The Putney Debates

The American Revolution didn't just transform North America. It was part of a global struggle involving competing empires, international alliances and conflict at sea.In the second of our two-part series of On the Record, we explore the global history of the American Revolution through original records held at The National Archives in Kew, London. From intelligence seized at sea and treaties drawn up between nations to proclamations aimed at those with the most to lose, the records reveal a conflict that stretched far beyond Britain's thirteen American colonies.How did the global dimension of the American Revolution shape the outcome of the war? And how did the conflict transform the roles Britain and America would go on to play in the world?Séverine Ange and Graham Moore, historians and records specialists at The National Archives, guide us through the second part of our series on the American Revolution.Records featured in this episodeExplore original records featured in this episode and discover the events that led to the American Revolution in The causes of the American Revolution.Further listening and resourcesListen to Part One: The American Revolution: The Other Side of the Story.Visit our exhibition, Revolution 250: America's Independence Story, 1763-1783, at The National Archives in Kew, London until 29 November 2026.Listen to our three-part series on The Prize Papers.Find out more about the Prize Papers project and collections.Follow The National ArchivesThe official archive and publisher for the UK Government, and for England and Wales. We are the guardians of over 1,000 years of iconic documents.Follow us on Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | LinkedIn for more stories from our collections.Tell us what you thinkEnjoying On the Record? Take our short listener survey and help shape future episodes.

The American Revolution is the origin story of the United States. But what did it look like from the British perspective?In the first of a two-part series of On the Record, we turn the map around and explore the American Revolution through British records held at The National Archives in Kew, London.How did decisions made in Westminster fuel rebellion three thousand miles away? What does an appeal to the king reveal about Britain's ambitions for its North American empire? And what do private letters tell us about a war that divided families and communities?Dan Gosling and Sean Cunningham, historians and records specialists at The National Archives, explore the American Revolution and American War of Independence through original records, revealing the conflict from the British side of the Atlantic.Records featured in this episodeExplore original records featured in this episode and discover the events that led to the American Revolution in The causes of the American Revolution.Further listening and resourcesContinue the story in Part Two: The American Revolution: A Global WarDiscover more about the American Revolution through our exhibition, Revolution 250: America's Independence Story, 1763–1783, at The National Archives in Kew, London until 29 November 2026Explore the events leading to the American Revolution in our episode on the Boston Tea PartyFollow The National ArchivesThe official archive and publisher for the UK Government, and for England and Wales. We are the guardians of over 1,000 years of iconic documents.Follow us on Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | LinkedIn for more stories from our collections.Tell us what you thinkEnjoying On the Record? Take our short listener survey and help shape future episodes.

The American Revolution is the origin story of the United States. But what did it look like from the British perspective?In a special two-part series of On the Record, the podcast from The National Archives, we explore the American Revolution from the British perspective, using original records held at The National Archives in Kew, London.Subscribe to On the Record and never miss an episode.

In this episode of On the Record, we explore Chartism, Britain's first mass political movement, driven by the working classes.It emerged in response to the failure of the 1832 Reform Act to extend the right to vote beyond those who owned property. The Chartists published newspapers, organised mass rallies, and, in some cases, took up arms, becoming a driving force for reform.To guide us through this movement, we're joined by Joe Cozens, a historian at The National Archives whose work explores working-class politics.

In 1647, inside St Mary's Church in Putney, army generals sat alongside ordinary soldiers to debate nothing less than the future of the nation. Should political power remain in the hands of property owners, as it always had? Or could it be a birthright - something every man possessed simply by being born?In this episode, we step into the Putney Debates, where soldiers, radicals, and reformers wrestled with bold, world shaping ideas about rights, representation, and how society should be governed.This is part two of People and Power, our miniseries exploring how people across British history have challenged authority and fought for their voices to be heard. Our guests are Dr Neil Johnston, historian at The National Archives, and Dr Erica Canela, a public historian.

When King John sealed Magna Carta in 1215, it was meant to end a civil war. Instead, it sparked an idea that still resonates today.In this episode, we explore two medieval documents that shaped ideas about power in society - Magna Carta and the 1265 summons list for a parliament led by the charismatic baron Simon de Montfort.This is the first instalment of our mini-series People and Power, which looks at how people have challenged authority and fought to have their voices heard in Britain. Our guests are Paul Dryburgh and Jessica Nelson, historians at The National Archives.

Love letters might not be what you'd expect to find in a government archive, yet The National Archives holds an extraordinary collection spanning over 500 years of devotion, longing, sacrifice and passion. From heartfelt declarations to calculated proposals, intimate notes and secret exchanges, these records reveal the deeply human emotions captured in the nation's documents.As we open Love Letters, a free exhibition at our Kew site, running until 12 April 2026, showcasing correspondence from royalty, parliamentarians, relating to literary icons and to everyday people, this episode shares some of the stories behind these captivating records.Featuring specialists Sean Cunningham, Vicky Iglikowski-Broad and Mollie Clarke, we explore how these letters survived, what they reveal about relationships shaped by power, distance and circumstance. Read the full episode transcript here.

The story of Britain's railways isn't just about steam engines and steel tracks—it's about the people who built them, worked on them, and sometimes fought for their rights along the way.To mark the 200th anniversary of the first modern passenger railway in 2025, this episode explores the human stories hidden within The National Archives' vast railway collections, focusing on records up to around 1950.Hosted by family history specialist Jessamy Carlson, with railway historian Mike Esbester and records specialist James Cronan, the episode uncovers tales from accident registers that capture moments of tragedy and resilience, staff magazines that connected workers across vast distances, and annotated timetables that reveal individual journeys from centuries past. Read the full episode transcript here.

From Richard III's lavish wardrobe to Queen Victoria's chaotic ceremony, coronations have a rich and fascinating history. For some, a coronation is a once-in-a-lifetime public event; for the new king or queen, it is a display which can set the tone for their reign.In this episode of On the Record released to mark the coronation of King Charles III, our specialists examine records from previous coronations and explore how traditions have formed and changed through the centuries.For a transcript and information about the documents used in this episode visit our show notes: https://bit.ly/TNACoroThis podcast series is part of a season of events and commemorating the coronation of King Charles III on May 6th. Find out more at nationalarchives.gov.uk/coronations

From frozen festivals to royal polar bears, from wartime recovery to medieval merchants.The River Thames has been the stage for some of Britain's most extraordinary moments.In this episode, Sarah Castagnetti explores this rich history—from the 13th-century king who kept a polar bear in the river, to a Dutch naval attack that brought war to London's doorstep, and the legendary Thames frost fairs.Three very different Thames stories, all revealing how central this river has been to London's history. Download the full episode transcript here.