In which we wrap up our discussion of the dark days in April 1861 when Washington, DC was cut off from the North and in danger from Confederate invasion. 

In which we relate the events in the dark days of April 1861, when Washington DC was cut off from the loyal states of the North.

In which we talk about Abraham Lincoln's April 15th call for 75,000 militia to suppress the rebellion, and the subsequent secession of Virginia, Arkansas, Tennessee, & North Carolina.

In which we discuss the bombardment of Sumter by the Confederate artillery batteries, and then the fort's evacuation by Major Robert Anderson & his men on April 14, 1861. Before the conclusion of the episode, we also tackle the questions: "What caused secession?" and "What caused the war?"

In which we discuss Lincoln's relief expedition to Fort Sumter, the Confederate government's decision to reduce the fort, and the opening shot of the bombardment on April 12, 1861. 

In which we continue our discussion of the escalating crisis over the possession of Fort Sumter.

In which we look at Abraham Lincoln's inaugural journey from Illinois to Washington, D.C. and then his inauguration as the sixteenth President of the United States on March 4, 1861. 

In which we continue our discussion of the events surrounding the growing crisis over the possession of Fort Sumter in Charleston harbor.

In which we discuss the dramatic events surrounding the growing crisis over the possession of Fort Sumter in Charleston harbor.

In which we look at how Abraham Lincoln used the time between his election victory and his inauguration as president to build his celebrated "team of rivals."

In which we head back north of the Mason-Dixon Line to see what was going on with Abraham Lincoln in Springfield, Illinois and with the powers-that-be in Washington, D.C. during the steady escalation of the secession crisis.

In which we continue the biographical sketch of Jefferson Davis's life in order to bring him up to speed with where we are on the podcast timeline, the year 1861. We end this episode by taking a look at the formation of the Confederate cabinet.

In which we use a special two-part biography of Jefferson Davis to bring his life up to speed with where we currently are on the podcast timeline, the year 1861.

In which we take a look at some of the major differences between North & South on the eve of the Civil War.

In which we discuss the birth of the Confederate States of America at Montgomery, Alabama in February 1861.

In which we continue our discussion by asking if the southern states had a right to secede, or if secession was rebellion. Then, we look at the message the secession commissioners spread throughout the South in late 1860/early 1861. Our book recommendation for this episode is "Apostles of Disunion" by Charles B. Dew.

In which we look at how seven southern states withdrew from the Union between Abraham Lincoln's election and his inauguration.  We answer the question: What was behind the secession of these states?

In which we discuss the reasons behind the collapse of the Democratic Party, the resulting four-way contest for the presidency, and Abraham Lincoln's victory on Election Day, November 6, 1860.

In which we take a look at the important February 1860 speech in New York City that helped catapult Abraham Lincoln to the White House.

In which we look at John Brown's assault on Harper's Ferry in October 1859.

In which we continue our coverage of the famous Lincoln-Douglas Debates in 1858.

In which we give the background to the famous Lincoln-Douglas Debates of 1858, and then we start in on the debates themselves.

In which we continue the biographical sketch of Abraham Lincoln's life in order to bring him up to speed with where we are on the podcast timeline, the year 1858.  In this episode we break the discussion up into three sections: Lincoln the Lawyer, Lincoln Gets Married, and Lincoln the Politician.

In which we use a special two-part biography of Abraham Lincoln to bring his life up to speed with where we currently are on the podcast timeline, the year 1858.

In which we take a look at the Dred Scott case and the fiasco over the Lecompton Constitution, and show how the snowballing negative consequences from those events finally caused the Democratic Party to, once & for all, split along sectional lines. A unified Republican Party will take advantage of that split & win the presidency in 1860.

In which we discuss the three-way presidential contest of 1856 and its importance to the rise of the Republican Party. Plus, we see Abraham Lincoln start to position himself to be a leading national figure in the party.

In which we look at the brutal caning of Senator Charles Sumner of Massachusetts by Congressman Preston Brooks of South Carolina in May, 1856.

In which we talk about Stephen Douglas's sponsorship of the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854, the ensuing violence in "Bleeding Kansas," & the rise of the Republican Party as a direct result of Northern outrage over the Kansas-Nebraska Act.

In which we discuss the Northern reaction to the new Fugitive Slave Law that was part of the Compromise of 1850.  Plus, we look at the significant impact of Harriet Beecher Stowe's novel, Uncle Tom's Cabin.

In which we take a fast pass through the abolitionist movement in the U.S., and show how it made a significant contribution to the sectional unraveling that led to the Civil War. 

In which we take a look at some pro-slavery arguments to see why Seward's "Higher Law" speech in March 1850 made Southerners so very very angry.

In which we look at the Presidential Election of 1848, the crisis over the admission of California as a free state, & how Henry Clay laid the groundwork for Stephen Douglas to sweep in and save the day with the Compromise of 1850.

In which we follow along as Winfield Scott marches on Mexico City & captures it in September 1847.  We continue spotlighting some of the American officers, almost all West Point graduates, who fight in Mexico and then go on to some measure of fame in the Civil War.

In which we continue our discussion of America's war with Mexico. We talk about the military action in California & New Mexico, then cover a battle in Congress over something called the Wilmot Proviso. Finally, we move back down to the Rio Grande, where Zachary Taylor captures Monterrey and then wins the hard-fought Battle of Buena Vista in February 1847.

In which we look at how tensions rose along the U.S.'s southern border, and then discuss how hostilities with Mexico commenced in April 1846.

In which we discuss the Tariff of Abominations, the Nullification Crisis of 1832/33, and we wonder who had the pre-Civil War era's most impressive head of hair: John C Calhoun or Andrew Jackson. Plus, Manifest Destiny beckons & we set the stage for the war with Mexico in 1846. 

In which we take a look at the crisis surrounding Missouri's admission into the Union as a slave state, and Henry Clay's pivotal role in brokering the ensuing compromise in 1820. 

In which we take a look back at American history to see how slavery, even from the colonial period, played a major role in shaping & defining the country's political landscape. 

In which we give an introduction to the podcast, share a bit about ourselves, & discuss why we think the Civil War is still deserving of attention & study today.