The Political History of the United States

Explore the tumultuous journey of the Pilgrims aboard the Mayflower, forced to land at Cape Cod. Discover their urgent need for survival led to the creation of the Mayflower Compact, a pragmatic agreement rather than a founding democratic declaration. Dive into the myths surrounding this document and its reality, including John Carver's leadership role. Unravel how its significance evolved through history, shaped by British loyalists and early American figures, transforming into a powerful political symbol.

Explore the fascinating journey of the Pilgrims as they flee persecution in England. Discover their life in the Netherlands, their struggles with cultural assimilation, and the complexities of their funding. Learn about the iconic Mayflower voyage and the challenges they faced along the way. This captivating tale sets the stage for a deeper understanding of early American history and the ideals that drove these settlers to seek a new life in North America.

As Jamestown emerged from the Starving Time and the Powhatan attack in 1622 they entered a new reality. No longer the fledgling colony that we saw during those early years, the Virginia Company still struggled to work towards profitability. This will ultimately cumulate with the collapse of the Virginia Company in 1624. During those same years, the colony would see other changes including their first assembly. This week we track those changes as Jamestown begins standing on its own two feet.Join us on social media! Threads: https://www.threads.net/@uspoliticalpodcastTwitter: https://twitter.com/ushistpodcastFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/USPoliticalpodcast/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/uspoliticalpodcast/Website: https://www.uspoliticalpodcast.com/Bibliography: https://uspoliticalpodcast.com/?page_id=196

The Powhatan Indians have become a fixture in our story. For the English, they have been critical in both ensuring the survival of the settlers as well as posing a constant threat. However, following the death of Powhatan, that relationship began to change. All of this leads to the surprise attack by the Confederacy on the settlers in 1622. This week we are going to look at the effect that 1622 had on the relationship, and ultimately the collapse of the Powhatan Confederacy.Join us on social media! Threads: https://www.threads.net/@uspoliticalpodcastTwitter: https://twitter.com/ushistpodcastFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/USPoliticalpodcast/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/uspoliticalpodcast/Website: https://www.uspoliticalpodcast.com/Bibliography: https://uspoliticalpodcast.com/?page_id=196

Following the events of the Starving Time, the Virginia colony entered a period of relative stability. This is largely caused by the arrival of Thomas Dale who becomes the new Governor of the colony. With the colony under something now resembling martial law, discipline was on the rise. The tides would really turn however when the capture of Pocahontas led to the end of the first Anglo-Powhatan war. The peace that would spread throughout the colony would allow Jamestown to finally expand past its original borders and was the exact thing necessary for the cultivation of tobacco to begin to flourish.Join us on social media! Threads: https://www.threads.net/@uspoliticalpodcastTwitter: https://twitter.com/ushistpodcastFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/USPoliticalpodcast/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/uspoliticalpodcast/Website: https://www.uspoliticalpodcast.com/Bibliography: https://uspoliticalpodcast.com/?page_id=196

During the winter of 1609-1610, the Jamestown colony is going to hit its low mark. During that winter, food shortages would become such a serious problem that nearly two-thirds of the settlers are going to die. Stories of cannibalism emerge from that winter, and eventually, it would lead to the temporary abandonment of the colony. This episode is going to look at the traditional story of that winter, examine if that telling is accurate, and finally, look at the long term effects of the starving time. Plus, if you check this weeks episode out, you'll hear John Smith make an uncomfortable joke about cannibalism.Join us on social media! Threads: https://www.threads.net/@uspoliticalpodcastTwitter: https://twitter.com/ushistpodcastFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/USPoliticalpodcast/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/uspoliticalpodcast/Website: https://www.uspoliticalpodcast.com/Bibliography: https://uspoliticalpodcast.com/?page_id=196

This week we explore the early years of the Jamestown colony and the struggles it faced right after its founding. From disease, starvation, troubles with the Powhatan Confederacy, a complete lack of farming knowledge, and a lack of good leadership, the Jamestown colony gets off to a rough start. We will discuss all these things this week as we set the stage for the famous winter of 1609-10 when the colony very nearly met the same fate as Roanoke.Join us on social media! Threads: https://www.threads.net/@uspoliticalpodcastTwitter: https://twitter.com/ushistpodcastFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/USPoliticalpodcast/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/uspoliticalpodcast/Website: https://www.uspoliticalpodcast.com/Bibliography: https://uspoliticalpodcast.com/?page_id=196

Discover the fascinating dynamics between the Powhatan Confederacy and English settlers. Explore the cultural complexities of Powhatan society, from their seasonal economies to matrilineal traditions. Delve into English expectations of alliances versus domination, and the controversial capture of John Smith, rich with misunderstandings. Learn about strategies used by the Powhatan to manage settlers and the growing English dependence that would shape their future. Dive into a relationship that oscillates between cooperation and conflict!

After spending our first 6 episodes bouncing around Europe, it is finally time to move the party across the Atlantic. This week we head into the first of several episodes looking at that first colony in Jamestown. We are going to spend this week with our focus on who the first settlers were, and why they decided to make Jamestown their new home. We are also going to take a fun little detour this week and check out the often totally forgotten Popham colony, which was founded just a few months after Jamestown.Join us on social media! Threads: https://www.threads.net/@uspoliticalpodcastTwitter: https://twitter.com/ushistpodcastFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/USPoliticalpodcast/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/uspoliticalpodcast/Website: https://www.uspoliticalpodcast.com/Bibliography: https://uspoliticalpodcast.com/?page_id=196

This week we are going to conclude our 6 part look at Europe on the eve of the formation of the English colonies. Specifically, our focus in this episode is going to be on heading back across the Atlantic and catching up on what the European powers are doing just prior to 1607. We are going to check in on the exploration of North America, the creation of Spanish Florida, as well as the English attempt at colonization in Roanoke. Join us on social media! Threads: https://www.threads.net/@uspoliticalpodcastTwitter: https://twitter.com/ushistpodcastFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/USPoliticalpodcast/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/uspoliticalpodcast/Website: https://www.uspoliticalpodcast.com/Bibliography: https://uspoliticalpodcast.com/?page_id=196