Historical Context

Sir John Harvey is back as the governor of Virginia and the colony deals with the after effects of Maryland's forceful seizure of Kent Island.   Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/HistoricalCP Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the.historical.context/ Read the Early Relations Between Maryland and Virginia by John Latane: https://www.thearkandthedove.com/wp-content/upload...

On today's episode, Maryland decides to end the dispute over Kent Island by forcefully taking it from Virginia. Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/HistoricalCP Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the.historical.context/ Read the Early Relations Between Maryland and Virginia by John Latane: https://www.thearkandthedove.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/The-Early-Relations-Between-...

Today's episode concludes the mutiny in Virginia portion of our newest series.  Governor Harvey returns to England to face charges brought upon by the Council of Virginia.  The Privy Council weighs in and resolves the matter.   Virginia Seal: By UK - http://etc.usf.edu/clipart/57200/57201/57201_seal_virgini.htm, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=75035453...

Governor Harvey's tenure in Virginia goes from bad to worse.  In this episode, we cover the events up to the ousting of Sir John Harvey. Virginia Seal: By UK - http://etc.usf.edu/clipart/57200/57201/57201_seal_virgini.htm, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=75035453 Read “Virginia in 1632-34:” https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/4242330.pdf?refreqid=excelsior%3Ae19bc6...

Sir John Harvey is named the governor of Virginia and he almost immediately faces discontent with his leadership in the Jamestown colony.  From a criminal trial of his predecessor to a rival threatening to settle next door, how does Harvey keep things in Virginia together?  Virginia Seal: By UK - http://etc.usf.edu/clipart/57200/57201/57201_seal_virgini.htm, Public Domain, https://common...

With a patent in hand, Cecil Calvert makes preparations to colonize Maryland.  Calvert's brother, Leonard, serves as the first governor.  In this episode, we detail the preparations, founding, and first days of the Maryland colony.  Read the Charter of Maryland: https://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/eebo2/B09480.0001.001/1:1?rgn=div1;view=fulltext More on Leonard Calvert: https://en.wikipedi...

George Calvert, the father of the Maryland colony, took a complicated path to obtaining a royal patent.  We summarize his life and the steps he took to obtain a Catholic colony patent from King Charles I.  Read Calvert’s Petition for a New Charter: https://www.heritage.nf.ca/articles/exploration/george-calvert-letter-1629.php More on George Calvert: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_C...

After a three month hiatus, Historical Context returns to Jamestown in 1625.  Fresh off of being stripped of its charter and being converted to a royal colony, Jamestown struggles to survive.  See how the colony handles a negotiation with the king, as well as two changes in governor.  A 1629 arrival would set the stage for a new, competing colony.  Read the Petition from the Co...

In this episode, we outline the first twenty years of interest (up to 1630) and colonize by the Dutch in modern day New York and New Jersey.  While few primary sources exist, we've managed to find enough writings to tell the story.  The Dutch join the English and the Spanish (American southwest) as living in America.  Read more about the First Fort Nassau: https://en.wikipedia.org/w...

John Winthrop's "A Model of Christian Charity" was a sermon given in April 1630 while he was aboard a ship headed to the newly established Massachusetts Bay colony.  The speech is considered the earliest example of the strive towards American exceptionalism.

We return to Plymouth in today's episode only to learn that another addition to the colony is creating trouble.  Read The Division of Cattle: http://www.histarch.illinois.edu/plymouth/cattlediv.html More on Thomas Morton: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Morton_(colonist) Mayday at Merrymount photo By New York, Scribner, Armstrong, and company, publisher - https://archive.org/details/poph...

***Please note there is an audio crackle at the beginning.  That is on our end***  Charles I's dissolution of Parliament in 1629 was a critical point in the divisions between him and the growing Puritan culture in England.  While many do not consider the speech significant to American history, it does represent a turning point to immigration in America.  Without Charles I's rou...

Today's episode discusses the start of the Massachusetts Bay colony, which neighbored Plymouth and also contained English Puritans.  Our episode will introduce John Winthrop whose book, "A History of New England" would chronicle the early days of the colony.  More on Matthew Cradock: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_Cradock More on John Endecott: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_E...

***In today's episode, you will hear a few intermittent audio crackles.  That issue is on our end.***  Strife hits the Plymouth Colony as a few settlers begin to sympathize with the Church of England and opposing viewpoints.  A conspiracy unfolds leading to the first banishments from Plymouth.  Today's episode tells the story of how it all unfolded.  More on Edward Winslow...

***During today's episode, you may hear intermittent audio crackling.  That is on our end.***  Not many people are aware of the fact that New Hampshire was the third colony to be successfully established, mainly because it was not formally organized until several decades later.  In today's episode, we discuss how the early New Hampshire colonies came to be and the differences betwee...

As the Weston colony slides into failure, the Plymouth Pilgrims are forced into many of the issues caused by their floundering neighbor colony.   Read Good News from New England, Part 5: http://www.histarch.illinois.edu/plymouth/goodnews5.html  More on Edward Winslow: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Winslow  More on William Bradford: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Bradfo...

While history is full of stories of conflict between colonists and natives, there were times when the problems came from closer to home.  Today, a man from England brings all kinds of trouble to the Plymouth colony.   More on Edward Winslow: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Winslow  More on William Bradford: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Bradford_(governor)  Winslow...

The story behind the first Thanksgiving and Christmas at the Plymouth colony.  The Pilgrims also receive a native threat.   Read Mourt’s Relation, Part 6: http://www.histarch.illinois.edu/plymouth/mourt6.html  More on Edward Winslow: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Winslow  More on William Bradford: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Bradford_(governor)  Winslow Im...

The summer of 1621 brings new discoveries and loss to the Plymouth Colony.  The colony sends delegations to communicate and negotiate peace with neighboring villages.  With Squanto and other guides, the Pilgrims are informed of who to trust (and not trust).  The colony is not without loss as Governor Carver dies, leading to the beginning of William Bradford's historic term.  &n...

While many may believe that native encounters occurred immediately, the Pilgrims lived at Plymouth for four months before having any direct contact with the natives.  They must have been a little surprised when the first native spoke broken English.  Today's episode covers the first days of Plymouth and the first encounters with natives.   Read “Of Plimouth Plantation”:  https:...

Many people believe the Plymouth Pilgrims found Massachusetts, landed, and immediately started building a colony.  In fact, the colony was not started until 6 weeks after land was first spotted.  This episode covers those six weeks as the Pilgrims explore these new lands and choose the place to build Plymouth.   For the episode on Verrazanno: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jpLSEU2...

Before the Mayflower crossed the ocean, important events occurred that shaped both the English Puritans and the natives preparations to sharing New England with the Pilgrims.   Read “Of Plimouth Plantation”: https://www.amazon.com/Plymouth-Plantation-Modern-English/dp/1720937567/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=Of+Plimouth+Plantation&qid=1623594189&sr=8-3  More on the Plymouth Pi...

13 years before the Plymouth Pilgrims set foot in Massachusetts, a colony was formed in modern day Maine.  This colony was no blip on the radar, as it had a fort and lasted over a year.  It also was the site of a colonial first for the English. More on the Popham Colony: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Popham_Colony More on the Virginia Pinnace: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virginia_(pinn...

With the colony and the company in chaotic taters, will the English Parliament step in to help to Jamestown?   Read the Response to Captain Butler’s allegations: http://www.virtualjamestown.org/exist/cocoon/jamestown/fha/J1042 Read the Privy Council decision: https://www.british-history.ac.uk/acts-privy-council/vol39/pp76-100  Fife and Drum by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.film...

As the population grew and the colonists of Jamestown spread out, a threat would strike the colonists off guard and change the complexion of the colony for generations to come.  More on Sir Francis Wyatt: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_Wyatt Read the Orders and Constitutions: http://www.virtualjamestown.org/exist/cocoon/jamestown/fha/J1049 Read the Unknown Colonist’s Description of t...