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 on the rise of the volunteer militia and a taste of what it was like to serve in the army during this time period. Take a listen!

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