Rejects & Revolutionaries (American History Podcast)
112 episodes - English - Latest episode: over 1 year ago - ★★★★★ - 27 ratingsA history of the people who became Americans. Formerly The American History Podcast.
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Episodes
English Civil War 2: An overview of the war
March 13, 2019 15:09 - 55 minutes - 51.2 MBA brief overview of the events leading to civil war in England, plus Americans' initial responses to developments in their home country.
English Civil War 1 REUPLOAD
March 08, 2019 02:50 - 44 minutes - 41.1 MBThis episode is identical to the last episode, but because I'd uploaded a truncated file the last time, and the file change itself can cause some technical glitches, I'm just re-uploading this as a whole new episode. This one will expire at the end of the month.
English Civil War 1: Profile of 1642 America
March 06, 2019 15:01 - 44 minutes - 41.1 MBAn overview of what English America looked like before war started in 1642, including a brief introduction to the foundation of the earliest successful Caribbean colonies.
Providence Island 9: End of an era
February 06, 2019 18:10 - 34 minutes - 25.3 MBThe final collapse of the Providence Island project, plus reflections on the end of this era of American history, and how Providence Island contributed to the outbreak of the English Civil War.
Providence Island 8: The second Spanish attack
January 30, 2019 17:45 - 33 minutes - 31.1 MBThe civilians drive Butler from Providence Island, but he leaves the abusive Andrew Carter in his place. Parliament is called in England, and the colony faces its second Spanish attack.
Providence Island 7: Descent into chaos
January 23, 2019 18:06 - 39 minutes - 36.6 MBIn 1637, investor hopes were at an all time high. By 1639, they were slipping further into debt despite their privateers having 300,000 pounds worth of goods from the Spanish. And, the colony was becoming less orderly, despite the concessions they were making to the colonists, and despite sending the best governor yet to the colony. Add in a couple slave revolts, and the Island was for all intents and purposes past the point of no return.
Providence Island 6: Dreams fulfilled
January 16, 2019 22:18 - 24 minutes - 22.4 MBThe company rearranged to accommodate colonists and reap the rewards from privateering, but just when they thought things were going great, Providence Island civilians issued an ultimatum. They would leave if the company didn't meet their demands.
Providence Island 5: The last Elizabethan colony
January 09, 2019 15:47 - 32 minutes - 29.6 MBProvidence Island revived the Elizabethan dream of colonization - chipping away at the Spanish Empire and protecting Protestantism through bold confrontation. After a Spanish attack in 1635, the struggling colony was allowed to engage in privateering, something investors justifiably hoped would save the venture.
Providence Island 4: Differing Puritan visions
January 03, 2019 04:43 - 35 minutes - 32.4 MBIt's easy to write off the past as a time of backward thinking and oppressive religious beliefs, but in this episode, we explore the ideological divisions of the Puritan movement a little bit, and see that things aren't quite as simple as that. Plus, the worsening of problems on Providence Island, faction fighting, needing a reliable commodity, increased fear of the Spanish, and worsening of company debt.
Providence Island 3: Old problems and new solutions
December 20, 2018 20:00 - 32 minutes - 26.3 MBThe first years of Providence Island's experience were defined by two familiar problems: factionalism, and economic stagnation. Though they were all puritans who would soon be parliamentarians, colonists in the 1630s were at each other's throats. And, the company wanted economic returns without providing the plan or tools (especially labor) to achieve that. But, they had two new solutions to those problems. For factionalism, they would keep all power concentrated in London. For labor, t...
My computer broke! No episode this or next week.
December 04, 2018 21:25 - 1 minute - 1.25 MBLong story short, my computer broke. I have absolutely no idea what's going on with it, and I'm trying to get it into someone who can repair it. And, when it broke, I lost my Providence Island notes. So, I need to put the series back together, and that's going to take a week or two. I'm sorry!
Providence Island 2: You have to spend money to make money
November 28, 2018 20:40 - 33 minutes - 15.7 MBAfter going into debt to fund the Seaflower venture, investors decide to outfit a second ship, the Charity. When the Seaflower returns, though, it brings news of a mutiny on the island, led by the colony's minister.
Providence Island 1: Anatomy of a failure
November 21, 2018 17:57 - 31 minutes - 14.5 MBProvidence Island was a Caribbean colony founded by the Earl of Warwick, John Pym, Lord Saye-and-Sele, Lord Brooke, and other future Parliamentary leaders. If it's remembered at all in history, it's remembered because the Earl of Clarendon identified it as the place where rebellion against the king was organized (and he wasn't wrong, really). Plus, it was the first English colony to really embrace slavery. A number of its settlers would go on to become Americans. And it was a spe...
Royal Virginia 4: Harvey's second term
November 14, 2018 19:21 - 24 minutes - 11.7 MBHarvey is reinstated as governor, but has a largely failed second term. Wyatt is named as his replacement, but doesn't last long either. Finally, William Berkeley arrives -- and he'll be far from a failure.
Royal Virginia 3: The thrusting out of Governor Harvey
November 07, 2018 18:38 - 26 minutes - 12.3 MBOne of the most revolutionary acts in 17th Century Virginia history was the ousting of Governor Harvey by the Mathews-Claiborne faction of the Council. Harvey had some successes as governor, and some difficult situations to navigate, but made some decisions which doomed him to ultimate failure.
Royal Virginia 2: Factions, again
October 24, 2018 11:35 - 25 minutes - 12.1 MBJohn Harvey assumes office as governor of Virginia, but finds himself ill-equipped to negotiate the colony's political situation. In England, members of the Virginia Company ask for it to be reconstituted.
Virginia under Charles I, ep 1: Transition
October 17, 2018 05:00 - 30 minutes - 14.5 MBVirginia became a crown colony in 1625, just months before Charles I took the throne. This episode discusses the transition, the new issues which would define Virginia history under royal control, and outlines the history of the colony up until John Harvey arrived as governor.
Maryland 6: To the brink of war
October 03, 2018 05:00 - 27 minutes - 13.1 MBConcluding the story of Maryland's founding, an overview of the known events of 1639-42. Claiborne's agitation, Susquehannoc hostility, Baltimore feuds with the Jesuits and Protestants start to seize political control within the colony.
Maryland 5: Church and State
September 26, 2018 16:40 - 33 minutes - 15.5 MBMaryland finalizes its legal system, ending up with a document which looked remarkably similar to a Bill of Rights. A huge amount of debate preceeded that, though. This episode examines existing primary sources to try to investigate that debate, a huge amount of which revolved around the issue of church rights.
Maryland 4: The fight for Kent Island
September 19, 2018 14:35 - 30 minutes - 14.1 MBClaiborne and Marylanders battle over Kent Island, Governor Harvey is deposed, and the fight for Kent Island goes to the courts of England. George Evelin helps Calvert take over Kent Island, and the Second General Assembly raises questions of governance.
Maryland 3: The first year
September 12, 2018 18:25 - 30 minutes - 14.3 MBMaryland settlers establish St. Mary's, meet the local Indians, grow enough corn to trade with New England, and hold their first legislative assembly. They also conflict with William Claiborne, part of a Puritan faction in Virginia dedicated to pushing the conservative, Catholic Marylanders out.
Maryland 2: The Ark and Dove
September 05, 2018 18:01 - 30 minutes - 14.2 MBLord Baltimore gets a charter, but Virginia opposes this, seeing it as an encroachment on their territory. Baltimore stays in London to deal with legal disputes, but the rest of the colonists sail for Maryland. After a long, eventful voyage the colonists arrived at the Chesapeake.
Maryland 1: Henrietta Maria and the Catholics
August 29, 2018 15:32 - 48 minutes - 22.3 MBMaryland was founded as a colonial refuge for English Catholics, named after the Catholic Queen of England, Henrietta Maria. So, our discussion of Maryland begins with a discussion of what life was like for 17th Century English Catholics, and how King Charles's wife affected it.
Massachusetts Bay 17: Samuel Gorton's heresy
August 22, 2018 18:40 - 36 minutes - 17 MBSamuel Gorton was an anarchist who even Roger Williams couldn't tolerate. He threatened to destabilize New England, and the battle over his fate would ultimately lead to Miantonomo's execution.
Massachusetts Bay 16: Deputies versus Magistrates
August 15, 2018 11:57 - 26 minutes - 12.6 MBThe magistrates and deputies clash on the institutions of the Standing Council and the negative voice, and a lawsuit by Robert Keayne over Goody Sherman's sow plays a key role in this. The deputies represent democracy, and the magistrates aristocracy.
Massachusetts Bay 15: The Body of Liberties
August 08, 2018 13:16 - 21 minutes - 10 MBNathaniel Wards Body of Liberties is finally adopted, and Massachusetts sends the Welde-Peters mission to England to advocate for the colony, and agitate for Parliament.
Massachusetts Bay 14: Robert Keayne's overpriced nails
August 01, 2018 09:50 - 29 minutes - 13.7 MBThe king demands the Massachusetts Bay Colony charter, and colonists refuse to send it. Then, the trial of wealthy merchant Robert Keayne helps set the colony's political and economic path.
Massachusetts Bay 13: The Pequot War pt. 3
July 25, 2018 11:53 - 24 minutes - 11.4 MBThe Tripartite Treaty, or Treaty of Hartford, ended the Pequot War, but established a post-war order which caused conflict between Massachusetts, Connecticut, the Mohegans and the Narragansetts.
Massachusetts Bay 12: The Pequot War pt. 2
July 18, 2018 10:22 - 32 minutes - 15.3 MBAfter the Block Island Raid, the Pequots laid siege to Saybrook, and both sides prepared for war. After the Pequots attacked Wethersfield, Connecticut, the English declared war. A small force snuck into the heart of Pequot territory for a surprise attack on the largest Pequot fort, Mystic. They burned it, killed all its inhabitants, and won the war in a single hour.
Massachusetts Bay 11: The Pequot War pt. 1
July 11, 2018 13:08 - 32 minutes - 15.1 MBAt the same time as the Antinomian Controversy raged, war broke out with the Pequots. In 1637, the Pequots were a tribe on the decline, but thanks to misinformation, still terrifying to the English. After the murder of John Oldham, Massachusetts sent John Endicott on a retaliatory raid. This raid led to war.
Massachusetts Bay 10: The Antinomian Controversy pt. 3
June 27, 2018 16:02 - 31 minutes - 14.7 MBFour days after clergy held a synod to determine theological truths, the Court decided to eliminate the heresy by any means necessary. Wheelwright and Anne Hutchinson were convicted of sedition and banished after long, heated trials, and their supporters were given the choice between recanting and banishment. Under increasing scrutiny, and faced with a complete lack of control of the movement, Cotton finally turned against it.
Massachusetts Bay 9: The Antinomian Controversy pt. 2
June 20, 2018 10:09 - 33 minutes - 15.7 MBPolitical maneuvering and outright hostility turned a Bostonian theological movement into the basis of a colony-wide controversy.
Massachusetts Bay 8: The Antinomian Controversy pt. 1
June 13, 2018 14:32 - 26 minutes - 12.6 MBAlso known as the Free Grace Controversy, this dispute pitted John Winthrop and most non-Boston leadership against Anne Hutchinson, Henry Vane and John Wheelwright (supported by John Cotton). It was a battle for the theological and political heart of the colony.
Massachusetts Bay 7: Connecticut and Rhode Island
June 06, 2018 05:00 - 22 minutes - 10.8 MBAs the king prepared to fully take over Massachusetts, the colonists first dabbled with the idea of independence. Meanwhile, a new group of settlers arrived with a patent to colonize an area of Connecticut. A second group left Massachusetts for Connecticut after clashes with John Cotton, and Roger Williams was exiled, and spent the winter with the Narragansetts before founding Providence, Rhode Island. The beginnings of trade were also emerging.
Massachusetts Bay 6: The King's Threat
May 30, 2018 05:00 - 26 minutes - 12.6 MBWhen Archbishop Laud investigated Massachusetts's activities, he learned that the charter had been taken to America, and prepared to take over the colony. With the looming threat, the colony worked hard to keep its citizens from provoking a confrontation with the king. It was in this atmosphere that John Endicott cut the St. George Cross from Salem's royal standard. In addition, as French, Dutch, Plymouth and Massachusetts settlers competed for land, a series of territorial disputes took p...
Massachusetts Bay 5: Raising the stakes
May 23, 2018 17:19 - 18 minutes - 8.65 MB1633 was the year that the problems which would plague the Bay Colony emerged. Theological and governmental debate, threats from rival colonial powers, and an Indian attack all preoccupied colonists' minds - while from England, the colony's opponents attacked its charter.
Massachusetts Bay 4: Commonwealth
May 16, 2018 16:22 - 23 minutes - 11 MB1631-32 was a time of relative calm and optimism for Puritans in England, so emigration to the New World slowed down. Colonists were able to spend the two years building an autonomous commonwealth, making peace with the Indians, and solidifying their claims against people with rival colonial ambitions.
Massachusetts Bay 3: The Winthrop Fleet
May 09, 2018 05:00 - 24 minutes - 11.4 MBIn 1630, 1500 English colonists flooded Massachusetts Bay. For the most part, they came as affluent, middle class families with urban backgrounds. They brought tons of provisions, and set about building multiple towns, and setting up a self-governing colony.
Announcement: No episode this week
May 01, 2018 18:10 - 43 seconds - 653 KBJust a quick heads up that I won't be releasing an episode this week, in case you missed the facebook/twitter announcement. Next week, though, will be a big episode!
Massachusetts Bay 2: The founding of Salem
April 25, 2018 17:15 - 22 minutes - 10.4 MBBefore Massachusetts Bay Company plans were finalized, John Endicott sailed to Naumkeag to relieve a group of colonists already there, and pave the way for the mass migration being planned. A year later, he'd gotten some reinforcements, established a church and made progress building and planting. Two years after Endicott landed, the company's charter had been finalized, granting Massachusetts Bay unprecedented legal rights and autonomy.
Massachusetts Bay 1: King Charles and the Puritans
April 18, 2018 11:18 - 31 minutes - 14.6 MBAn overview of the political climate which led to the Great Migration, and which would ultimately lead to the English Civil War.
Plymouth 7: The Lyford Affair
April 11, 2018 07:30 - 22 minutes - 10.6 MBAs Plymouth started to stabilize, the Merchant Adventurers in London sent a radical Puritan minister to take spiritual control of the colony. It became the biggest fight the Pilgrims had yet faced, damaging their finances and resulting in the exile of the minister and his closest ally. The last episode of the Plymouth series.
Plymouth 6: Wessagusset
April 04, 2018 07:12 - 28 minutes - 13.4 MBThe Pilgrims had no sooner repaired relations with Massasoit that problems arose with the Massachusetts. Weston's men had settled at a place called Wessagusset, and had no food for the winter. They were starving, and the Massachusetts were opposed to English presence in the region. They were planning to wipe out both Wessagusset and Plymouth.
Plymouth 5: One year later
March 28, 2018 05:00 - 24 minutes - 11.7 MBThe year after the first Thanksgiving brought an unraveling of everything the Pilgrims had been working to build. Plenty was replaced by poverty, relations with the Poconoquet started to break down, and strangers threatened the religious mission of the colony.
Plymouth 4: The First Thanksgiving
March 21, 2018 05:21 - 23 minutes - 10.9 MBIn the months after meeting Massasoit, growing corn and building relations with the Indians were the two highest priorities. And, a year after their departure from England, they seemed to have done both with a great degree of success.
Plymouth 3: Welcome, Englishmen
March 14, 2018 08:17 - 28 minutes - 13.4 MBThe Pilgrims look for a settlement location, the first baby is born in New England, and after a long, hard winter, they meet a Native American person who tells them more about the region of Patuxet.
Plymouth 2: The Mayflower Compact
March 07, 2018 06:38 - 23 minutes - 11.1 MBGetting to America was no easy task, and by the time they set sail they were already in a precarious situation. They'd gone through or been forced to sell nearly half their food, lost a lot of their money, and were being financed by investors who themselves had virtually nothing. They left, though, and 66 days later reached the shores of New England. Outside their patent, they signed the Mayflower Compact, elected a new governor, started a New England tradition and began to explore Cape C...
Plymouth 1: The Brownist Emigration
February 28, 2018 11:02 - 32 minutes - 15.1 MBFor 200 years, Plymouth was referred to as the Brownist Emigration. Brownism was both a form of severe political agitation, and escape from troubled surroundings. It was both enthusiastic, and bitter. But, when the king wanted to put a halt to separatist thought, a group of Puritan Separatists decided to go to Leiden, and from there, to North America.
Jamestown 10: The Virginia Company - King vs. Parliament
February 21, 2018 07:30 - 38 minutes - 17.9 MBAfter the death of Cecil and Prince Henry, three factions emerged in the Virginia Company. Smythe's businessmen, Sandys's Rebel MPs and Warwick's War Party vied for control of England's New World colonies. When Sandys won, Virginia became deeply linked to the fight between King and Parliament.
Jamestown 9: The politics of Virginia in England
February 14, 2018 08:00 - 29 minutes - 13.6 MBIn 1606, Bartholomew Gosnold and Gabriel Archer led a big new attempt to set up an English New World Colony. Robert Cecil immediately began to interfere and sabotage the company. The Spanish watched, trying to decide whether or not to attack. Finally, a document by John Smith popularized the idea, and led the way for a massive new expedition, whose flagship was the Sea Venture.