"The decade that broke America — and remade it."
Featured Episodes
The Decision That Broke America
March 6, 1857. Chief Justice Roger Taney delivers a ruling that will push the nation to the brink. We examine the Dred Scott decision and its catastrophic consequences.
The Election of 1860
Four candidates. A fractured nation. When Abraham Lincoln wins the presidency without a single Southern electoral vote, the countdown to secession begins.
Fort Sumter: The First Shots
April 12, 1861. Confederate artillery opens fire on a federal garrison in Charleston Harbor. The Civil War has begun — and nothing will ever be the same.
Key Turning Points
The Dred Scott Decision
The Supreme Court rules that enslaved people are property, not citizens — igniting a firestorm that accelerates the nation toward war.
The Civil War
Four years of devastating conflict that claimed 620,000 lives and determined whether the United States would survive as one nation.
The Emancipation Proclamation
Lincoln transforms the war's purpose. Four million enslaved people are declared free — and the moral stakes of the conflict become undeniable.
Reconstruction Begins
The war ends. The harder work begins. How do you rebuild a shattered nation — and what does freedom actually mean in practice?
Bring History
Into the Classroom
Our curriculum resources, lesson plans, and primary source collections are designed for high school and college educators. Rigorous, engaging, and aligned with national standards.
- —Standards-aligned lesson plans
- —Primary source document collections
- —Discussion guides for each podcast episode
- —Assessment tools and rubrics
"The resources from Ten Tumultuous Years transformed how my students engage with this period. The primary sources and discussion guides are exceptional."
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