Following a succession of failed efforts in the East, Union forces score a narrow victory in the Battle of Antietam (Sharpsburg, Maryland). Though the battle falls short of capturing Lee's army, its result boosts northern morale and provides President Lincoln with an opportunity to reframe the purpose of the war by means of the Emancipation Proclamation. For complete text plus animated maps, music, and more, visit www.ageofrevolution.net.

McClellan's Peninsula Campaign having come to nothing, President Lincoln calls upon John Pope to lead Union forces in a fresh advance upon Lee's army near Gordonsville. Outmaneuvered and befuddled, Pope eventually attacks Stonewall Jackson's corps near the Warrenton Turnpike, only to be taken in flank by Longstreet's Rebels and driven back as far as the battlefield of First Bull Run. Music by Dennis Kennedy, text by Wiliam Hillenbrand, narration by Dave Inglehart. For complete text including animated maps, visit www.ageofrevolution.net.

In the wake of the Union defeat at First Bull Run, George B. McClellan turns the Army of the Potomac into a formidable fighting force yet reveals few instincts for field command. After advancing to the outskirts of Richmond via a round-about, amphibious route, McClellan retreats and the Peninsular Campaign ends in humiliating failure. For related content, including animated maps, visit www.ageofrevolution.net

With an army of 15,000 men, Ulysses S. Grant sets out from Cairo, Illinois, in an effort to end Kentucky's bid to remain neutral in the Civil War. Seizing Fort(s) Henry and Donelson, he next launches an even more ambitious campaign deep into Tennessee, where a large Confederate force under Albert Sidney Johnston awaits. The ensuing confrontation will be referred to by General William T. Sherman as "The devil's own day."

Following the Battle of First Bull Run, the war's center of gravity shifts westward to western Virginia (soon to become its own state), Kentucky, and Missouri. Though relatively obscure, these lesser engagements in the border states will play an oversized role in the larger conflict, bringing to the national stage two rising stars in the Union war effort: George B. MacClellan and Ulysses S. Grant.

Following the attack on Fort Sumter, both North and South prepare for war, racing to redress the country's military complacency after a decade unthreatened by foreign wars. Responding to calls to prevent the first session of the Confederate Congress from meeting in Richmond, Virginia, President Lincoln orders an advance upon Rebel forces in the vicinity of Manassas Junction. The ensuing battle (First Bull Run) provides early evidence of the ferocity of the looming crisis. Text by William Hillenbrand, music by Dennis Kennedy, narration by Dave Inglehart.

In Age of Revolution's first podcast to feature the text of "Fateful Lightning: the American Civil War" we trace the long history of slavery in America from its origins in the English settlement at Jamestown, Virginia, in 1619, to its central role in the emergence of economic and political sectionalism and the seemingly inescapable crescendo of violence that would lead to war in 1861. Text by William Hillenbrand, music by Dennis Kennedy, narration by Dave Inglehart.

Following the battle of Austerlitz, Napoleon confronts the two remaining great powers on the Continent, Prussia, and Russia. In hard-won victories at Jena/Auerstadt, Eylau, and Friedland, France's new dominance of Europe is affirmed, and a continental blockade is instituted with the aim of choking off English trade. Visit www.ageofrevolution.net for access to entire series.

This week's episode covers two of the most consequential engagements of the Napoleonic Wars: the battle of Trafalgar, in which the virtual annihilation of a combined Franco-Spanish fleet gave England undisputed mastery of the seas, and the battle of Austerlitz, which gave France an equally dominant position on land. Together, these two conflicts would set the stage for a decade of nearly continuous warfare. Visit www.ageofrevolution.net for access to entire series.

Napoleon returns from Egypt to stage the coup d'etat of 19 Brumaire (10 November 1799). Seizing control of the French Republic as First Consul, he takes up official residence in the Tuileries Palace in Paris, signaling a more centrist style of government. Scoring a dramatic victory over the Austrians in the Battle of Marengo (14 June 1800), the 30-year-old leader's popularity among the French is assured. Visit www.ageofrevolution.net for access to entire series.