Why Wars Happened History Podcast

The American Revolution still has secrets. Historian Jim Ambuske reveals hidden documents, Scottish influence, and the discoveries reshaping how we understand King George III, Virginia leaders, and America’s fight for independence. ⏱ Timestamps 00:00 – Welcome Jim Ambuske 00:24 – Jim’s podcasting journey at Mount Vernon 01:32 – Transition to George Mason University 02:55 – Discoveries at Windsor C...

Strange omens darkened Virginia—comets in the sky, swarms of pigeons blotting out the sun—and fear spread like wildfire among the colonists. Into this tension stepped Nathaniel Bacon, a young newcomer who openly criticized Governor Berkeley’s weak leadership. As native attacks escalated, violent misunderstandings with the Doeg and Susquehannock tribes spiraled out of control, culminating in a bloo...

In this immersive episode of America Before the Revolution, uncover how the king’s land giveaways to his favorites and the devastating Navigation Acts left the colony’s economy in ruins. Desperate colonists secretly turned to the Dutch for survival, even as Berkeley’s government tightened its grip with unfair taxation and hidden corruption. Out of this chaos rose Nathaniel Bacon—a fiery young lead...

In this immersive episode of America Before the Revolution, discover how King Charles II gave away the entire colony of Virginia to his two friends, demanding back payments and control that enraged colonists. As outrage grew, the Assembly fought back, and Virginia’s economy buckled under falling tobacco prices and costly wars with the Dutch. Meanwhile, Governor Berkeley—once loved by the people—tr...

Before the American Revolution, Virginia was drowning in chaos. Tobacco prices collapsed, dragging the colony into poverty. Leaders tried to limit tobacco across colonies—but the plan fell apart, leaving farmers desperate. Behind the scenes, secret tax schemes, corruption in the Assembly, and useless construction projects only fueled resentment. And then came disaster: hurricanes, floods, and fami...

After Oliver Cromwell’s death, Virginia’s hopes for relief vanished. Instead, the crown tightened its grip with the Navigation Acts—laws that forced colonists to sell tobacco at rock-bottom prices while paying crushing taxes. Farmers starved, trade collapsed, and desperation spread like wildfire. Governor Berkeley begged the king for help, but England turned a deaf ear. What followed was a tale of...

In this immersive episode of Why Wars Happened, step inside the chaos after Oliver Cromwell’s death in 1658. His son Richard briefly took power, but his weakness paved the way for the exiled son of the executed king to return as Charles II. In Virginia, the Assembly seized its moment of self-rule—only to invite back the familiar hand of Governor Berkeley. The people remained loyal to the crown, ev...

In this immersive episode of Why Wars Happened, step inside 1658 Virginia, where Governor Matthews attempted to dissolve the elected Assembly and rule alone. But the Assembly fought back, launching an investigation and declaring their right to self-govern. At the same moment, across the ocean, Oliver Cromwell’s death shattered England’s plans to strip power from Virginia’s leaders. For a brief, da...

In this immersive episode of Why Wars Happened, step into the chaos of Virginia after the execution of King Charles I. With Parliament in control, Virginia drafted its own constitution, tested the limits of self-rule, and faced down the crushing weight of the Navigation Acts. But freedom came at a cost: Dutch settlers nearly split the colony in civil war, and colonists raised their voices in the f...

In this immersive episode of Why Wars Happened, step into 1650s Virginia, where Governor Berkeley swore loyalty to the executed king and refused to bow to Parliament—the “king-killers.” With militias arming and British soldiers patrolling the James River, Virginia stood at the brink of a colonial war. The colonists secretly traded with the Dutch, gaining wealth even as England bled losses. But the...

In this immersive episode of Why Wars Happened, journey to 17th-century Virginia, where an unpopular governor was cast out and replaced by the young and determined Sir William Berkeley. Called back from England’s civil war, Berkeley returned to lead campaigns after a devastating 1644 massacre, earning fame as a hero while balancing the colony’s loyalty to the crown. But crisis soon turned to defia...

In this immersive episode of Why Wars Happened, step into the chaotic reign of Governor John Harvey, whose corruption and abuse of power pushed Virginia to the edge of rebellion. From secret deals and religious tension to betrayal in Virginia’s mini-war with Maryland, Harvey’s reckless rule set the stage for a dramatic showdown. When his own council turned against him, Harvey was dragged into subm...

In this immersive episode of Why Wars Happened, step into Virginia’s turbulent shift from a company-run colony to a royal possession under King James. The colonists fought to defend their rights, even as betrayals fractured the Assembly and the monarchy cut secret deals for profit. Governors like Sir Francis Wyatt and Sir George Yeardley worked to preserve democracy, but a darker shadow loomed: Go...

In this immersive episode of Why Wars Happened, step into the chaos of 1622 Virginia, when a brutal massacre shattered the colony and gave King James the perfect excuse to rip Virginia away from the Virginia Company. The people’s early experiments with democracy were crushed under royal control, as the crown’s hunger for tobacco profits reshaped the colony’s future. But the changes ran deeper than...

In this immersive episode of Why Wars Happened, Emily Ross takes you inside early 1600s Virginia, where desperation and disaster destroyed the government—and democracy rose from the ashes. With its reputation in ruins, the Virginia Company was forced to allow colonists to elect their own representatives, despite King James’ deep hatred for self-rule. What followed was a struggle for survival and p...

Are you one of those people that's more interested in the politics and events leading up to history's wars rather than the wars themselves? Then this is the show for you. Welcome to Why Wars Happened, where we dive into the fascinating political intrigue behind history's biggest wars. I'm your host, Emily Ross. Each season, we focus on a different historical war and every Wednesday, we release a n...

In this immersive episode of Why Wars Happened, step into the brutal early years of Jamestown, where harsh governors ruled through fear, and the colony nearly collapsed under famine, violence, and betrayal. Tobacco’s rise offered hope, but iron and glass-making dreams ended in failure, while the 1622 massacre turned promise into bloodshed. As England and Spain fought over tobacco profits, King Jam...

In this immersive episode of Why Wars Happened, journey into the early chaos of Jamestown, where survival meant hard labor enforced by fear. Colonists were whipped, starved, and even had cold water poured down their sleeves for swearing. Some tried to abandon the colony—only to be forced back when an English ship arrived at the perfect, almost miraculous moment. From the devastating “Starving Time...

In this immersive episode of Why Wars Happened, we dive into the chaotic early days of Jamestown, where colonists fought each other as much as they fought to survive. Secret councils schemed in the shadows, John Smith was imprisoned, and starvation brought the colony to the edge of collapse. Through rumors, explosions, and political infighting, John Smith clawed his way to power—becoming the colon...

In this immersive episode of Why Wars Happened, step into England in the 1500s and 1600s, a kingdom on the edge of collapse. Forests — as vital as water — were disappearing. The population doubled, food prices soared, jobs vanished, and crime exploded across the streets. Harsh Poor Laws tried to control the desperate, but poverty and hunger only grew worse. As wars with France and Spain drained th...

In this immersive episode of Why Wars Happened, uncover the dark and chaotic life of King James I—from his turbulent youth and bloody family drama to his uneasy rule over England and Scotland. Facing crushing debt, rising crime, and competition with Europe, James turned to a dangerous solution: colonizing America. His gamble gave birth to Jamestown, the first permanent English colony—a settlement...

In this immersive episode of Why Wars Happened, step into the chaotic birth of Jamestown, where debt, desperation, and ambition fueled the first permanent English colony in America. Discover how King James I’s need for cash gave rise to the Virginia Company, a business venture that gambled everything on the New World. But before the colony even began, the journey itself turned dark: John Smith, im...