America at War

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 y...

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...

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 frig...

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...

Congress declared war on Great Britain in June, 1812. The United States was ill-prepared to initiate a campaign against British Canada but was optimistic nevertheless. President Madison wanted to bring the British back to the bargaining table by using force. Preoccupied with the war in Europe, the British had a thin crust of Red Coats and local militia along the border to defend their interests. A...

The War of 1812 was symptomatic of the ongoing struggle between Britain and France in central and western Europe. The United States of America endeavored to stay above the fray, but saw its rights as a neutral carrier attacked by both the French and the English. This issue, along with the impressment of American sailors and the perceptions of British interference along the western frontier all con...

Thomas Jefferson easily won a second term at President of the United States. Unfortunately, as the war between Napoleonic France and Great Britain flared up, the United States was caught in the middle. The British impressed American sailors in the Royal Navy and restricted American merchants from trading as a neutral power. Desperate to avoid war, Jefferson attempted to coerce Britain through an e...

Well, we've reached 50 episodes! This is a short podcast thanking you dear listeners and touching on where we've been and where we are going for the next 50 episodes. Thanks for listening!

Thomas Jefferson was upset. Rather than pay tribute and ransom for American sailors held by the Barbary States of North Africa, Jefferson went to war. Taking advantage of the navy, he blockaded the port of Tripoli, hoping to extract some concessions. While the war ultimately failed in its stated purpose, the conflict fostered the continued professionalism of the US Navy and established a precedent...

Zebulon Pike's explorations of the upper reaches of the Mississippi River, the Rocky Mountains, and the southwest are not as well know as his peers, Lewis and Clark. Pike's career was tied to James Wilkinson, the highest ranking officer in the Louisiana Purchase. Wilkinson was an unsavory character whose long shadow has obscured the importance of Pike's accomplishments. Taken together, Lewis, Clar...

One of the most memorable events of Thomas Jefferson's administration was the expedition to the Pacific Ocean led by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark. Jefferson took advantage of a unique opportunity and purchased from France what today we know as the Midwest - the drainages of the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers. The expedition established American sovereignty over the new lands as well as expl...

With the election of Thomas Jefferson, the era of the Federalists was over. Jefferson immediately began to distance himself from federalist policies. This is the first of several episodes that will explore Jefferson's relationship with the military. Jefferson made several changes, shrinking the size of the standing army and reducing the size of the officer corps. Jefferson established a politicall...

In less than a generation, France went from an ally to an enemy. Tired of the violations of American neutrality, John Adams mobilized the navy to stop French commerce raiding. The new navy was very successful and created a fleet that was here to stay. The success of the war at sea is in stark contrast to what happened on land. The fear of French interference in American affairs gave Alexander Hami...

In our last episode we began our conversation about the founding of the United States Navy. We continue this story in this episode. With a temporary cessation of the depredations of the Barbary States and British commerce raiding, there was a push to end the navy before it began. Thanks to George Washington, the was granted a reprieve, resulting in the completion of three ships. Unfortunately, as...

In this episode we continue to explore the Federalist's military legacy by turning our attention to the creation of the first coastal fortifications and the establishment of the United States Navy. With Napoleon on the offensive in Europe and the Barbary states capturing American merchant ships, Congress took action to protect our shores and American interests overseas. Take a listen! Have a quest...

In our last episode we spoke of the creation of the American Legion under the command of Anthony Wayne. We continue that story in this episode. Wayne was ready to meet the British and Indians in the Ohio Valley. Today, the 'battle' of Fallen Timbers would be called a skirmish. Nevertheless, Wayne's efforts broke the back of British power in the American interior. Wayne's victory set precedent's ov...

George Washington needed good news. After the failure of the Harmar and St. Clair expeditions, Anthony Wayne was convinced to return to the Army. A veteran of the American Revolution, for two years Wayne recruited and drilled a unique formation - the American Legion. Inspired by the Roman Legions of old, this combined arms unit was seen as the Washington administration's best hope for success. Thi...

One of the most pressing issues that George Washington had to solve was the security of the new frontier. The western borders stretched from the Appalachians to the Mississippi River. British outposts, still staffed with soldiers in violation of the Treaty of Paris, fomented unrest. Many of the Indian Tribes did not recognize the United States and were angry that settlers were moving into their la...

In this episode we explore the origins of the Constitution through the lens of national security. The Challenges facing the newly independent United States were many. Faced with a weak central government and, for some, a dangerous level of internal unrest, in the summer of 1787 a Constitutional Convention was called. The document would ultimately form the basis of our current system of government...

The Revolution was over. The newly minted United States had to face their future. The key questions facing the new government revolved around the character of their new institutions. Living up to the legacy revolution, the central government was left small, the army and the navy non-existent. While certainly living up to the legacy, only the future would reveal if it sidelining the Continental Arm...

In the fall of 1781, the Continental Army and their French Allies had succeeded in trapping the British Army in Virginia in Yorktown. Unable to break the siege, General Cornwallis surrendered his force to Washington. Little did the General know, this was the last major battle of the American Revolution. Unwilling to continue the war, the British and Americans negotiated a peace treaty. The war was...

After General Cornwallis reestablished his base of operations from the Carolinas to Virginia, little did he know that he was setting up the conditions that would be lead to the end of the American Revolution. Ordered to hold a small port in Virginia, Cornwallis chose Yorktown. The French turned the tables on the Royal Navy, defeating the squadron sent to keep Cornwallis supplied. Hemmed in by the...

With General Cornwallis' departure to Virginia opened the door for the wholesale liberation of South Carolina. Rather than defend everything, the British and Greene clashed several times in 1781. While Greene technically came out as a loser, the British lost men they could not readily replace. To his credit, Green was successful in succeeded in pinning the British in several coastal enclaves where...

As the southern campaign continues, Nathanael Greene entices British General Cornwallis deep into North Carolina. Cut of from a reliable supply line, it was Greene's hope to defeat a desperate and starving British column. Cornwallis indulges Greene and battles the Continentals and militia at Guilford Court House in the spring of 1781. While technically a draw, Cornwallis' force was too depleted to...

The war in the south continues......Nathanael Greene took over the reigns of command in the south at the end of 1780. With the assistance of Daniel Morgan, he began pursuing British General Cornwallis. While Morgan secured a victory over the British at Cowpens, South Carolina, it marked the beginning of a long campaign that would ultimately lead to the siege at Yorktown and the end of the revoluti...