Western Civ

John Winthrop and others found the Massachusetts Bay Company.Western Civ 2.0 Podcast Free Trial

Jamestown was not the only English colony. Enter stage left: the Pilgrims. (Well, really Separatists but you get the point...)Western Civ Podcast 2.0

The English at Jamestown finally find a savior. It just turns out that savior is tobacco...Western Civ Podcast 2.0

Jamestown survives as James Smith guides the colony. Meanwhile, in London, new plans are hatched to turn Jamestown profitable.Western Civ 2.0

A reminder that every other episode of the series on Jamestown will be available only to patrons. To try a free membership for a week or to support the show and get access to all the materials, check out the link below.Western Civ 2.0 

Today, I sit down with Tom McMillan and discuss his most recent book: The Year That Made America: From Rebellion to Independence, 1775-1776.This gripping account reveals the precarious path to American independence through a series of pivotal dates that history has nearly forgotten. While July 4th claims the glory, the actual vote for independence came on July 2nd—and even that historic moment almost didn't happen. From January's publication of Common Sense to December's darkest hours of the Revolution, McMillan reconstructs the dramatic months when rebellious colonies transformed into a new nation.Through meticulous research and compelling storytelling, the book reveals:How the pivotal events of May 15, June 7, and July 2 shaped America's destinyWhy Congress's bold January declaration triggered a chain of unstoppable eventsThe behind-the-scenes feud between Adams and Jefferson on their views of government after independence was wonHow the Declaration's influence extended from Lincoln's Gettysburg Address to modern timesThis timely narrative strips away the myths to expose the raw political courage that launched a revolution. From heated Congressional debates to the dangerous aftermath of declaring independence, McMillan delivers a fresh perspective on America's founding that resonates powerfully with today's political challenges.Buy The Book

Today I interview Historian John Bicknell about his newest book: The Pathfinder and the President.In 1856, John C. Frémont—the famed "Pathfinder" of the American West—became the Republican Party's first presidential nominee on an anti-slavery platform. Five years later, now a Union general under President Lincoln, he sparked a national crisis by unilaterally declaring emancipation in Missouri. Drawing from extensive research, author John Bicknell masterfully chronicles the volatile relationship between these two leaders as they grappled with slavery, military strategy, and the future of the nation.From award-winning historian John Bicknell comes an essential new perspective on the Civil War era, acclaimed by scholars as "powerful," "engaging," and "distinctive." Perfect for readers of both Civil War history and political biography, this compelling narrative shows how the clash between Lincoln and Frémont helped determine the course of emancipation and the outcome of the war itself.Buy the Book HERETo support this podcast join our Patreon.

Today we begin an in-depth look at Jamestown - England's first successful colony in North America. I will examine the situation in England and along the Chesapeake leading up to 1607. Then John Smith and the rest of the English arrive and the real fun begins.To listen to Part Two, you will need to be a Patreon member. To become one, click this LINK for a free trial. 

I briefly cover the Dutch East and West Indies Companies plus Dutch colonization efforts in the Americas.Western Civ 2.0

France and England finally get into the colonization game.Western Civ 2.0

In this episode, I give a quick refresher on Portuguese colonization. Western Civ 2.0

In this episode I cover Spain's colonial efforts between 1492 and 1600, focusing on the broad economic, political, and social trends.Western Civ 2.0

In recent years, from school board meetings to the halls of Congress, Americans have engaged in fierce debates about how slavery and its legacies ought to be taught, researched, and narrated. But since the earliest days of the Republic, political leaders, abolitionists, judges, scholars, and ordinary citizens have all struggled to explain and understand the peculiar institution.  In Making Sense of Slavery, historian Scott Spillman shows that the study of slavery was a vital catalyst for the broader development of American intellectual life and politics. In contexts ranging from the plantation fields to the university classroom, Americans interpreted slavery and its afterlives through many lenses, shaping the trajectory of disciplines from economics to sociology, from psychology to history. Spillman delves deeply into the archives, and into the pathbreaking work of scholars such as W. E. B. Du Bois and Annette Gordon-Reed, to trace how generations of Americans have wrestled with the paradox of slavery in a country founded on principles of liberty and equality.  As the debate over the place of slavery in our history rages on, Making Sense of Slavery shows that what is truly central to American history is this very debate itself. BUY THE BOOK

Before turning to the New World, we bring the Old World up to speed, covering Louis XIII and France, Philip's heirs in Spain, the Ottoman Empire, and the Time of Troubles in Russia.Western Civ 2.0

The Thirty Years War comes to an end, leaving Germany devastated and divided.Western Civ 2.0

The Holy Roman Empire wilts under the combined pressure of Sweden and France. Spain exits our stage. And Central Europe lurches toward peace.Western Civ 2.0

Shifting alliances continue to hamper peace efforts in the Thirty Years War.Western Civ 2.0

The Thirty Years War continues to drag on in Germany after the death of Ferdinand II and the ascension of Ferdinand III. Western Civ 2.0

The years after the death of the Swedish King Gustavus Adolphus saw the ever-shifting alliances of the Thirty Years War do maximum damage. Western Civ 2.0

King Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden briefly, but decisively, intervenes in the Thirty Years War.

Christian IV of Denmark intervenes in the Thirty Years War. WebsiteWestern Civ 2.0

The German Peasants' War was the greatest popular uprising in Western Europe before the French Revolution. In 1524 and 1525, it swept across Germany with astonishing speed as well over a hundred thousand people massed in armed bands to demand a new and more egalitarian order. The peasants took control of vast areas of southern and middle Germany, torching and plundering the monasteries, convents, and castles that stood in their way. But they proved no match for the forces of the lords, who put down the revolt by slaying somewhere between seventy and a hundred thousand peasants in just over two months.  In Summer of Fire and Blood, the first history of the German Peasants' War in a generation, historian Lyndal Roper exposes the far-reaching ramifications of this rebellion. Though the war's victors portrayed the uprising as naive and inchoate, Roper reveals a mass movement that sought to make good on the radical potential of the Protestant Reformation. By recovering what the people themselves felt and believed, Summer of Fire and Blood reconstructs the thrilling, tragic story of the peasants' fight to change the world. Buy The Book Here

Cardinal Richelieu comes to power in France, altering the course of French history.WebsiteWestern Civ 2.0 

For millennia, land has been a symbol of wealth and privilege. But the true power of land ownership is even greater than we might think. In Land Power, political scientist Michael Albertus shows that who owns the land determines whether a society will be equal or unequal, whether it will develop or decline, and whether it will safeguard or sacrifice its environment.  Modern history has been defined by land reallocation on a massive scale. From the 1500s on, European colonial powers and new nation-states shifted indigenous lands into the hands of settlers. The 1900s brought new waves of land appropriation, from Soviet and Maoist collectivization to initiatives turning large estates over to family farmers. The shuffle continues today as governments vie for power and prosperity by choosing who should get land. Drawing on a career's worth of original research and on-the-ground fieldwork, Albertus shows that choices about who owns the land have locked in poverty, sexism, racism, and climate crisis—and that what we do with the land today can change our collective fate.  Global in scope, Land Power argues that saving civilization must begin with the earth under our feet.Buy The Book

Frederick V's brief stint as the leader of the Protestant resistance comes to an end. WebsiteWestern Civ 2.0

The Thirty Years War begins with the Bohemian revolt. That begins by a bunch of guys getting chucked out a window...WebsitePatreon Support

The death of Emperor Rudolf in 1612 brought his brother Matthias to the throne. While this marked a period of recovery for the Habsburg dynasty, Matthias's position was precarious. He lacked the same authority as his brother and was already 55 years old, making his grip on power tenuous from the outset. The empire Matthias inherited was one riddled with internal divisions and vulnerabilities. The Turkish truce of 1606, though bringing much-needed peace, had ironically diminished the emperor's international standing. The Austrian Habsburgs' policy of neutrality in European conflicts further sidelined them in international affairs, further weakening the perception of imperial strength.WebsiteWestern Civ 2.0

The years leading up to the Thirty Years War saw the repeated failures of various institutions within the Holy Roman Empire.WebsiteWestern Civ Podcast

We have not covered Denmark or Sweden much since the Viking Age. Today that changes. Both kingdoms will play major roles in the Thirty Years War so today we break down how both look coming into that conflict.WebsiteWestern Civ 2.0 Free Trial

Spain was truly a world empire by the opening of the Thirty Years War in 1618. While it was not without weaknesses, it was perceived as being the most dominant European power of the early modern period. WebsiteWestern Civ 2.0

Today I interview historian Josiah Osgood and we discuss his latest book: Lawless Republic: The Rise of Cicero and the Decline of Rome. In its final decades, the Roman Republic was engulfed by a crime wave. An epidemic of extortions, murders, and acts of insurrection tested the court system's capacity to maintain order. As case after case filled the docket, an ambitious young lawyer named Cicero seized every opportunity to litigate, forging a reputation as a master debater with a bright future in politics. In Lawless Republic, historian Josiah Osgood recounts the legendary orator's ascent and fall, and his pivotal role in the republic's lurch toward autocracy.  Cicero's first appearance in the courts came shortly after the end of a brutal civil war. After leveraging his fame as a lawyer to become a consul, he ruthlessly crushed a coup by suppressing the liberties of Roman citizens. The premiere legal mind of Rome came to argue that the pursuit of a higher justice could sometimes justify sweeping the law aside, laying the groundwork for Roman history's most famous act of political violence—the assassination of Julius Caesar.  Lawless Republic vividly resurrects the spectacle of the courts in the time of Cicero and Caesar, showing how politics trumped the rule of law and sealed the fate of Rome.Buy the Book HEREWestern Civ 2.0

Russia's brutal invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 shocked the world. And yet, to Ukrainians, this attack was painfully familiar, the latest episode in a centuries-long Russian campaign to divide and oppress Ukraine.   In Intent to Destroy, political scientist Eugene Finkel uncovers these deep roots of the Russo-Ukrainian War. Ukraine is a key borderland between Russia and the West, and, following the rise of Russian nationalism in the nineteenth century, dominating Ukraine became the cornerstone of Russian policy. Russia has long used genocidal tactics—killings, deportations, starvation, and cultural destruction—to successfully crush Ukrainian efforts to chart an independent path. As Finkel shows, today's violence is simply a more extreme version of the Kremlin's long-standing policy. But unlike in the past, the people of Ukraine—motivated by the rise of democracy in their nation—have overcome their deep internal divisions. For the first time, they have united in favor of independence from Russia.  Whatever the outcome of the present war, Ukraine's staunch resistance has permanently altered its relationship to Russia and the West. Intent to Destroy offers the vital context we need to truly understand Europe's bloodiest conflict since World War II.BUY THE BOOK

The Thirty Years War might not have happened had the Habsburg monarchy been stronger. But a series of internal and external conflicts beginning in the late sixteenth century begin to change that dynamic for the worse. WebsitePatreon Support

One simply cannot understand the Thirty Years War without first digesting the Austrian Habsburgs. Today, we tell that story.WebsiteWestern Civ 2.0 Free Trial

Today, I cover the convergence of faiths in the Holy Roman Empire that will, to an extent, drive the conflict of the Thirty Years War: Catholicism, Lutheranism, and Calvinism. WebsitePatreon Support/Western Civ 2.0

As we begin the Thirty Years War, I back up a bit and explore the structure of the Holy Roman Empire.WebsiteWestern Civ 2.0 Free Trial

As you can imagine, much changed in European economic life and technology between 1450 and 1650. Here I cover many of the most relevant transformations that would alter European life in the Early Modern Period.WebsiteWestern Civ 2.0

In this episode, we discuss major political and cultural changes in Early Modern Europe.WebsiteWestern Civ 2.0

We begin our overview of Early Modern Europe with a close look at the year 1450. That is the year when most textbooks begin the era. Today we explore the changes in society, the economy, politics, and technology that make the 1450 essential for understanding how far Europeans had come since the depths of the Middle Ages.WebsiteWestern Civ 2.0

Ivan's reign ends as it began, with needless death and destruction. Ivan appears powerless to resist Lithuanian advances but is more than capable of murdering his son and heir. WebsiteWestern Civ 2.0 Free Trial

Ivan creates a new government and takes his anger out on the citizens of Novgorod. WebsiteWestern Civ 2.0 Free Trial

Ivan goes on campaign against Kazan and the guardrails start coming off. WebsitePatreon Support

Ivan IV assumes the throne after a twelve-year regency. It does not take him long to earn his nickname. WebsiteWestern Civ 2.0

Before we jump into Ivan the Terrible (Ivan IV), let's catch up on the Rus.WebsitePatreon Support

Charles and Buckingham go on an adventure to Spain which ends, spoiler alert, horribly. The Thirty Years War erupts in Germany. But James does not live to see it reach a fever pitch. WebsiteWestern Civ 2.0

James I desperately wanted to marry his son, Charles, to the Spanish Princess. However, when his son-in-law, Frederick of the Palatinate, becomes embroiled in what will become the Thirty Years War, that goal seems more and more distant by the minute.WebsitePatreon Support

A global history of the world's best-known and most influential book.For Christians, the Bible is a book inspired by God. Its eternal words are transmitted across the world by fallible human hands. Following Jesus's departing instruction to go out into the world, the Bible has been a book in motion from its very beginnings, and every community it has encountered has read, heard, and seen the Bible through its own language and culture.In The Bible, Bruce Gordon tells the astounding story of the Bible's journey around the globe and across more than two thousand years, showing how it has shaped and been shaped by changing beliefs and believers' radically different needs. The Bible has been a tool for violence and oppression, and it has expressed hopes for liberation. God speaks with one voice, but the people who receive it are scattered and divided—found in desert monasteries and Chinese house churches, in Byzantine cathedrals and Guatemalan villages.Breathtakingly global in scope, The Bible tells the story of this sacred book through the stories of its many and diverse human encounters, revealing not a static text but a living, dynamic cultural force.Buy the book HERE.

The Stuart dynasty did NOT have a good relationship with the English Parliament. That begins with King James I. WebsitePatreon Support

Aesop's fables are among the most familiar and best-loved stories in the world. Tales like “The Tortoise and the Hare,” “The Dog in the Manger,” and “Sour Grapes” have captivated us for generations. The fables delight us and teach timeless truths. Aesop's tales offer us a world fundamentally simpler to ours—one with clear good and plain evil—but nonetheless one that is marked by political nuance and literary complexity.  Newly translated and annotated by renowned scholar Robin Waterfield, this definitive translation shines a new light on four hundred of Aesop's most enduring fables. Buy The BookWebsite

Guy Fawkes et al decide to blow up King James I and the English Parliament. Spoiler alert: it doesn't work...WebsiteWestern Civ 2.0 Free Trial

The end of the reign of Elizabeth I ends the Tudor dynasty. James I becomes the first of the short-lived Stuart line. His reign begins with no shortage of economic headaches.WebsiteWestern Civ 2.0 Free Trial