Emerging Civil War

Three Things—with Kevin Donovan and Evan Portman

The Emerging Civil War Podcast kicks off a new feature, “Three Things,” in which a pair of our historians each share three things they’ve learned over the last year that surprised them. This week, Kevin Donovan and Evan Portman—“Kevin and Evan”—join host Chris Mackowski to share what they’ve learned.This episode of the Emerging Civil War Podcast is brought to you by Civil War Trails, the world’s largest open-air museum, offering more than 1,500 sites across six states. Request a brochure at ⁠⁠⁠⁠civilwartrails.org⁠⁠⁠⁠ to start planning your trip today.

Grant & Rawlins (with Curt Fields & Melissa Winn)

As Emerging Civil War prepares to examine "Partnerships & Rivalries" at our 2026 Symposium, we take a look at one of the most important relationships to Union Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant. Curt Fields and Melissa Winn join ECW Podcast host Chris Mackowski to talk about Grant's relationship with his chief of staff, John Rawlins.  This episode of the Emerging Civil War Podcast is brought to you by Civil War Trails, the world’s largest open-air museum, offering more than 1,500 sites across six states. Request a brochure at ⁠⁠⁠⁠civilwartrails.org⁠⁠⁠⁠ to start planning your trip today.

Remembering John Adams (with Marianne Holdzkom)

The Emerging Civil War Podcast steps back in history to the Revolutionary Era for a discussion with Dr. Marianne Holdzkom about Founding Father John Adams. How do we remember a man who often worried he would not be remembered?  The Emerging Civil War Podcast is hosted by Chris Mackowski (a John Adams fanboy--ergo this week's tangent!). This episode of the podcast is brought to you by Civil War Trails, the world’s largest open-air museum, offering more than 1,500 sites across six states. Request a brochure at ⁠⁠⁠⁠civilwartrails.org⁠⁠⁠⁠ to start planning your trip today.

Impressment (with Neil Chatelain)

Imagine being rounded up on land or captured at sea and then being forced to work on an enemy ship. The practice was called "impressment," and as Neil Chatelain explains, navies during the Civil War—North and South—carried on the infamous tradition.The Emerging Civil War Podcast is hosted by Chris Mackowski. This episode is brought to you by Civil War Trails, the world’s largest open-air museum, offering more than 1,500 sites across six states. Request a brochure at ⁠⁠⁠⁠civilwartrails.org⁠⁠⁠⁠ to start planning your trip today.

War in the Trans-Mississippi, 1861 (with Devon Sommerville)

All bets were off and the rules of war were still being written in 1861 in the Trans-Mississippi theater of the Civil War. In this episode of the Emerging Civil War Podcast, ECW contributor Devon Sommerville walks us through the perils of the wild far-west.  This episode of the Emerging Civil War Podcast is brought to you by Civil War Trails, the world’s largest open-air museum, offering more than 1,500 sites across six states. Request a brochure at ⁠⁠⁠⁠civilwartrails.org⁠⁠⁠⁠ to start planning your trip today.