Curated Video
Building the Panama Canal
The Panama Canal is a vital trade route linking the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Its fascinating story goes back hundreds of years.
Curated Video
Why the King Can't Say No to Parliament | The Life & Times of Charles I
The most interesting thing about King Charles the First is that he was five foot six inches tall at the start of his reign. And only four foot eight inches tall at the end of it...
60 Second Histories
King Charles I
A description of King Charles I. How he became King, what he was like as a man and his marriage to Henrietta Maria.
60 Second Histories
Queen Henrietta Maria
A description of Queen Henrietta Maria, wife of King Charles I. It covers her upbringing and how she, a French catholic princess came to marry the English protestant prince.
60 Second Histories
King Charles I - the execution
An eyewitness account of the excecution of King Charles I outside the Banqueting House in London on 30th January 1649
60 Second Histories
Battle of Edge Hill
A soldier describes the Battle of Edge Hill and how Prince Rupert's cavalry charged into the Parliamentarians.
60 Second Histories
Prince Rupert
A description of the flamboyant cavalier Prince Rupert who was not only commander of the King's cavalry but also his nephew
60 Second Histories
Siege of Lichfield
A brief account of the sieges of Lichfield during the English Civil War
60 Second Histories
Cromwell
A Parliamentarian soldier describes Oliver Cromwell, his character and his achievement in developing the New Model Army
60 Second Histories
English Civil War: An artillery master
A description of how important science and mathematics were to the artillery in calculating distance and trajectory of a shot together with how much gunpowder is needed.
60 Second Histories
English Civil War: A cavalry trooper
A description of a New Model Army cavalry trooper, one of Cromwell's ironsides which includes the clothing they wore and the weapons used.
60 Second Histories
English Civil War: A Royalist Soldier
A Royalist soldier gives his point of view and explains why he follows the King
60 Second Histories
English Civil War: A musketeer
A description of a musketeer, a roundhead in Cromwell's army; his clothing, equipment and the workings of a matchlock musket
60 Second Histories
Introduction to the English Civil War
An overview of the English Civil War, when it started, how long it lasted together with the cause and the devastating effect on the country.
60 Second Histories
English Civil War: A pikeman
A description of the armour worn by pikemen during the English Civil War, it also shows his main weapon, the long pike and explains how it was used.
60 Second Histories
English Civil War: A Parliamentarian
A description of the causes of the Civil War from a Parliamentarian's point of view, including the ship taxes and the King's expensive lifestyle.