Key Battles of American History

In this special episode, James interviews best-selling author Martin Dugard about his new book Taking Berlin, which tells the fascinating story of the 1944-45 Allied drive to destroy the Third Reich

After the Mexican loss at Monterrey, Santa Anna took command of the Mexican army and marched a large force north to get revenge against Taylor and his army. The result was the bloody and consequential Battle of Buena Vista, the last major engagement of the war in Northern Mexico. Meanwhile, north of the Rio Grande, American forces attempted to conquer the Mexican provinces of California and New Mexico, while political opposition to the war increased in the United States.

In April 1846, the army of General Zachary Taylor, which President Polk had sent to the Rio Grande River, clashed with a Mexican force sent to drive the Americans away. Soon after, Taylor fought two brief battles (Palo Alto and Resaca de la Palma) with the Mexicans, driving them across the Rio Grande. After a pause of a few months, the two armies clashed again at Monterrey. Meanwhile, an old “friend” re-entered the story.

Over 300 men were executed by the British Army for desertion and cowardice during the First World War. In this episode preview from Vlogging Through History, host Chris Mowery explores the process for executions and the stories of the men involved.

By 1844, the United States government had resisted the urge to annex the Republic of Texas for several years, but in 1844 that changed as President John Tyler and his successor James K. Polk brought Texas into the U. S. as the 28th state in 1845. How would Mexico react to this? Join us, and you will see!

For the entire history of the Republic of Texas, relations between Mexico and Texas remained tense. Both sides raided the other’s territory. Comanches and other Native American tribes raided both republics. Both republics experienced political and financial instability. And both wondered if and when the United States might add Texas to its ever-expanding territory. In this episode, Sean and James discuss the fascinating and chaotic story of the Republic of Texas, with an emphasis on its relationship with Mexico.

In this episode, James interviews prolific author Saul David about his new book Devil Dogs: King Company, Third Battalion, 5th Marines: From Guadalcanal to the Shores of Japan.

Alexander the Great’s death at 323 BC in Babylon marked the end of the most consequential military campaign in antiquity. He left behind an empire that stretched from Greece to India, planted the seeds of the Silk Road, and made Greek an international language across Eurasia, all in 13 short years. But what if he had not died as a young man? What if he had lived years or decades more? To explore this hypothetical scenario, host Scott Rank interviews Anthony Everitt, author of “Alexander the Great: His Life and Mysterious Death.” In this fascinating discussion, Scott and Anthony look at the life of the most influential person in the ancient world and explore the ramifications of his life having even more influence.

In this episode, Sean and James discuss the 2004 movie The Alamo, starring Dennis Quaid, Billy Bob Thornton, Jason Patric, and Patrick Wilson.

The history of the world is full of unsung heroes and misunderstood figures who have shaped our lives in profound ways. Their contributions to history are, simply put, underrated. Recently, four of the guys from the Parthenon Podcast Network (Josh Cohen from Eyewitness History, Richard Lim from This American President, Steve Guerra from History of the Papacy and Beyond the Big Screen, and Scott Rank from History Unplugged) discussed who they believe is the most underrated figure in US History (James was busy and sat this one out).