Surviving Nearly 2 Years of Shipwreck on a South Pacific Island in the 1880s
Today, half of the world’s population lives around the Pacific Rim. This ocean has been the crossroads of international travel, trade, and commerce for at least 500 years. The economy was driven by w...
19 Dec 202443min
How Did 450 Boers Defeat 15,000 Zulus at the Battle of Blood River in 1838?
By the 1830s, the Zulu kingdom was consolidating its power as the strongest African polity in the south-east, but was under growing pressure from British traders and hunters on the coast, and descenda...
17 Dec 202448min
Key Battles of the Barbary Wars, Episode 9: The End of North African Piracy and the Beginning of American Global Naval Hegemony
In this final episode of our series on the Barbary Wars, we look at the fates of the Barbary States. After 1815, the Barbary States lost their independence, with Algiers, Tunis, Tripoli, and Morocco s...
12 Dec 202458min
When Did Americans Become Americans? 1945, 1865, 1787, or 1776?
When news reached Parliament of the Boston radicals’ destruction of the Royal East India Company’s tea, it passed the Coercive Acts, a collection of punitive measures designed to rein in that insubord...
10 Dec 202446min
Key Battles of the Barbary Wars, Episode 8: The Second Barbary War (1815)
The conclusion of the War of 1812 elevated America's naval reputation and marked the start of the "Era of Good Feelings," a period of national pride. With peace restored, President Madison redirected ...
5 Dec 202438min
How Much of a Nation’s Fate is Bound Up In Its Geography?
Napoleon Bonaparte is reported to have said. “The policies of all powers are inherent in their geography. Is he correct? How much does geography determine the character of a nation in its politics and...
3 Dec 202441min
Key Battles of the Barbary War, Episode 7: An Uneasy Peace -- The Interbellum Period and the War of 1812
The 1807 Treaty with Tripoli ended the First Barbary War, allowing American ships to sail freely in the Mediterranean without tribute payments. This victory spurred national pride, with many Americans...
28 Nov 202443min
The Scramble for More Aircraft Carriers in WW2 Meant Retrofitting Cruisers Into These Sorts of Ships
With the Japanese taking control around the Pacific in early 1941, it became apparent that more resources and ships would be needed if there was any hope to defend against and defeat those forces. It ...
26 Nov 202453min
