The History of Modern Politics

You have heard “Timbuktu” as a stand-in for the ends of the earth, but this episode opens with West Africa at the center of wealth, learning and trade. Chris Spangle and Matt Wittlief trace the rise of the Mali Empire, from Sundiata Keita to Mansa Musa, whose famed pilgrimage to Mecca becomes a lens for how gold, scholarship and Islamic trade networks connected the medieval world.

Then the timeline snaps back to Europe and the crisis of the late Middle Ages. The conversation follows demographic collapse from the Great Famine through the Black Death, including how plague spread and why it hit with such force. From there, it moves through religious turmoil tied to the Avignon papacy and growing resentment of clerical wealth, plus the long-running battles over heresy that set the stage for later upheaval.

Finally, the episode returns to political instability, from uprisings in Flanders and France to the burdens of the Hundred Years’ War, shifting labor laws, Parliament’s pushback, and England’s convulsions from Edward II to Edward III to Richard II. It closes with the Peasants’ Revolt, court politics, a cascade of titles and rivalries, and the fall of Richard II as Henry Bolingbroke takes the crown as Henry IV, with a tease of more turmoil before the Tudors.

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In Episode 2 of Season 2 of The History of Modern Politics, Chris Spangle and Matt Whitlow trace the Edwardian period from Edward I’s legal reforms and Parliament’s growing role through Edward II’s favorites, Queen Isabella’s coup and Edward III’s rise.

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Chris Spangle and Matt Wittlief open Season 2 with essential background for the late 1200s, tracing how the Holy Roman Empire’s electoral system emerged after the Carolingians, how the Great Interregnum unfolded and how the Habsburgs entered European politics. They also outline parallel developments in Wales, Scotland, the Low Countries, international trade, banking and the origins of English common law to set the stage for the reigns of Kings Edward I, II and III.

Topics in this episode:

Early imperial elections after Otto III and the king of the Romans title

The Stauffers and the Welfs, plus the Ghibelline and Guelph factions

Frederick II’s deposition in 1245, William of Holland and the Great Interregnum

The seven prince electors and the contested 1254 election between Richard of Cornwall and Alfonso II of Castile

Rudolf of Habsburg’s election in 1273, later Habsburg influence and Albert’s election in 1298

Wales from Offa’s Dyke to Gruffudd ap Llywelyn, Llywelyn the Great and the Marcher lords

Scotland from the Picts and Gaels to Malcolm III, the Dunkeld line and the Treaty of York in 1237

Norway’s role in northern politics, including control of the Hebrides, Orkney and Shetland

The Low Countries, the county of Flanders, English wool and the trade cities of Bruges and Ghent

The Champagne fairs, the growth of Italian merchant banking and the Knights Templar’s financial system

The position of Jews in medieval Europe, including moneylending, Aaron of Lincoln, the York massacre and the 1255 Lincoln accusation

The rise of universities in Bologna, Paris and Oxford and the development of English common law through writs, precedent and administrative expansion under Edward I

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Chris Spangle and Matt Wittlief reunite to bring back History of Modern Politics after a long hiatus. In this episode, they explain why the show is returning, how seasons two and three are already underway, and what listeners can expect as they continue tracing political thought from the Roman Republic to the American founding. Chris and Matt share behind-the-scenes updates on research, writing, episode structure, and how their work connects ancient history to today’s political shifts. They also discuss season one, the path ahead through the Middle Ages and the Glorious Revolution, and their plans to cover the first American political systems in future seasons.

⁠https://youtu.be/izaO-EZsI0c⁠

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I recently attended a talkshop by historian Dan Miller on five past Presidential elections that could inform the contest in 2024. I sat down with him to discuss parts of this fascinating presentation.

Visit Dan's website - https://historicalsolutions.com/

Transcript - https://share.descript.com/view/TlaNaGBl4Jw

https://youtu.be/ihug5M9BIKs

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From the Chris Spangle Show: Last Columbus Day, I decided to learn more about the history of the man and the day celebrating him. Since then, I've visited historical sites in Santa Domingo in the Dominican Republic and San Juan in Puerto Rico. I read books and watched documentaries to gain a better perspective of who Columbus was. In this episode, I share what I've learned, beginning with the history of the day, who wants to change it (or not) and why, and then share a basic history of Columbus and his voyages.  

Links:

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Chris Spangle and Leaders and Legends, LLC edited and produced this podcast. If you're interested in starting a podcast or taking yours to the next level, please contact us at LeadersAndLegends.net.

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The check and balance on the King's total authority known as Parliament did not happen in one swift action. It was a series of steps over generations. In this episode, we discuss some of those defining moments, as well as the important clauses of the Magna Carta, Simon De Monfort and the Second Barons War. 

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Everyone has heard of the Magna Carta and its importance to liberty and the foundation of America, but what was it? What happened and why is it important? Chris Spangle and Matt Wittlief explain it.

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Around the turn of the millennium, in 1000, the power of the Roman Pope began to grow and it led to major consequences for global history. None was more formative four our politics today than the Crusades. Chris Spangle and Matt Wittlief examine the growth of the position's power and the wars that flowed from it.

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William the Conqueror has taken the throne of England, and the consequences for the English are severe. Once he passes away, things deteriorate until Henry I takes the throne and unites Anglo-Norman and Anglo-Saxon England. Without an heir, the country descends into "the anarchy" upon his death, and we look forward to the House of Plantagenet. 

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