164 episodes

Explore the rich history of our past through the lens of our military institutions. From the settlement of North America to the present, this podcast encompasses traditional military history and goes the extra step to address the evolution of ideas and institutions. Join us!

America at War Marc Blackburn

    • History
    • 4.5 • 40 Ratings

Explore the rich history of our past through the lens of our military institutions. From the settlement of North America to the present, this podcast encompasses traditional military history and goes the extra step to address the evolution of ideas and institutions. Join us!

    155 The West: The Midwest and Rocky Mountain States, 1865-1870

    155 The West: The Midwest and Rocky Mountain States, 1865-1870

    We are moving to the center of the country with this episode. Before the beginning of the Civil War through the decade of the 1870s, the Army was busy in the center of the country. This episode will serve as bridge between the end of the Civil War and the Sioux and Lakota Wars of the 1870s. As settlement stretched west, there were clashes between native peoples and the Army. In a familiar story, dissatisfaction with treaties and the ongoing conquest of native lands, forced the hand of many Tribes, leading to war. The Fetterman fight, and Washita are bellwethers for the future of native peoples being able to coexist with Euro-American settlers. Take a listen!
    Have a question, comment, concern, or compliment? Contact us at americawarpodcast@gmail.com. You can also leave comments and your questions on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/americaatwarpodcast/. Thanks for listening!

    • 21 min
    156 The West: The Great Sioux War

    156 The West: The Great Sioux War

    The death of George Armstrong Custer and the destruction of the Seventh Cavalry is a touchstone for the Indian Wars. It is the one event that in many people's mind, is the touchstone for the post-Civil War conflicts with Native Armericans. We will focus on that in this episode of the podcast. The campaign to hem in the Sioux to their reservations was to be facilitated by a multi-prong advance. Rather than seeing success, the Army was blunted on the Little Big Horn and the Rosebud. The defeat had a lasting effect on the Army and did not step the colonization of the west, but it was the greatest victory experienced by any tribe in the decades long conflict. You can decide for yourself if Custer was either brave of foolhardy in his attack on the Little Big Horn. 
    Have a question, comment, concern, or compliment? Contact us at americawarpodcast@gmail.com. You can also leave comments and your questions on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/americaatwarpodcast/. Thanks for listening!

    • 23 min
    Special Holiday Message - 2023

    Special Holiday Message - 2023

    I wanted to ask you all a question and wish you a happy and safe holiday season. If you would like to respond to the query, you can either respond through the podcast's facebook page or drop me a line through the podcasts email at americawarpodcast@gmail.com.
    Thank you for listening to this podcast for all of these years. I really appreciate the support. Please be safe and enjoy the time with your families!

    • 6 min
    157 The West: The Navajo, The Apache, and the Border

    157 The West: The Navajo, The Apache, and the Border

    In the episode we move from the Lakota and Sioux to the border region. Long before the United States controlled what we know today as the Southwest, Spanish and then Mexican authorities had to contend with Navajo and Apache raids. Once the Americans established themselves, the pressures of colonization would trigger Army intervention, and basically very little in the way of accommodation, triggering further raids and army reprisals. The episode will focus first on the Navajo and their attempts to preserve sovereignty in light of dissatisfaction with American Indian policy. The Apache resisted American efforts to stop their raids, which resulted in a series of campaigns in the 1860s and 1870s. Take a listen!
    Have a question, comment, concern, or compliment? Contact us at americawarpodcast@gmail.com. You can also leave comments and your questions on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/americaatwarpodcast/. Thanks for listening!

    • 23 min
    158 The West: Geronimo

    158 The West: Geronimo

    As we draw down the arc of episodes related to post-Civil War Indian Wars, in this episode we will concentrate on subduing Geronimo. Geronimo bedeviled the US Army as he left the reservation three separate times. For the last two campaigns, General George Crook successfully cornered the proud warrior and compelled him to return to the reservation. Unfortunately, Crook was not happy the second time Geronimo went on the campaign trail and he was sent into exile in Florida. The native peoples who have inhabited this continent are still here today. Despite the trauma of this period, they are contributing to their local communities and carrying their ancestors legacy into the future. Let's celebrate that.
    Have a question, comment, concern, or compliment? Contact us at americawarpodcast@gmail.com. You can also leave comments and your questions on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/americaatwarpodcast/. Thanks for listening!

    • 20 min
    159 The West: A Soldier's Life

    159 The West: A Soldier's Life

    In this episode, we take a closer look at the life of officers and enlisted men on the frontier. We explore the motivations for joining and the challenges of serving. The post Civil War Army served in over 200 posts spread through the west. They had to endure tedium, hardships, and occassionally the terror of serving in a battle. This episode will provide a broad overview of life on the frontier.
    Have a question, comment, concern, or compliment? Contact us at americawarpodcast@gmail.com. You can also leave comments and your questions on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/americaatwarpodcast/. Thanks for listening!

    • 28 min

Customer Reviews

4.5 out of 5
40 Ratings

40 Ratings

MikeGilbertson ,

Worth your time and attention

Great overview of some key subjects in American Military history. I especially enjoy the recommendations for further reading and research at the end of the episode.

DPSSM ,

Very good military history

This podcast does a good job at being ‘incisive’ with a few viewpoints, while being otherwise unbiased. It strikes about the right level of general knowledge and specific details, at least for my tastes.

Poppa Danku ,

One of My Favorite Podcasts

I very much enjoy this show, I started listening about 2 weeks ago and can’t stop. If you’re a history buff, interested in the evolution of modern combat, or just curious I can almost guarantee you’ll enjoy Mark’s commentary of my country’s history. Also, I very much do appreciate how Mark uploads each episode in chronological order, so listeners don’t have to manually tap on the next episode and can have it okay never automatically. Solid 5/5 from me

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