Just a few years after the Declaration of Independence, an uprising against a levy on liquor became the first great test for the government of the nascent United States of America.
But what drove ordinary people to take up arms against the federal government? And why did founding fathers Washington and Hamilton march an army against their own people? This ... Show More
Yesterday
The European Middle Ages (Part 1 of 2)
The period known as the Middle Ages was defined by more than knights and warfare. It began centuries before the First Crusade was called, in the confusion that followed the end of Roman rule in western Europe. And it persisted for a thousand years, until the Renaissance, the Prot ... Show More
58m 10s
Feb 23
The Silk Roads
From the deserts of Central Asia to the gates of ancient China, from the bazaars of Persia to the harbours of the Mediterranean, the Silk Roads were never just one route. A living network of paths, mountain passes, and caravan trails, they carried not only silk and spices, but st ... Show More
57m 32s
Feb 2024
Origins of the Civil War
<p>The war between the Union and the Confederacy is a major turning point in the history of the United States. But why did it happen?</p><br><p>From slavery and states' rights, to economic, legislative, moral, and political issues, in this episode, Don and Professor Adam Smith ex ... Show More
34m 54s
Jul 2023
347: The American Revolution (Part 1)
“America, late the strength, now the foe to Britain, dismembered, torn, I fear forever lost to England, whence she sprung.”
The American Revolution came about due to growing tensions between the American colonies and Great Britain, primarily over issues of taxation and representa ... Show More
57m 45s
Jul 2023
349: The Birth of the United States (Part 3)
“O ye that love mankind! Ye that dare oppose, not only the tyranny, but the tyrant, stand forth!” The U.S. Congress votes for independence on the 2nd of July 1776, and George Washington reads the Declaration of Independence to his troops a few days later, after which they pull do ... Show More
48m 8s
Dec 2021
History's greatest clubs (preview)
A chance to peek behind the curtain into the new weekly bonus episode for subscribers to the Rest Is History Club. As well as the extra episode, subscribers get a monthly live-streamed show (the first is on Wednesday 15th December, talking about the 1960's), access to an exclusiv ... Show More
12m 38s