Saturday Bonus Podcast - The Story Of America 'The Formation Of The Army'

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
The Michael Berry Show. We're always on the lookout for
good content, and a lot of it comes from our listeners.

Speaker 2 (00:09):
I could be you.

Speaker 1 (00:10):
You can always email me through the website Michael Berryshow
dot com. I do read them all. One of our
favorite sites and groups is Hillsdale College and they're doing
a series called The Story of America. Each episode is
a specific top topic and every one of them is

(00:31):
hosted by a different person. This week we wanted to
share Secretary of State Pete Hegseth talking about the formation
of the United States Army. I think we'll end up
bringing you some more of these in the coming weeks,
and I want a brief programming note on that point

(00:52):
is that sometimes we will play other people's content, and
we were very clear upfront we did not create this content.
But we do have a platform and our goal is
to amplify good content and share it and talk about
it and brag on it, and hopefully you will then

(01:15):
turn and share it, talk about it and brag about it.
And whether something goes viral or not, whether it's spreads,
I think it's simply the case that when you find
something interesting, you share it. Right if you see a
movie that you enjoy, you tell everybody about it. If
you eat at a new restaurant that you really like.
You want them to succeed, and we want Hillsdale College

(01:38):
to succeed. They are not at this moment a show sponsor.
I hope they will become a show sponsor, but they
are not at this moment a show sponsor. But we
do recommend that you listen to their content, that you
share their content, that you financially support them if you can.
And with that, here we go.

Speaker 2 (02:03):
This year marks the two hundred and fiftieth anniversary of
the United States Army, a legacy born in turmoil, uncertainty,
and nearly insurmountable odds. Two and a half centuries ago,
thousands of citizen soldiers answered freedom's call at a moment
when tyranny tried to dim the spirit of an emerging nation.

(02:25):
Our first heroes forged an institution whose strength, sacrifice, and
enduring resolve have come to define our republic. The Army's
story begins in the spring of seventeen seventy five, one
month after the Massachusetts Militia humbled British regulars at the
Battles of Lexington and conquered America's colonial leaders assembled in

(02:48):
Philadelphia for the Second Continental Congress. The meeting had been
called to address long standing grievances with Britain's imperial government,
but the recent bloodshed at Lexington and Conquered fundamentally changed
the purpose of the gathering. Until then, many colonists had
hoped for reconciliation with their mother country. It was increasingly

(03:12):
clear that freedom would not be possible without war. The
reasons for a united resistance were growing. Among other offenses,
the British Parliament had earlier past the Intolerable Acts, which
had closed the port of Boston to all trade, forced
colonists to house and feed British soldiers, and restricted the
colonist's right to public assembly, allowed British officials to be

(03:35):
tried in England instead of the colonies, and effectively put
Massachusetts under martial law. In April of seventeen seventy five,
they fired on American colonists. By the end of May
seventeen seventy five, Patriot leaders were calling up militia in
all thirteen colonies. They stockpiled guns, ammunition, artillery, and military supplies.

(04:00):
Some militia units drilled every day. The battles of Lexington
and Conquered prove that minutemen could push back British forces.
Those early battles also proved that the colonies needed a
united fighting force with a clear chain of command. Mindful
of the perilous rode ahead, the delegates to the Second

(04:21):
Continental Congress debated establishing an army. Letters from citizens in
Massachusetts were read aloud before the Assembly, recounting British acts
of tyranny and calling neighboring colonies for assistance. As the
Provincial Convention of Massachusetts wrote in a letter to the
Continental Congress on June tewodot, we tremble at having an

(04:45):
army established here without a civil power to provide for
and control them. Having received reports that British troops would
soon arrive in great numbers in New York, the Continental
Congress directed that if the British were to commit hostilities
and invade private property, the inhabitants should defend themselves and

(05:05):
their property and repel force by force. Ultimately, the delegates
decided they had only one path forward. It was time
to create a national army. On June fourteenth, the Second
Continental Congress voted to establish the Continental Army, the Official
Record read resolved that six companies of expert riflemen be

(05:31):
immediately raised in Pennsylvania, two in Maryland, and two in Virginia.
That each company consists of a captain, three lieutenants, four sergeants,
four corporals, a drummer or trumpeter, and sixty eight privates.
That each company, as soon as completed, shall march and
join the Army near Boston, to be there employed as

(05:53):
light infantry under the command of the Chief Officer in
the Army. Message to the British was clear. This was
not a regional outbreak of violence. It was a unified
act of defiance. The colonies intended to join together to
defend their freedoms and, if necessary, to fight for independence.

(06:16):
The very next day, the Continental Congress unanimously appointed George
Washington of Virginia as commander in chief. The Congress wrote, we,
reposing special trust and confidence in your patriotism, valor, conduct,
and fidelity, do by these precepts constitute and appoint you

(06:37):
to be General and Commander in Chief of the Army
of the United Colonies for the defense of American liberty
and for repelling every hostile invasion thereof, and you are
hereby vested with full power and authority to act as
you shall think for the good and welfare of the service.

(06:59):
That same day, Massachusetts leaders discovered that the British planned
to occupy Boston's Charleston Peninsula. On June sixteenth, General Artemus
Ward sent Colonels Richard Grindley and William Prescott with about
twelve hundred soldiers to fortify the summit of Bunker Hill,
overlooking Boston Harbor. The soldiers labored through the night to

(07:21):
build the defensive barrier. By early morning, they had erected
a strong earthwork position and were joined by New Hampshire
Colonel John Stark and his troops. As the sun rose
on June seventeenth, the British noticed the Americans occupied the
high ground. The British ships opened fire, but could not

(07:43):
reach the hastily constructed American positions. British Major General William
Howe ordered his troops to assault the hill. The fierce
battle that ensued was a tactical victory for the British,
but a painful and costly one. The British sustained twice
as many casualties as the Americans and pulled back to Boston,

(08:06):
where American forces encircled them. American morale was high, and
men streamed in from towns and farms volunteering to join.
On July third, General George Washington traveled to Cambridge, Massachusetts,
to assemble his officers, just off the central yard of
Harvard College, where he formerly took command of the army.

(08:28):
The next day, he wrote, it is hoped that all
distinctions of colonies will be laid aside, so that one
and the same spirit may animate the whole, and the
only contests be who shall render, on this great and
trying occasion, the most essential service to the great and
common cause in which we are all engaged. Washington then

(08:53):
began building the new army. His task was not just
about assembling men willing to fight. It was about shaping
the character of the men who would forge this new nation.
Courage alone was not enough. Washington worked tirelessly to instill
good order and discipline, secure supplies, and institute rigorous training

(09:14):
to produce soldiers who could fight toe to toe with
the British Army, then the best army in the world,
Washington wrote, Discipline is the soul of an army. It
makes small numbers formidable procures success to the weak, and

(09:35):
esteem to all. As the army took shape, each battle
told the story of audacity and sacrifice. Washington won his
first victory at Boston in seventeen seventy six, but suffered
heavily at Quebec. When the British returned that year to

(09:57):
New York in full force, the army fought doggedly from
Long Island to New Jersey. Washington's army suffered heavy casualties,
but never giving up. With winter setting in general, Washington
did the unthinkable, the bold Christmas night crossing of the
Delaware River in a blizzard, and the subsequent victories at

(10:19):
Trenton and Princeton turned the tide of the revolution and
proved to the world the unbreakable spirit of the American patriot.
These battles were more than military engagements. They were seminal
moments that gave birth to our nation. Every volley fire,

(10:43):
every battle won, and every sacrifice paid moved our nation
one step closer to the promise of self determination and freedom. Today,
as we celebrate two hundred and fifty years of the
United States Army, we remember that the greatest victory ever

(11:04):
for liberty sovereignty and independence was won by ordinary people.
The gallant soldiers of Washington's Continental Army answered the call
of liberty and rushed into battle not only for their
own freedom, but for hours as well. Their story defines
us all. It tells us what we stand for and

(11:24):
who we are as a nation born through the sacrifice
of our first heroes, who gave their lives for the
greatest experiment in self government the world has ever known. Today,
every soldier who dons the uniform guards that sacred legacy,
ensuring that the ideals of freedom, duty, honor, and country

(11:45):
continue to shine brightly for the whole world to see.
The heroes of Lexington Conquered and Bunker Hill are not
long forgotten ancestors. They are brothers in arms, standing to
the left and to the right of us. In our formations.
To this day, the courage of the Revolutionary War soldier

(12:08):
and minuteman beats in the hearts of every American soldier.
These individuals strive every day to build a future that
embodies the extraordinary spirit of our nation's very first citizen soldiers,
as defined by George Washington in seventeen seventy five when
he said, when we assumed the soldier. We did not

(12:33):
lay aside the citizen. The formation of our army is
a testament to the power and enduring spirit of a
people determined to secure their destiny of liberty. As your
Secretary of Defense, I am profoundly grateful to every individual
who has served, from the courageous patriots of the American

(12:54):
Revolution who won our freedom, to the soldiers currently serving
around the world defending our constitution and way of life. Today,
on this momentous two hundred and fiftieth anniversary of America's Army,
let us honor the legacy of those who came before
us by committing ourselves to building a future worthy of

(13:17):
their sacrifice. May we always remember that in our unity
there is strength, In our courage, there is hope, and
through our service there is an unbreakable promise to defend
freedom for all. As we celebrate this rich history, I
invite you to reflect on the enduring spirit that began
humbly in seventeen seventy five, a spirit that, against all odds,

(13:40):
forged our nation's independence, freedom, and liberty. This spirit remains
the backbone of our nation today. No matter what challenge
we may encounter, This spirit will propel us into the
future with unwavering resolve. Thank you for joining me in
celebrating our shared heritage. God bless you, God bless the

(14:01):
United States Army, God speed to our warriors, and God
bless America.

Speaker 1 (14:08):
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(14:29):
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(14:54):
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(15:17):
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(15:42):
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