Early Modern

Early Modern

A dichotomy of old and new, the Early Modern era was a fascinating period in history. Feudalism was on the decline, the old and established religious institutions that had once exercised enormous power of populations were now being challenged and European colonists began to settle in the Americas. This time also saw a rebirth of interest in the writings of scholars from antiquity and a new emphasis on the use of observation as the basis of knowledge - the Renaissance. Enjoy our host of documentaries, interviews and podcasts, with leading historians such as Suzannah Lipscomb, ranging from Henry VIII and the scandals of the Tudor Court, to the sailing of the Mayflower in 1620.

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Early Modern
  • The Real Story Behind Anne Boleyn's Ghost

    Get ready for carriages pulled by headless horses, spooky palaces, a weird floating cylinder thing...and a single moment in history that has haunted England, and now Britain's, imagination for hundreds of years.

    In this episode of After Dark, Anthony and Maddy talk the ghost of Anne Boleyn, Quee...

  • American Revolution - The Boston Tea Party

    250 years ago, on December 16th 1773, an event happened that shocked an Empire and fired the starting pistol for the American Revolution. At the time it was known simply as the Destruction of the Tea, an act that shook the world from Bengal to Britain to Boston.

    In this specially made film to ma...

  • The True History of Dick Turpin and the Highwaymen

    Mike Loades goes behind the mask to uncover the brutal truth about the myth of the highwayman. Unlike many other criminals, they've been glamorised and idolised, their names enduring as legends. They are considered by many as dashing romantic heroes, courageous adventurers and champions of the un...

  • A Tudor Wonder - Hardwick Hall - with Prof. Suzannah Lipscomb

    A History Hit treat for the holidays, this special new film reveals an extraordinary Tudor life-story and an amazing creation. We meet the extraordinary Bess of Hardwick and go inside the incredible home she built, a spectacular construction in glass and stone that defined the elegance and grande...

  • A Georgian Trailblazer! The Amazing Life of Charles Ignatius Sancho

    Join Paterson Joseph, actor (‘Boat Story’, ‘Wonka’) and author (‘The Secret Diaries of Charles Ignatius Sancho’), in this special History Hit film as he takes us on a fascinating journey through 18th century London, discovering the life, loves and losses of a truly remarkable man.

    Georgian Londo...

  • A Tudor Discovery - Thomas Cromwell’s Prayer Book

    History Hit digs deep into a fascinating new discovery that has grabbed the attention of historians across the world.

    Prof. Suzannah Lipscomb explores what is being called the most exciting Tudor find ‘in a generation’ as curators at Hever Castle identify a bejewelled, gilded prayer book, tuc...

  • Sir Thomas More - Not Just the Tudors... Lates

    How far would you go to save your immortal soul?’

    This is the question that plagued Tudor High Chancellor, Sir Thomas More. Lawyer, philosophiser, and advisor to Henry VIII, when the court turned on its head at the arrival of Anne Boleyn. Hounded by prolific characters like Thomas Cromwell, his ...

  • Crowning Glory: The History of the Coronation

    Coronations - pomp and pageantry or a vital link with the timeless traditions of taking the throne?

    In our second coronation special, History Hit’s Matt Lewis digs deep into the past to investigate how centuries old aspects of Anglo-Saxon and Medieval coronations will be mirrored in Charles III...

  • The Longest Alliance: England and Portugal 650 Years

    On 16th June 1373, England’s King Edward III signed a treaty of alliance with Portugal’s King Ferdinand. It still stands, making it the longest continuing alliance in history. This year, in June 2023, it celebrates its 650th anniversary. In this film, Mike Loades, a Brit living in Portugal, trave...

  • The Road to the Crown - Elizabeth I's Coronation Procession

    On January 14th 1559 one of the most extraordinary royal parades of Tudor England made its way through the heart of London. It was the Coronation Procession of Queen Elizabeth I.

    In this special History Hit film, made to coincide with the coronation of King Charles III, royal historian Tracy B...

  • Mary, Queen of Scots - Not Just the Tudors... Lates

    Mary’s biography is enormously dramatic, packed with romance, betrayal, imprisonment and violence. Unsurprisingly, it has proved irresistible to film-makers, recreating a time when two queens vied for power - Mary in Scotland and Elizabeth I in England. Their relationship was blighted with mistr...

  • Anne Boleyn and Katherine of Aragon - Brilliant Rivals

    Katherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn - the first two wives of Henry VIII - are so often portrayed as opposites. Katherine as the loyal, scorned wife - Anne as the bright, bewitching upstart.

    But now Prof. Suzannah Lipscomb returns to Hever Castle to explore what Anne and Katherine were really l...

  • Becoming Anne Boleyn

    March 2022 marks the 500th anniversary since Anne Boleyn made her debut at the court of King Henry VIII.

    Prof. Suzannah Lipscomb investigates the story of Anne’s remarkable upbringing in England, the Netherlands and France before she arrived at the heart of Tudor England. For all Anne Boleyn’s...

  • Henry VIII: Statesman or Tyrant?

    On Midsummer's Day in 1509 a 17 year old was crowned king of England. He would go on to transform his realm over almost four decades on the throne. He would revolutionise its religion, reforge its politics and its relations with neighbouring countries, and establish a royal navy. But, by the time...

  • Secrets of Shakespeare's Stratford

    In this series, Alice Loxton and Dan Snow head to Stratford-upon-Avon to uncover the secrets of William Shakespeare’s early life and upbringing. Who were Shakespeare’s parents? What was rural Warwickshire like in the 16th century, and how was it changing? What sort of childhood did William have?
    ...

  • Secrets of Shakespeare's Stratford Episode 2

    In this episode, Alice and Dan discover how the Shakespeare family were rocked by religious turmoil of the 16th century. They visit one of the most notorious Catholic houses in the county, William Shakespeare's schoolroom and the ruins of Evesham Abbey.

  • Becoming Elizabeth: Not Just the Tudors... Lates

    How do you tell the story of one of the most interesting and tumultuous times in history - when Henry VIII died, leaving three children from three different mothers?

    A fantastic panel of historians and writers gathers to discuss the Starz TV series “Becoming Elizabeth”, and explore the real ev...

  • Waterloo Uncovered: The Bones of the Battlefield

    A major breaking story filmed by History Hit.

    Incredibly rare bones of men and horses have been discovered in July 2022 at the Waterloo Battlefield - and History Hit has been there to record the excavations as they unfold.

    The veterans support charity 'Waterloo Uncovered' returned to the Water...

  • The Uniform of the British Army

    The British Army is one of the world’s most experienced fighting forces. From Blenheim to Waterloo, from Balaclava to the Somme, it has played its part in the history’s most bloody conflicts. But as these troops executed Herculean tasks in the worlds harshest terrains, what were they wearing? How...

  • Horse Guards Parade

    Tucked away in the beating heart of London, we find one of Britain’s most iconic landmarks – Horse Guards Parade. Famous for its dazzling ceremonies and remarkable uniforms, the Parade stands as a testament to the fearlessness – and style - of the British soldier. Today, the buildings house the H...

  • Hans Holbein the Younger: Painting the Tudor Court

    In this fascinating documentary, historian Dr Nicola Tallis and author Franny Moyle dissect and unravel the meaning behind the famous paintings of the Tudor Court depicted by the renowned artist, Hans Holbein the Younger.

    Born in Ausburg in 1497, Holbein worked as a painter and printmaker in Ba...

  • Henry's Forts: Castles on the Coast

    On the 26 February 2021, around 38 metres of wall collapsed at Hurst Castle, one of a series of vital coastal forts built by Henry VIII in the 16th century to protect England from threat of invasion by the European powers. Recently, Dan went out on his kayak to assess the damage at the castle whi...

  • Africa: Written out of History

    Historian Luke Pepera looks at how and why the history of Africa was written out of world history. He also explores how and why, as a consequence of this, the history of Africans in Britain was written out of British history.

  • Atahualpa: Death of the Last Inca Emperor

    On 26 July 1533, a rope was tightened around the neck of Inca Emperor Atahualpa in the central plaza in Cajamarca in what is now Peru. The general who ordered his execution, Pizarro, is said to have shed a tear as the life drained from the condemned's body. On paper, the man died a Catholic by th...