America at War

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 the day, triggering the formal declaration of war against Mexico and the mobilization of volunteers for service in Mexico. Take a listen!

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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 bellicose and antagonistic policy toward Texas, made war nearly inevitable. Take a listen!

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I have a special relationship with Davy Crockett. This short, bonus episode relates how my Grandfather, Thomas Wakefield Blackburn, created a cultural phenomenon.

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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 successful, the leader of Mexico, General Santa Anna thought otherwise. Various attempts to repulse the Mexican advance were defeated with disastrous results. Regardless, the Texans prevailed, setting up the circumstances for a clash with the United States. Take a listen!

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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 the removal of the Cherokees from their homeland. While Jackson was stymied by the Seminoles in Florida, he largely got his way, creating a precedent that would continue until the end of the century. Please take a listen!

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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!

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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 showing the flag around the world and aggressively pursuing American interests. In Central and South America, naval officers intervened when the circumstances called for gunboat diplomacy. The navy also struggled with the challenges of building a professional officers corps and the evolution of steam technology. Take a listen!

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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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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 1812 exhibited all of the characteristics of a professional. In this episode, we explore this trend. Take a listen!

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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 production system which manufactured small arms with machine tools, allowing for the standardization of parts and processes. It was an important time. Take a listen!

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