Key Battles of American History

In a time-honored tradition in the Key Battles of American History Podcast, Sean and James push “pause” on the military and political narrative to give you a “ground up” view of the war. In this episode, you will find out what life was like for the common soldier (both regulars and volunteers) on both sides. What did soldiers eat? What did they wear? How did they cope with boredom, disease, and mi...

In this special episode, James interviews best-selling author Martin Dugard about his new book Taking Berlin, which tells the fascinating story of the 1944-45 Allied drive to destroy the Third Reich See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After the Mexican loss at Monterrey, Santa Anna took command of the Mexican army and marched a large force north to get revenge against Taylor and his army. The result was the bloody and consequential Battle of Buena Vista, the last major engagement of the war in Northern Mexico. Meanwhile, north of the Rio Grande, American forces attempted to conquer the Mexican provinces of California and New Me...

In April 1846, the army of General Zachary Taylor, which President Polk had sent to the Rio Grande River, clashed with a Mexican force sent to drive the Americans away. Soon after, Taylor fought two brief battles (Palo Alto and Resaca de la Palma) with the Mexicans, driving them across the Rio Grande. After a pause of a few months, the two armies clashed again at Monterrey. Meanwhile, an old “frie...

Over 300 men were executed by the British Army for desertion and cowardice during the First World War. In this episode preview from Vlogging Through History, host Chris Mowery explores the process for executions and the stories of the men involved. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

By 1844, the United States government had resisted the urge to annex the Republic of Texas for several years, but in 1844 that changed as President John Tyler and his successor James K. Polk brought Texas into the U. S. as the 28th state in 1845. How would Mexico react to this? Join us, and you will see! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For the entire history of the Republic of Texas, relations between Mexico and Texas remained tense. Both sides raided the other’s territory. Comanches and other Native American tribes raided both republics. Both republics experienced political and financial instability. And both wondered if and when the United States might add Texas to its ever-expanding territory. In this episode, Sean and James...

In this episode, James interviews prolific author Saul David about his new book Devil Dogs: King Company, Third Battalion, 5th Marines: From Guadalcanal to the Shores of Japan. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Alexander the Great’s death at 323 BC in Babylon marked the end of the most consequential military campaign in antiquity. He left behind an empire that stretched from Greece to India, planted the seeds of the Silk Road, and made Greek an international language across Eurasia, all in 13 short years. But what if he had not died as a young man? What if he had lived years or decades more? To explore t...

In this episode, Sean and James discuss the 2004 movie The Alamo, starring Dennis Quaid, Billy Bob Thornton, Jason Patric, and Patrick Wilson. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The history of the world is full of unsung heroes and misunderstood figures who have shaped our lives in profound ways. Their contributions to history are, simply put, underrated. Recently, four of the guys from the Parthenon Podcast Network (Josh Cohen from Eyewitness History, Richard Lim from This American President, Steve Guerra from History of the Papacy and Beyond the Big Screen, and Scott Ra...

In this episode, Sean and James discuss the classic 1960 movie The Alamo, directed by and starring John Wayne. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Texas Revolution cast a long shadow not just over Texas history, but over United States history. In this final episode of Key Battles of the Texas Revolution, Sean and James discuss the short- and long-term effects of the Texas Revolution. They also tell about the postwar lives and careers of the major players on both sides. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Two weeks after the fall of the Alamo, the Texian garrison at Goliad surrendered to another Mexican force, and a week after that, the garrison was executed on the orders of Santa Anna. Santa Anna and his army began marching east, toward the seat of the Texas government, while the Texas army retreated before him. On April 21, the two armies met at the brief but decisive Battle of San Jacinto, after...

In this episode of the Eyewitness History Podcast, Host Josh Cohen speaks with the former principal of Columbine High School, Frank DeAngelis. Frank and Josh discuss the events of the tragic shooting, what the police were doing at the time of the shooting, as well as the potential motivations of the two shooters, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold. They also discuss the infamous basement tapes, as well...

In early 1836, Santa Anna personally led an army into Texas to put down the rebellion. His first target was San Antonio, particularly the fortified mission called the Alamo, in which nearly 200 Texians and Tejanos were holding out. After a 13-day siege, Santa Anna’s army stormed the Alamo and captured or killed all its defenders. During the siege, the acting Texas government declared Texas to be a...

In early 1862, a Confederate force consisting mainly of Texans launched an invasion of the New Mexico territory. After a quick and largely unopposed march, they ran into a Union force defending the territory. Would the Confederates succeed in their quest to make New Mexico part of the Confederacy, or would the Union defenders drive them away? Listen to this special bonus episode, and you will find...

Further restrictive measures passed by Santa Anna’s government motivated many Texians to mount a full-scale rebellion in October 1835 at the town of Gonzales. For some, the goal was statehood for Texas within the Mexican republic, but for others, the goal was full independence. A newly formed Texian army attacked Mexican positions at Goliad, Concepcion, and San Antonio, driving the Mexican army ba...

By 1830, immigration of Americans to Texas had become a flood, and the Mexican authorities became alarmed. To stop the rapid growth of Anglo settlers, the Mexican government passed a law that banned further Anglo immigration to Texas. Three years, later, Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna became President of Mexico and began stripping away the Mexican states’ rights. These measures motivated many Texians...

Long before Texas was a U. S. state, it was a part of Mexico, which in turn was part of the massive Spanish Empire. When Mexico gained its independence from Spain in 1821, it became the northeastern most province of the new nation. At about that same time, large numbers of Americans began settling in Mexico, both legally and illegally. Join Sean and James as they narrate these early years of Texas...

In this episode, cohost Sean McIver and James introduce the upcoming mini-series on the Texas Revolution. Sean and James make the case that all Americans, not just Texans, should study the Texas Revolution. Why, you ask? Listen and find out! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 1860 and early 1861, desire for secession grew to a fever pitch in Texas. But there was one man who tried to stop it...Governor Sam Houston. Join James as he tells the story of Houston's heroic but ultimately unsuccessful efforts to keep Texas in the Union. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this joint Beyond the Big Screen and Key Battles of American History episode, Steve and James discuss the 1958 movie The Buccaneer, a highly fictionalized telling of the role of the pirate Jean Lafitte and his men in the Battle of New Orleans. The film stars Yul Brynner as Lafitte and Charlton Heston as Andrew Jackson. As always, Steve and James do much more than just talk about the movie; they...

Many of the key figures of the War of 1812 went on to have long and distinguished careers, with no fewer than four becoming President of the United States. Others went into retirement, while still others’ lives were tragically cut short by disease or dueling. In this final episode of the series, Steve and James discuss the post-war lives and careers of the top political and military leaders of the...

From the very beginning of the war, both sides expressed a desire to end it. Soon, each side reached out to the other to discuss terms of peace. But the British were in no hurry, and as a result, serious negotiations did not begin until 1814. After several months of haggling, the British and American peace delegations finally produced the Treaty of Ghent, which formally ended the war. But what exa...