You're listening to an airwave media podcast.

The Civil War and Reconstruction was a pivotal era in American history.

When a war was fought to save the Union and to free the slaves.

And when the work to rebuild the nation after that war was over

turned into a struggle to guarantee liberty and justice for all Americans. I'm

I'm Tracey and I'm rich and we want to invite you to join us as we take an in-depth look at this

pivotal era in American history.

Look for the Civil War and Reconstruction,

wherever you find your podcasts. Hello and thank you for joining the American Revolution. Today, episode 3, the British Background.

So, last week I gave a brief introduction to the colonies.

Today I want to go through a brief history covering the same period, but this time from England, so that we all know where they're coming from.

A British interest colonization really began to take hold during the reign of Queen Elizabeth the first.

Elizabeth's father, Henry VIII, had been the king who forced England to convert to Protestantism,

and this move separated England from mostly Catholic Europe.

Henry had broken with the church in order to divorce and remarry.

He said his goal was really to sire a male heir

and provide for a stable transition to the next generation.

Leaving the Catholic Church, however, created massive instability for England for the next two

centuries. Many members of the Royal Family, including several who were

in line to inherit the crown, remain Catholics. This led to power struggles.

Elizabeth even had her own half-sister, the Catholic,

Mary Queen of Scots, killed as part of those struggles.

...