In this immersive episode of Why Wars Happened, we dive into the chaotic early days of Jamestown, where colonists fought each other as much as they fought to survive. Secret councils schemed in the shadows, John Smith was imprisoned, and starvation brought the colony to the edge of collapse.

Through rumors, explosions, and political infighting, John Smith clawed his way to power—becoming the colony’s unlikely “good dictator.” Along the way, we unravel what the movie Pocahontas actually got right… and what it completely made up.

This is a story of starvation, betrayal, and survival, told with off-camera narration and calming visuals that immerse you in the past.

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💬 Comment below: Would you have followed John Smith—or turned against him?

🕰️ Timestamps

00:00 – Introduction & Recap

00:15 – The Virginia Company and Early Governance

01:12 – John Smith’s Trials and Tribulations

02:43 – Councils, Cliques, and Power Struggles

06:51 – Starvation and Mismanagement Grip Jamestown

09:13 – The Rise of John Smith

12:21 – Smith’s Final Days in Power

18:12 – The Council Returns to Rule

19:38 – Closing + Next Episode Teaser

#Jamestown #JohnSmith #Pocahontas #StarvingTime #ColonialAmerica #WhyWarsHappened #HistoryPodcast

In this immersive episode of Why Wars Happened, step into the chaotic birth of Jamestown, where debt, desperation, and ambition fueled the first permanent English colony in America. Discover how King James I’s need for cash gave rise to the Virginia Company, a business venture that gambled everything on the New World.

But before the colony even began, the journey itself turned dark: John Smith, imprisoned and chained below deck, and a mysterious box containing the names of those who would rule once they landed.

This is a story of debt, betrayal, and survival, told through off-camera narration and calming visuals that pull you deep into the 1600s.

🔔 Subscribe so you never miss an episode

👉 Explore more in the America Before the Revolution playlist

💬 Comment below: Would you have trusted the king—or the company?

🕰️ Timestamps

00:00 – Introduction to Why Wars Happened

00:15 – King James I’s Desperate Finances

01:14 – The Virginia Company Takes Its Gamble

02:32 – The Power of the King’s Charter

04:00 – A Company Governs the Colony

06:19 – Jamestown’s Rocky Start

08:16 – John Smith’s Chains and Imprisonment

10:56 – Closing & Next Episode Teaser

#Jamestown #JohnSmith #ColonialAmerica #KingJames #WhyWarsHappened #HistoryPodcast

In this immersive episode of Why Wars Happened, uncover the dark and chaotic life of King James I—from his turbulent youth and bloody family drama to his uneasy rule over England and Scotland. Facing crushing debt, rising crime, and competition with Europe, James turned to a dangerous solution: colonizing America.

His gamble gave birth to Jamestown, the first permanent English colony—a settlement built on desperation, danger, and the king’s need for survival. Along the way, we reveal the political intrigue, gruesome details, and hidden struggles that shaped both James’s reign and the future of America.

This is a story of blood, desperation, and power, told through off-camera narration with immersive visuals that pull you deep into history.

🔔 Subscribe so you never miss an episode

👉 Explore more in the America Before the Revolution playlist

💬 Comment below: Could a desperate king really build an empire?

🕰️ Timestamps

00:00 – Introduction & Recap

00:24 – The Turbulent Reign of King James I

01:25 – Assassinations and James’s Rise to Power

11:54 – Struggles with Parliament

15:20 – Crushing Debt and Desperation

15:52 – The Race for Colonization

17:15 – The Founding of Jamestown

17:38 – Closing + Next Episode Teaser

#KingJames #Jamestown #ColonialAmerica #AmericanRevolution #WhyWarsHappened #HistoryPodcast

In this immersive episode of Why Wars Happened, step into England in the 1500s and 1600s, a kingdom on the edge of collapse. Forests — as vital as water — were disappearing. The population doubled, food prices soared, jobs vanished, and crime exploded across the streets. Harsh Poor Laws tried to control the desperate, but poverty and hunger only grew worse.

As wars with France and Spain drained the treasury, England’s rulers searched for a way out. Their answer? A gamble across the Atlantic—a desperate leap that would create Jamestown in 1607.

This is a story of desperation, crime, and survival, told through immersive off-camera narration with relaxing visuals that pull you straight into the chaos of the past.

🔔 Subscribe so you never miss an episode

👉 Explore more in the America Before the Revolution playlist

💬 Comment below: Would you have survived England’s desperation—or turned to crime?

🕰️ Timestamps

00:00 – Introduction & Recap

00:15 – England in the 1500s: Crisis Begins

01:26 – Vanishing Forests and Rising Costs

02:28 – Maritime Struggles: Pirates and Icebergs

08:47 – Population Doubles, Food Prices Soar

13:55 – Harsh Poor Laws and Poverty

17:40 – Crime Consumes England

18:26 – The Desperate Search for Resources

20:03 – Jamestown: A Gamble for Survival

20:46 – Closing + Next Episode Teaser

#Jamestown #ColonialAmerica #AmericanRevolution #WhyWarsHappened #HistoryPodcast #EnglandHistory