Episodes
Episode 15: The Old Logic
Jan. 23, 2023
In this episode, I look broadly at the development of Medieval thought and learning since the end of the Roman Empire in the West. The philosopher Boethius in the early 6th century CE, would undertake the task of translatin…
Episode 14: The Medieval University
Jan. 8, 2023
The university as an educational institution appeared in the 12th century CE. The Universities of Paris and Bologna became models of higher education right up to the present day. The emergence of the university as an urban…
Episode 13: The New Print Culture
Dec. 19, 2022
Over the last thirty years, we have witnessed how the introduction of the internet and the rise of social media has spurred drastic cultural and social changes that have impacted all aspects of life. Many of the same themes…
Episode 12: The Medieval Book
Dec. 4, 2022
Though some modern features such as title pages and pagination did not develop until the 16th century, the book's basic form has remained unchanged since the first codexes appeared in the 1st century CE. As innovated by Gut…
Episode 11: Gutenberg's Printing Press
Nov. 19, 2022
Printing and movable type were known before Johannes Gutenberg. Both had developed in the Far East. Gutenberg was able to combine different technologies, and with his knowledge of metalworking, he devised a mechanical sys…
Episode 10: The Foreign Devils
Nov. 8, 2022
By the mid-16th century, the Spanish were in the Americas, and the Portuguese reached both China and Japan. By doing so, the Portuguese provided the final link to creating a truly globalized world. From their arrival on Ch…
Episode 9: The Spice Trade
Oct. 24, 2022
Like any modern commodity, the spice trade of the 16th century was a complex system. The Portuguese were never able to achieve the desired monopoly on this trade. In this episode, I provide an overview of the spice trade a…
Episode 8: The Caesar of the East
Oct. 9, 2022
Afonso de Albuquerque was known as the "Lion of the Seas" and the "Caesar of the East." He was the architect of the Portuguese empire in India. As the second Viceroy of the Portuguese State of India, he asserted Portuguese…
Episode 7: The India Armadas
Sept. 25, 2022
In this episode, I look at the early efforts of the Portuguese to intrude upon the spice trade in the Indian Ocean. Within six months of Vasco da Gama's return, King Manuel I had outfitted and armed a larger flotilla. It w…
Episode 6: The Voyage of Vasco da Gama
Sept. 11, 2022
On July 8, 1497, Vasco da Gama departed Lisbon, Portugal. In May 1498 he had reached India. In doing so, he and his crew became the first Europeans to see India after sailing directly from a European port. In this episode…
Episode 5: The Armadas of Zheng He
Aug. 28, 2022
Starting in 1405, the Ming Emperor Yongle dispatched Zheng He to lead a series of voyages throughout the Indian Ocean basin. These fleets were to be a show of Chinese power as well as demand tribute from the many foreign st…
Episode 4: The Monsoon Marketplace
Aug. 14, 2022
The Indian Ocean had been the scene of robust international trade for centuries prior to the Portuguese arrival. In this episode, I explore the geography and economy of the region from antiquity to the 15th century. The ma…
Episode 3: Cape of Storms
July 27, 2022
King John II of Portugal picked up where his grand-uncle, Prince Henry the Navigator, left off. His hopes of finding a direct maritime route around Africa to India are bouyed by the two voyages of Diogo Cao. Yet Cao doesn'…
Episode 2: The Maritime Revolution
July 17, 2022
The voyages of Columbus and da Gama were the early modern equivalent of the moon landing. They required new technologies, new ship designs, and new methods of seafaring. New technologies don't appear overnight. They evolve o…
Vasco da Gama and the Early Modern Era
July 3, 2022
In 1498, Vasco da Gama sailed directly from Portugal to India around the southern tip of Africa. His accomplishment and Columbus's would transform the world and usher in the age of true globalization. In this episode, I di…
Introduction
July 3, 2022
Welcome to the I Take History With My Coffee podcast. This podcast will explore everything about the Early Modern period. In this introduction, I explain my motivation for creating this podcast as well as outline the goals…