War has played a key role in the history of the United States, from the nation's founding

right down to the present. War made the U.S. independent, kept it together, increased its

size, and established it as a global superpower. Understanding America's wars is essential for understanding American history.

Welcome to Key Battles of American History,

a podcast in which we discuss American history through the lens of the most important battles of America's wars.

Here is your host, James Early.

Thank you. your host, James Early. Hello and welcome to season four of Key Battles of American History.

This is James Early, your host.

As always, and in this brand new season, my co-hosts and I will discuss what are arguably the three

most significant wars fought between the Revolutionary War and the Civil War. These include

the War of 1812, the Texas Revolution, and the Mexican-American War. For the series on the War of 1812,

I will be joined by a new co-host, Steve Guera, who hosts the excellent

podcasts, history of the papacy, and beyond the big screen. Steve lived in Buffalo, New York

for most of his life and has visited many of the War of 1812's battle sites. So he will bring

a lot of personal knowledge of the area to our conversations. I think you'll enjoy the fresh perspective that he

brings to the discussion. So let's talk about the war of 1812. It is a largely forgotten war today,

at least among Americans. Even Americans who love history are unlikely to be able to name many

battles in the war, save the Battle of New Orleans, the burning of Washington, D.C., and perhaps

the siege of Fort McHenry. But despite our collective amnesia about the War of 1812, it is a fascinating

war that had a huge impact on our nation's history. The War of 1812 was perhaps the most illogical

war the U.S. has ever waged.

Its reasoning was muddled and its execution mismanaged.

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