In the aftermath of settling the border dispute between British Canada and the United States in the Pacific Northwest, the United States moved to consolidate their hold over the region. Territorial governor Isaac Stevens quickly concluded a series of treaties with the Tribes of the region. Unfortunately, the tensions associated with this process lead to violence in eastern and western Washington. In a series of brief but violent skirmishes, tensions remained, but American hold over the territory...
Feb 01, 2020•23 min
The capital of Mexico was in American hands. The war slowly wound down and the Americans got what they wanted - the northern provinces of Mexico and an international border that followed the Rio Grande River. It was not without a cost. President Polk's goals of a quick campaign were not met and the acquisition of new lands would ramp up sectional differences. We also take some time to set up the next part of our story - conflict in the Pacific Northwest. Stay tuned! Have a question, comment, or ...
Jan 15, 2020•21 min
Here is a short New Year's message regarding where we have been and where we are going in 2020. Take a listen! Have a question, comment, or compliment, contact us at americawarpodcast@gmail.com . You can also leave comments and your questions on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/americaatwarpodcast/ . Thanks for listening!
Jan 03, 2020•7 min
This is the final episode concerning the campaign to capture Mexico's capital. General Winfield Scott had marched from the coast and outmaneuvered his opponent, General Santa Anna. Santa Anna was determined to make an American assault on Mexico City. General Scott was able to, once again, outmaneuver Santa Anna's forces, unhinging his plan to defend Mexico City. It was a brilliant campaign, though not without some costs. We will finish up the Mexican-American War in our next episode. Take a list...
Dec 31, 2019•22 min
In this episode, we continue the narrative dealing with Winfield Scott's campaign to capture Mexico City. In the previous episode, we focused on the capture of a base of operations at Vera Cruz, on the Gulf Coast. After securing the city, Scott began his advance through the highlands of eastern Mexico. General Santa Anna chose a place called Cerro Gordo to stop the American advance. Faced with a strong defensive position, in a bold flanking march, Scott unhinged the position, making an assault o...
Dec 14, 2019•23 min
General Winfield Scott's march on Mexico City was the crowning moment of the entire war with Mexico. Unable to compel the Mexican government to the negotiation table, President Polk approved Scott's plan to advance on Mexico's capital. It was a bold move, but fraught with risk. Nevertheless, after meticulous planning, Scott's forces besieged the city of Veracruz, capturing it at the end of March, 1847. Once this base was secure, Scott made preparations to march west, into the highlands and, ulti...
Dec 01, 2019•16 min
In the aftermath of Zachary Taylor's capture of the city of Monterrey, Taylor's force became an army of occupation. Taking advantage of the lull, Santa Anna raised an army and at the beginning of 1847 attacked. The battle of Buena Vista was the only time the Mexican Army took the offensive. In spite of being outnumbered, Taylor prevailed. Unable to bring Mexican officials to the negotiation table, President Polk turned his eyes south. Enlisting General Winfield Scott, Polk began planning for a m...
Nov 20, 2019•21 min
As Zachary Taylor advanced across the Rio Grande river and fought the Mexicans at Palo Alto and Reseca de la Palma, other American columns advanced into what would become New Mexico and California. Stephen Kearny led a column from Fort Leavenworth, Kansas to San Diego, an impressive feat. Kearny, in cooperation with the US navy, was able to defeat a rebellion and consolidate the American hold along the Pacific coast. Take a listen! Have a question, comment, or compliment, contact us at americawa...
Nov 06, 2019•26 min
We began our series on the Mexican-American War in our last episode, speaking to the origins of the conflict. In this episode we speak to the opening moves by Zachary Taylor in Texas. Mexican forces endeavored to push Taylor back by cutting his supply line; Taylor wanted to establish a bridge head on the Rio Grande. They clashed. The battles of Palo Alto and Resaca de la Palma ensued. Taylor won the day, triggering the formal declaration of war against Mexico and the mobilization of volunteers f...
Oct 14, 2019•24 min
Until the opening of the Civil War, the United States' war with Mexico dominated the middle of the nineteenth century. President James Polk agitated for land concessions from not only Mexico in Texas, but from Great Britain in the Pacific Northwest. Not willing to fight a two front war, cooler heads prevailed in adjudicating the occupation of the northwest. Not so in Mexico. Polk's adoption of a bellicose and antagonistic policy toward Texas, made war nearly inevitable. Take a listen! Have a que...
Oct 02, 2019•24 min
I have a special relationship with Davy Crockett. This short, bonus episode relates how my Grandfather, Thomas Wakefield Blackburn, created a cultural phenomenon. Have a question, comment, or compliment, contact us at americawarpodcast@gmail.com . You can also leave comments and your questions on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/americaatwarpodcast/ . Thanks for listening!
Sep 07, 2019•8 min
As we turn to the war with Mexico, it seems appropriate to set the stage with Texas' war of independence. After centuries of Spanish rule, Mexico won its independence. Struggling in the aftermath to create a civil culture, rather than provide a degree of autonomy to Texas, the country would instead be governed by central rule. Texas, led by Euro-American settlers, rebelled. While at first successful, the leader of Mexico, General Santa Anna thought otherwise. Various attempts to repulse the Mexi...
Sep 07, 2019•26 min
One of the most infamous incidents of the pre-Civil War antebellum period was the removal of the Cherokees and other southeastern tribes to 'Indian Country' in present day Oklahoma. President Andrew Jackson wanted to free the trans-Mississippi west for the United States. Pandering to the southern states as well as exercising his executive authority, he was able to secure legislation that enabled the removal of the Cherokees from their homeland. While Jackson was stymied by the Seminoles in Flori...
Aug 12, 2019•25 min
In this episode we move away from reform to the Army's chief duty - policing the frontier. We speak to the Creek and Seminole clashes in the southeast and the so-called Black Hawk War in the upper reaches of the old northwest. The army's role as a police force would last for most of the nineteenth century and would define its role in the twentieth century. Take a listen! Have a question, comment, or compliment, contact us at americawarpodcast@gmail.com . You can also leave comments and your ques...
Jul 25, 2019•23 min
In this episode we take a brief look at what the U.S. Navy. Propelled by its successes against British ships, the navy grew in the aftermath of the War of 1812. While this ardor for a larger navy was tempered by time, the officers and ships had established a solid reputation for professionalism and fighting spirit as the nineteenth century unfolded. The navy served American foreign policy by showing the flag around the world and aggressively pursuing American interests. In Central and South Amer...
Jun 17, 2019•26 min
In this episode, we continue and conclude our discussion on the professionalization of the U.S. Army. As the nineteenth century progressed, we continue to see the development of a professional officers corps and the maturation of the U.S. military academy at West Point. By the beginning of the Civil War, the officers corps had, for the most part, a common identity. While the rise of Jacksonian democracy attacked the notion of a professional officers corps, it nonetheless survived. We also touch ...
Jun 02, 2019•24 min
One of the key developments of the nineteenth century was the rise of the professional soldier. While the United States ha d a tradition of using citizen soldiers, the first decades of the nineteen century saw the rise of officers who could be recognized as professional soldiers. Educated at the military academy at West Point, the officers who started their careers in the decades after the War of 1812 exhibited all of the characteristics of a professional. In this episode, we explore this trend....
May 10, 2019•25 min
Of the many developments that occurred in the post-1812 Army was the growth of a domestic arms industry. With the founding of the Republic in 1787, government arsenals in Springfield, MA and Harper's Ferry, VA, were established, providing the Army with a set of dedicated manufacturing facilities devoted to small arms. Entrepreneur and inventor Eli Whitney was able to introduce and refine his production system which manufactured small arms with machine tools, allowing for the standardization of p...
Apr 18, 2019•22 min
John C. Calhoun wanted change. He not only advocated for an expansable army, but made initiated significant reforms in how the Army would be commanded in the field as well as its supply and administration. The office of the commanding general was created as well as various bureaus that managed the supply of the army in the field and its administration. While these reforms were critical in professionalizing the Army, they were less than perfect and, in some minds, would create more problems than ...
Apr 02, 2019•21 min
One of the key missions of the U.S. Army in the nineteenth century was garrisoning the coastal defenses along the Atlantic, Gulf, and Pacific coasts. John C. Calhoun initiated what today we know as the Third System of fortifications. This brief episode provides a broad overview of this critical mission, exploring the comprehensive planning required to protect the important commercial and population centers along the country's coastline. Take a listen! Have a question, comment, or compliment, con...
Feb 25, 2019•20 min
In the aftermath of the War of 1812, John C. Calhoun was appointed Secretary of War. He took a close look at the performance of the U.S. Army during the War of 1812 and absorbed its lessons. He reorganized the staff in his office to make the administrative functions more efficient. Moreover, he advocated for a plan to allow the army to expand and contract in its manpower during emergency. While the plan was not enabled by Congress, his ideas continued to resonate throughout the nineteenth centur...
Feb 20, 2019•22 min
The War of 1812 is done. In this episode we summarize the war and its legacy. In a sense, it solved nothing. The end of the war in Europe had a greater effect than American arms in persuading the British to end their onerous policies. It also marks a jumping off point for the rest of the nineteenth century up to the beginning of the Civil War. Take a listen! Have a question, comment, or compliment, contact us at americawarpodcast@gmail.com . You can also leave comments and your questions on Face...
Feb 07, 2019•19 min
The last year of the war, 1815, saw some success and failures for both the British and the Americans. The Americans had some success on the northern border, fighting some of the bloodiest battles of the entire war. While they fought the British to a stalemate, it showed how far the Americans had come. In spite of these successes, British naval power allowed them to land in the Chesapeake and attack the nation's capital, burning many of the public buildings to the ground. In contrast, the British...
Feb 01, 2019•23 min
1814 would prove to be the last full year of the war. In spite of the British being able to devote more resources to North America with the defeat (albeit temporary) of Napoleon, the war continued to drag on. On the northern front, Americans saw success early in the year, but were pushed back by the British. By the fall of 1814, the campaign could best be described as a draw. To the south, given British mastery of the sea, British forces were able to successfully raid the nation's capital, Washi...
Jan 14, 2019•22 min
Let's welcome in the New Year! This is a short episode that takes a look at what we accomplished in 2019 and where we are headed in 2020. Take a listen! Have a question, comment, or compliment, contact us at americawarpodcast@gmail.com . You can also leave comments and your questions on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/americaatwarpodcast/ . Thanks for listening!
Jan 01, 2019•7 min
Happy New Year dear listeners! A short summary of what happened in 2018 and what to expect in 2019! Have a question, comment, or compliment, contact us at americawarpodcast@gmail.com . You can also leave comments and your questions on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/americaatwarpodcast/ . Thanks for listening!
Jan 01, 2019•10 min
1813 started out well for the United States. With a resounding victory on Lake Erie, the campaigns on Lake Ontario, while starting well, ended in disaster. Due to poor planning and incompetent leadership, the initial gains on the Canadian side of the border opposite of Detroit were lost. Similarly, on the high seas, the United States Navy could not replicate the successes it had had the previous year. The only success, at least from the Army's perspective, was against the native peoples of the O...
Dec 29, 2018•20 min
If 1812 was characterized as a year of American disappointments, 1813 was a year of victories and opportunities. The Americans were able to defeat Tecumseh and his British allies at the Battle of the River Thames and Oliver H. Perry decisively defeated the British squadron at the Battle of Lake Erie. We will also take some time to finish up our discussion on the naval war of 1812, switching gears and talking about the iron men who crewed these wooden ships. Enjoy! Have a question, comment, or co...
Dec 08, 2018•22 min
1812 was not a kind year for the United States. All of the campaigns in the border regions between the United States and British Canada had failed. The only bright spot was the war at sea. Britannia may have ruled the waves, but the frigates of the United States Navy gave the Admiralty pause. The USS Constitution in particular made a name for herself in the fall of 1812, defeating two British frigates over the course of several months. While these victories did not spell doom for the royal navy'...
Nov 18, 2018•25 min
After war was declared, Canada beckoned. The Americans, decided for a multi-pronged approach to the campaign of 1812. Henry Dearborn decided that an attack against Montreal, British fortifications across from Detroit and the Niagara River would compel the British back to the negotiation table. Unfortunately, rather than a quick victory, the Americans were repulsed at every turn, symptomatic of the lack of realistic planning and an uneven mobilization. Take a listen! Have a question, comment, or ...
Oct 30, 2018•22 min
