Was it the rise of hitchhiking? Lead in the water pipes? Or was it something a little darker in our culture? Bob rings up private investigator and host of the podcast Hell & Gone: Murder Line — Catherine Townsend — to learn why there were so many serial killers in America during the 1970s.

From Ted Bundy to the Night Stalker and John Wayne Gacy, we dive into the “golden age” of serial killers to see how difficult it was to catch predators in a world before DNA testing, cell phones, and surveillance cameras. But that also begs the question: Are there fewer serial killers today? Listen, and find out! 

GUEST: Catherine Townsend, host of Hell and Gone: Murder Line and Red Collar

Was it the rise of hitchhiking? Lead in the water pipes? Or was it something a little darker in our culture? Bob rings up private investigator and host of the podcast Hell &amp; Gone: Murder Line &mdash; Catherine Townsend &mdash; to learn why there were so many serial killers in America during the 1970s.
From Ted Bundy to the Night Stalker and John Wayne Gacy, we dive into the &ldquo;golden age&rdquo; of serial killers to see how difficult it was to catch predators in a world before DNA testing, cell phones, and surveillance cameras. But that also begs the question: Are there fewer serial killers today? Listen, and find out!&nbsp;
GUEST: Catherine Townsend, host of <a href="https://www.iheart.com/podcast/105-hell-and-gone-29974699/">Hell and Gone: Murder Line</a> and <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/red-collar/id1625003615">Red Collar</a>

Bob Crawford searches for the best historians and experts to answer listener questions about American history — from the Revolutionary War to rock & roll feuds. Got a question? Send it to AmericanHistoryHotline@gmail.com.

Bob Crawford searches for the best historians and experts to answer listener questions about American history &mdash; from the Revolutionary War to rock &amp; roll feuds. Got a question? Send it to AmericanHistoryHotline@gmail.com.

American History Hotline

Listen to this collection of top episodes from iHeartRadio and iHeartPodcasts. 

Listen to this collection of top episodes from iHeartRadio and iHeartPodcasts.&nbsp;

Podcasts from iHeartRadio

American History Hotline with Bob Crawford

Why Were There So Many Serial Killers in 1970s America?

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/370fa9b3-fd0c-4690-810a-b37a012ac019/transcript

George White ran the CIA brothel. He watched from a hidden room while men were dosed with LSD — and he convinced himself the fate of the nation depended on it.

Operation Midnight Climax

For centuries, the story has been told the same way: Montezuma surrendered to Hernán Cortés, and a small band of Spaniards conquered the Aztec Empire.

But that story has always seemed a bit ... fishy. 

To get the TRUE story, Bob calls up historian Matthew Restall to debunk one of the most enduring myths of the Spanish conquest of the Americas. As it turns out, when you dig into Indigenous sources a whole new story begins to emerge. Shocker, Montezuma did not surrender and Cortés was not viewed as a God-like figure. 

In this episode, we'll revisit the famous meeting between Montezuma and Cortés, unpack the legend that Europeans were mistaken for gods, and explore how Spanish self-promotion shaped the history books for hundreds of years. 

If you’ve ever wondered how a few hundred conquistadors were said to defeat an empire of millions — or why we’ve been telling this story the same way for 500 years — this episode offers a long-overdue reset.

For centuries, the story has been told the same way: Montezuma surrendered to Hern&aacute;n Cort&eacute;s, and a small band of Spaniards conquered the Aztec Empire.
But that story has always seemed a bit ... fishy.&nbsp;
To get the TRUE story, Bob calls up historian Matthew Restall to debunk one of the most enduring myths of the Spanish conquest of the Americas. As it turns out, when you dig into Indigenous sources a whole new story begins to emerge. Shocker, Montezuma did not surrender and Cort&eacute;s was not viewed as a God-like figure.&nbsp;
In this episode, we'll revisit the famous meeting between Montezuma and Cort&eacute;s, unpack the legend that Europeans were mistaken for gods, and explore how Spanish self-promotion shaped the history books for hundreds of years.&nbsp;
If you&rsquo;ve ever wondered how a few hundred conquistadors were said to defeat an empire of millions &mdash; or why we&rsquo;ve been telling this story the same way for 500 years &mdash; this episode offers a long-overdue reset.

Did Montezuma Surrender? Debunking the Myth of the Spanish Conquest

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/57f790d5-6ed0-43f5-9eda-b3b900f5aaf3/transcript

It takes decades to build a new subway line in the United States. Meanwhile, China is building entire high-speed rail networks in just a few years. So, how did America's once-great love of trains get derailed? 

We use New York City’s Second Avenue Subway as a test case to answer this bigger question: Why is building trains in America so hard compared to places like China?

Bob calls up Dan McNichol, author of Second Avenue Subway: Building the Most Famous Thing Never Built in New York City, and transportation expert Joe Stanford to break down how the U.S. went from a rail-building powerhouse to a country where major transit projects feel nearly impossible.

In this episode we bore deep into: 

America’s century-long struggle to complete the Second Avenue Subway

China’s rapid expansion of subways and high-speed rail

How politics, regulation, and Americans' LOVE for their cars shape infrastructure

Why the cost of expanding passenger rail lines is so much higher in the U.S. (like, WAY higher) than in Europe and Asia

All aboard! Next stop: a brief history of American rail. (Toot! Toot!) 🚂

 

It takes decades to build a new subway line in the United States. Meanwhile, China is building entire high-speed rail networks in just a few years. So, how did America's once-great love of trains get&nbsp;derailed?&nbsp;
We use New York City&rsquo;s Second Avenue Subway as a test case to answer this bigger question: Why is building trains in America so hard compared to places like China?
Bob calls up Dan McNichol, author of <a href="https://www.bigdigproductions.com/#sas">Second Avenue Subway: Building the Most Famous Thing Never Built in New York City</a>, and transportation expert Joe Stanford to break down how the U.S. went from a rail-building powerhouse to a country where major transit projects feel nearly impossible.
In this episode we bore deep into:&nbsp;
America&rsquo;s century-long struggle to complete the Second Avenue Subway
China&rsquo;s rapid expansion of subways and high-speed rail
How politics, regulation, and Americans' LOVE for their cars shape infrastructure
Why the cost of expanding passenger rail lines is so much higher in the U.S. (like, WAY higher) than in Europe and Asia
All aboard! Next stop: a brief history of American rail. (Toot! Toot!) 🚂
&nbsp;

America Loves Trains. Why Can’t We Build Them Anymore? Inside NYC’s Second Avenue Subway

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/79a0a221-4b15-47f5-9a3e-b3b90142aea2/transcript

Could a new president ever be carved into Mount Rushmore? It depends on who you ask. We call up historian Matthew Davis (author of A Biography of a Mountain: The Making and Meaning of Mount Rushmore) to learn about the history of the monument and what its future might hold. 

It’s a story with a lot of surprising twists and turns, from the hills of Georgia to the sacred mountains of South Dakota. How does Mount Rushmore reflect America’s battles over who and what America chooses to celebrate?

In this episode, you’ll learn:

Why Mount Rushmore was carved, and who originally inspired the project

The forgotten faces and ideas that never made it onto the mountain

How Indigenous history and land rights shape Rushmore’s legacy

Whether a future president could legally (or physically) be added

GUEST: Matthew Davis, author of A Biography of a Mountain: The Making and Meaning of Mount Rushmore

Could a new president ever be carved into Mount Rushmore? It depends on who you ask. We call up historian Matthew Davis (author of <a href="https://a.co/d/3XVzaRz">A Biography of a Mountain: The Making and Meaning of Mount Rushmore</a>) to learn about the history of the monument and what its future might hold.&nbsp;
It&rsquo;s a story with a lot of surprising twists and turns, from the hills of Georgia to the sacred mountains of South Dakota. How does Mount Rushmore reflect America&rsquo;s battles over who and what America chooses to celebrate?
In this episode, you&rsquo;ll learn:
Why Mount Rushmore was carved, and who originally inspired the project
The forgotten faces and ideas that never made it onto the mountain
How Indigenous history and land rights shape Rushmore&rsquo;s legacy
Whether a future president could legally (or physically) be added
GUEST: Matthew Davis, author of <a href="https://a.co/d/3XVzaRz">A Biography of a Mountain: The Making and Meaning of Mount Rushmore</a>

Can We Add a Fifth Face to Mount Rushmore? The History and Future of the Monument

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/1ea9777a-e124-401d-a143-b3ab01037fa6/transcript

Why Were There So Many Serial Killers in 1970s America?

Operation Midnight Climax

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American History Hotline with Bob Crawford

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