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In America, 'Going To The Beach' Hasn't Always Meant Fun In The Sun

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Beachgoers pick their way past seaweed on Wednesday, July 11, 2018, in Sunny Isles Beach, Fla. (Brynn Anderson/AP)
Beachgoers pick their way past seaweed on Wednesday, July 11, 2018, in Sunny Isles Beach, Fla. (Brynn Anderson/AP)

Millions of people in the U.S. will be visiting the beach this summer. It's a vacation. A getaway. Fun. But, for Colonial Americans, the shoreline was a dangerous, untamable landscape.

For a look back at how America's relationship with the beach has changed, Here & Now's Jeremy Hobson speaks with historians Joanne Freeman (@jbf1755) and Brian Balogh (@historyfellow), co-hosts of the podcast BackStory, which is produced at Virginia Humanities.

Our Host And Guests' Favorite American Beaches

Jeremy's pick: Lanikai Beach in Honolulu, Hawaii

Jeremy's favorite American beach is Lanikai beach in Oahu, Honolulu, Hawaii. (Patrick Baz/AFP/Getty Images)
Jeremy's favorite American beach is Lanikai Beach in Oahu, Honolulu, Hawaii. (Patrick Baz/AFP/Getty Images)

Joanne's pick: Santa Monica Beach in Santa Monica, California

The Santa Monica beach in Santa Monica, Calif. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP/Getty Images)
The Santa Monica beach in Santa Monica, Calif. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP/Getty Images)

Brian's pick: Crandon Park Beach in Miami

Children play along the shore at Crandon Park in Miami. (CX Matiash/AP)
Children play along the shore at Crandon Park in Miami. (CX Matiash/AP)

This segment aired on July 19, 2018.

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