Virginia History Podcast

In which events surrounding the English Civil War, Virginia religious freedom, and free trade are used by the Matthews-Claiborne faction to remove Governor Berkeley from office are detailed.

In which author, genealogist, and historian K.I. Knight discusses how the First Africans arrived in Virginia, what happened to them after 1619, and how slavery evolved during 17th Century Virginia.

In which continued English expansion beyond the James River brought the English into conflict with the Powhatan Tribes and to an extent themselves.

In which Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation Historian Nancy Egloff and I discuss Tenacity an exhibition covering 17th Century Virginia Women.

In which archaeologist Lyle Browning discusses the history of Falling Creek Ironworks, as well as the archaeological work being done at Virginia and America's first ironworks.

In which Tony Williams and I discuss how economics impacted Virginia's development, which in turn still influences America's growth today.

In which Historic St. Luke's John Ericson discusses how religious wars impacted 17th Century Virginia's religious thought, and how that thought influenced the way America's Founding Fathers created religious freedom. This discussion is based upon Reverend Ericson's lecture "From Religious Wars to Religious Freedom."

In which Jon Kukla and I discuss 17th Century Virginia governmental and societal stability. This discussion is based off of Dr. Kukla's 1985 American Historical Review article "Order and Chaos in Early America: Political and Social Stability in Pre-Restoration Virginia", which challenged the then prevailing notion that 17th Century Virginia was chaotic and unstable.

In which issues surrounding the English Civil War begin affecting Governor Berkeley's Virginia.

In which Governor Berkeley's arrival and first obstacles are recounted.

In which Sir William Berkeley's early life and rise to power are detailed.

In which I interview Graham Woodlief concerning the upcoming 400th Anniversary of the First Thanksgiving in Virginia.

In which I interview Fort Monroe's superintendent Terry Brown.

In which I interview the Shades of Our Past re-enactors about Grace Sherwood - The Witch of Pungo.

In which the influence of Samuel Mathews, Sr. and William Claiborne is detailed more closely. Special attention is given to showing how their influence paved the way for Sir William Berkeley's timely arrival.

In which Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation's Nancy Egloff and I discuss the foundation of Virginia's House of Burgesses.

In which Sir John Harvey becomes Virginia's Governor, fights with his Council, especially the Mathews-Claiborne faction, and loses his wealth and position is recounted.

In which Virginia begins life as a Royal Colony during the 1620s.

In which the Library of Virginia's Sandra Gioia Treadway tells us about 5 remarkable women - Cockacoeske, Anna Maria Lane, Elizabeth Van Lew, Caroline Putnam, and Mary Jackson, and how they impacted Virginia and beyond.

In which the fallout from Opechancanough's 1622 Massacre reaches England and brings the Virginia Company to her death.

In which I interview Historic Jamestowne's Dr. James Horn.

In which I interview Robert Russa Moton Museum Education Director Cainan Townsend for American Evolution: Virginia to America 1619-2019. Cainan discusses how a group of African-American high school students led a 1951 protest which had a major influence on Brown vs. Board of Education and the Civil Rights movement that soon followed.

In which the events leading up to and of the infamous 1622 Opechancanough led massacre are narrated.

In which the disastrous political situation surrounding the Virginia Company of London and is brought to her demise is recounted.

In which the New World's first representative government, the House of Burgesses, is outlined.

In which the arrival of Virginia's first women and Africans is detailed.

In which the details of the First Thanksgiving, which took place in 1619 Virginia, is narrated.

In which the continued growth along the James River is outlined detailing the first ironworks, the first representative government, the first Thanksgiving, and other changes stemming from the newest plantations being founded in Virginia.

In which L.B. Taylor's Essay about Shirley Plantation's Haunted Aunt Pratt is read for this Halloween Special Podcast.

In which the Company realizes that they have no other choice but to offer land to investors, and that land is transformed into vibrant plantations.

In which details concerning Henricus being further fortified and Thomas Dale's shifting power up the James River in order to establish a series of plantations along the James River is recounted.

In which Thomas Dale tries to shape the colony, Rolfe's tobacco experiment, the growth of the James River Plantations, the Rolfes' travel to England, and Pocahontas dies are recounted.

In which the events leading up to Pocahontas marriage to John Rolfe are recounted.

In which a brief overview of Virginia's history leading to her contribution to Memorial Day is recounted.

In which Thomas Dale arrives, founds Henricus, fights Powhatan, is challenged by the Spanish, and asks for new settlers. The Virginia Company obliges, but has to use Bermuda to raise funds.

In which the Sea Venture survivors arrive, attempt to leave, and are turned back as Lord Delaware shows up, reorganizes the colony, joins a war, and returns to England.

In which the Sea Venture castaways settled into Bermuda, but a series of mutinies threatened to derail their escape plans. Perhaps they would have wished they would have remained on Devil's Isle after they reached Jamestown in May 1610.

In which the Jamestown colony suffers through the Starving Time.

In which the surviving 6 ships make it to Jamestown only to see chaos erupt and John Smith leave Virginia.

In which the third resupply mission sails away from England, endures 7 weeks of calm seas and disease before being tormented by a hurricane. The Sea Venture is then run aground at a frightening location.

In which Smith fights enemies in Virginia and England, endures, but the Virginia Company reforms itself, and thus legally ends Smith's control in Jamestown.

In which a ghost stories pertaining to Gloucester's Rosewell Plantation from LB Taylor Jr's Ghosts of Tidewater are read.

In which Smith and his men endure a winter storm plagued journey to Werowocomoco, dodge death at Powhatan's hands, and then confront Opechancanough in a deadly standoff.

In which the beginning of John Smith's Presidency, which is challenged by Christopher Newport's arrival, is narrated.

In which, Newport returns, saves John Smith again, meets Powhatan, and returns to England. Then Smith explores the Chesapeake Bay region on two missions before returning to Jamestown to take control of the struggling colony on September 10, 1608 is recounted.

In which details about John Smith's early life are recounted as a segue into his early attempts to save Jamestown from collapse. Along the way, Opechancanough, Powhatan, and Pocahontas are met.

In which Christopher Newport returns to courtly intrigue, while spy games threaten to undermine the Virginia venture. Meanwhile, harsh summer conditions plague the Jamestown colonists, death claims half of the men, and chaos rules supreme. The time is right for a brash upstart to take control.

In which Christopher Newport explores Powhatan lands along what the English would name the James River, Jamestown is attacked by an Indian alliance, and James Fort had to be built, all before Newport decided to sail back to England on June 22, 1607.

In which the two week period between First Landing at Cape Henry and the colonists choose Jamestown Island as their home is recounted.

In which events concerning the formation of the London Company and the 1607 voyage to Virginia are illustrated.