logo
episode-header-image
Mar 2025
44m 38s

The Birth of New York City

History Hit
About this episode
tail spinning
Up next
Today
The Rotten End of Henry VIII
Death, death, and more death surrounds Henry VIII's final years.What happens when a monarch is trapped by physical decay, paranoia, and lethal court factionalism? He may have secured an heir and severed ties with Rome, but Henry VIII found no peace. And once he turns away from yo ... Show More
54m 49s
Sep 14
Henry VIII's Reign of Terror
**Contains graphic description of execution**What happened when one monarch's personal obsession dismantled an entire international order? How did Henry VIII transform a marriage crisis into the English Reformation—and at what point did royal ambition cross the line into outright ... Show More
51m 11s
Sep 10
Quest for an Heir: Henry VIII, Aragon and Boleyn
In the 1520s, a dynastic crisis loomed behind the brilliance of Henry VIII's court. Desperate for a male heir after Catherine of Aragon's string of tragic pregnancies, Henry's frustration mounted as his foreign military adventures failed and the pope stalled his annulment. Follow ... Show More
52m 22s
Recommended Episodes
Mar 2023
New Amsterdam
<p>Before New York was New York, it was New Amsterdam. Dutch colonists arrived on the East Coast in the early 17th century, creating the New Netherlands. At its heart was a settlement on the tip of the island of Manhattan, centred on the fur trade. Russell Shorto tells Don how Ne ... Show More
36m 56s
Apr 2025
How the English took Manhattan
How did the English take Manhattan from the Dutch in the 17th century without firing a single shot? Speaking to Elinor Evans, historian Russell Shorto explains a many-layered colonial history, including pragmatic deals, personal rivalries, and ideological divides, that led to the ... Show More
44m 5s
Jul 2023
351: Amsterdam: Miracles, Money, and Mud (Part 1)
A city built on water, Amsterdam has often set the tone of European modernity. It first gained prominence as a miraculous centre for pilgrimage, and then stood out for its relationship with the Reformation, and for its role in the birth of modern capitalism. Join Tom and Dominic ... Show More
41m 11s
Oct 2019
Dutch Manhattan - New York | 6
In the years after Adrian Van der Donck won a municipal charter for New Amsterdam, and under Peter Stuyvesant's stern but capable rule, the city flourished. Even English residents of New England and Virginia sent their goods to Europe via the future New York Harbor, because the D ... Show More
37m 42s
Jul 2023
352: Amsterdam: Kings, Canals, and Coffee Houses (Part 2)
A city which played a fundamental role in the Dutch Golden Age and in the birth of the Dutch monarchy, Amsterdam has also stood in the avant-garde of European liberalism since the Second World War. Join Tom and Dominic on the second part of our walking tour through Amsterdam, as ... Show More
55m 34s
Oct 2024
A One Man (Abridged) History of the Big Apple
On this episode of Our American Stories, if you’re curious enough, the familiar can become fascinating. Bill Bryk briefly recounts how New York City became the city it is today, as well as his love for its past. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support ... Show More
9m 59s
Sep 2019
Dutch Manhattan - Buying Manhattan | 2
Twelve years after Henry Hudson's 1609 trip charting the Hudson River, the Dutch used his voyage as the basis for a new colony, which would be wedged between the English colonies in New England and Virginia. New Netherland began with tiny numbers of people from different backgrou ... Show More
35m 39s
Mar 2022
EP214: The Interrupted Odyssey of Ulysses S. Grant and Ely Parker and The History of the Brooklyn Bridge
On this episode of Our American Stories, Dr. Mary Stockwell, author of Interrupted Odyssey: Ulysses S. Grant and the American Indians, tells the story of how the lives of America's first Native American appointed to a cabinet-level position and our 18th President intertwined. The ... Show More
38m 16s
Dec 2022
24. The Fall of Constantinople
The biggest gun in history. A giant underwater chain. A previously unconquerable fortress. Inspirational leaders. Join William and Anita as they discuss the extraordinary story of 1453 and the Fall of Constantinople. To get your free two week trial for Find my past, go to www.fi ... Show More
1h 3m