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Key Battles of the Civil War
James Early and Scott Rank
The Civil War was the most important event in American history. That's because it decided what kind of nation America would be and whether or not the promise of universal liberty would be fulfilled. And what decided the outcome of the Civil War was its battles.
Hosted by history professors James Early and Scott Rank, this podcast explores the ten most important battles in the Civil War. It features every major conflict, from the initial shots fired at the Battle of First Bull Run to the end of the war at Appomattox Court House. Key battles include Shiloh, the Seven Days Battle, Antietam, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Vicksburg, Chickamauga & Chattanooga, and the Overland Campaign. James and Scott explore additional topics such as emancipation, the naval wars of the Civil War, and weapons technology. Plus they get deep into the biographical backgrounds of the Union and Confederate generals (Grant, Sherman, McClellan, Thomas, Lee, Jackson, Beauregard, and Longstreet).
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Introducing James Early's New Podcast "Key Battles of American History"
February 26, 2021 - 21 min
Did you enjoy this series? Then you'll love James Early's new show "Key Battles of American History." Check it out on the podcast player of your choice or go to keybattlesofamericanhistory.com. Listen here to a snippet of his episode where he and a guest discuss the World War One movie "All Quiet on the Western Front." See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Episode 22: How the Civil War Lives on Today
October 1, 2020 - 63 min
In this very final episode, James and Scott discuss the lasting effects of the Civil War and why it is the single most important event in the history of the United States. The Revolutionary War may have answered the question of whether America would become an independent nation, but the Civil War answered the question of what kind of nation it would be. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Episode 21: What Became of the Men Who Wore the Blue and the Grey
February 27, 2019 - 53 min
In this epilogue episode James and Scott talk about the Union and Confederate generals whom we've gotten to know so well after the war finished. They became presidents, professors, bankrupt businessmen, assassination victims, and everything in between. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Episode 20: The Naval War
February 26, 2019 - 47 min
The Civil War is now finished but our series is not. Scott and James discuss an aspect of the Civil War that for the most part didn’t tie into our main discussion: the naval war. Learn how battles occurred on American Rivers, gulfs, shorelines, and even as far away as Alaska. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Episode 19: African Americans in Uniform
February 25, 2019 - 52 min
As the Civil War came to an end, a big question remained for the North and eventually the reunited United States. What would become of its African-American residents? Would they be given full legal rights or only partial? This question was largely answered by the contributions of African-Americans in uniform. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Episode 18: The Overland Campaign
February 24, 2019 - 43 min
It's now 1864. Lincoln is re-elected, and Sherman’s March to the Sea obliterated the Confederacy’s industrial base. But work remains for General Grant. He must contend with his greatest foe, Robert E. Lee. Now that Grant was directing the operations of the Army of the Potomac, Northern expectations were high. Southern expectations were also high. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Episode 17: Sherman's March to the Sea
February 23, 2019 - 51 min
From November to December 1864, Gen. Sherman led over 60,000 soldiers from Atlanta to Savannah, Georgia in a scorched earth campaign to completely demoralized the Southern war effort. Sherman explained that they needed to “make old and young, rich and poor, feel the hard hand of war.” See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Episode 16: The Battle of Atlanta
February 22, 2019 - 48 min
In the fall of 1864, the Union Army now had full momentum against the Confederacy, pushing deeper into the South than ever before. General Sherman overwhelmed forces led by John Bell Hood. With the fall of Atlanta, Lincoln nearly assured his re-election in 1864. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Episode 15: Chattanooga
February 21, 2019 - 39 min
Following Union defeat at the Battle of Chickamauga, Union forces retreated to the railroad junction of Chattanooga, Tennessee. From November 23-25, 1863, Union troops routed the Confederates at the battles of Lookout Mountain and Missionaries Ridge; the victories forces the Confederate troops back into Georgia, ending the siege of Chattanooga and creating the groundwork for Sherman's Atlanta campaign and March to the Sea in 1864. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Episode 14: The Battle of Chickamauga
February 20, 2019 - 36 min
The Battle of Chickamauga marked the end of Union Maj. Gen. William Rosencran's offensive into southwestern Tennessee and northwestern Georgia and the most significant Union defeat in the Western Theatre. More died here than in any other battle, save Gettysburg. After the battle Union forces retired to Chattanooga while Confederates besieged the city by occupying the surrounding heights. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
