How Did Portugal Happen?

Portugal may be one of Europe's most under-rated countries. It has a rich history and culture from its founding during the Christian Reconquest of the Iberian peninsula in the late 1400s. About the size of Indiana, it was once one of the world's most significant maritime powers. During the Age of Discovery (1400s through 1700s), …

Black American History #2: Slavery in the Colonies

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4syEkyOzmY&t=6s Crash Course: "In the 17th century, as the British colonies in the Americas were getting established in places like Jamestown, VA, the system of chattel slavery was also developing. Today, we'll learn about the role that slavery played in early American economy and how slavery became a legally accepted practice in the first place, …

How Ferdinand Magellan Circumnavigated the Globe

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFdiX8mj0Es "Ferdinand Magellan was a Portuguese explorer who organized the Spanish expedition to the East Indies from 1519 to 1522, resulting in the first circumnavigation of the Earth, which was completed by Juan Sebastián Elcano." -- Wikipedia. TED-Ed: "On September 6, 1522, the "Victoria" sailed into harbor in southern Spain. The battered vessel and its 18 …

Sir Thomas More, Man of Conscience and Principle, Rebelled Against King Henry VIII’s Ban on Catholicism

In the 1950s and 1960s, A Man for All Seasons, a play and movie, helped to diminish anti-Catholic bias in American society by telling the story of Sir Thomas More (1478 – 1535), an English lawyer, social philosopher, author, statesman, and noted Renaissance humanist who also served as English King Henry VIII's chancellor. He is …

Medici, Italian Renaissance’s Banking Family, Produced Four Popes and Two Queens of France

Traditional accounts of the Italian Renaissance portray the Borjias as corrupt and evil religious leaders, and the Medici as heroic financiers and philanthropists of stunningly beautiful art and architecture as well as fair-minded popes. I've already pointed out the reasons that popular portrayals of the Borjias, particularly the popular TV series, exaggerate their deviance. Two …

Anne Boleyn Was Lied About, Executed on False Charges, But Mothered England’s Most Powerful Queen

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7-1lXLdNAI Anne Boleyn (1501-1536) was the second wife of Henry VIII who became queen in her own right. She served only three years, then became the first queen in English history to be executed -- beheaded by Thomas Cromwell (who was later himself beheaded as a traitor and a heretic). Anne was the second of …

Columbus Day: Still Worth Celebrating?

Some American states and localities still observe a holiday around October 12 every year to Christoffa Corombo‘s contribution to world exploration. But in other places, it has become Indigenous People's Day. Click. The national consensus that Columbus was an unmarred hero has been lost. Debate: Is Columbus Day Worth Celebrating? Give 10 reasons for, and 10 reasons …

What If Pope Granted Henry VIII’s Divorce?

"What if Pope Clement VII had agreed in 1527 to Henry VIII's request for an annulment of his marriage to Catherine of Aragon? Henry did have very strong legal and theological arguments on his side, and more than anything it was the presence of the armies of Catherine's nephew, Emperor Charles V, that made Clement …

If Ottomans Took Vienna Even Briefly, Anglican Church Might Not Exist

The empire of Ottoman (Turkish) Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent spread all the way to the gates of Vienna in the 1520s. Could he have taken it, and Europe? This is the subject of numerous videos on Youtube.com: This video from the Christian Broadcasting Network demonizes the Ottomans because they were Muslims and attributes "God's intervention …