The Political History of the United States

During the winter of 1609-1610, the Jamestown colony is going to hit its low mark. During that winter, food shortages would become such a serious problem that nearly two-thirds of the settlers are going to die. Stories of cannibalism emerge from that winter, and eventually, it would lead to the temporary abandonment of the colony. This episode is going to look at the traditional story of that winter, examine if that telling is accurate, and finally, look at the long term effects of the starving time. Plus, if you check this weeks episode out, you'll hear John Smith make an uncomfortable joke about cannibalism.

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This week we explore the early years of the Jamestown colony and the struggles it faced right after its founding. From disease, starvation, troubles with the Powhatan Confederacy, a complete lack of farming knowledge, and a lack of good leadership, the Jamestown colony gets off to a rough start. We will discuss all these things this week as we set the stage for the famous winter of 1609-10 when the colony very nearly met the same fate as Roanoke.

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This week we give a formal introduction to the Powhatan Confederacy. Both the English and Powhatan have very specific ideas of what their relationship with the other will be like. As expected, however, both sides have vastly different expectations of how things will progress. This relationship is going to dominate life for the settlers for the next three decades, as the two groups swing between periods of cooperation and warfare. In this episode, we are going to begin laying the foundation for that relationship.

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After spending our first 6 episodes bouncing around Europe, it is finally time to move the party across the Atlantic. This week we head into the first of several episodes looking at that first colony in Jamestown. We are going to spend this week with our focus on who the first settlers were, and why they decided to make Jamestown their new home. We are also going to take a fun little detour this week and check out the often totally forgotten Popham colony, which was founded just a few months after Jamestown.

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This week we are going to conclude our 6 part look at Europe on the eve of the formation of the English colonies. Specifically, our focus in this episode is going to be on heading back across the Atlantic and catching up on what the European powers are doing just prior to 1607. We are going to check in on the exploration of North America, the creation of Spanish Florida, as well as the English attempt at colonization in Roanoke. 

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So far on our survey of 16th century Europe we have spent time looking at the political situation as well as the developing religious changes. This week our attention goes to the changing economy. During the 16th century, we see the economy continue through a long period of modernization. The feudal economy is giving way to early capitalistic systems, as the age of mercantilism is ushered in.

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Throughout the course of this podcast, few topics are going to remain more closely tied to the politics of the United States than religion. Religion is going to be a driving force behind so much of American politics, that often you cannot easily separate the two from each other. This week we are going to continue our survey of Europe in the 16th century by looking at the Reformation. The Reformation is going to change the religious landscape in Europe and will ultimately have a major impact on the religion that we see emerge in the North American colonies. We are going to focus primarily on Martin Luther and his role this week, though we are also going to be spending time back in England for the far more pragmatic English Reformation.

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This week we look at the events of the Anglo-Spanish war, specifically in respect to the battle of the Spanish Armada. The Battle of the Spanish Armada is portrayed as a being a turning point in English history and is often pointed to as being the victory that allowed the English to establish their North American colonies. The truth, however, is far more complicated. This episode is going to explore that famous battle and look at the long-ranging consequences that came out of the English victory.Join us on social media!

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This week we take a quick survey of the conditions in Europe during the 16th century. As the middle ages give way to the early modern period, a changing political environment spread throughout the continent. We will place our focus specifically on England during this era and will explore the reigns of both Henry VIII and Elizabeth I. These two monarchs help create a modern England, and their decisions lay the groundwork for the English North American colonies of the 17th century.

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Welcome to the Political History of the United States and our very first episode! Before we can jump into the action and start looking at 1607 Jamestown, we need to take some time to better understand the lead up to the English colonies in North America. In light of that, we are going to begin our story in 1492 exploring the Age of Discovery. By taking a quick survey of the Age of Discovery this week, we will be able to better understand the people who traveled to the New World and their motivations for doing so. 

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