The Story of America: The Civil War Begins [Ep. 29] episode artwork

EPISODE · Sep 12, 2026 · 19 MIN

The Story of America: The Civil War Begins [Ep. 29]

from Our American Stories · host iHeartPodcasts

On this episode of Our American Stories, Abraham Lincoln entered the Civil War with no military experience and no blueprint for putting down a rebellion of eleven states. The Union had more men, more factories, more railroads, and a powerful navy. But none of those advantages guaranteed victory. After the disaster at Bull Run, Lincoln had to build an army almost from scratch, find generals willing to use it, and convince a divided Northern public to endure a war that was already proving longer and bloodier than almost anyone had imagined.In Episode 29 of our ongoing Story of Us—Story of America series, Hillsdale College professor Bill McClay, author of Land of Hope, shares the story of how the most dire struggle America had yet faced unfolded during the first two years of the Civil War. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Sep 12, 2026

Embed this episode

Ready to play

The Story of America: The Civil War Begins [Ep. 29]

0:00 19:28

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

No similar episodes found.

No similar podcasts found.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of Our American Stories?

This episode is 19 minutes long.

When was this Our American Stories episode published?

This episode was published on September 12, 2026.

Can I download this Our American Stories episode?

Yes. Use the download control on the episode player to save the publisher-provided media file.
URL copied to clipboard!