American History Archives - History with Mark Bielski: Recent Episodes
American History Archives - History with Mark Bielski
Mark takes a quick look at two major Civil War events the took place in early July: the battles of Gettysburg and Vicksburg. He also discusses some of the characters who played key roles: Confederate General Henry Heth, the man who initiated the battle of Gettysburg and Union General Edward Sickles, one of the most controversial generals who took part in it, as well as Joe Johnston, the General who could have saved Vicksburg for the Confederacy. (Image: General Henry Heth)
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Mark takes a look at some significant events that took place in May from the American Civil War era. He considers these events in light of Ralph Waldo Emerson’s famous (yet unrelated) quote, “What potent blood hath modest May,” which Mark will show is an applicable description when considering the outcome of some such events from this time in history.
In May in 1856, Massachusetts Senator Charles Sumner, an outspoken abolitionist, gave an oration attacking not only the institution of slavery, but two Senators personally, Stephen Douglas of Illinois and Andrew Butler of South Carolina for supporting it in his “Crime Against Kansas” speech. Three days later, South Carolina Rep. Preston Brooks, Butler’s cousin, entered the chamber and severely beat Sumner with a cane. The bleeding and unconscious Sumner had to be carried from the floor, while Brooks walked away unscathed. The “Caning” incident made Sumner a martyr in the North, while many Southerners proclaimed Brooks a champion for defending the honor of his relative.
On 2 May of 1863 in the Battle of Chancellorsville, Virginia, General Stonewall Jackson executed a brilliant flanking attack on the Union right. In a surprise attack, his Confederates smashed into and routed the Union XI Corps under General Oliver O. Howard. That night, while leading a group of officers on a night reconnaissance ride, Jackson was mistakenly wounded by friendly fire.After the wounding, the ambulance wagon took him some twenty miles away to a home at Guinea Station. The surgeons amputated his left arm, but the bed-ridden Jackson subsequently contracted pneumonia and died on 10 May.
Photo: Battle of Chancellorsville–May 2-4, 1863–Union General Hooker, Confederate Generals Lee and Jackson (United States Library of Congress’s Prints)
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To kick off Women’s History month, Mark takes a look at some of history’s notable women. Starting with Medieval times and jumping to the American Revolution, War of 1812, Civil War and World War II, he features a range of heroines from Joan of Arc, who at age 17 led a French army in the Hundred Years war, to Clara Barton, a nurse during the Civil War, to the women who served in the Women’s Army Corps in WWII. Stay tuned for a brief quiz at the end.
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Often we think that historically, not much has happened in the middle of winter. However, that’s far from the truth. From Charlemagne to Henry VIII, Secession in the Civil War to the Soviets battling the Finns in the snow during WWII, there has been a lot of historical heat generated in January over the centuries. Join Mark as he reviews some significant events that occurred during winter.
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What essential leadership lessons can you learn from history’s greatest military commanders? Prof. Harry Laver returns to continue the discussion on the qualities of Leadership and his book edited with Jeffrey J. Matthews, The Art of Command: Military Leadership from George Washington to Colin Powell.
Buy The Art of Command: Military Leadership from George Washington to Colin Powell >
The post Learning About the Essential Qualities of Leadership – Part II appeared first on History with Mark Bielski.
What essential leadership lessons can you learn from history’s greatest military commanders? Mark welcomes Professor Harry Laver, author of The Art of Command: Military Leadership from George Washington to Colin Powell, to answer this question. Laver and his editor Jeffrey J. Matthews assembled a list of contributors from military, academic, and professional circles, which allows the book to encompass diverse approaches to the study of leadership. Mark and Laver discuss the essential qualities of Leadership, including the nine core characteristics, such as integrity, determination, vision, and charisma.
Buy The Art of Command: Military Leadership from George Washington to Colin Powell >
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As the 80th Anniversary of the bombing of Pearl Harbor during WWII approaches, Mark revisits his interview with historian Ronald J. Drez. They discuss his book, Predicting Pearl Harbor: Billy Mitchell and the Path to War. Gen. Billy Mitchell recognized the signs and foresaw the eventual showdown between the two nations―eighteen years before the tragedy...
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Continuing his discussion of the fall of New Orleans during the Civil War, Mark discusses the Union bombardment of Forts Jackson and St. Philip by David Dixon Porter’s mortar boats. The rest of the Union fleet under David Farragut is able to steam past the forts. After a duel with the few effective Confederate gunboats...
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Mark discusses New Orleans during the Civil War. General Mansfield Lovell assumes military command of New Orleans and begins to shore up the defenses. He affirms that the threat will come upriver from the Gulf of Mexico, despite Richmond’s insistence that he transfer men and boats north. Construction begins on two super CSA gunboats, the...
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New Orleans fell to the Union on April 29, 1862. As we approach the anniversary of this historic moment, Mark takes a comparative look at developments leading up to the Civil War and the importance of the city of New Orleans to the Confederacy. Civil War New Orleans: Prelude to Conflict A comparative look at...
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In Part II of the Christmas in Wartime podcast, Mark reviews some of the happenings that American and Allied soldiers experienced during WWII. There are a few items from the home front and some from where the fighting occurred, as well as a few segments from POWs. First, a mention that I forgot to include...
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War brings few joyous moments. Over the years, Christmas time has provided a few glimmers of warmth. From a surprise victory for George Washington, to mules masquerading as reindeer in the Civil War, to a flare-lit soccer game between Brits and Germans in WWI, Mark shares some wartime Christmas memories.
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On this week’s podcast, I take a look at some historical events that happened in autumn from the American Revolution to the Civil War, World War I and World War II. I discuss the 1918 Meuse-Argonne offensive by the America Expeditionary Forces and the French army. Launched against the Germans on the Western Front, this...
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September 25, 2020 marks 214 years since Meriwether Lewis and William Clark finished their Corps of Discovery Expedition. In honor of one the greatest scientific expeditions ever, Mark revisits his conversation with Lewis and Clark historian Hal Stearns. Recorded at Fort Clatsop, the expedition’s winter camp on the Pacific Coast of Oregon, they provide a...
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In a retrospective of Women’s History month, Mark takes a look at notable women starting with Medieval times and jumping to the American Revolution, the War of 1812, the Civil War and WWII. He features a range of heroines from Joan of Arc, who at age 17 led a French army in the Hundred Years...
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Some historians believe that the American Revolution was won in the South. Mark has a conversation with Vince Dooley about the Liberty Trail, the American Battlefield Trust’s path of preservation and interpretation of historical Revolutionary War sites in South Carolina. Besides being a legendary football coach at the University of Georgia, Vince Dooley is an...
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