Long History
History is food for the brain. On Long History we split historic source documents into chunks of around ten minutes so you hear about historic events from the people who took part. Our previous series have included first-hand accounts of journeys by Magellan, Drake, Columbus and more. Treat yourself to something nourishing, and listen to real history while you’re doing it.
Latest series: Virginia 1606-1609
Our latest set of documents here on Long History looks at the early years of North America's first permanent British settlement.
Over 20 episodes, we will listen to the voices of the very people who took part in the earliest colonisation of the US.
Our weekly second series:
Random UK Prime Minister of the Week
Episodes released every Friday.
Past series
Magellan, Columbus and Vasco da Gama: The Three Main Explorers
Magellan's First Voyage Around the World: 30 episodes
Journal of the First Voyage of Columbus: 30 episodes
The Second Voyage of Christopher Columbus: 6 episodes
The Third Voyage of Christopher Columbus: 10 episodes
A Journal of the First Voyage of Vasco da Gama: 25 episodes
Other Famous Names
Francis Drake's Voyage About the World: 20 episodes
Sir Walter Raleigh’s The Discovery of Guiana: 18 episodes
Sir Walter Raleigh and Virginia: 18 episodes
Exploring the Pacific
Forgotten Voyages 1: After Magellan: 10 episodes
Forgotten Voyages 2: The Hunt for the Missing Captain: 5 episodes
Exploring North America
The Southern Unites States in the 1500s: 25 episodes
Florida, Texas and Northern Mexico in the 1500s: 20 episodes
Jacques Cartier's Three Voyages to Canada: 18 episodes
Henry Hudson's Diverse Voyages and Northern Discoveries: 25 episodes
Creating the Philippines' Spanish Colony:
Journey to Colonise The Philippines: 8 episodes
The Philippines’ First Spanish Colony: 20 episodes
How Manila became Spanish: 5 episodes
Conquering Manila: 5 episodes
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Episodes
Oct 16, 2023
Oct 16, 2023
15 min
(3 of 6) How was the first European sighting of Puerto Rico? When did Europeans first see St Martin and The Virgin Islands in the Caribbean?
Oct 13, 2023
Oct 13, 2023
14 min
The 22nd prime minister was much more than a cup of tea. He fundamentally reformed the country's voting system and finally made slavery illegal. Find out more in this episode.
Oct 11, 2023
Oct 11, 2023
14 min
(2 of 6) On Columbus's second journey how was his visit to Guadeloupe? How were the people, their rivalries and even their canibalism, described? Should we take the descriptions at face value?
Oct 9, 2023
Oct 9, 2023
16 min
(1 of 6) On the second voyage by Christopher Columbus, where did he first reach in the Caribbean? This episode of Long History introduces Christopher Columbus' second voyage, including a brief summary of his first voyage. The principal destination of this voyage was the settlement of Navidad. Columbus wanted to see what had happened to the 39 men who were left behind on Hispaniola on his previous voyage.
Oct 6, 2023
Oct 6, 2023
20 min
Who dealt with US calls for independence? Here is an introduction to the 8th prime minister, Charles Watson-Wentworth, who was prime minister twice, in the 1760s and for less than four months in the 1780s. He was in opposition when the US declared independence, and was premier both before and after that declaration, and so dealt with the fallout of this momentous split. He also helped to crystallise the concept of an opposition in British politics.
Oct 4, 2023
Oct 4, 2023
16 min
(5 of 5) How were the Spanish colonies on the Philippines summed up in the 1570s?
Oct 2, 2023
Sep 29, 2023
Sep 29, 2023
18 min
The 35th prime minister was in office at the beginning of World War One. Find out about Herbert Asquith and his passions.
Sep 27, 2023
Sep 27, 2023
15 min
(3 of 5) When did the Spanish take over Manila in the Philippines, and how did the people in the area react.
Sep 25, 2023
Sep 25, 2023
14 min
(2 of 5) In 1570, the Spanish still hadn’t established a capital for their new colony on the Philippines. Why did Spanish governor Legazpi decide to make Manila his base?
History from the source:
Magellan, Columbus and Vasco da Gama: The Three Main Explorers
Magellan's First Voyage Around the World: 30 episodes
Journal of the First Voyage of Columbus: 30 episodes
The Second Voyage of Christopher Columbus: 6 episodes
The Third Voyage of Christopher Columbus: 10 episodes
A Journal of the First Voyage of Vasco da Gama: 25 episodes
Other Famous Names
Francis Drake's Voyage About the World: 20 episodes
Sir Walter Raleigh’s The Discovery of Guiana: 18 episodes
Sir Walter Raleigh and Virginia: 18 episodes
Exploring the Pacific
Forgotten Voyages 1: After Magellan: 10 episodes
Forgotten Voyages 2: The Hunt for the Missing Captain: 5 episodes
Exploring North America
The Southern Unites States in the 1500s: 25 episodes
Florida, Texas and Northern Mexico in the 1500s: 20 episodes
Jacques Cartier's Three Voyages to Canada: 18 episodes
Henry Hudson's Diverse Voyages and Northern Discoveries: 25 episodes
Creating the Philippines' Spanish Colony:
Journey to Colonise The Philippines: 8 episodes
The Philippines’ First Spanish Colony: 20 episodes
How Manila became Spanish: 5 episodes
Conquering Manila: 5 episodes
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