Breaking Nation: A Civil War Podcast

S2E1 – Little Napoleons

The surrender of Fort Sumter immediately throws the nation into a crucible of decision-making and a desperate search for leadership, testing Thomas Carlyle’s “Great Man Theory.” Was the bombardment in Charleston Harbor a symbolic gesture or a spark leading to something far worse? Will leaders remain loyal to the Union or align with their home states? How far will President Lincoln go to secure the capital, risking accusations of dictatorship and facing a direct challenge from the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court? And as armies begin to converge, will the North and South each find a commander that can lead them to a quick and bloodless victory? Season 2 Episode 1 – Little Napoleons Breaking Nation: A Civil War Podcast is a production of Waveland Creative. Host: Scott Holmgren For a recommended booklist, check out our website at http://www.breakingnation.com

Interview with Chris Mowery

In this Breaking Nation interview, historian and YouTube host and creator Chris Mowery discusses how a childhood fascination with the Titanic and Civil War films sparked his lifelong love of history. He shares how that passion grew into Vlogging Through History, a YouTube channel with over half a million followers dedicated to exploring forgotten stories from the past. Mowery reflects on the challenge of predicting what resonates online, the joy of building a global history community, and his drive to highlight the human side of war. He also previews his upcoming book, Trumbull County Boys, about Ohio soldiers in the Civil War.  Check out our website at http://www.breakingnation.com Breaking Nation: A Civil War Podcast is a production of Waveland Creative. Host: Scott Holmgren

Interview with Robert Tracy McKenzie

In this conversation, historian Robert Tracy McKenzie reflects on a career spent studying and teaching America’s past, from the Civil War to the broader story of democracy. He shares how his upbringing in Tennessee and the influence of family and mentors shaped his calling as a historian. McKenzie discusses the challenges of writing about divided communities like Knoxville during the Civil War, the importance of resisting presentism, and the misconceptions many Americans still hold about that conflict. Throughout, he emphasizes how history, rightly approached, is less about collecting facts than about cultivating wisdom for the present. Check out our website at http://www.breakingnation.com [http://www.breakingnation.com] Breaking Nation: A Civil War Podcast is a production of Waveland Creative. Host: Scott Holmgren

S1E6 – The Island in the Harbor

In early 1861, two men traveled east to become American presidents – Jefferson Davis of the Confederate States of America and Abraham Lincoln of the United States of America. Each was thrown into the fire of crisis. With secessionist fever spreading across the country, plots and conspiracies put the political and military leaders on high alert. Would there be an eleventh-hour proposal for peace? Would violence erupt in Baltimore and Washington? And what would happen to Fort Sumter? Would the tension in Charleston Harbor hold, ease, or tighten to a breaking point? Recommended Booklist In addition to all be books from previous episodes, take a look at these…  Adams, Charles. When in the Course of Human Events: Arguing the Case for Southern Secession. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2000. Larson, Erik. The Demon of Unrest. New York: Crown Publishing, 2024. Long, E.B., with Barbara Long. The Civil War Day by Day: An Almanac 1861-1965. New York: Da Capo Press, 1971. Mitchell, Elizabeth. Lincoln’s Lie. Berkeley, CA: Counterpoint, 2020. Swanberg, W. A. First Blood: The Story of Fort Sumter. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1957. Woodward, C. Vann, ed. Mary Chesnut’s Civil War. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1981. Season 1 Episode 6 – The Island in the Harbor Breaking Nation: A Civil War Podcast is a production of Waveland Creative. Host: Scott Holmgren Check out our website at http://www.breakingnation.com

S1E5 – Stars and Banners

The election of 1860 would alter the trajectory of the United States. First, the party conventions had to decide which candidates would run for the presidency, and second, Americans would make their choice. Easy, right? Not so fast. What happens when a national convention falls apart? What happens when not two, not three, but when four candidates are running for the highest office? And what does the lame duck President, who is counting the days until he can leave Washington, do when the government might very well unravel and come apart at the seams? While Americans are wondering how they’ll define what “home” truly means, the people of South Carolina decide they know the answer and take matters into their own hands.   Recommended Booklist In addition to all be books from previous episodes, take a look at these…   Achorn, Edward. The Lincoln Miracle: Inside the Republican Convention That Changed History. New York: Atlantic Monthly Press, 2023. Dickey, Christopher. Our Man in Charleston: Britain’s Secret Agent in the Civil War South. New York: Crown Publishers, 2015. Foote, Shelby. The Civil War – A Narrative. Volume 1: Secession to Fort Henry. Alexandria, VA: Time-Life Books, 1998. Larson, Erik. The Demon of Unrest. New York: Crown Publishing, 2024. Swanberg, W. A. First Blood: The Story of Fort Sumter. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1957.   Season 1 Episode 5 – Stars and Banners   Breaking Nation: A Civil War Podcast is a production of Waveland Creative. Host: Scott Holmgren Check out our website at http://www.breakingnation.com