Log in

Civics & Coffee: A History Podcast - Run to Freedom: The Nez Perce War
share icon

Run to Freedom: The Nez Perce War

Civics & Coffee: A History Podcast

02/07/26

15m

About

Comments

Featured In

Over the span of four months, several small bands of Nez Perce tried in vain to escape the clutches of the United States government. Traveling over a one thousand miles, hundreds of Nez Perce outmaneuvered the military, only to be forced into surrender less than one hundred miles from the Canadian border. What brought on the conflict between the two sides? And why does the Nez Perce fly under the radar? Tune in to find out.

Support the show

Previous Episode

Join me this week as I sit down with Dr. Marion Orr to discuss his book House of Diggs: The Rise and Fall of America's Most Consequential Black Congressman, Charles C. Diggs Jr. Learn about how Congressman Diggs brought national attention to the murder trial of Emmett Till, fought against apartheid in South Africa, and pioneered Black political influence in establishing the Congressional Black Caucus.

You can pick up a copy of this book by visiting my affiliate shop on bookshop.org here.

Support the show

Next Episode

Why the U.S. military isn’t supposed to enforce civilian law — and when that rule breaks down.

Passed in 1878, the Posse Comitatus Act was designed to limit the federal government’s use of the U.S. military in domestic law enforcement. The law emerged amid the tensions of Reconstruction, when federal troops were regularly deployed to maintain order in the former Confederate states.

In this episode, learn why lawmakers drew a sharp line between soldiers and police, what the Posse Comitatus Act actually prohibits, and the major exceptions that complicate its enforcement. I also explore how the law has been interpreted over time - and why things get confusing when the National Guard gets involved.

Support the show

Promoted