PODCAST: HISTORY UNPLUGGED
J. Edgar Hoover’s 50-Year Career of Blackmail, Entrapment, and Taking Down Communist Spies
Show notes for all the latest episodes of Key Battles of American History.
Show notes for all the latest episodes of Key Battles of American History.
Further restrictive measures passed by Santa Anna’s government motivated many Texians to mount a full-scale rebellion in October 1835 at the town of Gonzales. For some, the goal was statehood for Texas within the Mexican republic, but for others, the goal was full independence. A newly formed Texian army attacked…
By 1830, immigration of Americans to Texas had become a flood, and the Mexican authorities became alarmed. To stop the rapid growth of Anglo settlers, the Mexican government passed a law that banned further Anglo immigration to Texas. Three years, later, Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna became President of Mexico…
Long before Texas was a U. S. state, it was a part of Mexico, which in turn was part of the massive Spanish Empire. When Mexico gained its independence from Spain in 1821, it became the northeastern most province of the new nation. At about that same time, large numbers…
In this episode, cohost Sean McIver and James introduce the upcoming mini-series on the Texas Revolution. Sean and James make the case that all Americans, not just Texans, should study the Texas Revolution. Why, you ask? Listen and find out!
In 1860 and early 1861, desire for secession grew to a fever pitch in Texas. But there was one man who tried to stop it...Governor Sam Houston. Join James as he tells the story of Houston's heroic but ultimately unsuccessful efforts to keep Texas in the Union.
In this joint Beyond the Big Screen and Key Battles of American History episode, Steve and James discuss the 1958 movie The Buccaneer, a highly fictionalized telling of the role of the pirate Jean Lafitte and his men in the Battle of New Orleans. The film stars Yul Brynner as…
Many of the key figures of the War of 1812 went on to have long and distinguished careers, with no fewer than four becoming President of the United States. Others went into retirement, while still others’ lives were tragically cut short by disease or dueling. In this final episode of…
From the very beginning of the war, both sides expressed a desire to end it. Soon, each side reached out to the other to discuss terms of peace. But the British were in no hurry, and as a result, serious negotiations did not begin until 1814. After several months of…
Wanting to bring the war to parts of the U. S. that had not yet experienced it, the British in late 1814 opened up a campaign against the Gulf Coast. This campaign culminated in the British attack on the major port city of New Orleans. The British force, consisting of…
In 1814, the United States faced increasing hostility to the war in New England as well as near economic collapse. In this mini-episode, Steve and James discuss the so-called “Crisis of 1814” and the Hartford Convention, a meeting among delegates from several New England states who wanted the Madison administration…
