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In this episode, I look broadly at the development of Medieval thought and learning since the end of the Roman Empire in the West.  The philosopher Boethius in the early 6th century CE, would undertake the task of translating the works of Plato and Aristotle from Greek to Latin.  This would be an undertaking he would not be able to finish.  His translation of Aristotle's Categories, part of Aristotle's more extensive work on logic, would be "rediscovered" in the 11th century.  The Categories would alter Medieval thinking and learning, setting the stage for Scholasticism.

Resources:
The Closing of the Western Mind by Charles Freeman
The World of Medieval Learning by Anders Piltz
Excellent YouTube video on Aristotle's Categories:
Aristotle's Logic: Categories & Porphyry's Tree (Organon, Part 1)

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Intro Music: Hayden Symphony #39
Outro Music: Vivaldi Concerto for Mandolin and Strings in D

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The university as an educational institution appeared in the 12th century CE.  The Universities of Paris and Bologna became models of higher education right up to the present day.  The emergence of the university as an urban learning institution coincided with a shift in the intellectual culture of Europe in the later part of the Middle Ages.  The change from monasteries to universities, along with the rediscovery of many classical texts, introduced a new method of teaching and learning.  In this episode, I briefly survey the development and organization of the Medieval university.  And I introduce this new teaching method of scholasticism.

For a further discussion of the impact of the Medieval university,  here is a BBC In Our Time broadcast:  In Our Time - The Medieval University - BBC Sounds

More on the Medieval curriculum: What Did European Universities Teach During the Middle Ages

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If you enjoy this podcast, you can help support my work to deliver great historical content. Consider buying me a coffee:
I Take History With My Coffee is writing a history blog and doing a history podcast. (buymeacoffee.com)

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Intro Music: Hayden Symphony #39
Outro Music: Vivaldi Concerto for Mandolin and Strings in D

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Over the last thirty years, we have witnessed how the introduction of the internet and the rise of social media has spurred drastic cultural and social changes that have impacted all aspects of life.  Many of the same themes can be discussed when looking at the shift from manuscript to printing at the end of the 15th century.  In this episode, I highlight some of these cultural shifts and the impact of printing on society. 

Resources:
The Printing Press as an Agent of Change: Communications and Cultural Transformations in Early-Modern Europe by Elizabeth Eisenstein. 

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If you enjoy this podcast, you can help support my work to deliver great historical content. Consider buying me a coffee:
I Take History With My Coffee is writing a history blog and doing a history podcast. (buymeacoffee.com)

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Intro Music: Hayden Symphony #39
Outro Music: Vivaldi Concerto for Mandolin and Strings in D

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Though some modern features such as title pages and pagination did not develop until the 16th century, the book's basic form has remained unchanged since the first codexes appeared in the 1st century CE.  As innovated by Gutenberg's press, mechanical printing did not create the book.  It just changed the way books were produced.  In this episode, I trace the developments and innovations in written texts, from the papyrus rolls of antiquity to medieval manuscripts.  I also provide an overview of book production in the Middle Ages compared to the printing press. 

Resources:
How to make a Medieval manuscript: An introduction in 7 videos.

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If you enjoy this podcast, you can help support my work to deliver great historical content. Consider buying me a coffee:
I Take History With My Coffee is writing a history blog and doing a history podcast. (buymeacoffee.com)

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Intro Music: Hayden Symphony #39
Outro Music: Vivaldi Concerto for Mandolin and Strings in D

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Printing and movable type were known before Johannes Gutenberg.   Both had developed in the Far East.  Gutenberg was able to combine different technologies, and with his knowledge of metalworking, he devised a mechanical system that made the printing process easy and efficient.  Like the internet in the 21st century, the printing press would go on to revolutionize the way information was distributed and accessed.  In this episode, I explore the background of Gutenberg's achievement.

Resources:
Images of the Mainz Indulgences (Princeton University)
The Gutenberg Bible (Princeton University)
Gutenberg Foundation, Mainz, Germany
The Printing Revolution in Early Modern Europe by Elizabeth Eisenstein
The Gutenberg Revolution: How Printing Changed the Course of History by John Man

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Podcast website: https://www.podpage.com/i-take-history-with-my-coffee/
Visit my blog at itakehistory.com and also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and Bluesky.

Comments and feedback can be sent to [email protected].
You can also leave a review on Apple Podcast and Spotify.
Refer to the episode number in the subject line.

If you enjoy this podcast, you can help support my work to deliver great historical content. Consider buying me a coffee:
I Take History With My Coffee is writing a history blog and doing a history podcast. (buymeacoffee.com)

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Intro Music: Hayden Symphony #39
Outro Music: Vivaldi Concerto for Mandolin and Strings in D

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By the mid-16th century, the Spanish were in the Americas, and the Portuguese reached both China and Japan.  By doing so, the Portuguese provided the final link to creating a truly globalized world.  From their arrival on Chinese shores in 1517 to the settlements of Macau and Nagasaki, it would not be easy for the Portuguese, nor would their relationship with either China or Japan last far beyond the 17th century.  In this episode, I discuss how the Portuguese ended up in China and Japan to finally connect the world in trade, politics, and an exchange of cultures.

Resources:
Superpower Interrupted: The Chinese History of the World by Michael Schuman 

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Podcast website: https://www.podpage.com/i-take-history-with-my-coffee/
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Comments and feedback can be sent to [email protected].
You can also leave a review on Apple Podcast and Spotify.
Refer to the episode number in the subject line.

If you enjoy this podcast, you can help support my work to deliver great historical content. Consider buying me a coffee:
I Take History With My Coffee is writing a history blog and doing a history podcast. (buymeacoffee.com)

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Intro Music: Hayden Symphony #39
Outro Music: Vivaldi Concerto for Mandolin and Strings in D

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Like any modern commodity, the spice trade of the 16th century was a complex system.  The Portuguese were never able to achieve the desired monopoly on this trade.  In this episode, I provide an overview of the spice trade as it was under the Portuguese until the end of the 16th century.

Resources:
Spices: A Global History by Fred Czarra
Spices, Scents, and Silk: Catalysts of World Trade by James Hancock
Map of the Spice Islands

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Refer to the episode number in the subject line.

If you enjoy this podcast, you can help support my work to deliver great historical content. Consider buying me a coffee:
I Take History With My Coffee is writing a history blog and doing a history podcast. (buymeacoffee.com)

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Intro Music: Hayden Symphony #39
Outro Music: Vivaldi Concerto for Mandolin and Strings in D

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Afonso de Albuquerque was known as the "Lion of the Seas" and the "Caesar of the East."  He was the architect of the Portuguese empire in India.  As the second Viceroy of the Portuguese State of India, he asserted Portuguese naval supremacy, created a permanent base of operations, and with the capture of Malacca, gained direct access to the spice markets of Indonesia.  It would be the foundation of Portuguese expansion that would reach China and Japan within fifty years. 



Resources:
Conquerors: How Portugal Forged the First Global Empire by Roger Crowley
Foundations of the Portuguese Empire, 1415-1580 by Bailey W. Diffie and George D. Winius

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Refer to the episode number in the subject line.

If you enjoy this podcast, you can help support my work to deliver great historical content. Consider buying me a coffee:
I Take History With My Coffee is writing a history blog and doing a history podcast. (buymeacoffee.com)

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Intro Music: Hayden Symphony #39
Outro Music: Vivaldi Concerto for Mandolin and Strings in D

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In this episode, I look at the early efforts of the Portuguese to intrude upon the spice trade in the Indian Ocean.  Within six months of Vasco da Gama's return, King Manuel I had outfitted and armed a larger flotilla.  It would be the start of a series of fleets of ever-increasing size and firepower that would last until the mid-17th century.  These fleets would be instrumental in the Portuguese success and lay the foundation of their emerging empire.  The Portuguese would develop a strategy of terror and violence to gain the submission of the local rulers and access to the lucrative spice markets. 


Resources:
Map of the Portuguese India Run (Carreira da Índia)
Conquerors : How Portugal Forged the First Global Empire by Roger Crowley

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https://substack.com/@itakehistorywithmycoffee

Podcast website: https://www.podpage.com/i-take-history-with-my-coffee/
Visit my blog at itakehistory.com and also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and Bluesky.

Comments and feedback can be sent to [email protected].
You can also leave a review on Apple Podcast and Spotify.
Refer to the episode number in the subject line.

If you enjoy this podcast, you can help support my work to deliver great historical content. Consider buying me a coffee:
I Take History With My Coffee is writing a history blog and doing a history podcast. (buymeacoffee.com)

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Intro Music: Hayden Symphony #39
Outro Music: Vivaldi Concerto for Mandolin and Strings in D

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On July 8, 1497, Vasco da Gama departed Lisbon, Portugal.  In May 1498 he had reached India.  In doing so, he and his crew became the first Europeans to see India after sailing directly from a European port.  In this episode, I trace da Gama's voyage and his initial reception in the city of Calicut. 


The Roteiro, or A Journal of the First Voyage of Vasco da Gama
Interactive map of Vasco da Gama's voyage

Support the show

Find us on Substack. Both Free and Premium content is available:

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Podcast website: https://www.podpage.com/i-take-history-with-my-coffee/
Visit my blog at itakehistory.com and also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and Bluesky.

Comments and feedback can be sent to [email protected].
You can also leave a review on Apple Podcast and Spotify.
Refer to the episode number in the subject line.

If you enjoy this podcast, you can help support my work to deliver great historical content. Consider buying me a coffee:
I Take History With My Coffee is writing a history blog and doing a history podcast. (buymeacoffee.com)

Visit audibletrial.com/itakehistory to sign up for your free trial of Audible, the leading destination for audiobooks.

Intro Music: Hayden Symphony #39
Outro Music: Vivaldi Concerto for Mandolin and Strings in D