How did the Macartney Mission fail so spectacularly? Where does the word ‘kowtow’ come from? Why were the diplomats banished from the Forbidden City?
Listen as William and Anita continue the story of how the Macartney expedition completely failed to develop diplomatic relations with imperial China in 1793.
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Aug 2025
#303 - Qing 38: The Macartney Expedition (or, We Possess All Things)
A British lord sails halfway around the world with warships, telescopes, and a hot-air balloon, convinced that dazzling gadgetry will win his country a permanent embassy and a seat at the table as an equal. Lord Macartney gets his audience with an aging Qianlong Emperor at Chengd ... Show More
29m 20s
Nov 2022
Treason: Betrayal and Deception
What happens when treasonous plots fail? What happens when innocent people get pulled into dangerous schemes? In this episode, we explore the story of Edward Earl of Warwick, doomed by his father's crimes, and the Cato Street Conspiracy, a failed plot to kill the entire British c ... Show More
31m 20s
Jan 2023
SYMHC Classics: The Darien Disaster
This 2011 episode from previous hosts Sarah and Deblina covers an attempt to start a Scottish colony in Panama in the late 1600s. But the expedition faced disease, death and poor trade, taking down the settlers -- and, ultimately, Scotland.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy ... Show More
22m 13s
Dec 2022
269: Ghana: The Ashanti Empire
On today's World Cup episode, Tom and Dominic discuss the Ashanti Empire.
Tune in to hear about the Anglo-Ashanti wars, the Golden Stool, the role of Robert Baden-Powell and much, much more.
Join The Rest Is History Club (www.restishistorypod.com) for ad-free listening to the f ... Show More
47m 55s