The Unlikely Union: New Tour Dates

Professor Greg Jackson is touring the country with a live version of the podcast telling the story of The Unlikely Union of American states. Starting Sep 19, 2025 through July 4, 2026, you can hear the Professor history-tell in person, with video and live musicians. It’s not recorded for the podcast so get your tickets now at ⁠HTDSpodcast.com/live-shows http://htdspodcast.com/live-shows In 100 minutes Professor Jackson will take audiences on a remarkable 100-year journey that begins when thirteen distinct, disparate British colonies set aside differences to unite as something greater. Then, in less than a century of this young nation's existence, the durability of its union and commitment to its founding ideals are put to the test in a bloody civil war. In 2026, America will turn 250 years old, remarkably— because it nearly died a thousand deaths in just its first 100. This live stage show celebrates America’s semiquincentennial (250th birthday) by not only returning to its bold Declaration of Independence, but revisiting key events in its first centennial that gave this nation, as Abraham Lincoln spoke, “a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.” ____ Connect with us on HTDSpodcast.com https://www.htdspodcast.com/ and go deep into episode bibliographies https://www.htdspodcast.com/bibliography and book recommendations https://www.htdspodcast.com/book-recommendations join discussions in our Facebook community https://www.facebook.com/groups/257926761619618/ get news and discounts from The HTDS Gazette https://www.htdspodcast.com/newsletters-1 come see a live show https://www.htdspodcast.com/live-shows get HTDS merch https://htds-team-shop.fourthwall.com/ or become an HTDS premium https://htds.supercast.com/ member for bonus episodes and other perks. HTDS is part ofAudacy media network. https://www.audacy.com/ Interested in advertising on the History That Doesn't Suck? ContactAudacyinc.com https://audacyinc.com/contact

Speaker names marked ? are inferred from speaking time and the show’s known hosts — they are not voice-verified.

• 0:00Greg Jackson?

  History That Doesn't Suck is supported by Vistaprint. This podcast is a small business passion project, and seeing our vision come to life offline is cool, too, thanks to our expert partner, Vistaprint. On my recent book tour, we were able to order custom, high-quality banners for book readings. It also added a nice professional polish. It also made the events more memorable because readers and I could pose together in front of the banner for selfies to post online. And that's just one of the countless premium products Vistaprint offers to elevate your brand identity. From postcards and posters to tumblers and t-shirts, Vistaprint makes high-end, custom printing accessible to everyone, giving you exceptional quality and results that make every single dollar go further. With real people on standby and seamless tools, Vistaprint guides you through every step of the process

• 0:44Greg Jackson?

  so you always look completely polished. There's a reason over 17 million small businesses trust Vistaprint to elevate their vision. Vistaprint: Print Your Possible. Right now, new customers get 20% off with code NEW20 at Vistaprint.com. That's 20% off at Vistaprint.com using code NEW20.

• 1:06Greg Jackson?

  History That Doesn't Suck is sponsored by Quince. Quince makes high-quality staples from premium materials. My wardrobe now has Quince linen shirts for summer commuter pants for year-round comfort, and of course, my Mongolian cashmere shawl collar cardigan, which is perfect for crisp fall weather. And increasingly, Quince is taking over my wife's wardrobe. Just last night, she opened up her latest order and showed me a beautifully crafted sweater. She was thrilled to see it was every bit as professional and sharp as it looked online. More than that, it's durable, yet soft. She was thrilled. Everything is priced 50% to 80% less than similar brands because Quince works directly with ethical factories to cut out the middlemen. And it's not just clothes.

• 1:50Greg Jackson?

  Fine jewelry, leather bags, hotel-quality bedding, chef-grade cookware, and five-star luggage. Give the gift of quality this holiday season. Download the Quince app for app-exclusive offers, or go to quince.com. Get free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada and the UK, too. And when Quince asks where you heard about them, let them know it was History That Doesn't Suck. It's the best way to support the show.

• 2:26Greg Jackson?

  Hello, my friends. This is Professor Greg Jackson, and welcome to a special mini-episode, an HTDS audio newsletter, if you will. Here's our headline. I'm going back on tour with my live show, The Unlikely Union. Last time around, we visited 20 states and the District of Columbia, 37 performances in all, and now we're doing it again, because I intend to eventually get to all 50. And we're planning a Caribbean cruise event. You heard that right, a cruise that doesn't suck. The next tour kicks off September 19th in Iowa City, Iowa, and September 20th in Chicago. Additional dates and cities are continually being posted on our website, htdspodcast.com.

• 3:10Greg Jackson?

  Just click the tour dates on the website, or follow the link in the episode notes to see the cities currently scheduled. All that said, I'm not just dropping this audio in the feed to tell you that. I also want to share why I do this tour, and why I think it's important and connected to the work that we do. At the time of this recording, we've just celebrated our nation's 249th birthday. Remarkable, particularly since we nearly didn't make it through the first 100 years. As I mentioned, I titled the live show "The Unlikely Union," because it is truly remarkable that 13 distinct, disparate, unattached-to-each-other-British colonies ever pulled together in the first place.

• 3:52Greg Jackson?

  All of them were so jealous of their sovereignty, so different in population, geographical size, climate, economy, and views, no one, not even Ben Joiner-Die Franklin, could have imagined the political flame that would blaze to where we are today, now approaching 250 years, or the semi-quintcentennial, as it's also known.

• 4:14Greg Jackson?

  The Union's story, its high-minded origin, its endurance, its distressing second baptism in the blood of as many as 750,000 dead Americans and as many more wounded or missing in the Civil War is absolutely remarkable. And it's a story I have been telling decade by decade on the podcast. In the live show, we go back to the origin through the first centennial because that's the story we have to revisit again and again to understand just how far we've come. Simply put, our imperfect founders worked through their shortcomings and political fissures to create this nation, a union, that aspired to a greatness exceeding their own. Their successors pushed through their own challenges and managed to move us to a better

• 4:59Greg Jackson?

  place. That history of struggle, of two steps forward and one step back, yet of perseverance, while that's what makes me believe that even in our present, our own flawed and imperfect generation of Americans, you and me, we can see ourselves through our own no worse than so many past turbulent times. That, as Ben Franklin once said of his fellow Constitutional Convention delegates, "We too can assemble our joint wisdom." And yet, despite our prejudices, passions, errors of opinion, and local interests, leave the next generation a better Union. Still imperfect, without a doubt, but just a tad more perfect.

• 5:42Greg Jackson?

  That's the theme of the live show, as we experience 100 years of inspiration together in a theater with live music and video. And it's not recorded for the podcast because it's meant to be experienced in person, in real life, together, and that's important. Why? Well, even though I spend my days delving into the past, I do live in our present. I am aware, and yes, it's true that we live in a time of great political division. Yet, history shows that our time isn't so unique in that regard. We've gotten through worse, more divided in difficult times. History teaches us that we can set aside our differences and focus on the greater quantity of shared goals.

• 6:24Greg Jackson?

  In short, now is the time to come together and meet your neighbors. I guarantee you, we have more in common than we give each other credit for. And I'm not just saying that, I've experienced it during my travels. Being on the road during the last year took us, as I said, to 20 different states, so-called red and blue states. But you know, what I see at every tour stop, whether big cities or small towns, are Americans sitting next to each other, sharing this remarkable story of the unlikely and yet still enduring union. And on a personal level, I love connecting with you, the listeners, in person. I had a blast at St. John's Church in Richmond, Virginia, where I got to meet Patrick Henry.

• 7:06Greg Jackson?

  Okay, well, a really great reenactor portraying him, but it was a fun conversation. I love doing the Q and As after the show. Now, we can't do this at every theater stop, it depends on the venue, but I love it when we have these opportunities. I love your smart and thoughtful questions. I love talking to current history majors, I love talking to history teachers. And frankly, it's been humbling and an honor to hear what this podcast has meant to some of you, even in your personal lives, the way you've listened with friends and family, the way it's even brought some relationships together, to meet young listeners, some as young as eight, who've dragged their parents to the live show. I'm grateful for the personalized HTDS cookies we received at one stop.

• 7:51Greg Jackson?

  I'm grateful for the Lego set that depicts the history that doesn't suck live stage setup. I loved playing Carnegie Hall. Okay, so it was Carnegie Hall Library Theater in Pittsburgh, but it was a very cool venue, and it was fun to think through that episode on Carnegie and all the connections that are happening there. When we were in DC... One of you came up to me after the show and asked if I'd like a tour of Arlington National Cemetery the next day. That was one of the absolute highlights of my year. And Milwaukee was freezing, but it was the best German food I've ever had in my life. And of course, I now know that if you're in Western Pennsylvania, passing through New Wilmington, you have to stop by Matt and Maggie Noble's restaurant, The Tavern

• 8:36Greg Jackson?

  on the Square. They're listeners, fans of the show, and wow, do they make a steak to die for. And then, of course, there are the historical sites. My own personal little pilgrimage of sorts to these locations that I've read about, that I've dreamt about. Heading out to Redoubt Number 10 in Yorktown, all by my lonesome, there was no one else around, and just standing there, thinking about Alexander Hamilton during the battle. Yeah, it was kind of spiritual for me. And Katherine Kelchner, I want to say thank you to you and the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation and Museum for making that happen. And for the first time in my life, I made it to Independence Hall, the Temple of the Great

• 9:18Greg Jackson?

  Republic. And finally, let me say thank you to Winger's Restaurants and the Sunderland Family Foundation, which bought a slew of tickets for veterans to be able to come to the show when we were in Utah. We were able to do a little meet and greet focused on those veterans before the show, being able to talk to these men and women who'd served in uniform, some overseas decades ago. It was a night I won't forget. All that to say, come see me on the road. I hope I make it to a place near you. It is a blast getting to meet you, and I simply love doing this. So, thank you for listening, thank you for your support. And once again, the upcoming live shows are listed on our website, htdspodcast.com.

• 10:01Greg Jackson?

  And if I don't see you on the road, then come back to the podcast next week, because as always, I'd like to tell you a story.

• 10:16Greg Jackson?

  HTDS is supported by fans at HTDSPodcast.com/membership. My gratitude to you kind souls for providing funding to help us keep going. Thank you. And a special thanks to our patrons whose monthly gift puts them at producer status. Adam Goran, Ahmed Chapman, Amy and Ross Hensman, Andrew Nissen, Andrew Sherwin, Anna M. Huta, Art Lang, Baby Nico, Bob Stinnan, Bonnie Brooks, Ryan Gavigan, Ryan Boils, Ryan Goodson, Bruce Hibbert, Kayden Hallitz, Charles Plendenin, Charles Starkey, Charlie Majes, Christopher Merchant, Christopher Lyle, Christopher Pullman, Christopher Young, Cody Brown, Colleen Martin, Colin Ferris Pennington, Connor Hogan, Craig Burrhost,

• 10:56Greg Jackson?

  Dan G., Daniel Beacham, Daniel Lucana, Darren Chambers, Daryl the Kid Lovell, David Rifkin, Dean Heiser, Donte Spencer, Donald Moore, Eli Edwards, Elizabeth Chris Jansen, Ellen Stewart, Ernesto Franco, Ernie Lomaster, Ethan Lowery, Ethan Thompson, G2303, Jeffrey Nelson, George J. Sherwood, Gareth Griffin, Gina Johnson, Gordon Garwood, Henry Brunges, Holly Hamilton, Jake Gilbreth, James Bledsoe, James Blue, James Schlender, Jarrett Zangora, Jeffrey Moots, Jennifer Minjioni, Jennifer Ruth, Jessica Poppin, Joe Dobis, John Booby, John Frugal Dugal, John Huber, John Messmer, John Oliveros, John Rilevich, John Schaefer,

• 11:37Greg Jackson?

  Jonathan Schaff, Jordan Corbett, Joseph Curry, Joshua Steiner, Julian Wright, Justin Tolman, Karen Bartholomew, Carl Friedman, Carl Romer, Ken Culver, Kim R., Kimberly Pruitt, Kristen Pratt, Kyle Decker, L. Paul Goringer, Laura Norman, Lawrence Newbauer, Linda Cunningham, Mark D. Worle, Mark Ellis, Marcia Smith, Mason Glenn, Matt Siegel, Michael Longus, Michael Sullivan, Nick Caprell, Nicholas Powell, Owen W. Sedlak, Paul Huguenroth, Philip May, Randy Keane, Rich Ruckel, Rick Brown, Rob Dravovic, Robert Shelton, Rock Day, Ryan Fogelman, Sam Holtzman, Sarah Prescott, Sarah Traywood, Scott Hurst, Shane Smith,

• 12:17Greg Jackson?

  Shannon Hoagland, Sharon Feasen, Sean Baines, Sean Collins, Stacy Ritter, Steve Williams, The Creepy Girl, Thomas Churchill, Thomas Matthew Edwards, Thomas Sabbath, Tim and Sarah Turner, Todd Curran, Tom Bestafka, Travis Cox, Walter M. Ames, Wesley McKee, William Durham, William Curry, William Thompson, and Zach Jackson.

• 12:38Greg Jackson?

  Join me in two weeks, or I'd like to tell you a story.