If George Washington helped to shape America, what shaped George Washington? Historian Edward Lengel explores Washington’s early history: the events that defined him and ultimately made him America’s “indispensable man.”

In the winter of 1776, it looked like the battle for independence was doomed. The British army had chased Washington out of New York. To salvage victory from defeat, the American general had one last play to make. He would attack his enemy on Christmas night. The password was “victory or death.” Historian Mark Maloy tells the desperate and inspiring tale.

PragerU

5-Minute Videos

Trenton: The Night Washington Crossed the Delaware

It was the “shot heard round the world”, the spark that officially set off the American War for Independence. But on that cold morning, neither the colonial militia nor their redcoat opponents were looking for a fight. So how exactly did an unplanned confrontation become the opening volley of the Revolution? Robert Orrison, author of A Single Blow: The Battles of Lexington and Concord, explains.

Lexington and Concord: The Shot Heard 'Round the World

The future of western civilization hangs in the balance. The struggle is between those who want to create and those who want to destroy, the Lions versus the Scavengers. Who are the Scavengers and why do they despise the very values that protect and support them, even make them rich? Ben Shapiro answers these critical questions.

Get a copy of Ben Shapiro's latest book, Lions and Scavengers: The True Story of America (and Her Critics), from the PragerU Shop.

Lions vs. Scavengers: Who Hates the West?

Empathy — the ability to understand and share the feelings of another — is a noble virtue. But empathy can also lead us astray. In fact, it can be fatal. Gad Saad, a scholar at the Declaration of Independence Center for the Study of American Freedom at the University of Mississippi, warns how misdirected empathy endangers not just well-intentioned individuals but Western Civilization itself.

Suicidal Empathy

The West is in a war for its survival. That war is playing out both at a civilizational and personal level. Ben Shapiro sees this as a war between lions and scavengers. The lions want to defend civilization and the scavengers want to destroy it.

Lions vs. Scavengers: The Values That Built the West

Ayaan Hirsi Ali grew up in Africa and the Middle East. Her life was steeped in danger and chaos. In contrast, young people in the West today are steeped in comfort and security. But ironically, they face the same challenge Hirsi Ali did. What that challenge is, and how to overcome it, is the topic of PragerU’s 2026 commencement address.

Have Courage, Face Reality

In 1777, in a shocking turn of events, a professional British army surrendered to an American force at Saratoga, New York. The surrender dramatically changed the course of America’s war for independence. Phillip Greenwalt, author of The Winter that Won the War, explains how and why it happened.

Saratoga: The Turning Point of the Revolution

On August 6th, 1945, the world changed forever when the United States dropped an Atomic Bomb on Hiroshima, Japan. This new and terrible weapon led to the end of WWII and began the nuclear arms race that defined the Cold War. Eighty years later, people still ask if the use of such a destructive force was justified. Andrew Roberts, author of The Storm of War: A New History of the Second World War, answers this critical question.

Hiroshima: The Price of Peace

We’ve been waging a “war” against poverty for half a century. Critics on the left and the right say we’re losing. Are they right? And if they are, what are the reasons? PragerU’s own Xaviaer DuRousseau takes a new approach by returning to first principles: what is poverty, who suffers from it, and why?

The Real Tragedy of the Welfare State

Before George Washington crossed the Delaware, before Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence, Patrick Henry lit the spark of rebellion. With nothing but his voice, he thundered the words that rallied a young nation. Eric Metaxas, author of Revolution, tells how Henry helped launch the American experiment—and why his message still echoes today.

Patrick Henry: Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death

Look at the American Declaration of Independence and what’s the first thing you notice? The answer is probably the signature of John Hancock. But John Hancock’s real legacy isn’t how he signed—it’s what he stood for. Eric Metaxas, author of Revolution, tells the story of the man who put his name—and fortune—on the line for American independence.

John Hancock: The Signature of Independence

The British held Boston. Washington needed cannons. Enter 25-year-old Henry Knox—a former bookseller who set out on an impossible winter mission to haul 60 tons of artillery 300 miles through snow, ice, and mountains. Eric Metaxas, author of Revolution, tells the remarkable story of the man who became George Washington’s chief of artillery.


Henry Knox: Washington’s Artillery Master

He was French by birth—but American by conviction. Wounded in battle, tireless in diplomacy, and fiercely loyal to George Washington, Lafayette became one of the Revolution’s most essential actors. Eric Metaxas, author of Revolution, tells the story of the French hero who helped America win its independence.

Lafayette: The French Hero of the American Revolution

He was 21 years old, a schoolteacher turned soldier. Captured by the British, he faced the hangman’s noose with one legendary line: “I only regret that I have but one life to give for my country.” Eric Metaxas, author of Revolution, tells the story of Nathan Hale—and the spirit of sacrifice that helped win America’s independence.

Nathan Hale: One Life to Give

It was the worst financial disaster since the Great Depression. But what really caused the 2008 crash? Deregulation? Greedy banks? Or something else entirely? PragerU’s Franklin Camargo explains how government mandates and bad incentives created one of the most destructive bubbles in American history.

Who Caused the 2008 Great Recession?

What would the world be like if everyone followed the Bible’s teaching on sex? Should anybody care? Sean McDowell, Associate Professor of Philosophy at Talbot School of Theology, has answers to both questions.

Sex: What If the Bible is Right?

To the British, the American Revolution wasn’t a fight for liberty—it was an act of ingratitude.

After defending the colonies in the costly French and Indian War, Parliament expected the Americans to pay their fair share. Instead, they got boycotts, protests, and rebellion. Renowned historian Andrew Roberts, author of The Last King of America, explains how a series of British missteps turned resistance into revolution.

King George’s Side of the Story

After Donald Trump won the 2016 election, the Trump-Russia collusion hoax should have died—just another dirty campaign trick that didn’t work. Instead, it escalated. Lee Smith explains how Russiagate turned from campaign smear to a nearly successful coup to overthrow the President of the United States.

Russiagate: The Real Scandal, Part 2

It’s the biggest political scandal in U.S. history. Millions were led to believe that a presidential candidate was a secret Russian agent. The media ran with it. Intelligence officials fueled it. But behind the headlines was something even more alarming. Lee Smith, author of The Plot Against the President, tells the story.

Russiagate: The Real Scandal, Part 1

Before Affirmative Action, black Americans were closing education gaps, increasing incomes, and joining the middle class at record speed. But since the introduction of Affirmative Action, that progress has significantly slowed. How can we account for this? Jason Riley, senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, explains Affirmative Action’s troubling legacy.

Menu

George Washington: A General Without An Army [Member Exclusive]

More Episodes