James Madison

To Field an Army: A Short History of the Draft

By Mike Haskew

The call of a nation on its civilian population either to create a military force or to augment a standing army is virtually as old as civilization itself. Read more

James Madison

Reckoning at Horseshoe Bend

By Christopher G. Marquis

In the late summer of 1813, some 550 men, women, and children took refuge within a small wilderness outpost and waited for the worst. Read more

James Madison

The Florida Annexation

By Peter Kross

Almost a decade after winning the Revolutionary War against Great Britain, the youthful United States was determined to expand its territorial boundaries and become a truly continental nation. Read more

James Madison

Battle of the Thames

By Christopher Miskimon

A British squadron lay wrecked on the waters of Lake Erie. Six vessels of war floated in ruins and 135 English sailors lay dead or wounded. Read more

James Madison

Surprise Attack at Tippecanoe

By Joshua Shepherd

For William Henry Harrison, the letter he received on October 12, 1811, constituted not only official orders, but something of a personal vindication as well. Read more

James Madison

The Rockets’ Red Glare: Francis Scott Key’s ‘Star-Spangled Banner’

By Blaine Taylor

Lawyer, poet, and Maryland militiaman Francis Scott Key (1779-1843) was born in Frederick County, Md. He graduated from St. Read more

James Madison

British Raid up the Potomac

By Gustav Person

In the summer of 1814, the residents of the District of Columbia and surrounding counties in Maryland and Virginia had considerable cause for concern. Read more

James Madison

The Worst Leaders in History: General William H. Winder

by Brad Reynolds

During the War of 1812, General Winder would mount the last defense of Washington D.C. before it was ransacked by British forces in 1814. Read more