When I was a junior in high school, AP US History and jazz band were held at the same time. As a result, I can play a mean bebop line, but I have a totally remedial understanding of America’s past.

That’s long been a source of some embarrassment, so I was particularly happy to recently discover Presidential, a new(ish) podcast from the Washington Post. In a series of 44 episodes, culminating with this year’s election, they’re reviewing each of our presidents past, one by one.

Though I’ve thus far only made it through Polk, I can definitely recommend starting from the beginning, and listening all the way through yourself. It’s a great chance to get a deeper sense of context as we continue to bowl through this rather “interesting” election year.