Podcast / American Prestige / Sep 23, 2025

A New History of the Americas, Part 2, With Greg Grandin

The second of a two-part American Prestige series, exploring US–Latin American relations from the Civil War to today, and why revolutionary currents still shape the region.

The Nation Podcasts
The Nation Podcasts

Here's where to find podcasts from The Nation. Political talk without the boring parts, featuring the writers, activists and artists who shape the news, from a progressive perspective.

A New History of the Americas, Pt. 2 w/ Greg Grandin | American Prestige
byThe Nation Magazine

Danny and Derek once again speak with historianGreg Grandin about his recent book,America, América: A New History of the New World. In this second part of the conversation, they follow US–Latin American relations from the American Civil War through the present. The discussion covers the Spanish-American War of 1898 and the contradictions of U.S. expansion cloaked in the language of human rights, the Mexican Revolution as a defining challenge to US power, Woodrow Wilson’s and FDR’s occupations and the Good Neighbor Policy, the Cold War, the neoliberal turn, the endurance of social movements in the face of American-backed violence, and why contemporary Latin American politics still display revolutionary undercurrents.

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Members of the Mexican armed forces, in Mexican Revolution-era uniforms, parade to mark the 114th anniversary of the Mexican Revolution in Mexico City, Mexico, on November 20, 2024.

(Jose Luis Torales/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Danny and Derek once again speak with historian Greg Grandin about his recent book, America, América: A New History of the New World. In this second part of the conversation, they follow US–Latin American relations from the American Civil War through the present. The discussion covers the Spanish-American War of 1898 and the contradictions of US expansion cloaked in the language of human rights, the Mexican Revolution as a defining challenge to US power, Woodrow Wilson’s and FDR’s occupations and the Good Neighbor Policy, the Cold War, the neoliberal turn, the endurance of social movements in the face of American-backed violence, and why contemporary Latin American politics still displays revolutionary undercurrents.

Subscribe to The Nation to support all of our podcasts: thenation.com/podcastsubscribe.

The Nation Podcasts
The Nation Podcasts

Here's where to find podcasts from The Nation. Political talk without the boring parts, featuring the writers, activists and artists who shape the news, from a progressive perspective.

How the New Deal Invented the National Security State w/ Andrew Preston / American Prestige
byThe Nation Magazine

Danny and Derek speak with historian Andrew Preston about the origins and development of the American national security state as we know it. They discuss the original meaning of “national security” in the early days of the republic; the idea of free security; the New Deal and the relationship between social security and national security; World War II, the Cold War, and the expansion of the security state; liberalism and American empire; and what national security looks like moving forward.

Be sure to grab a copy of Andrew’s book on the subject, Total Defense: The New Deal and the Invention of National Security.

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Subscribe to The Nation to Support all of our podcasts

Daniel Bessner

Daniel Bessner is an historian of US foreign relations, and cohost of American Prestige, a podcast on international affairs.

Derek Davison

Derek Davison is a writer and analyst specializing in international affairs and US foreign policy. He is the publisher of the Foreign Exchanges newsletter, cohost of the American Prestige podcast, and former editor of LobeLog.

More from The Nation

Librarians Are Helping the Public Ditch AI—With Hannah Cyrus & Alison Macrina

Librarians Are Helping the Public Ditch AI—With Hannah Cyrus & Alison Macrina Librarians Are Helping the Public Ditch AI—With Hannah Cyrus & Alison Macrina

Paris Marx is joined by Hannah Cyrus and Alison Macrina to discuss the role of library workers in the digital landscape.

Paris Marx

President Franklin D. Roosevelt endorses New Deal candidates during a radio broadcast from his Hyde Park home.

How the New Deal Invented the National Security State—With Andrew Preston How the New Deal Invented the National Security State—With Andrew Preston

Andrew Preston joins Danny and Derek to trace the evolution of the American national security state, from the early republic to the Cold War and beyond.

Daniel Bessner and Derek Davison

The Plan for November—and After

The Plan for November—and After The Plan for November—and After

Ben Wikler lays out Democratic strategy, and John Nichols talks about progressive candidates for the Senate.

Jon Wiener

President of Mexico Claudia Sheinbaum speaks during the daily morning briefing at Palacio Nacional on July 15, 2026, in Mexico City, Mexico.

Borderlands—With Ken Salazar  Borderlands—With Ken Salazar 

Former Senator Ken Salazar joins Fighting Fascism to discuss immigration, the US-Mexico border, Democratic strategy, and the politics of Mexico under AMLO and Claudia Sheinbaum.

Free-press advocates project messages opposing the Paramount–Warner Bros. merger during the News & Documentary Emmy Awards held at Jazz at Lincoln Center on May 27, 2026, in New York City.

Fighting Monopoly Power Fighting Monopoly Power

Zephyr Teachout on how to combat the corporate consolidation.

Jeet Heer

The US Resumes the Iran War, the Ebola Outbreak Surges in the DRC, Andy Burnham Becomes the UK’s PM

The US Resumes the Iran War, the Ebola Outbreak Surges in the DRC, Andy Burnham Becomes the UK’s PM The US Resumes the Iran War, the Ebola Outbreak Surges in the DRC, Andy Burnham Becomes the UK’s PM

Danny and Derek round up the week’s global news, from Iran, Gaza, and Yemen to Sudan, Ukraine, Myanmar, the ICC, and shifting US-China influence.

Daniel Bessner and Derek Davison

x