Breaking Nation: A Civil War Podcast
When the political system of compromise that had served the United States for decades utterly and epically fails to deal with slavery at a national level, the mid-nineteenth century leaders of the nation and states must choose where their loyalties lie.
Will they save their way of life and solve the sins of cruel bondage before the land and its people are torn apart and shredded by violence and prejudice?
When Abraham Lincoln takes the oath of office as the sixteenth President on March 4, 1861, he faces a crisis unlike any other faced by his predecessors.
The country is on the brink of breaking as a nation…
Breaking Nation: A Civil War Podcast will take you on a revelatory and surprising journey through the years of the American Civil War, as if you had no idea how the events surrounding you would play out.
Recent Episodes
2
Oct. 16, 2026
S2E2 – Summer of War
Summer 1861. What happens when a nation goes to war convinced that victory will come quickly—and glory will belong to those brave enough to seize it? Why did hundreds of civilians travel to Bull Run with picnic baskets, expecting to watch history unfold from a safe distance? What did the shattered armies and staggering casualties at Bull Run reveal about the war America had just begun? And why did the fighting at Wilson’s Creek in Missouri deliver another bloody warning that this conflict would
1
Nov. 13, 2025
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 o
Oct. 29, 2025
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 dr
Aug. 29, 2025
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 co
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Nov. 7, 2024
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 ten
5
Sept. 27, 2024
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 governme
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Recent Blog Posts
Oct. 16, 2026
Season 2 Episode 2 – Summer of War
They thought it would be over quickly. In the summer of 1861, Americans on both sides of the growing Civil War still carried remarkably romantic ideas about what was coming. Soldiers marched off with enthusiasm. Politicians talked confidently about…
Oct. 13, 2026
How the Confederacy Lost Kentucky at Perryville
The Battle of Perryville, fought on October 8, 1862, was one of the most important—and often overlooked—battles of the American Civil War. Although it produced no dramatic battlefield collapse and ended without a clear tactical victory, Perryville e…
Oct. 6, 2026
Why Corinth Mattered More Than You Think
The Battle of Corinth, fought October 3–4, 1862, was one of the most important—and often underappreciated—Union victories in the western theater. Coming only weeks after the bloody battles of Iuka and Antietam, Corinth demonstrated that Confederate …
About the Host
Scott Holmgren