Quick and Dirty History is a podcast about American history, on the go. Each week there is an episode about a different topic. Though they are short (about five minutes), there is a lot of interesting information that is covered. I recommend this podcast as an introduction to American history topics.
A timely episode is the one about the Battle of New Orleans that occurred on January 8, 1815. This battle was technically fought when the War of 1812 was already over. The treaty that ended the conflict was signed on December 24, 1814 but being the peace negotiation was in Ghent, Belgium, news did not reach British or American forces in time.
The commanding general at New Orleans for the Americans was Andrew Jackson. The host of the podcast describes how Jackson mobilized forces in New Orleans, which even included pirates. They built impressive earthworks that allowed them to snipe British attackers who had difficulty scaling the defensive positions. In total, British forces suffered 2,034 casualties compared to American forces that suffered a mere 63 casualties.
Besides Quick and Dirty History being interesting, the host has an engaging voice that will maintain your attention. I recommend this podcast to anyone who wants a brief lesson on a topic of American history.
To anyone that wants to learn more about the Battle of New Orleans, I recommend you read Patriotic fire: Andrew Jackson and Jean Laffite at the Battle of New Orleans by Winston Groom.
Michael Walsh is an Adult Services Librarian at the Will Library. He is currently reading American Knights : The Untold Story of the Men of the Legendary 601st Tank Destroyer Battalion by Victor Failmezger.