NPR · History

Throughline

Throughline is a time machine. Each episode, we travel beyond the headlines to answer the question, "How did we get here?" We use sound and stories to bring history to life and put you into the middle of it. From ancient civilizations to forgotten figures, we take you directly to the moments that shaped our world. Throughline is hosted by Peabody Award-winning journalist Rund Abdelfatah. Support public media by joining NPR+ at plus.npr.org . You’ll get perks for over 25 NPR podcasts, including sponsor-free listening for Throughline.

Episodes

The pursuit of perfect societies has shifted from historical experiments like Svalbard’s open-border archipelago to modern attempts by tech elites to build private "network states." These initiatives, such as the seasteading movement and the Prospera charter city in Honduras, leverage corporate capital to bypass tradit...

Why the wall was built

21 Apr 2026

13m

The original clickbait king

16 Apr 2026

48m

How the US became America

14 Apr 2026

15m

Will AI destroy us... or save us?

09 Apr 2026

51m

Who gets to be an American citizen?

07 Apr 2026

15m

Al Capone and the transformation of the IRS

02 Apr 2026

51m

What the banana tells us about US history

31 Mar 2026

14m

How Saudi Arabia shaped Silicon Valley

26 Mar 2026

49m

The Ojibwe Nation

24 Mar 2026

16m

Why is Cuba in crisis?

19 Mar 2026

48m

The confederates who left the USA

17 Mar 2026

17m

3 key moments that led to the U.S.-Iran war

12 Mar 2026

48m

Everyone should have a voice

10 Mar 2026

22m

AI processed

The podcast explores Frederick Douglass's dedication to universal suffrage and its significance in American democracy. It highlights his belief in natural rights and the right to vote as essential for self-protection, particularly for African Americans post-Civil War. The discussion covers the Radical Republicans' push...