simply by studying famous creators or bestselling titles. Its history is also the story of ordinary readers who r...

𝐄𝐩𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐝𝐞 𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 Why is one of America's most successful anti-hunger programs suddenly at the center of legal and political controversy? Recent battles over restrictions on purchases through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the nation's largest government food assistance program, have reignited debates over nutrition, personal choice, and the proper role of government. But as Christopher Bosso explains, those debates are far older than they appear. Bosso takes listener...

𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐢𝐬𝐧'𝐭 𝐧𝐞𝐮𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐥. The modern business suit may seem timeless and practical, but its history reveals how clothing came to shape our ideas about power, respectability, and political authority. Drawing on her unique perspective as both a designer and historian, she explains how the Founding Fathers helped revolutionize men's fashion and how the plain dark suit evolved into the global uniform of presidents, executives, and diplomats 𝐈𝐧 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐄𝐩𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐝𝐞 Why does the suit signal authority? When Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky appeared before world leaders without wearing one, his clothing becam...

What if almost everything you've heard about the history of American immigration is missing half the story? Less than 24 hours after the Supreme Court upholds birthright citizenship with its decision in Trump v. Barbara, historian Anna O. Law joins The Clio Dialogues to explain why today's debates over birthright citizenship reach back centuries. Rather than beginning with modern immigration policy, Law takes listeners into colonial America, the expansion of slavery, Native American disposses...