History Storytime: Recent Episodes
History Storytime
History storytime for children with 7 year old Sophie, 4 year old Ellie and their Daddy. Exciting stories of knights in shining armour and their battles. Henry VIII, the Tudors, Romans, World War 2, George Washington, Columbus and more. Even amazing stories of animals in history like elephants, dogs, cats and pigeons. Stirring stories of love and betrayal. Strong women and how they changed history. Real life narrative history as it should be told. Valued by teachers, enjoyed by parents, loved by kids. Helps support the National Curriculum with Key Stage 1 (KS1) and Key Stage 2 (KS2).
Sophie (age 7) and Ellie (age 5) tell the story of why and how World War Two started.----more----
Germany was divided into many different countries by slowly one country called Prussia either conquered the other countries or persuaded the little Germany countries to join them. Germany had been created through fighting and this made some Germans think that conquering other countries was normal. However, while Germany was becoming one country, other countries were also getting bigger. Britain and France were building might Empires. America was exploring the West. Russia was conquering much of Asia. Germany was powerful in Europe but she felt weak in the world.
Then there was World War One. Germany lost. Millions were killed, Germany lost land – including land where Germans lived, Germany had to pay lots of money for all the damage they had caused. People in Germany were very upset. Their Generals did not want to be blamed for losing the war. So they told everyone that they would have won the war except people back home gave up too early.
After a few tricky years things calmed down in Germany. However, everything went wrong with the money in the world and people got very poor and many lost their jobs. Many counties stopped buying and selling from other countries. That was not such a big problem for Britain, Russia, France and America because they had big empires to buy and sell to. However, Germany did not have an empire.
Then Adolf Hitler became leader of Germany. He was the most evil man in history. He wanted Germans to all live in Germany, he wanted more land for Germany, and he hated Jews and Communists. He blamed communists for Germany losing the First World War.
Firstly, Hitler decided to march into a part of Germany that he was not allowed to have soldiers in. The world did nothing. Then he marched into little Austria. The world did nothing. Then he decided to attack a little country called Czechoslovakia. Britain and France gave him some of Czechoslovakia to keep him happy. He took that bit; then he took the rest too. Britain and France did not want to fight. That is why they kept hoping Hitler would stop if they were reasonable with him. However, Hitler did not want to stop.
Next Hitler attacked Poland. He even managed to persuade the Russians to help him. This time Britain and France had had enough. They went to war with Germany. Britain’s Empire came to her aid. The Americans joined later on.
Most wars have many complicated reasons for them. This war was Hitler’s fault.
PATRONS CLUB
If you would like to join our Patrons’ Club then please do join at www.patreon.com/historystorytime.
Sophie (age 7) and Ellie (age 5) tell the story of the Hundred Years’ War between England and France.----more----
This is a time of knights and castles. William the Conqueror had come from France to conquer England. This meant that English Kings now owned land in France. The lost some in battle, but gained other parts through marriage – especially the lands of Eleanor of Aquitaine. Often English Kings would be married to French princesses to help keep the peace between the two lands. However, when the French King died the next in line to the throne was the King of England. The French did not want an English King. So they changed the rules and said that descendants of Princes were more important than descendants of princesses.
The King of England, Edward III was furious. He declared war on France.
The French were confident of victory because they had many knights. They thorught their knights were invincible. However, the English had armed their soldiers with a longbow. Properly used they could destroy the French knights.
At the first major battle at Crecy that is exactly what happened. The French were destroyed by the English Archers. The same happened at the Battle of Poitiers where the French King was captured by the English King’s son, the Black Prince.
The French carried on fighting. So Edward and France did a deal. The English released the French king and the French promised Edward III could rule some of the French lands. However, once their king was safe the French refused to give England all the promised land. War continued. However, the Black Prince died and slowly France regained all her land.
For 40 years there was relative peace. This was broken by England’s new King, Henry V. He invaded France and crushed the English at Agincourt. The French agreed that he could be King after the old French King. However, Henry V died first leaving an infant son. The French were not scared of him and fought on.
Then a peasant girl called Joan of Arc claimed that God was telling her to fight the English. She persuaded the French ruler to lend her his army. She attacked and destroyed the English army. The English captured her and killed her as a witch.
Later the final English Army met the French in Battle. However this time the French had a sneaky plan up their leaves. They had cannon. The cannon could fire further and it destroyed the English Archers.
The Hundred Years War (which lasted 116 years) was over. France had won.
PATRONS’ CLUB
If you liked this episode then do please join our Patrons’ Club. You can find details at www.patreon.com/historystorytime.
Sophie (age 7) & Ellie (age 5) tell of the Persian invasion of Ancient Greece and the Battles of Thermopylae and Salamis.----more----
The Persians are determined to get their revenge for their defeat at the Battle of Marathon. The new Persian Emperor, Xerxes, decides to conquer all of Greece once and for all.
He assembles the largest army the world has ever seen. The army is too big to be taken by sea. So he builds a bridge of boats to get it from Asia to Europe. However, in building the bridge we learn how Xerxes is a cruel ruler. One of the nobles asks for his son to be left behind. Xerxes agrees but executes the nobles son and chops his body in two. There is a storm and the bridge of boats is destroyed. Xerxes has the sea whipped and red hot irons placed in it as a punishment.
Finally, his army gets across and marches into Greece. Many Greek cities surrender. However, Athens and Sparta fight. The Spartans are fierce warriors. Their King, Leonidas, visits an Oracle to find out what is going to happen. The Oracle says that either a Spartan King will die or Greece will be conquered. Leonidas realises that he will have to die if Greece is to be saved.
The Spartans choose a clever place to fight. It is called Thermopylae. It is a narrow path between the mountains and the sea. The Persians cannot get their whole army down the path as it is too narrow. The Spartans hold the massive Persian army at bay. However, the Persians discover a path through the mountains. Now they can get behind the Spartans. Most of the Greeks retreat. But Leonidas and 300 Spartans decide to fight to the death to delay the Persians. Leonidas also knows that if he dies then Greece will be saved. Persian archers kill Leonidas. However, his sacrifice has never been forgotten.
Before the invasion, the Athenians had discovered silver in the hills near Athens. After a long discussion they had decided to use the money to build a mighty fleet.
Athens is captured by the Persians but the Athenians still have their fleet. The Persian and the Athenian led fleet meet in battle near the island of Salamis. The Persian Emperor settles down on the land to watch the battle. The seas are narrow near Salamis and the Persians numbers do not help them. The Greeks win the battle.
The Persians realise that now the Greeks can say to the bridge of boats and destroy it. This would trap the Persian Emperor in Greece. Quickly the Emperor and most of his army run home. A little of their army stays and is destroyed the next year.
This war did not just save Ancient Greece. It also saved all the things that the Greeks had invented, like Democracy and Freedom. They gave those ideas to us. This is why we remember the battles of Thermopylae and Salamis today.
PATRON’S CLUB
If you liked this episode then do please join our Patron’s Club. We have an exclusive episode there all about what happened after the Persian Invasion of Ancient Greece. Sparta and Athens go to war with each other…
www.patreon.com/historystorytime
Sophie (age 7) & Ellie (age 5) team up with the Brunel Museum to tell the story of the incredible engineer, Isambard Kingdom Brunel helped build the modern world.----more----
Sophie and Ellie are keen to explore Victorian Britain. They want to do a podcast on Isambard Kingdom Brunel but Daddy doesn’t know much about him. Luckily, Sarah, from the Brunel Museum is on hand to help. Together the three of them tell the story of Isambard Kingdom Brunel.
But we start with his father. Marc Brunel is a Frenchman who has been sent to priest school. But his heart is not in it. Instead he likes making things. When the French Revolution breaks out he is forced to flee France. But not before falling in love with an English woman. They are parted by the Revolution and Marc flees to America. There he starts to achieve his life’s ambition to become an engineer. While in New York he meets the famous Alexander Hamilton. Hamilton is so impressed with Marc Brunel that he writes him a recommendation to get a job as an engineer in London. Marc travels to England and is married to his English sweetheart.
Once in England he starts building things. One of those projects is a new tunnel under the Thames. The tunnel is wanted by the Duke of Wellington to help transport soldiers to the south coast. But people also hope that it will be used by paying customers too. The tunnel is considered an impossibility to build. But Marc has a helper. He has a new Chief Engineer, his son Isambard Kingdom Brunel. Together the two Brunels come up with an extraordinary new way of tunnelling underwater based on how a worm tunnels. The tunnel is built and Queen Victoria herself pays a visit.
Isambard Kingdom Brunel is in demand from others for his engineering skills. He is asked to build the new Railway line to the West of England. This is a huge undertaking and needs bridges, tunnels and viaducts. Many of Brunel’s ideas are completely revolutionary. But they work and Brunel spends his time travelling around in his own railway carriage overseeing the project.
Next the girls tell the story of Isambard Kingdom Brunel’s ship building. He repeatedly built the biggest ship in the world. We hear the story of why he kept building bigger and bigger ships. We also hear how the activities of those ships helped make the modern world of telecommunications that we enjoy today.
Finally, the girls reflect on the incredible achievements of Isambard Kingdom Brunel and how doing his maths homework at school helped him make the modern world!
ABOUT THE BRUNEL MUSEUM
This episode was a joint production with the Brunel Museum and their team – especially Sarah Kuklewicz. The Brunel Museum tells the story of one of the world’s great engineering dynasties. Brunel organised the world’s first underground concert party on the Museum site in 1827, and the Museum celebrates and interprets music and theatre as well as engineering. They aim to preserve and share widely the ground-breaking stories of the Thames Tunnel project and the outstanding achievements of the Brunel family and their relevance to our lives today.
You can find out more about them here:
Homepage - Brunel Museum (thebrunelmuseum.com)
Obviously the Museum is closed at the moment but teachers and parents might be interested in the activity sheets on their website. It is particularly suitable for KS1 and KS2 and their Victorian topic work.
Activity sheets - Brunel Museum (thebrunelmuseum.com)
PLEASE DO SUPPORT THE MUSEUM
Normally we include a link to our own Patrons’ Club. But rather than that this week we would be grateful if anyone would consider donating to the Brunel Museum. It’s a difficult time for all our museums and the whole heritage sector. I know any small donation would be much appreciated as they were very generous helping us prepare this episode:
Make a donation - Brunel Museum (thebrunelmuseum.com)
Sophie (age 7) & Ellie (age 5) tell the 1000 year history of Burma – Buddhism, Kublai Khan, Elephants, the British, WW2 and Aung Sung Suu Kyi.----more----
Sophie and Ellie are contacted by a listener who lives in Burma. The girls want to find out more about the place and what is going on there. They describe the Burmese geography and weather. Then they tell of the first Burmese King, a thousand years ago, and how he unified Burma. He then converted to Buddhism and introduced the religion to Burma. Ten thousand Buddhist temples were made. But the Buddhist temples paid no tax. And that made it hard for the King to keep a strong army.
Then the Mongol King, Kublai Khan, invades. The Burmese fight him with their war elephants but they are crushed. The Burmese Kingdom is destroyed. But the Mongols do not stay. They just wanted to teach Burma a lesson. Marco Polo tells the story of the invasion.
It takes hundreds of years for Burma to recover. But they are united again. This time they and their elephants attack Siam. They conquer the country with the help not just of the elephants but also guns from Portuguese traders. Eventually Siam rebels and frees itself. Again it takes hundreds of years for Burma to recover.
Next Burma decides to expand West. They bump straight into the British Empire. A bloody series of wars occur. At first the Burmese successfully invade British India. But the British fight back. The Burmese elephants are no match for the British army and their new Rocket. Burma is conquered by the British and made into a colony.
In the early 20th century more and more people in Burma want to be free of the British. The Burmese leader is called Aung Sun. He tries to get freedom for his people.
Then World War Two breaks out. The Japanese Empire invades Burma. Many Burmese like Aung Sun join the Japanese to get rid of the British. Japan conquers Burma. But then Aung Sun and others realise they have made a terrible mistake. They realise that the Japanese will never leave Burma and they are an evil empire. Aung Sun and others help the British to reconquer Burma.
Then the British give Burma her independence.
But at the moment of victory Aung Sun is killed. The Burmese struggle without him. The army take over and will not let the people be in charge. Eventually there are elections which are won by Aung Sun’s daughter, Aung Sun Suu Kyi. But the Army arrest her for 20 years. Finally she is allowed to rule Burma. Not everything she does is popular outside of Burma but she remains popular in Burma. Recently the Army put her in prison again and took control of the country.
Sophie and Ellie reflect on how the poor Burmese people have hardly ever in recently years been able to have a government that they wanted. They hope for a better time to come.
BURMESE NAMES
I'm certain that our pronunciation of Burmese names is terrible. I'm very sorry. We found it hard to find out how to pronounce many of the names.
PATRONS' CLUB
Do please consider joining our Patrons' Club. You can find the details at www.patreon.com/historystorytime. Sophie and Ellie love getting to know their listeners.
Sophie (age 7) and Ellie (age 5) tell the story of Gandhi. We learn how he led India to independence. But more than that the girls learn life lessons from his example.
150 years India was ruled by Britain. India was a country of many religions, and many languages. These differences helped Britain to be in charge. But many Indians wanted to rule themselves. The girls explore why it was important for the Indians to rule their own country and the problems with Britain being in charge.
We meet Gandhi. We learn about his personal value system. We discover how he was opposed to violence. We also learned how he believed that it wasn’t enough to achieve good things. He believed that the way in which you achieved things was also important. Gandhi didn’t hate Britain. But when he lived in South Africa he realized that the British Empire wasn’t always fair to people who were not white British.
When he returned to India he began campaigning for India to be free. He believed that it was wrong to fight. Instead he believed that Indian’s needed to stop doing what British people told them to do. He organized lots of peaceful demonstrations.
The girls tell the story of the terrible day at Amritsar when 400 Indians were shot dead on the streets on the orders of a British General.
Eventually the British agree to talk to Gandhi. But the talks do not go well. Instead the British encourage the Muslims to be worried about an India run by Hindus like Gandhi. The talks collapse. The British arrest many independence protestors.
Then World War Two starts. The British need India. Gandhi tells the Indians not to help the British. But millions ignore him and join the Army. In 1942 Gandhi tells the British to leave India immediately. The British won’t that because of the war. So they put Gandhi and his followers in prison.
But after the war the British have had enough and agree to leave. It agreed to split India in two. There will be a mostly Muslim area called Pakistan and a mostly Hindu area called India. The split is terrible. Muslims and Hindu kill hundreds of thousands of each other. Then a Hindu decides it’s all Gandhi’s fault. He shoots and kills Gandhi. People are horrified. They realise that Gandhi was right. India becomes a country for all religions and languages.
Over time the whole world realise that Gandhi was a great man. Even Britain makes a statue to him.
At the end the girls reflect on Gandhi’s message to the world and the power of his example.
PATRONS’ CLUB
If you liked this message you might like to join our Patrons’ club. You can choose an episode – like this one was chosen by one of our Patrons. You can find extra episodes. Or you can be in an episode. You can find details on www.patreon.com/historystorytime
Sophie (age 7) and Ellie (age 5) tell the story of how Denmark’s Jews were rescued by Danish people at the height of World War Two and escaped overnight to Sweden and safety.
Hitler’s Germany has conquered most of Europe in World War Two. Hitler hates the Jews and tells lies about them. He tries to find them and kill them. But in Denmark the Danes are conquered but allowed to rule themselves – with the German army patrolling the streets.
The King tries to keep his people’s morale up. He rides his horse through Copenhagen every day. When a German soldiers asks why he has no bodyguards, a Danish citizen replies that all Danes are his bodyguard. The King fights against the evil German flag, the Swastika being flown. When the Germans propose that all Jews should wear a yellow badge, the King says he will wear one too. The Germans back down. Hitler sends the King a birthday card with a long letter sucking up to him. The King barely replies.
Hitler is enraged. He decides that Germany will take total control. He also decides to round up the Jews and prepare to kill them.
But a German finds out about the plan and warns the Danish government. The government and ordinary people step into action. In one night they warn all the Jews. They hide them from the Germans and then take them across the sea to Sweden where they will be safe. The evil German SS soldiers kick down the doors but cannot find the Jews. 7,500 are safe.
Now both the Danish people and the brave German who warned the Jews are remembered in Israel, the Jewish homeland.
PATRONS’ CLUB
If you liked this episode then please do join our Patrons’ Club. We have exclusive episodes there. You can join on www.patreon.com/historystorytime. Sophie and Ellie also really enjoy getting to know our patrons and they swap photos.
PARENTS’ NOTICE ABOUT THIS EPISODE
We wanted to tell a Holocaust story which was uplifting and positive and appropriate for little children. Obviously, that is difficult to do about what is one of the greatest tragedies and crimes in human history. But we hope we have managed it here.
We teach the name of the Holocaust and that Jews were killed. We do not cover any of the details about how this was done.
We do not explain in detail why people were anti-semitic, just that they were. In my own experience with the girls, they can sometimes repeat the various anti-semitic lies without explaining properly that they were false or giving the proper contexts.
We also establish early on that the Jews escape so that the story is not scary for children.
We try to establish that the Holocaust was a uniquely evil event.
We took a few liberties with the story. 7,500 Jews escaped, but 500 were captured. Efforts by the Danish government ensured that only around 100 lost their lives. We simplified the story and kept it positive for children. But we wanted here to recognise that there was some tragedy.
If your child likes this then there is a film on Disney Plus called “Miracle at Midnight” which is very good. It was too scary and complicated for Ellie. But Sophie was fine with it. There is also an award winning childrens’ book called “Number the Stars”.
Thanks for listening. Feedback welcome @historytime99 or you can find on facebook.
Sophie (age 7) & Ellie (age 5) tell how Joe Biden and Donald Trump both chose to use the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office. They tell the history of the desk that is a symbol of friendship between Britain and America.
----more----
They explain how the British went exploring the North West passage in the 1850s. Successive expeditions went badly wrong. Eventually, one of the ships, the HMS Resolute got stuck in the ice. The crew had to abandon the ship. Two years later the ship was discovered. This time by an American ship over 1000 miles away. The ice had melted and the ship had floated away. It was like finding a ghost ship. The Americans took the ship back to America. The ship belonged to them now.
But there were lots of tensions between Britain and America. They had already fought two wars. They were still arguing. But they had so much in common. Many people thought they should be friends rather than arguing all the time. The American government decided to repair the ship and to send her as a present to Queen Victoria. Queen Victoria was delighted. It helped Britain and American become friends.
For twenty years HMS Resolute carried on sailing near Britain. Then it got too old. But Queen Victoria remembered she had been a gift from America. She decided to use her timbers to make some desks. One would be gift to the US President and another would be for herself.
The Americans were delighted with the gift. It was placed in the White House. Successive presidents used it in different rooms. When F.D. Roosevelt used it he had a little door installed so that no one could see that he used a wheelchair. Later US presidents rather forgot about the desk. Until John F Kennedy became President. His wife wanted to refurbish the White House. She went exploring around the White House. In a back room she found, under a pile of electrical equipment, the old Resolute Desk. She thought it was beautiful. She brought it out and placed it in the main office in the White House called the Oval Office. Then her children discovered the little door that Roosevelt had installed. A photographer took a photo of them playing while their Dad was on the phone. Suddenly the whole world remembered the Resolute Desk.
Most US Presidents since them have chosen to use the Resolute Desk. Sophie and Ellie reflect on the fact that Joe Biden and Donald Trump did not agree on much. But they did agree on using the Resolute Desk. It is a reminder of great US Presidents of the past as well as being a symbol of historic friendship between Britain and America.
Sophie (age 7) & Ellie (age 5) tell of Eleanor of Aquitaine. But Eleanor has been Queen of France. Now she becomes Queen of England.----more----This is the second in our series about Eleanor of Aquitaine. But you don't need to have listened to the last episode to enjoy this one. Last week we learned how 800 years ago Eleanor, Duchess of Aquitaine, married the King of France. But she didn’t much like him. He was unhappy they didn’t have a son. So they divorced.
But no one expected what happened next. Eleanor married the dashing young pretender to the English throne. His name was Henry and he was ten years younger than her. The French King was furious. With Eleanor's help Henry took the throne of England. Now he was King of England and ruler of most of France. Eleanor was his Queen.
Furthermore, it turned out that Eleanor could have sons after all. Lots of them. She had eight children, four of them boys. For years she raised them. Then she set up her own Court. The Court of Love with minstrels and knights and her ladies in waiting.
Meanwhile, Henry got himself a girlfriend. Eleanor did not like that. Their children were also angry with Henry. He kept treating them like children even though they were quite grown up. They all rebelled against Henry. But Henry was a skilled General. He defeated Eleanor and his sons. He forgave his sons but put Eleanor in prison for 15 years.
She was only released when her son Richard became King. She then supported her son Richard and later her son John.
We tell how her story is ignored by many later writers like the Disney film Robin Hood because often women are ignored in history.
She died aged 81 years old and is remembered today as one of the greatest women in history.
Other episodes
If you liked this episode about Eleanor of Aquitaine you might also like our Matilda episode. It’s set around the same time in history with knights and castles. and tells you what is happening in England while Eleanor of Aquitaine is married to the King of France. It’s a another story about a powerful woman.
https://link.historystorytime.com/Matilda
You might also like to try our Jousting with the Royal Armouries episode. We made it with the world famous Royal Armouries in England. We tell the story of knights, tournaments and jousting. All the sorts of things that Eleanor and her knights and nobles enjoyed.
https://link.historystorytime.com/Jousting
Patrons Club
If you liked this episode you might like to join our Patrons’ Club. There you can listen to exclusive new episodes, help choose an episode or be in an episode. You can join on www.patreon.com/historystorytime
Sophie (age 7) & Ellie (age 5) tell of Eleanor of Aquitaine. In a time of knights and castles, men rule. But Eleanor is Duchess of Aquitaine - no one is telling her what to do.----more----
800 years ago Eleanor became Duchess of Aquitaine in South West France. It was a time of Knights and Castles. But the King of France, Louis the Fat, didn’t want to lose control of Aquitaine. So he quickly married 13 year old Eleanor off to his son – also called Louis. Louis didn’t much want to be King. He also didn’t much want to be a husband. He had thought he was going to be a monk. But after his older brother died he had to be King.
He loved Eleanor. But she thought he was really boring. He worried about having babies as he thought he might be more holy not to have any. But the monks and later the Pope himself told him to have some. He had Eleanor had girls. But that wasn’t any good for France. The laws of France said they needed a King.
They went on Crusade together to the Holy Land. It didn’t go very well. France lost the battles. Eleanor became very good friends with her uncle. Some people even thought they had become girlfriend and boyfriend. When they got back to France Eleanor and Louis decided to divorce. Eleanor went back to Aquitaine.
But Eleanor wasn’t upset by this. In fact for the first time in her life she was free to make her own decision. That decision was to lead to her becoming Queen of England.
But that’s the topic of the next History Storytime episode.
OTHER EPISODES
If you liked this episode about Eleanor of Aquitaine you might also like our Matilda episode. It’s set around the same time in history with knights and castles. and tells you what is happening in England while Eleanor of Aquitaine is married to the King of France. It’s a another story about a powerful woman.
https://link.historystorytime.com/Matilda
You might also like to try our Jousting with the Royal Armouries episode. We made it with the world famous Royal Armouries in England. We tell the story of knights, tournaments and jousting. All the sorts of things that Eleanor of Aquitaine and her knights and nobles enjoyed.
https://link.historystorytime.com/Jousting
PATRONS' CLUB
If you liked this episode you might like to join our Patrons’ Club. There you can listen to exclusive new episodes, help choose an episode or be in an episode. You can join on www.patreon.com/historystorytime
Sophie (aged 7) and Ellie (aged 5) decide to tell the history of New Year going back four thousand years.
----more----
They start by going to the time of the ancient Mesopotamians. They tell how they Mesopotamians celebrated New Year at the start of Spring on March 25th. They had parties and invented the idea of New Year Resolutions.
Fast forward to 2000 years ago and it is the time of the Romans. The Romans also celebrated the New Year on March 25th. But they had an important thing happen on January 1st. This was the date that the Consuls of Rome took charge. They were the people in charge of the city for that year. Over time Romans started to celebrate the day they took charge as the start of the year.
But the Romans had a problem too. Their calendar was all wrong. Julius Caesar was ruler of Rome. He decided to fix the mistakes in the calendar and while he was at it, he change the start of the year from March 25th to January 1st.
They also used to have massive parties on January 1st.
After the Romans the Christians kingdoms of Europe kept having different days for the start of the New year. Some of them used the old March 25th date and others the January 1st date. Gradually, they all started to use January 1st.
For some countries Christmas was more important than New Year. But for some countries New Year was far more important.
One of those countries was Scotland. There they celebrated New Year with a festival called Hogmanay. The traditions of Hogmanay are very old. Some people think that they word is French and was brought to Scotland by Mary Queen of Scots. It used to be a tradition that it brought good luck if you had a dark haired man come into your house straight after midnight. Sophie wonders whether that because a blonde haired man would be a dangerous Viking. Hogmanay is still a huge festival in Scotland. In fact the Scots have a two day holiday afterwards!
We end by telling some of the story of Auld Lang Syne and Sophie and Ellie sing the first verse.
We wish you all a very Happy New Year. Thank you for listening to History Storytime this year.
PATRONS' CLUB
Do please consider joining our Patron’s Club. Details are on www.patreon.com/historystorytime. You can access exclusive new episodes, be in an episode or choose an episode.
Sophie (aged 7) and Ellie (aged 5) want to know if battles ever happened at Christmas so together we tell the story of the Battle of the Bulge in World War Two.
It is winter 1944. Allied troops are at the borders of Germany. Germany seems defeated. The allies are resting, preparing for the final push for Berlin in the Spring which will end World War Two. But Hitler has a plan of his own. He gathers his last tank army together in great secrecy. His tanks smash through woods called the Ardennes. The Battle of the Bulge has started.
The Americans are stunned. The weather is terrible so the Allied planes cannot help. German soldiers wearing American uniforms spread confusion behind Allied lines. German soldiers all kill captured American prisoners. But Hitler’s tanks are desperately short of petrol. They need to capture some of the Allied petrol to keep the attack going. But the allies keep blowing it up.
In the middle of the German advance is the town of Bastogne. The German tanks sweep past the town. But American paratroopers dig in around the town and hold it against all attacks – even on Christmas Day. This slows down the German advance. This gives the Americans time to bring their own tanks up. The weather also cleared and the Allied planes started bombing the German tanks. With one final throw of the dice the last German planes went into battle. But were shot down. Now Germany had lost her last tanks and her last planes. There was nothing to stop the Allies now.
A few months later Russia captured Berlin, Hitler killed himself and World War Two was over.
The girls also reflect on how at this Christmas we owe our freedoms to those brave American soldiers who fought for us in World War Two at the Battle of the Bulge at Christmas 1944
If you like this episode you might also like our other World War Two episodes.
Here we have an episode on Dunkirk 1940 in World War 2
https://link.historystorytime.com/Dunkirk
Here we have an episode on the Battle of Britain 1940 in World War 2
https://link.historystorytime.com/Battle-of-Britain
Here we have an episode on Pearl Harbor 1941 in World War 2
https://link.historystorytime.com/Pearl-Harbor
Here we have an episode on VE Day 1945 at the end of World War 2
https://link.historystorytime.com/VE-Day
Patrons’ Club
If you like listening to History Storytime you might like our Patrons’ Club. You get exclusive episodes, can choose and episode and be in an episode. We have a new episode out about the Siege of Bastogne which fits in well with this episode. We also have episodes about the Seven Wonders of the World and about the Bayeux Tapestry of 1066.
https://link.historystorytime.com/Patreon-Club
Sophie (age 7) & Ellie (age 5) tell the story of the Japanese surprise attack on Pearl Harbor which happened today in 1941 and brought America into World War Two. #OTD
Until the 19th century Japan isolated itself from the world. Then Commodore Perry’s ironclad ship sails into Tokyo Harbour. The Japanese are amazed to realise how technologically far behind the world they have fallen. They resolve to catch up.
For the next fifty years they modernise their economy building a formidable modern navy and fleet. They then resolve to use them in a bid for power. They start with a surprise attack on Russia at Port Arthur. Japan wins the war. Then in the 1930s they launch a surprise attack on China sweeping to control great swathes of the country. They treat ordinary Chinese people very badly.
By 1941 the world is at war in Europe – World War Two. Other countries are concerned about Japan’s intentions. They stop selling oil to Japan. Without oil Japan would not be able to fight an aggressive war. Japan decides to strike at the oilfield in the far east controlled by the European Empires. But they know this will draw the American forces into World War Two. They decide to first launch a surprise attack on the US fleet at Pearl Harbor.
At Pearl Harbor the US fleet suspects nothing. People are going about their daily business. Suddenly they see Japanese planes overhead diving into bomb the ships at harbor. Bombs rain down. Torpedoes dart underwater. Withing minutes some of the greatest US battleships are sunk. Thousands of lives are lost. The US try to fight back but it is too late to save the bulk of the fleet.
The result is a crushing Japanese victory.
But the Japanese victory is a hollow one. The Japanese have sunk the US Battleships. But the US carriers are not in Pearl Harbor that day. They are safe to fight again. Worse for Japan, America is roused to utter fury at the unprovoked attack. The US President calls it a day of infamy. The huge resources of America are mobilised for World War Two. They far outweigh the capacity of Japan. Three years later the Japanese empire is destroyed, Japan’s cities are in rubble and Japan is occupied.
If you like this episode you might also like our other World War Two episodes. We have World War Two episodes on Dunkirk:
WW2: The Miracle of Dunkirk and Winston Churchill in 1940 (historystorytime.com)
Or you might like our World War Two episode on the Battle of Britain:
WW2: The Battle of Britain and Winston Churchill in 1940 (historystorytime.com)
Patrons’ Club
If you like this episode you might want to join our Patrons’ Club. You can listen to exclusive episodes, help choose an episode or be in an episode. To join go to www.patreon.com/historystorytime
Sophie (age 7) and Ellie (age 5) tell the inspirational story of Rosa Parks and how her refusal to move seats on a bus, 65 years ago this week, helped change America for the better.
America in 1950s is still scarred by the impact of the evils of slavery. Slavery might have been abolished but mean laws have replaced them in the South of the United States which make life very difficult for black people. They are sent to different schools, they have to eat in different sections of restaurants and use different sections of toilets. Seats at the front of buses are reserved for white people, whereas black people have to sit at the back of the bus. It’s not just the laws, day to day they are often bullied by some of the white people.
Rosa Parks is a black lady living in Montgomery, Alabama. She has experienced racism all her life. One day the bus driver tells her to move seats to make space for white people. She decides enough is enough. She refuses to move seats. The police are called and Rosa Parks is arrested. Rosa Parks is taken to the court house and convicted and fined.
But the black people of Alabama have had enough too. Lead by inspirational leaders such as Martin Luther King they decide to take a stand. On behalf of Rosa Parks they organise a boycott of the City’s bus network. For over a year black people refused to travel on the buses. Meanwhile Martin Luther King and others organised different court cases to try to overturn the racist bus rules. Eventually they are successful. The efforts of people like Martin Luther King and Rosa Parks doesn’t only improve the bus situation but also many of the other laws are changed so that black people can no longer be discriminated against in law.
Rosa Parks continues her campaigning all her life. When she died she is honoured by her home town of Montgomery and also by the whole United States. Her stand against racism and against the bus laws of Alabama help to change a nation for the better.
Other Episodes:
If you liked this episode you might also like our episode on the Slave Trade:
https://link.historystorytime.com/The-Slave-Trade
Or you might also like our episode on great black women of Britain:
https://link.historystorytime.com/Black-History-Month
Patrons Club
If you like our History Storytime podcast then do please join our Patron’s Club. You can listen to exclusive episodes like our ones on the Seven Wonders of the World or on the Bayeux Tapestry. Or you can help choose the topic of an episode or even be in an episode.
Details are here:
www.patreon.com/historystorytime
Sophie (age 7) and Ellie (age 5) love stories about Ancient Egypt so they tell the story of the boy Pharoah, Tutankhamun, including how his body was turned into a mummy.
We explain how Egypt got its wealth from the annual flooding of the Nile. The Old Kingdom turn this wealth into the Pyramids and the Great Sphinx. The Middle Kingdom builds on this. After years of turmoil the New Kingdom emerges. Powerful Egyptian rulers expand Egypt’s territories to nearby countries.
But the new Pharoah, Akenhaton wants to build a new religion at home. He replaces all the old priests and spends less time fighting other countries. His Queen, Nefertiti, becomes increasingly powerful.
But after they die they leave the eight year old boy Tutankhamun to become Pharoah. Tutankahmun reverses the policy of abandoning the old Gods. He returns Egypt to their traditional religion. He returns Egypt to their traditional approach of engaging, sometimes by war, with neighbouring countries. He gets married and has two children. But Tutankhamun is sick. His legs don’t work properly and he has to walk with a cane. He gets a severe form of malaria which leaves him weak and sick. Then his leg is badly injured somehow. Tutankhamun dies aged just 18 years old.
After his death, he is turned into a mummy. We learn about the mummification process. It’s disgusting and Ellie tells the full gory details. He has his brain pulled out through his noise. His organs are sliced from his body and put in pots shaped like Gods. His body is stuffed with plants and herbs. Finally, it is wrapped up to protect the skin. Afterwards his mummified body is placed in a golden shell covered in jewels. He is placed into a tomb.
Over thousands of years his body and tomb are lost.
Then 100 years ago, explorers discover the lost tomb. When they open it they are amazed to see Tutankhamun’s beautiful golden mask and then to find his mummy inside.
People around the world see the incredible workmanship. It sparks a global fascination with all things Egyptian - a fascination which continues today.
If you liked this episode about Tutankhamun, ancient Egypt and mummies then you might enjoy our episode about Cleopatra:
Apple: https://link.historystorytime.com/Apple-Cleopatra
Other: https://link.historystorytime.com/Cleopatra
Patrons’ Club
Our Patrons’ Club has exclusive episodes for members. These include an episode on the Seven Wonders of the World which highlights the Great Pyramid of Giza. You can become a member here:
www.patreon.com/historystorytime
Sophie (age 7) and Ellie (age 5) tell the story of the Mayflower, the Pilgrims and the first Thanksgiving in America.
----more----
The Pilgrims are protestant refugees from England. They are fleeing and intolerant England who persecute people who will not follow the established Church. At first they flee to Holland. But they do not want their children to grow up Dutch. So they decide to create an English colony in America. There is already a colony in Jamestown. But they decide to settle far from there. They want to an English Colony but one where they can practice their own religion. 102 colonist set out on two ships – the Speedwell and the Mayflower. But the Speedwell soon springs a leak and everyone transfers to the Mayflower. The journey is horrible. One person is lost overboard in a storm. The ship is blown off course. Eventually after over two months at sea they reach America. They are not where they wanted to be. But they make landfall and set up a new colony in what we now call Plymouth Bay, Massachusetts.
But they are not the only people there. There is already a native American tribe living there. But the Pilgrims make friends with the tribe. The tribe help teach them how to farm. The Pilgrims help the tribe with medicine.
To celebrate their first bumper harvest the Pilgrims celebrate Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is an old English holiday. But the Pilgrims also invite the native Americans to this years Thanksgiving. They feast on the great Harvest that they have collected. This is now widely recognised as the first Thanksgiving in America.
Today millions of Americans celebrate Thanksgiving and remember the Pilgrims and how they crossed an ocean to build a new and better society, one which became the United States of America.
Thirty million Americans can trace their ancestry back to just over 100 colonists on the Mayflower. This year is also the 400th anniversary of the Mayflower’s voyage.
This episode was chosen by one of our listeners in America called Stephen. He joined our Patrons’ Club. Members get to listen to exclusive episodes, to choose an episode like Stephen did, or to be in an episode. If you would like to join please go to www.patreon.com/historystorytime. There are already several episodes online there too.
If you liked this episode you might also like our episode on the Jamestown settlement and we get to meet the famous Pocahontas.
https://www.historystorytime.com/e/the-jamestown-settlement-and-the-real-pocahontas/
Or you might also enjoy our Hallowe’en special on witches in which we see what happened to the New England settlements just a few decades later with the Salem witch trials.
https://www.historystorytime.com/e/halloween-special-witches-in-history/
Sophie (aged 7) and Ellie (age 5) tell the story of children in Victorian times. We learn what school was like (not very nice!), what jobs they did (yucky ones!) and what they did for fun.----more----
Ellie has a Victorian day coming up at school. She has to dress up as a Victorian school girl. So she and Sophie decide to explore what life was like back then. We start by learning about the huge changes that happened during Queen Victoria’s long reign. Incredible inventions like the steam ship and the telephone occur and huge changes like the growth of the British Empire happen. This is a time of enormous change.
But the lives of children changes too.
We learn how the lives of rich children and poor children are very different. Rich children are educated at home by the governesses before the boys are sent to boarding school. Ellie is outraged to learn that rich girls are rarely sent to school.
Poor children are increasingly sent to school by Victorians. But the classes are huge. Sometimes 70 or 80 children in the class with only one teacher. As a result the teachers are very strict. The girls are fascinated by the punishments that the school teachers use - from lines to caning to a dunce cap.
We also learn about the jobs that children used to do. Everything from cleaning up horse poo to clambering up chimneys or working in factories. Much of it is very dangerous or horrid work.
But it’s not all work and no play. The Victorians invent the idea of a holiday. Children from the cities get to visit the new playgrounds of the seaside which are turned into fun resorts. More children’s toys are invented and a new type of book is written – the Children’s book. Incredible stories such as Treasure Island, the Jungle Book and Peter Pan are written.
But when all is said and done the girls decide that Victorian life is not for them. It’s too strict and not fun enough.
This episode has a strong link to Key Stage 1 (KS1) topic work. And in fact, both girls have studied the life of a Victorian child at school and dressed up as a Victorian child.
If you liked this episode you might also like our Florence Nightingale episode.
https://www.historystorytime.com/e/florence-nightingale-the-lady-of-the-lamp/
PATRONS’ CLUB
If you like History Storytime you might like to join our Patron’s Club. You can get access to exclusive episodes, choose and episode or even be in an episode. Details here:
https://www.patreon.com/historystorytime
Episodes already available include the Seven Wonders of the World and the Bayeux Tapestry.
For Hallowe’en Sophie (age 7) and Ellie (age 5) tell the story of witches in history. We learn how the Witchfinder General in England used to find so called witches and about the Salem Witch trials in America.----more----
People in Europe are very worried about witches 500 years ago. They think that witches are people who are working with the devil. They worry that they are flying on broomsticks and have cats who are friends with the Devil. But actually, they are just picking on mostly poor and lonely women.
In East Anglia there is a scare about witches caused by a man known as the Witchfinder general. He gets paid for finding witches – so he keeps finding them. He has lots of unfair tricks to prove people are witches. He also writes a book about how to do it called “A discovery of witches”.
The book is popular in America. Especially in a town called Salem. Salem is very worried about witches. The whole town starts looking everywhere for witches. Hundreds of people are accused. Even a four year old girl gets accused of being a witch. A panic takes over the whole town. One person refused to say either way whether he is a witch or not and meets a terrible end.
Eventually everyone realised that there was no such things as witchcraft and it was all made up. People started to learn more about science. They passed laws to stop people being prosecuted for witchcraft.
PARENTS:
It’s obviously a bit of a spooky topic and we have some spooky music but it’s not an especially scary episode and Sophie and Ellie had no issues with it so we think it’s okay to listen to before bedtime. We also make it very clear that these people are not witches and the whole thing is made up.
PATRONS’ CLUB
We also talk about our new Patrons’ Club. There are different tiers of membership. But they all involve more episodes each month and you can get to choose your episode or even be in an episode. We’d love you to become a member and Sophie and Ellie have got to know many of the children through it. Go to https://www.patreon.com/historystorytime to sign up. We have exclusive episodes on the Seven Wonders of the World and on the Bayeux Tapestry. This last episode ties in with our recent Battle of Hastings episode.
It’s Black History Month at school so Sophie (age 7) and Ellie (age 5) tell some stories of Black women who made history in Britain. They tell of Ivory Bangle Woman, the first black woman found in Britain; Phillis Wheatley, an enslaved black woman turned star poet; and Mary Seacole, a Jamaican doctress.
----more----
They have heard of Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King. They appreciated these stories. But wanted to hear stories from their own history. Daddy suggested Walter Tull and Asquith Xavier. But they were insistent on having Black women at the heart of the story.
We start with Ivory Bangle Lady. Of North African descent she lived in Britain in Roman times and is the first Black woman found in Britain. Her tomb has many valuable objects found with it.
Then we move onto the story of Phillis Wheatley. She was taken as a child from Africa and kept as a slave in America. But she developed a talent as a poet. She was brought to Britain where her poetry wowed London high society. Eventually, she was freed and married a free black man.
Finally, we learn a little about the amazing Mary Seacole and some of her adventures. We join her in the Crimean War. Less well known that her contemporary, Florence Nightingale, she became loved by the troops for her work caring for them. Forgotten for many years she is now celebrated.
As we close Sophie reflects on how Black History Month should be needed and that Black History and the contribution of Black people is really just a part of British history.
Patrons’ Club
We also talk about our new Patrons Club. There are different tiers of membership. But they all involve more episodes each month and you can get to choose your episode or even be in an episode. We’d love you to become a member and Sophie and Ellie have got to know many of the children through it. Go to https://www.patreon.com/historystorytime to sign up. We have exclusive episodes on the Seven Wonders of the World and on the Bayeux Tapestry. This last episode ties in with our Battle of Hastings episode from last week.
This week is the anniversary of the Battle of Hastings in 1066. Sophie (aged 7) & Ellie (age 5) tell the story of William the Conqueror, King Harold and Harald Hardrada’s fight for the English throne.----more----
Edward the Confessor is old. He has no children. Harold wants to be the King after him and is a powerful Saxon noble. But William, Duke of Normandy is Edward’s Cousin and has a claim to the throne. Meanwhile the powerful King of Norway, Harald Hardrada wants to see Viking rule again over England. Three powerful men desire the throne.
But a few years before 1066 everything is complicated when Harold is ship wrecked in Normandy. He is “rescued” by William. And swears an oath to support William’s claim to the throne. Was he forced to make this oath? Sophie thinks so. But Ellie thinks that a pinky promise is a pinky promise.
When Edward dies, Harold is proclaimed King. William is furious and prepares to invade. Harold waits for him in the south. But Harald Hardrada, in concert with Harold’s estranged brother Tostig, lands in the North. The Viking army defeats the local saxon forces. Harold quickly marches his troops north. He catches the Vikings unprepared. The Viking army is slaughtered. Hardrada and Tostig are both killed. Harold has killed one of his rivals. But now he learned that William has landed in the south of England near Hastings.
Harold rushes his army south. And meets William in battle. Sophie and Ellie tell the gripping story of the battle. We hear how the initial Norman attacks are defeated. But we also learn how the Norman’s pretend to run away and draw some of the Saxons off the hill. This weakens their shield wall. Then the Norman archers shoot into the air, further depleting the Saxon ranks. Finally the Norman knights break into the Saxon lines and kill them. Harold himself is killed – maybe by an arrow in his eye.
The Normans are victorious. Saxon England has falled. William is the Conqueror.
PATRONS CLUB – EXTRA EPISODES
Our Patrons’ Club helps support our family podcast. There are different tiers of membership. But they all involve more episodes each month and you can get to choose your episode or even be in an episode. We’d love you to become a member. Go to https://www.patreon.com/historystorytimeto sign up and listen to an exclusive episode
Sophie (age 7) and Ellie (age 5) tell of the Neolithic Stone Age. We visit Skara Brae, explore Stonehenge, and see how Stone Age people moved from hunter-gathering to farming.----more----
This is the third of our Stone Age episodes. Our first episode was about the Paleolithic period when Stone Age people lived during the ice age. In our second episode we explored the Mesolithic period after the ice age when people were still hunting and gathering and moving from place to place. Now in the Neolithic period Stone Age people start to invent farming. This starts in the Fertile Crescent in the Middle East. But it begins to spread across the world. The population grows with all the extra food that farming makes. But it is not all good because now famine can devastate communities. Now people have more reasons to work together – so for example to cut down trees or build paths. But it also means that there is more war.
We go to Skara Brae to learn about one of the most extraordinary Neolithic discoveries. We explore the eight Stone Age huts and learn about what it tells us about the lives of the Stone Age people who lived in Skara Brae.
Finally, we explore Stonehenge. We explore why it might have been built We debunk the idea that aliens helped build Stonehenge. Rather, we show how Stone Age people could have built Stonehenge.
We then reflect on the great achievements of Stone Age people, a people who built homes like at Skara Brae and built great monuments like Stonehenge.
If you liked this episode then you might like our Mesolithic episode:
Apple: https://link.historystorytime.com/Apple-Mesolithic
Other: https://link.historystorytime.com/Mesolithic
Or you might like our Paleolithic episode:
Apple: https://link.historystorytime.com/Apple-Paleolithic
Other: https://link.historystorytime.com/Paleolithic
This whole three part series as a strong link to Key Stage 2 (KS2) of the National Curriculum.
NEW PATRONS’ CLUB – EXTRA EPISODES
If you like History Storytime you might like to get involved with our Patrons’ Club. There are different tiers of membership. But they all involve more episodes each month and you can get to choose your own episode or even be in an episode. We’d love you to become a member. Go to https://www.patreon.com/historystorytime to sign up and to listen to our latest exclusive episode on the Seven Wonders of the World.
Sophie (age 7) and Ellie (age 5) tell of the start of the Stone Age. Neanderthals, Woolly Mammoths and Sabre Tooth tigers roam the world for millions of years. But a new breed of humans, Homo Sapiens, comes out of Africa. Within a few tens of thousands of years they are the only human species left.----more----
We learn how early humans lived. We discover the Stone Age tools they use. We explore how to craft flint into useful tools like axes and even finer tools. We discover the food that Stone Age people ate. We explain different ways to light a fire. We learn that their diet and lifestyle was surprisingly healthy. We tell of the Stone Age Hunter Gatherer lifestyle and what it meant. We tell of their nomadic ways. We learn of the beautiful cave paintings that were made. We also have a proper look at the way in which early humans interacted with the famous Woolly mammoth.
We explore the impact that geography had. Firstly we learn about the Ice Age and its implications. Then we explore how the land masses were different then to now and how this facilitated migration.
We put the period in the context. Firstly we learn what makes the Stone Age different to the Bronze Age and the Iron Age. Then we learn what the relationship is between an Ice Age and the Stone Age. We explain how there are different periods of the Stone Age which sets up next week’s episode on the Mesolithic period.
This is the first of three episodes on the Stone Age, The next episode will focus on the Mesolithic period and explore the impact of the end of the Ice Age, how stone age people started to keep dogs and look at Cheddar Man. The final episode will look at the Neolithic period and show how humans settled down in places like Skara Brae and built monuments like Stone Henge.
This series of episodes is especially helpful for children studying Key Stage 2 / KS2 in English schools.
Sophie (age 7) and Ellie (age 5) tell of the horse in history. We see how horses helped us with farming, transport and warfare. We see how inventions like the harness, saddle and stirrup helped change history.----more----
We learn about how the Assyrians built a huge empire thanks to the invention of the saddle. We hear how knights came to dominate Europe thanks to the stirrup. We meet famous horses like the ones that Cortez used to conquer the central America. We hear how the Mayans believed that the horse and its rider were one person. We hear the link between the horse and the space shuttle – and why in history you need to ask why, why, why. We see how horses so transformed farming that they allowed the rise of cities. We tell how they so transformed transport that they led to trade, roads and paved the way for the nation state.
We learn how horses were replaced by engines – by cars, trains, tractors and tanks. We see how even today concepts like horsepower are used to measure the power of engines. But we also talk about how we still enjoy the pleasure of horses today for riding or ceremonies or racing.
If you like this episode then you should also listen to our other similar episode – “Animals in History: Dogs, Cats and Pigeons!”
https://www.historystorytime.com/e/animals-in-history-dogs-cats-and-pigeons/
NEW PATRONS’ CLUB – EXTRA EPISODES
In this episode we also meet some of our new Patrons’ Club members. There are different tiers of membership. But they all involved more episodes each month and you can get to choose your episode or even be in an episode. We’d love you to become a member. Go to https://www.patreon.com/historystorytime to sign up and to listen to our latest exclusive episode on the Seven Wonders of the World
Sophie (aged 7) and Ellie (age 5) tell the true story of William Wallace, of Braveheart fame, and his fight for Scotland’s freedom.----more----
800 years ago England’s King Edward I has crushed Scotland. He chose and then removed Scotland’s King. But revolts break out across Scotland. One of the leaders is called William Wallace. He gathers more and more rebels to his cause. Then he meets up with other Scottish rebels. But the English know their knights are invincible. So they send out an army of Knights to crush Wallace and his rebels. The two armies meet at Stirling. The English cross the narrow bridge but find themselves cut off from the bridge and with their horses stuck in the mud. Thousands are killed. Wallace is appointed Guardian of Scotland. But Edward I then invades again. The two armies meet at Falkirk. This time Edward relies on his Welsh archers to break up the Scottish formations. Then the English knights charge and crush the Scots. Wallace flees and goes into exile. But the flame of rebellion has been lit. Now the Scottish nobles join the fray – in particular a young nobleman called Robert the Bruce. We will hear more about him in our next episode.
But Wallace returns to Scotland he is betrayed to the English. The English give Wallace a terrible punishment. He is to be hanged, drawn and quartered.
PARENT ADVISORY: Sophie (age 7) gives a detailed description of the execution. It is at 08:20 and is clearly sign posted in case you want to fast forward it. The girls really wanted to do it properly.
NEW PATRONS CLUB - EXTRA EPISODES:
In this episode we also explain our new Patrons’ Club. There are different tiers of membership. But they all involve more episodes each month and you can get to choose your episode or even be in an episode. We’d love you to become a member. Go to https://www.patreon.com/historystorytime to sign up and to listen to our latest exclusive episode on the Seven Wonders of the World.
We start our three part series on the War of Scottish Independence as Edward I, Hammer of the Scots, first chooses, then removes Scotland’s King and conquers Scotland.----more----
Edward I, King of England, is a man with a plan. He shows little interest in France. First he crushes his rebellious English barons. Then he conquers Wales. Great castles keep the Welsh subdued. Now he turns his attention to Scotland.
The Scots are without a King. Thirteen Scottish nobles claim the throne. Unable to decide who should be King they turn to Edward I to choose. But Edward extracts a terrible price. He demands that he is recognised and the Lord Paramount of Scotland. Desperate to be chosen as King the nobles agree. Edward dismisses the claim of Robert Bruce and chooses John Balliol to be King.
But Edward means to hold the Scottish nobles to their oaths. He determines on war with France and summons the Scottish nobles to join him. The Scots have no interest in war with France and do not feel obliged to help Edward. They sign a secret treaty with France – the Auld Alliance. A furious Edward declares War on Scotland. Robert the Bruce, furious that his family were passed over for the throne joins the English.
Edward’s knights are invincible. They storm the town of Berwick and sack the town. Then they crush the Scots in battle. John Balliol and his nobles make peace. But a vengeful Edward strips John Balliol of his crown and makes the Scottish nobles swear allegiance to him.
Edward and England now rule Scotland.
NEW PATRONS CLUB - EXTRA EPISODES:
In this episode we also launch our new Patrons’ Club. There are different tiers of membership. But they all involve more episodes each month and you can get to choose your episode or even be in an episode. We’d love you to become a member. Go to https://www.patreon.com/historystorytime to sign up and to listen to our latest exclusive episode on the Seven Wonders of the World.
We learn about Spanish Flu of 1918 which swept the world at the end of World War 1. Sophie (age 7) and Ellie (age 5) tell the story of their great, great uncle, a decorated war hero who fought in the trenches for four years, only to be struck down as the war ends by the Spanish Flu. He is not alone. Europe is broken by war. Weakened populations are easy prey to illness. Soldiers live like rats in the trenches – a perfect breeding ground for sickness.----more----
Doctors in America first notice the new flu like illness. But World War 1 wartime censorship means that the illness is only properly reported in neutral Spain. As a result it is called the Spanish Flu – though it likely spread in France because of the war. As soldiers go home from war they spread the illness around their countries. Unlike most illnesses the Spanish Flu strikes at the young people – the survivors of war.
There are no effective treatments. So governments resort to face masks, closure of public buildings and quarantines. Sound familiar? The harder the lockdown the lower the death rate. But some cities think too soon that they have beaten the virus and open up again. Only to get hit by a second wave. Millions world wide fall to the Spanish Flu.
We reflect on the similarities but also the differences with the coronavirus. In particular we talk about how our doctors and scientists know so much more about medicine today. And also we have the advantage that they did not have a hundred years ago – we have the example from history of the Spanish Flu.
If you like this episode you might enjoy our episode on the outbreak of WW1:
https://www.historystorytime.com/e/why-did-world-war-one-start/
Or our episode on the Black Death:
https://www.historystorytime.com/e/the-black-death-1541460200/
Or our episode on the Smallpox Vaccine:
https://www.historystorytime.com/e/the-cow-and-the-smallpox-vaccine-and-the-coronavirus/
We tell the tragic love story of Sophie, who married the Archduke Franz Ferdinand, and whose murder helped start WW1. Like so many women she was belittled when alive and forgotten when dead. We put her back in the story.----more----
From a modest family she was not noble enough to marry into Royalty. But Franz Ferdinand and her shared a forbidden love. Until it was discovered by chance. Scandal ensued. The Hapsburg Emperor forbade the match. But eventually relented. But at a terrible price for Sophie and Franz. Their children were disinherited. She was to be treated as the lowest person at Court. They accepted the sacrifice for love. We see how these slights led Franz and her to make a series of fateful decisions on that day in Sarajevo. The decision to travel together in the car and her refusal to leave his side are all explained by the prejudice and abuse she received in Austria. Her devotion played into the hands of Gavrilo Princeps. And they were both shot dead. The Archuke’s last words were for her. Their death led directly to the outbreak of World War One.
We raise questions about the shooting in Sarajevo which led to World War 1
We tell the story of the Hapsburg monarch and how it built and empire through marriage.
We tell how those marriage rules meant marrying for love was almost impossible
We tell how Sophie, from a modest background, met Archduke Ferdinand before World War 1
We tell how their affair was discovered and a great scandal ensued.
Eventually Sophie and Franz are allowed to marry
We show the similarities between their story and the Cinderella story.
But their children are disinherited.
Sophie is treated appallingly by the rich families of Vienna
In 1914 the couple visit Sarajevo
They are shot dead by Gavrilo Princeps.
This shooting precipitates the outbreak of World War 1
But after their death the Archduke’s Will is read and he ensures that finally he and Sophie are treated equally.
If you liked his episode you may also enjoy our other episode on the outbreak of World War 1
https://www.historystorytime.com/e/why-did-world-war-one-start/
Sophie (age 7) and Ellie (age 5) tell the story of why World War One happened – on the weekend of the anniversary of the War starting.----more----
We start in Sarajevo with Gavrilo Princeps shooting the Archduke Ferdinand and his wife. But we soon move into exploring some of the theses which historians put forward. We properly explore how the alliance system in Europe acted as a domino effect. We understand the role that the Schliefflen plan had on German thinking. Then we delve into what is known as the Fisher controversy – did the Germans deliberately start the war to help them manage their own internal problems?
The whole story is told through not just words but also through song. A unique set of lyrics brings the whole story to life. It is a refrain throughout the episode and then the whole verse it sung at the end.
The episode ends with a segment of the Last Post.
For people who would like to sing along with the song, the lyrics are here:
"Gavrilo shot an old Archduke
I don’t know why he shot the ArchdukeAustria did attack the Serbs
Not for them a war of words
The Kaiser attacked the Tsar as well
The world was alight with bullet and shell
The Germans did attack poor France
Something to do with the trains at first glance
German troops attacked Belgium
They certainly were not welcome
Britain came to Belgium’s aid
They saw it as a great crusade
The colonies helped Britain out
With all their help, we were in with a shout
America she turned up late
But when she came she was first rate
And millions died"
If you liked this episode you might like our episode on the Christmas Truce of 1914.
https://www.historystorytime.com/e/the-christmas-truce-of-1914-1544981461/
Or you might like the story of Jack Cornwell who won the VC, the highest award for gallantry, at the age of just 16 at the Battle of Jutland.
https://www.historystorytime.com/e/jack-cornwell-vc-and-the-battle-of-jutland/
Cleopatra echoes through history. But who really was she? Sophie (age 7) and Ellie (age 5) explore her life. We hear of her dreams for Egypt, her alliance with Rome and her love for Julius Caesar and later Mark Antony.----more----
We explore how she was maligned by Roman historians. But through the trials and tribulations are the tale of a brave woman confronting the prejudices of her age. We explore her world of Ptolemaic Egypt and how it differed from Ancient Egypt. We live her battle with her brother as she grows up in a sexist, patriarchal society. We follow her as she is delivered by carpet to Caesar (DHL and Fedex eat your heart out). We appreciate how Roman jealously of her, and of Caesay destroyed Rome from within. Then in a twist we see how her love affair with Mark Antony led to the final destruction of the Roman Republic and the Emperorship of Octavian / Augustus. All with songs, music and sound effects.
- What was Egypt under the Ptolemies.
- Who really was Cleopatra
- What was happening in the Roman Republic
- Of Caesar and Pompey
- Caesar’s defence of Alexandria
- How Cleopatra and Caesar fell in love – the carpet
- Caesar’s conquest of the East – Veni, Veni, Veci
- Roman jealously against Caesar
- The Ides of March
- The betrayal of Brutus
- The Murder of Caesar
- The revenge of Octavian and Antony
- The Second Triumvirate
- The breach between Octavian and Antony
- The Battle of Actium
- The Death of Antony
- The Death of Cleopatra
- The Empire of Augustus
If you like this episode then you might like our Roman Empire Episode:
https://www.historystorytime.com/e/roman-empire-people-and-society/
Or our Hannibal episode:
https://www.historystorytime.com/e/hannibal-and-his-elephants-cross-the-alps/
Or our Boudicca episode:
https://www.historystorytime.com/e/boudicca-and-the-roman-conquest-of-britain/
Or our Fall of Rome episode:
https://www.historystorytime.com/e/the-fall-of-the-roman-empire-and-the-end-of-roman-britain/
This week Sophie (aged 7) and Ellie (age 5) team up with Chloe from the Royal Armouries – the UK’s National Museum of Arms and Armour - to tell the story of Jousting. We follow the history of jousting from its beginnings as training for warfare to an increasingly stylised spectator sport. We track some of the great tournament specialists – the celebrities of their age. And we dive into one of the Great Tournaments of medieval England.----more----
We learn the rules of jousting – what to do and what not to do. We see the comparisons between the film the Knight’s Tale and the real thing. We experience the drama as knights get trapped in their helmets and a King of France is killed while jousting. We discover the growing importance of chivalry as part of what it meant to be a knight. We learn how the equipment started to serve a decorative, fashion purpose. We discover the different aspects to a tournament – it was not just about the jousting. We follow the crowd in England as they enjoy a spectacular tournament and we experience it through the eyes of a medieval observer. Noble ladies lead knights by silver chains through the streets of London to cheering crowds. And a French knight wins an English Grand Tournament in London in the middle of the Hundred Years’ War.
We also see how and why the joust declined and then ended as a sport.
If you like this episode you might also like our episode on Matilda and the Anarchy.
https://www.historystorytime.com/e/queen-matilda-knights-and-eels/
Or you might also like our episode on the Wars of the Roses and Richard III.
https://www.historystorytime.com/e/the-wars-of-the-roses-and-richard-iii/
You can find out more about the Royal Armouries, their spectacular Museum in Leeds, their Fort Nelson in Portsmouth, and their displays of armour and guns at the Tower of London here:
https://royalarmouries.org/
Sophie (age 7) and Ellie (age 5) tell the story of the Battle of the Boyne in Ireland in 1690, and how it helped secure the Glorious Revolution for William, Prince of Orange.
----more----
James II is King of England, Scotland and Ireland. But he is also a Catholic. Many people – especially in England and Scotland are very worried about that. So William of Orange is invited over with his wife Mary to become King of England, Scotland and Ireland. James flees to France rather than fight. William and the English Parliament agree a new constitutional settlement. A Protestant supremacy is secured and also the rights of Parliament are guaranteed.
Meanwhile an ambitious King Louis XIV sees his plans for European domination damaged. So he helps James II to try to retake his throne. This time though Louis is up against not just the Protestant countries but the Pope and his allies too. Everyone is scared of Louis’ ambition. James’ army find the gates of Londonderry / Derry shut to them by the Ulster Protestants. This gives time for William to come to Ireland with his well trained but pan European army. He defeats the James II at the Battle of the Boyne. James flees to France again. William and Mary now rule England, Scotland and Ireland. The Glorious Revolution is secure.
We cover how much of the war was really about geo-politics and a family feud and rather than just religion. And we talk about the irony that a battle which is seen as symbolic of the wars between Protestants and Catholics actually had the Pope on the so called Protestant side. Having had help from the excellent Museum of the Battle of the Boyne we also talk about how some of the weaponry of the period actually worked.
Explore Protestant and Catholic Europe
Learn how James II loses the confidence of his nobles
We learn of the secret communications between William and the English nobility
We follow William’s invasion
We see how James II fled rather than fight for his throne
We understand the settlement that William came to which led to the Bill of Rights and the Act of Settlement. We put these in their historical context.
We follow the machinations of King Louis XIV, determined to rebuild his alliances.
We follow James’ army as it marches to Londonderry / Derry.
We hear the closing of the gates by the Apprentice Boys of Derry.
Finally we re-live the excitement of the Battle of the Boyne.
William’s outflanking manouvre fails.
But his Dutch Guards storm across the River Boyne
Held up by Jacobite cavalry charges, the battle is won when William gets his Ulster cavalry across the river.
James then flees to France again.
The Glorious Revolution is secure
We finally discuss how some people celebrate the battle today on Orange marches in Northern Ireland.
If you are interested in more on this period you might like our Great Fire of London Episode
Apple: https://link.historystorytime.com/Apple-Great-Fire-London
Other: https://link.historystorytime.com/Great-Fire-London
Or you might like our War of Austrian Succession and Jacobite Rebellion episode in which James’ Grandson, Bonnie Prince Charlie, tried to avenge the Battle of the Boyne with the Highlanders at Culloden.
Apple: https://link.historystorytime.com/Apple-Austrian-Succession
Other: https://link.historystorytime.com/Austrian-Succession
Sophie and Ellie tell the story about Alexander Hamilton to help them understand the story told in the Musical – which comes out on Disney this week. The girls have heard some of the songs from Hamilton the Musical. But they don’t really understand the full story. So together we learn the life story of Alexander Hamilton.
----more----
Obviously we don’t use any of the songs. But we do explain some of the phrases used in the musical through some of the lines. For example, we explain what the phrase “right hand man” means and what the US constitution is and what the Federalist Papers were. And we echo some of the concerns that are raised by the Musical about the rights of women and black people by the musical.
We tell the story of:
Hamilton’s birth and upbringing
Hamilton’s friendships in America
How Britain and America came to war in the Revolutionary War
The efforts of loyalists like Sam Seabury
The intervention of the French and Lafayette
The Battle of Yorktown
The French Revolution and how Hamilton kept America out of it
The election of 1800 and the election of Thomas Jefferson
Alexander Hamilton and the Reynolds affair
The duel with Aaron Burr
We also explain how the benefits of the revolution did not come to women or to black people
And we explain why the cast of Hamilton are black and latino.
Finally we explain how people felt about Alexander Hamilton after he was gone.
If you are interested in finding out more about Alexander Hamilton or George Washington then you might like our Battle of Yorktown episode.
https://www.historystorytime.com/e/george-washington-and-the-battle-of-yorktown/
You can also find out more about George Washington’s early life in our War of Jenkins Ear episode.
https://www.historystorytime.com/e/the-war-of-jenkins-ear-and-washingtons-home/
And you can learn about the founding of America in our Jamestown episode
https://www.historystorytime.com/e/the-jamestown-settlement-and-the-real-pocahontas/
On the anniversary of the arrival of the Empire Windrush, Sophie and Ellie tell the story of the ship that transformed Britain and what happened next. They learn about the Windrush’s journey from the Jamaica to Britain and the West Indians who came looking for jobs in a Britain rebuilding after the War. We listen to a newsreel of how the Windrush immigrants were perceived as they first arrived. We learn how they struggled with their first few weeks in the underground station at Clapham. Then see how they found jobs and settled in places like Brixton and Notting Hill. We see how the NHS, London Transport and other actively recruited people from the West Indies. But we also learn about the racism that the West Indians experienced. And the girls talk about their own mixed race background to put it in context. They learn about how their Great Grandfather came to Britain as a West Indian immigrant in the 1940s. The whole immigration discussion is placed in the context of this historic immigration from ancient times. We use an original song to illustrate this. And we end by celebrating how our diversity is the strength of Britain.
What is immigration
Immigration through the ages
The post war labour shortage in Britain
The Windrush sets sail
News coverage of the arrival of the Windrush
How the Windrush passengers stayed underground at first in Clapham
Why so many of the Windrush generation settled in Brixton and Notting Hill
The efforts made to encourage more West Indians to come to Britain
The racism experienced by West Indians, including by some police.
An extensive discussion between the girls of what racism means to them
The culture that the West Indians brought with them that became part of British culture.
If you like this episode you might like our Slave Trade episode
https://www.historystorytime.com/e/the-slave-trade/
Sophie and Ellie ask about the Black Lives Matter protests. So we tell the story about the Slave Trade and the legacy it leaves. We learn about the transatlantic slave triangle of Europe, West Africa and the Americas. Sophie tells us about the brutality of slavery. Both children are astonished to hear of their own slave ancestry from the West Indies. But then they look on aghast as they discover their own family history includes not just slaves but also a slaver. They reflect on how so many people got rich from slavery. They discuss how they feel about people like Edward Colston, the rich Bristol slaver, who got rich from slavery but spent the money on schools and hospitals. Finally we reflect on the words of Martin Luther King and how we should all strive to judge people by the content of their character and not the colour of their skin.
Black Lives Matter protests
The history of slavery in the ancient and medieval world
The economics of the slave trade – the Triangle
The involvement of Africans nations in slavery
Why African nations got involved in selling slaves
The Europeans build forts and trading posts in Africa
The infamous “middle passage” and the horrors of slavery
The slave markets and practice of slavery in the Americas
Family history in which Sophie and Ellie learn there are slaves and slavers in their family
Understanding how countries like Britain got rich from slavery
Discussing how we feel about the fact that the wealth from slavery built so many good things but off the misery of so many
Learning about Edward Colston and his involvement in the slave trade and the life of Bristol.
Reflecting on the wise words of Martin Luther King on race.
If you like this episode then you might also like our Columbus episode which instigates the Transatlantic slave trade era.
https://www.historystorytime.com/e/columbus-and-the-discovery-of-the-new-world/
Or you might like our episode on the Roman Empire in which we learn about another slave society.
https://www.historystorytime.com/e/roman-empire-people-and-society/