Early Stuart England

Episode 2.11: News and Plots

11 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Summer 1643The people of England read about a series of royalist plots and parliamentary defeats in a new genre of print material - the newsbook. Lon...

Episode 2.10: A Great Game

04 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Summer 1643The royalists win a string of victories from Yorkshire in the north to Cornwall in the west. Charles seems poised to link up his disparate...

Episode 2.9: The North

27 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

1642-1643Outnumbered and divided, the parliamentarians of Yorkshire try to prevent the royalist army of the north from linking up with the King at Oxf...

Episode 2.8: War Without an Enemy

20 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

1642-3Ralph Hopton and William Waller, two friends from their university days at Oxford, find themselves on opposite sides of the war in the West Coun...

Episode 2.7: The Ancient Britons

13 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

1642-3The King's Welsh subjects rally to his cause, turning the western borderlands into one of the key strategic theatres of the war.

Episode 2.6: Governing War

06 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

1643After the inconclusive fighting in 1642, both King and parliament set about trying to accomplish something no government had so far achieved in ea...

Episode 2.5: The Search for Allies in Britain

30 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

1642-3Both parliament and the King look to expand the war by drawing in allies from Scotland and Ireland.

Episode 2.4: The Search for Allies in Europe

23 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

1642-3Queen Henrietta Maria travels to the continent in search of aid for the royalist cause. However, France and Spain are distracted by war, and sh...

Episode 2.3: Peace and Truth

16 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Fall 1642After the inconclusive Battle of Edgehill, both parliament and the King come to grips with the fact that they are in a prolonged war.

Episode 2.2: Edgehill

09 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Summer 1642The Earl of Essex leads an army out of London, in search of the King. Meanwhile Charles scrambles to put together a force capable of meeti...

Episode 2.1: Introduction

02 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

As the title suggests, an introduction to the 1640s and 1650s, as well as some of the themes we'll be encountering. Looking forward to it!

Episode 105: Conclusions and Questions

25 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Thank you to everyone who submitted questions, and to everyone who's listened to the show. Hope you stick around for the next 100 odd episodes!

Episode 104: But the Sign of a King

18 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Summer 1642After weeks of clashes between rival mobilization efforts, Charles formally raises his banner at Nottingham Castle. The Civil War has begu...

Episode 103: Choosing Sides

11 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Spring 1642On the verge of a civil war, both Charles and parliament refine their ideological arguments and present them to an anxious public.

Episode 102: I Think I Should Know Them

04 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Winter 1641/2After 16 months of concessions, Charles makes a stand and demands the impeachment of six Junto leaders in parliament.

Episode 101: Telling Stories to the People

28 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Winter 1641With the raising of an Irish expeditionary force stuck in political gridlock, Charles and the Junto start to mobilize less formal military ...

Episode 100: The Broken Men

21 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Fall 1641Fearing the rise of Puritanism in both England and Scotland (and seeing an opportunity in the political chaos at Westminster) the Catholics o...

Episode 99: King Pym

14 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Summer/Fall 1641In the absence of the King, the Junto deals with a backlash against their radicalism, and reliance on the Scots.

Episode 98: The Incident

07 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Summer/Fall 1641After three years of failing to find an English solution to his Scottish problem, Charles heads to Edinburgh to find a Scottish soluti...

Episode 97: Justice and Execution

29 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Spring 1641The political crisis escalates as Charles turns to a disgruntled army, and the Junto mobilize the crowd in London.

Episode 96: Stone Dead Hath No Fellow

22 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Spring 1641The Junto faces its first test of unity - whether to seek the death, or just the political ruin of Thomas Wentworth.

Episode 95: The Triennial Act

15 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Winter 1641The Junto hopes that a popular bill requiring a parliament every three years will distract from their controversial religious alliance with...

Episode 94: The Long Parliament

08 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Fall 1640Less than 6 months after he dissolved the Short Parliament, Charles opens a new session at Westminster, the Long Parliament. This time the d...

Episode 93: Our Honest Ends

01 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

1640Charles attempts to throw back the Scottish invasion, but finds that his efforts and undermined by collaborators within England.

Episode 92: A Wretched and Beggarly Condition

25 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

1640After a failed parliament, Charles scrambles to prepare for another summer of war. Meanwhile the Scots make much better use of the winter truce.

Episode 91: The Short Parliament

18 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

1640After an eleven year hiatus, a parliament once again opens at Westminster. While Charles hopes that the threat of a Scottish rebel army will insp...

Episode 90: Divide and Conquer

11 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

1635-1640Thomas Wentworth uses threats and intimidation to cow the various factions in Irish society. As Charles prepares for the first parliament in...

Episode 89: The Two Kingdoms

04 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

1639While a Scottish parliament confirms the legality of the Covenantor revolution, Charles decides to rally his English subjects with a parliament of...

Episode 88: The First Bishops' War

28 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

1639Almost two years after the Prayer Book protests, Charles finally uses military power to suppress his unruly Scottish subjects. Or, at least tries...

Episode 87: Preparations

21 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

1639Scotland and England mobilize for war. Defying generations of precedent, Charles does so without the aid of a parliament.

Episode 86: The Theatre for These Kingdoms

14 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

1638Charles finally starts treating the situation in Scotland seriously. However, he is torn between finding a political solution and a more direct, ...

Episode 85: The Covenant

07 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

1637-8In the absence of a coherent state response, the Scottish Prayer Book Rebellion morphs into a provisional government.  At its core is the Coven...

Episode 84: A New Book

30 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

1637Charles and William Laud attempt to impose an English-style Book of Common Prayer in Scotland. It does not go well.

Episode 83: Moral Victories

23 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

1637-8When Charles rejects their request for a parliament, the Providence Island gang decides to force the King's hand by challenging Ship Money colle...

Episode 82: Stigmata Laudis

16 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

1637In an effort to stamp out Puritanism, William Laud has three religious radicals publicly mutilated.

Episode 81: The Politics of Culture

09 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

1630-1636Charles encourages a flourishing of painting, poetry, and theatre that articulates and supports his larger ideological project.

Episode 80: Clash of the Titans

02 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

1635-1636As France fully commits to the conflict on the continent, Charles hopes to take advantage by selling his Ship Money fleet to the highest bidd...

Episode 79: Remember Caesar

26 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

1635The death of Lord Treasurer Richard Weston opens up a stiff competition at court to replace him.  The outcome of the contest will shape future En...

Episode 78: Ship Money

19 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

1634-1635Seeking to once again insert England into European geo-politics, Charles implements a revenue raising scheme to pay for a powerful navy - Shi...

Episode 77: The Fens

12 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

1634A massive drainage project in the marshlands of East Anglia creates tensions between the Crown, local land owners, and commoners.

Episode 76: The UnDecay of Trade

05 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

1634A peace-time trade boom creates new winners and losers among London's merchant oligarchs. Municipal power shifts from merchants doing business in...

Episode 75: Managerial Overkill

28 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

1633Charles visits Scotland to receive his crown and continue his father's religious reforms. Though he finds himself a stranger in his native land.

Episode 74: Thorough

21 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

1633Intent on turning Ireland into a profitable enterprise, Charles selects a new Lord Deputy - Thomas Wentworth, his top man in the north of England....

Episode 73: An Unspectacular Orthodoxy

14 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

1633The newly elevated Archbishop of Canterbury, William Laud, puts his distinctive stamp on the English Church. 

Episode 72: Paying the Bills

06 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

1630-1633Having determined to work without parliament, Charles gets creative in extracting revenue from his subjects.  

Episode 71: Reversing the Conquest

31 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

1632As the Swedish King, Gustavus Adolphus, re-draws the map of Germany, Charles contemplates calling a parliament and re-joining the Protestant war e...

Episode 70: The Lion in the North

24 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

1630-1631The Swedish King Gustavus Adolphus overturns a decade of Catholic dominance in Germany, opening new diplomatic opportunities for England.

Episode 69: The Book of Orders

17 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Winter 1631In the wake of widespread social unrest in 1629, England's property owning elites and the central government co-operate on the reform of co...

Episode 68: A Godly Community

10 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

1630Squeezed out by William Laud's anti-Calvinist Church, the Calvinists of England struggle to adapt to their new circumstances.  Some look to escap...

Episode 67: Peace

03 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

1630Rival pro-French and pro-Spanish factions race to make peace with England's enemies.  In doing so, they establish the main division at court for ...

Episode 66: Charles' New Crew

27 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

1629As Charles turns away from parliaments, political influence shifts to a small group of people surrounding the King at court.  These personalities...

Episode 65: Conspiracy

20 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

1629Facing insurrection in parliament, and riots throughout the kingdom, Charles suspects a co-ordinated conspiracy against his regime.  A lengthy in...

Episode 64: Captain Carter

13 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Spring 1629As Charles deals with disorder on the floor of the House of Commons, unemployment and poor harvests spark riots and unrest throughout the k...

Episode 63: The Funeral of Parliaments

06 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Winter 1629Parliament reconvenes, in the hopes that the removal of Buckingham will solve the political problems of the past decade.  However, the div...

Episode 62: The Graces

29 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

1625-1628In an effort to provide for the war-time defence of Ireland, Charles enters into negotiations with the Old English Catholics.  A settlement ...

Episode 61: The Revocation

22 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

1625-1628Charles learns to rule Scotland through trial and error.  But the land of his birth is now a foreign nation that he struggles to understand.

Episode 60: I Am the Man

15 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Summer 1628With parliamentary subsidies in hand, and favourable diplomatic circumstances in Europe, Charles and Buckingham finally see light at the en...

Episode 59: Our Grievance of Grievances

08 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Spring 1628Charles comes to a tentative agreement with his subjects.  Parliament agrees to provide war funding in exchange for the King's acceptance ...

Episode 58: The Crisis of Parliaments

01 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Spring 1628The moderates on the Privy Council attempt to reconcile King and parliament, through a bill clarifying the rights of English subjects.  Su...

Episode 57: The Five Knights' Case

25 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

1627While the Duke of Buckingham wages war in France, the Forced Loan has its day in court.  A group of 5 loan refusers dispute the King's right to d...

Episode 56: Published by Authority

17 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

1627The Duke of Buckingham exploits the burgeoning news industry to promote his military expedition to the Isle of Rhe in France.  But despite the po...

Episode 55: The Forced Loan

11 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

1626-1627Charles implements his "new counsels" and raises money outside of parliament.  Within the Privy Council, a debate rages over whether this is...

Episode 54: The Non-Alliance

04 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

1626Without any parliamentary subsidies, England is forced to sit on the sidelines during the campaigning season of 1626.  However, Buckingham and Ch...

Episode 53: New Opinions

27 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Summer 1626After a disastrous parliament, Charles forges an alliance with the ceremonial, anti-Calvinist wing of the Church.  His hope is that a more...

Episode 52: I Took Him Not for A God

20 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Spring 1626New accusations against Buckingham raise the stakes at Westminster.  Charles is faced with either saving his chief minister, or securing f...

Episode 51: Common Fame

13 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Spring 1626After a disastrous first 11 months of his reign, Charles opens his second parliament.  As he prepares to swallow his pride and ask parliam...

Episode 50: Elections

06 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Winter 1626Across the kingdom elections to the House of Commons mark the beginning of a new parliament.  Charles and Buckingham do their best to ensu...

Episode 49: York House

30 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Winter 1626The Calvinist members of the Patriot Coalition give Charles and Buckingham one last chance to prove their dedication to the Protestant caus...

Episode 48: Cadiz

23 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Fall 1625Delayed and underfunded due to the failed parliament, an English fleet sets sail for Cadiz.  Their goal is to either raid the port, or captu...

Episode 47: The Plague Parliament

16 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Summer 1625The Charles and Buckingham partnership take control of the kingdom after the death of James.  However, their popular war program runs into...

Episode 46: A New Spirit of Life

09 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Ernst von Mansfeld's mercenary army is paralyzed by conflicting orders from England.  James directs Mansfeld to the Palatine, while Charles and Bucki...

Episode 45: England Mobilizes

02 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Autumn 1624After using parliamentary pressure to get James to break off negotiations with Spain, Charles and Buckingham prepare for England's first wa...

Episode 44: The Patriot Coalition

23 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Spring 1624Charles and Buckingham attempt to navigate their way through a parliament.  They have to convince James to adopt a war policy without viol...

Episode 43: The Blessed Revolution

16 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

1623-1624Charles and Buckingham are met with popular celebrations upon their return to England.  They immediately begin work assembling a popular ant...

Episode 42: Escape from Madrid

09 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Summer 1623Charles and Buckingham plot to return home from Madrid, by any means necessary.  In the mean time, Buckingham plans a diplomatic break wit...

Episode 41: Madrid

02 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Spring 1623Charles and Buckingham arrive in Madrid, where they find themselves in over their heads in a world of geo-political intrigue.  The men who...

Episode 40: The Trip to Spain

26 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The Earl of Buckingham and Prince Charles embark on a secret voyage to Madrid to complete the marriage treaty between Charles and the Infanta of Spain...

Episode 39: The Spanish Match

19 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

After the failure of the 1621 parliament, James turns to a diplomatic solution to the crisis in Europe.  He hopes to use a royal marriage between his...

Episode 38: The Irish Commission

12 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

1622The Earl of Buckingham and Lionel Cranfield (Earl of Middlesex) battle for supremacy in Ireland.  After Cranfield managed to convince James to se...

Episode 37: The Miserable Combustion of War

05 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Autumn 1621After receiving the support of his subjects in the spring session of parliament, James tries one last time to solve the European crisis thr...

Episode 36: Impeachment

29 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Early 1621As England faces war in Europe and an economic crisis at home, parliament meets for the first time in seven years.  Francis Bacon advises J...

Episode 35: The Decay of Trade

22 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

1620Just as England is about to be sucked into the war in Europe, a mysterious trade recession strikes the kingdom.  The Privy Council scrambles to f...

Episode 34: Tobacco, Pirates, and God

15 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

1619-1620Pushed out of mainstream politics because of their anti-Spanish views, a group of hard-line Calvinists take to international commerce.  Comp...

Episode 33: The Crisis Broadens

08 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

1620James scrambles to contain the Bohemian crisis despite the best efforts of his son-in-law Frederick.  However, the Thirty Years' War becomes trul...

Episode 32: The Winter King

01 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

1618-1619A rebellion in Bohemia sends the Holy Roman Empire into religious and political turmoil.  At the centre of events is James' son-in-law, Fred...

Episode 31: The Synod of Dort

24 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

1618-1619With a religious and political civil war brewing in the Netherlands, James intervenes to broker a settlement.

Episode 30: Lord Admiral Buckingham

17 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

1618-1619Buckingham's reform team takes on their greatest challenge yet - cleaning up the navy.  In doing so, Buckingham finds the identity that will...

Episode 29: A Sin in the Prince

10 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

1618Thomas Howard, the Earl of Suffolk, tries to beat Buckingham at his own game by placing a young, attractive man close to the King.  Buckingham su...

Episode 28: The Wild West

03 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

1607-1617In the years since the Flight of the Earls, Ireland becomes a hot bed of corruption for court figures in England.  This process only speeds ...

Episode 27: The Kirk

27 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

1603-1617Despite his absence in England, James continues to pursue his project of reforming the Scottish Church.  In the summer of 1617 he returns to...

Episode 26: The Villiers Machine

20 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

1617George Villiers, now Earl of Buckingham, begins creating a political network.  In exchange for royal offices, Buckingham demands marriage into th...

Episode 25: George Villiers

13 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

1615-161623 year old George Villiers supplants the disgraced earl of Somerset as King James' favourite.  However, the young man quickly proves to be ...

Episode 24: The Overbury Affair

06 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

1615-1616A murder scandal rocks James' inner circle, bringing down some of the most powerful people in the kingdom.

Episode 23: The Apprentice Boy

29 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

1615In the wake of the failure of the Cockayne Project, James once again turns to his Privy Council for advice.  The remedy for the kingdom's financi...

Episode 22: The New Merchant Adventurers

22 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

1614-1615After failing to secure money through parliament, James seeks to fill the state's treasury by reshaping the world of commerce.  Unfortunatel...

Episode 21: The Addled Parliament

15 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The Howard administration faces its first test - a hastily planned parliament with the goal of solving the Crown's financial woes.

Episode 20: The Royal Auction

08 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

1613In need of cash, James and his new chief minister (the earl of Northampton) shop young Prince Charles around Europe.  Likely princesses in Paris,...

Episode 19: The Redemption of the Howards

01 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

1613The Howard faction strikes an alliance with Robert Carr, the Earl of Somerset (James' Scottish favourite).  As a result, the Howard family return...

Episode 18: Harry and Freddy

25 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

161218 year old Prince Henry organizes an alliance between England and the Protestants of Germany through the marriage of his sister, Elizabeth, to Fr...

Episode 17: El Dorado

18 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

1611From a cell in the Tower of London, Walter Raleigh organizes a voyage to discover El Dorado, the long lost city of gold in South America.  Leadin...