Pax Britannica: A History of the British Empire

I chat with David from The Siècle about the two assassinations we've just covered: the Duke of Buckingham, and the Duc de Berry. They were both killed for political reasons, but the reaction to their deaths could not have been more different, while their assassins, John Felton and Louis Pierre Louvel, were either celebrated or forgotten. Listen to The Siècle here: http://thesiecle.com/ Check out t...

Parliament is back, and they are not happy. The Petition of Right isn't worth the paper its written on, and King Charles had flagrantly disregarded the spirit of it. He was displaying worrying tendencies - promoting Arminians and crypto-Catholics, and violating the fundamental rights of his subjects to raise money. The death of the Duke of Buckingham, rather than marking a sea change in unpopular...

Dave Broker from the Industrial Revolutions podcast presents this guest episode on the engine, pun intended, of Britain's imperial might. Listen to the show here: https://industrialrevolutionspod.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

John Felton, the man who rammed a dagger into the heart of the second most powerful individual in the British Isles, claimed he did so out of patriotism and piety. That's probably the truth, but it wasn't the whole truth. Felton had serious personal grievances with the Duke of Buckingham, and had spent months trying to get his justice. We also look at the early years of the future Archbishop of Ca...

Charles, yet again, calls a parliament in search of taxation, but the Commons are willing to negotiate. In return for an acknowledgement that Charles had acted illegally, they will grant him subsidies. The ever-present thorn that is the Duke of Buckingham hasn't gone away, and the king still protects him from political attack. But impeachment isn't the only way to remove an evil counsellor... Chec...

With Buckingham protected from impeachment, but at the cost of taxation, Charles finds another way to raise the money needed to prosecute a war. Buckingham, eager to prove himself, leads a new expedition in person; to try and save the Huguenots that his ships had attacked. The Siege of Saint-Martin was the lynchpin, not only of Buckingham's recovered reputation, but of Charles' money troubles, Stu...

At Sound Education I met up with Mike Duncan, creator of The History of Rome and Revolutions, and the author of the New York Times best selling Storm Before the Storm. We chatted about the state of podcasting, the differences between writing for the spoken and written word, the impact that the British Civil Wars had on future revolutions, and the most annoying revolutionary monarchs, among many ot...

This is just a short catch up episode to share what I experienced at Sound Education 2019. I met so many great podcasters, many that I've listened to for years and many more that are now in my queue. www. SoundEducation.fm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As I'm away at Sound Education, this is a reupload of an old History of Witchcraft episode on the origins and development of Halloween. Today we cover the development of Halloween - its development from a Celtic harvest festival, which may or may not have involved the ritual slaughter of infant children, and its merger with the Christian holy days of All Saints and All Souls, emerging from the mel...

After the disastrous Cadiz expedition, Charles calls another parliament. The small amount of taxation granted the previous year had been spent before it was even collected, and with the failure of Wimbledon the Stuart forces were in dire need of reinforcement and resupply. The only way was taxation, but parliament wanted something in return. They wanted the Duke of Buckingham's head on a platter....

Charles, fresh from his wedding, summons his first parliament. The previous year the House of Commons had been eager for war with Spain, and happy to pay for it. Surely they would be now? What grievances could they possibly have after just a few months of his reign? In other news, the Anglo-Dutch expedition to Spain gets monumentally hammered. Check out the podcast website: https://www.paxbritanni...

Charles inherited three kingdoms, each different in politics, administration, and culture. We also hear about the 1622 Massacre, the transformation of Virginia into a Crown Colony, and the marriage between Charles and Henrietta Maria, Princess of France. Check out the podcast website: https://www.paxbritannica.info Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PodBritannica/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/Brit...

With the return of Buckingham and Charles from Madrid, the last chance for a diplomatic answer to the Thirty Years War fades away. As James' health worsens, his son and his favourite try and harness parliament to their own ends, which would one day backfire. Check out the podcast website: https://www.paxbritannica.info Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PodBritannica/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/...

The apple does not fall far from the tree, as Charles follows in his father's footsteps and tries to win his wife through a brave and romantic adventure! With his partner in crime, George Villiers, he will travel, uninvited, to the Spanish court at Madrid and woo his beloved Infanta through this selfless act. It doesn't go well. Check out the podcast website: https://www.paxbritannica.info Faceboo...

As war engulfes Europe, James is stuck between a rock and a hard place: his son-in-law is now wearing a stolen crown, and he still wants a marriage with its owners. He's also in crippling debt, and the only way forward is to call another parliament. Check out the podcast website: https://www.paxbritannica.info Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PodBritannica/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/Britannic...

What happened in James' first Kingdom while he was down south living it up in London? Rebellious lords were brought to heel and the Kirk was forcibly brought closer to the Church of England. We also hear about the first, failed, beginnings of Nova Scotia, and the much more successful colony of St Kitts, while the burgeoning war in Europe becomes a family affair for James. Check out the podcast web...

What was the religious background to James' English reign? Was everyone on board with the established church? Of course not! We look at those who were content with the Church of England, those who wished for a return to Roman Catholicism, and those who believed the Church needed further reform. Outside of this debate were the Pilgrims, who thought the whole project was beyond repair, and were dete...

A delve into the careers of two of the king's fond advisers/possible lovers: the Earl of Somerset, Robert Carr/Kerr, and the Duke of Buckingham, George Villiers. One rose to a great height, acquired riches and power, and came crashing down to earth like Icarus. The other would climb higher, attain more influence and wealth, and survive his king. These two men became manifestations, and major cause...

In this episode, we catch up with events across the Atlantic; the colonies of Virginia, Bermuda, and Newfoundland, and how they are faring. We also look at the ridiculously successful first decades of the East India Company, and get a glimpse of the fantastical levels of wealth that were on offer for investors in its voyages. Check out the podcast website: https://www.paxbritannica.info Facebook:...

The death of the Prince of Wales Henry Frederick, the Prince that was Promised, almost derailed James' international diplomacy. Both the English and Irish Parliaments were summoned, with similar results. The King's attempt to renegotiate the trade relationship with the Dutch backfires horrendously. Check out the podcast website: https://www.paxbritannica.info Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Pod...

Was James VI and I truly the witch-hunting, demon-studying zealot that he has traditionally been seen as? Today we take a look at the court of King James, and hear about the trials that dotted his early reign. Check out the podcast website: https://www.paxbritannica.info Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PodBritannica/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/BritannicaPax In this episode I made particular u...

We say goodbye to the Earl of Salisbury, chief minister of King James in England. He had failed to bring parliament and king together, but he was indispensible to the government. International alliances are found with the Palatinate, as war brews on the continent, and the Great Equaliser comes for the Crown Prince. Check out the podcast website: https://www.paxbritannica.info Facebook: https://www...

The king's debts are skyrocketing, and the Earl of Salisbury has a solution: the Great Contract. With concessions from King James, and generosity from the Commons, England's ancient financial system can be reformed, the budget balanced, and unpopular traditions removed. Perhaps Salisbury will succeed in getting "honey from gall" after all... Check out the podcast website: https://www.paxbritannica...

James' Privy Council, in contrast to the Bedchamber, was made up of Elizabethan-era lords, but three men in particular dominated government and parliament. Robert Cecil, Earl of Salisbury, Thomas Howard, Earl of Suffolk, and Henry Howard, Earl of Northampton. They didn't all like each other, but they worked together to try and steer the king and control parliament. Check out the podcast website: h...

In a special episode BT Newberg and I talk about the highs and lows of making a history podcast. What made us want to start a podcast? Why did we pick the subjects we did? What are the best and worst things about it? Peak behind the curtain! Go check out Dead Ideas: https://deadideas.net/ Check out the podcast website: https://www.paxbritannica.info  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PodBritannic...