After the Civil Wars, after Ireland and Scotland had been tamed, the focus turned to national governance. Oliver Cromwell and the New Model Army were in control. The balance between Cromwell and Parliament was never met. There were several Parliaments called and dismissed. Although the Commonwealth had some successes at home and abroad, the people were miserable. It seems it had been easier to be the opposition than to lead. Cromwell's hold on power was total with the help of his Army. When he died, there was no one that could take his place... the Commonwealth was over... and Charles II was coming quickly.

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The death of Charles I did not end the controversy or the terror in England. It did not end the controversy or terror in Ireland. It did not end the controversy or terror in Scotland. In fact, it may have just begun... In this episode, we look at the Irish Campaign of Oliver Cromwell with a brief overview of two of his most famous, or infamous, victories, through not only the lens of the historic narrative, but Cromwell's own words. It will set the stage for his final chapter and the Restoration of the Stuart line in England.

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After Charles fled London, it only got worse. There was trouble in England. There was trouble in Scotland. There was trouble in Ireland. The emergence of Oliver Cromwell changed the dynamics. The Scots had helped the Parliamentarians, but they were not as successful when it came to Charles. The New Model Army thrived. The Regicides did the unthinkable. In the end, Oliver Cromwell was in complete control... but there would be fallout.

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What do the Jay Treaty, the Logan Act, Fries' Rebellion, and the Alien and Sedition Acts have to do with this time? Are they all connected? We are taking a short break from our series on Charles I this week. Instead we will be discussing the XYZ Affair. The 1790s in America were almost as messy as the 1640s in England. There was trouble with both France and England. The United States had treaties with both nations, and those treaties conflicted. When the French Revolution wiped the Monarchy away, war with England was inevitable. The combination of the conflicting treaties and the expectation for the United States allegiance further divided American politics. When the French minister, Genet, tried to use the United States as a staging area for France to attack both England and Spain, there was resentment. When the French minister Talleyrand attempted to bribe the United States, there were calls for war... and there actually was a two year Quasi War fought from 1798-1800. President John Adams made a lot of mistakes during these tense years, but in the end, he may have saved the country. There are a lot of lessons here for our day.

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As 1641 rolled into 1642, there was a monumental political battle that took place in London. A political chess match that forever changed the English government. It would be the catalyst for change throughout the "Western" world. In the end, John Pym would force Charles I to flee England. John Pym's creativity and tenacity helped write the preamble for so many revolutions to come. For Charles, it was the beginning of the end. The actions in December and January would lead to 9 years of Civil War and the beheading of Charles I; the theater was better than fiction! In this episode, you are invited to watch this epic battle for control as it plays itself out.

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As Charles wrestled with the Scottish invasion and a necessary Parliament, the Irish rebelled and complicated everything. The Earl of Strafford, a trusted advisor, was in the crosshairs of John Pym. The politics of the 1640s was off to a roaring start! The walls seemed to be closing in on Charles; the world was changing, and every move was critical. Would he rise to the occasion, or would his pride and personal conviction get the better of him?

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Over the course of his reign, Charles I had made a lot of enemies. He managed to insult just about everybody at one time or another. Nothing compared to what happened with Scotland. This was a situation he had created that could not be ignored. They would not let it go. He needed help. He needed Parliament to raise the necessary funds to put down the rebellion. When he finally called a Parliament, it did not go well. They were quickly dismissed only to be called again a short time later. What he found was that Parliament was as unforgiving as the Scots. What he also found was his greatest rival, John Pym. Their political chess match would change the course of English Politics.

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King Charles found a way to survive without Parliament. He found creative ways to collect revenue. In spite of a round of plague, the 1630s were not so bad in England. But Charles found a way to aggravate not only the "system" but the people as well, in all levels of society. Once his work was done in England, he moved to Scotland. Taking direct aim at Presbyterian worship, he managed to unify the nation against him... there would be no appeasement. Charles and his Bishops had sparked a movement that would grow to a raging inferno... and he would get burned.

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Perspective is a funny thing. Tricky. Charles I was never popular with Parliament. From the start, his autocratic approach was in direct conflict with the Parliamentarians. So, he dissolved Parliament for over a decade. To raise funds, he leaned on ancient and questionable taxes. Through Forced Loans and Ship Money, he managed to turn a lot of the people against him. What was the legality of these taxes? The question to ask is, was Charles the hero or the villain? Was he operating within the law or breaking it? From one of the illustrations we looked at, was he a "highwayman" or a "bastard"?

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What happens when an autocratic Anglican King crosses a Puritan Parliament? Disaster. In this episode, we will introduce King Charles I with a short biography and a peek inside the lifestyle of this Scottish king. He was a totalitarian at heart. Parliament did not like his policies, his advisor (or Minister), or his wife. What happened was both predictable and tragic. What happened changed the course of English politics. In time, it would change the colonial landscape as well.

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