Category: Podcast – Stories of American History

Podcast - Stories of American History, Timeline of United States History

Podcast – Sir Humphrey Gilbert And His Ill Fated Attempt To Settle Newfoundland

Sir Humphrey Gilbert Ill-fated Attempt To Settle Newfoundland
Native to Devon, England, Sir Humphrey Gilbert attended Oxford where he received training in the military and navigational arts. He joined the British military and served at the siege of Le Havre on the French coast where he was wounded. He and Sir Walter Raleigh were half brothers. Continue reading Podcast – Sir Humphrey Gilbert And His Ill Fated Attempt To Settle Newfoundland

American Short Biography Series, Podcast - Stories of American History, Timeline of United States History

Podcast – Coronado’s Search For The 7 Cities Of Gold

Francisco Vasquez de Coronado’s fleet departed San Miguel de Culiacán on their quest to explore what the area of the Colorado River on April 22, 1540. Hernando de Alarcón would depart by ship in May. The plan was for Alarcón to find the mouth of the Colorado River, sail up it and rendezvous with Coronado’s overland expedition. Continue reading Podcast – Coronado’s Search For The 7 Cities Of Gold

Podcast - Stories of American History, Timeline of United States History

Podcast – Hernando De Soto’s Expedition to the Mississippi River

Hernando de Soto lived from October 21, 1496 until May 21, 1542. His parents were members of a minor Spanish nobility class called Hildagos. As nobility, they would pay no taxes, however they had little property. He spent his childhood migrating with his family between 3 towns in southwest Spain. As he matured, he attended the University of Salamanca, courtesy of a family friend’s generosity. During his early life tales of the adventures of the Spanish conquistadors circulated widely among the people. Intrigued by the possibility of wealth and fame, he decided to become one of these adventurers. Continue reading Podcast – Hernando De Soto’s Expedition to the Mississippi River

Podcast - Stories of American History, Timeline of United States History

Christopher Columbus’ Fourth Voyage, Death and His Wanderings After Death

His small fleet included four ships and departed on May 9, 1502. His stepbrother Bartolomeo, Diego Mendez, and his 13-year-old son Fernando accompanied him. During the final leg of the voyage, he encountered a hurricane that was brewing, so he did stop at Hispaniola to warn the governor. The governor ignored his warning and sent a 28-ship fleet laden with treasure on its way. The ships did encounter the hurricane, which sank 24 of the 28 ships. Columbus had placed some of his possessions on one of the ships and this ship was one of the survivors. Continue reading Christopher Columbus’ Fourth Voyage, Death and His Wanderings After Death

Podcast - Stories of American History, United States History Series

Podcast – Columbus’ Crew Imprisoned, Released and the Return to Spain

About a month after Columbus’ ships departed Hispaniola a fierce storm blew up. Heavy winds tossed the ships on tall, angry waves. The storm’s intensity increased. Columbus, fearing that the ships would perish in the storm, prepared a written account of the voyage, rolled it up, sealed it with wax and stuck it in a bottle, which he corked and sealed with more wax. He hoped that if the ships sank, some account of the voyage would be found, he tossed the bottle into the raging seas. Continue reading Podcast – Columbus’ Crew Imprisoned, Released and the Return to Spain

Podcast - Stories of American History, Podcast - United States History Timeline, Timeline of United States History

Events Leading to Columbus’ First Voyage

In 1469 Spain was still a disunited nation. The Kingdom of Castile was the largest kingdom and occupied the region between Portugal and the Kingdom of Aragon. The Atlantic Ocean lay to the north and the Muslim region of Grenada lay to the south. The Kingdom of Aragon bordered Castile to the west and France to the northeast. The Pyrenees Mountains formed the Aragon/France boundary. The Mediterranean Sea lay to the southeast. Continue reading Events Leading to Columbus’ First Voyage

American Short Biography Series, Podcast - Stories of American History

Podcast – The Age of Discovery – Exploring the New World

Prince Henry the Navigator, Christopher Columbus and the Age of Discovery
The Age of Discovery took place from the 15th through the 17th Century and featured a vast expansion of the European’s knowledge of the world. Two men played a crucial role in that era, Prince Henry the Navigator and Christopher Columbus. This episode discusses those two men, which form the opening chapters of the author’s book, The New World Discoverers. Learn about the explorers that led the exodus of settlers that flooded into the New World. Continue reading Podcast – The Age of Discovery – Exploring the New World