I'm John Batch from visiting with Professor Jonathan Healy.

He's at Oxford University.

He's also an author who's given us yet another story of the 17th century

that is the backstory for the 18th century and the American Revolution.

Remember now, there is a colony in the Americas. James I first vouchsafed it, even when the Spanish complained. And that colony is growing

a pace despite a very large death rate in the Chesapeake Bay area and along the North New England coast, the pilgrims.

That's going on and watching the events in Europe.

They've left England.

They get caught up in the war back in America.

But what's going on right now in 1642 is by far the most persuasive

for the case that is made by the parliamentarians,

that the people have a voice, that it's not entirely the voice of the king.

There's a difference.

So we become an argument, does the king derive his power from parliament,

or does parliament derive their power from the king?

Jonathan, wonderful to do a tour of Westminster because the Comets sits here, the Lord sit there,

and the king's over here in Whitehall.

So you provide maps.

First of all, Westminster is not the same as the city of London.

It's on the Thames.

Where was Commons meeting in 1642? What was the room? The Commons met in an old medieval chapel called

St. Stephen's Chapel, which was quite a large chapel, but still very, very cramped for, you know,

...