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The newest series from JB Shreve & the End of History podcast opens with an invitation—not to nostalgia, not to outrage, but to clarity. Host JB Shreve sets the stage for The Empire – A 250 Year American Story, a sweeping exploration of how the United States became what it is today and why understanding that journey matters now more than ever. As he explains, “we become accustomed to the news cycles, the shocks, the outrage… and we miss the glaring reality that all of this is anything but normal.”

This introductory episode frames the project as both historical and deeply human. We reflect on the country’s upcoming 250th anniversary and how a recent art exhibit revealed a striking contrast between America’s past confidence and today’s pervasive anxiety. Visitors left messages filled with fear—fear of decline, fear of loss, fear of the future. “They were all fearful… of what is being lost or what might be lost,” he notes. That emotional shift becomes a central question for the series: How did a nation born in revolution and idealism arrive at this moment of uncertainty?

Rather than taking sides in the polarized battles over American history, we position the series as an honest search for truth. We revisit the competing narratives—from the 1619 Project to the 1776 Project, from New Left revisionism to Christian nationalist retellings—and show how each contains pieces of truth, but none captures the whole story. The episode emphasizes that national history is always political, but today’s climate has pushed that politicization to new extremes.

We look at questions such as, “Is America a Christian nation? Does such a thing even exist?” Drawing from Romans and Matthew, the Bible’s criteria for a “good nation” differ sharply from patriotic mythmaking. Nations, like individuals, are complex, flawed, and shaped by both noble intentions and darker impulses.

Ultimately, this series aims to trace the rise of the American empire—its ideas, contradictions, triumphs, and failures—without reducing it to slogans or caricatures.

The journey begins here, with an open‑handed invitation to explore the echoes of the past and the forces that shaped the present. The first full episode is already live, ready to launch listeners into a story as vast and complicated as the nation itself.

 

Episodes in this Series

  1. The Old World Part I – A look at the North American continent before Columbus’ discovery of the New World in 1492.
  2. The Old World Part II – A look at the European continent before Columbus’ discovery of the New World in 1492. These episodes (parts 1 & 2) aim to capture the societies, the good and the bad, on both sides.
  3. The New World – Capture the life-altering impact of Columbus’ discovery and how that affected Europe and the Americas.
  4. New Spain & New France – Against the backdrop of Europe’s religious wars, the age of settlement begins in North America, with Spain moving swiftly into the south and southwest and France along America’s great waterways.
  5. Pilgrims in a Strange Land – The story of British settlement in North America centers on the Pilgrims. Hopefully, you will see this unique group of spiritual pioneers in a way you’ve never seen them before.
  6. The Colonies Part 1 – The story of the original colonies, their origins, and impacts on the surrounding nations. This episode looks at the origin stories of Virginia, New York, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire.
  7. The Colonies Part 2 – The continuing story of the original colonies and their origins. This episode examines the unique origins of Connecticut, Delaware, New Jersey, Maryland, and Pennsylvania.
  8. The Colonies Part 3 – We wrap up our look at the original British colonies on the eastern seaboard: North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. Then we turn to two significant historical events that began to shape a unified continental identity: The Great Awakening and the French and Indian War.
  9. The Ideas That Shaped Independence – A look at the changing perspectives and infrastructure of American worldviews that helped give rise to independence.
  10. The Imperial Crisis – The ideas of freedom and liberty developing in the colonies collide with Britain’s assumptions of control and ownership.
  11. Independence – As Boston comes under British occupation, the men who would become the Founding Fathers finally declare independence.
  12. The Terrible Reality of Revolution – The fighting and struggles of a revolution are brought home to the people. 
  13. The Crucible – Out of the struggle at Valley Forge comes a refined group of leaders within Washington’s inner circle. 
  14. Victory – The Patriots secure an alliance with the French, the fight turns into a world war, and victory for the new independent American nation comes at last.
  15. Stumbling After Victory – Independent and free, the new nation seems destined for failure and dysfunction under its existing form of government. 
  16. A New Nation Is Born – A band of conspirators organizes a revolution from the top and finally gives birth to a new nation.
  17. Is America a Christian Nation (part 1) – A pause in our series to revisit one of our original questions and consider the possible answers at this point in the story.
  18. Political Divides
  19. The Revolution of 1800
  20. The Myths Take Hold
  21. Manifest Destiny
  22. Industry and Belief
  23. The Others – Part 1
  24. The Others – Part 2
  25. Secession
  26. Battles and Generals 
  27. Union
  28. The Lost Cause

 

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