Pax Britannica: A History of the British Empire

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 ear...

26 Maj 20191h 3min

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 allianc...

19 Maj 201928min

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 c...

12 Maj 201928min

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 Howa...

5 Maj 201930min

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 ...

28 Apr 201944min

In the personal politics of early modern England, the personalities and desires of the powerful were the stuff of policy. In this episode we examine the actions of: Queen Anne, the closet-Catholic; Pr...

20 Apr 201931min

Both before and after the Flight of the Earls territory in north Ireland was forfeited to the Crown and purchased by investors. Even while the burgeoning colony of Virginia was facing its earliest cha...

13 Apr 201933min

Compared to the kingdoms of Iberia, England was fairly late to the colonisation game. This episode covers the costly failures of Elizabeth's reign, and the successful, but still costly, attempts which...

31 Mars 201933min