We've all heard of the Texas Rangers: an undoubted icon of the American West.In this week’s instalment of our Frontier series, we’ll be exploring the history of lawmen famed for riding across a violent and uncertain landscape. But how much of their reputation reflects the realiti ...Show more
The Battle of Fredericksburg
This is the largest battle, by number of combatants, of the entire Civil War. But why? What was the federal objective at Fredericksburg? And how did it all go so wrong for Burnside and his troops?Don is joined to explore the Battle of Fredericksburg by returning guest Chris Macko ...Show more
Murder on the California Trail | The Frontier
The words 'Donner Party' have become synonymous with disaster in the American imagination. In this week’s instalment of our Frontier miniseries, we’ll be exploring how this group of pioneers' journey across the Old West ended with fatal consequences...To tell us more about this s ...Show more
America's Bloodiest Day: Battle of Antietam
It's known as the deadliest single day in American history: the Battle of Antietam.After weeks of Union defeats, Confederate forces pushed north into Maryland and carried the war onto Northern soil for the first time. Near a quiet creek in Maryland, two armies faced one another a ...Show more
How Wild Was the Wild West? | The Frontier
Heroic cowboys on horseback. Bands of outlaws. Brawls in small town saloons.This is the Wild West as popular culture remembers it. But was it really as “wild” as we’ve been led to believe? Did the violence of the frontier truly revolve around outlaws and lawmen... or were much la ...Show more