America at War

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 n...

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!

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...

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...

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,...

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,...

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 alon...

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 t...

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 b...

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!

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 successf...

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 t...

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,...

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 showi...

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 dem...

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...

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 produ...

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 professi...

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 populatio...

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 th...

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 complimen...

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 attac...

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 B...

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!

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!