Podcast Transcript In the 13th century, the Republic of Venice was one of the leading merchant empires in Europe. The merchants from Venice traveled far and wide in pursuit of profit. A few of them, however, traveled very far. A small group of men from the same family made the extremely long and dangerous voyage …
Podcast Transcript One of the most important markets in the global economy is the bond market. The bond market doesn’t get as much attention as the market for stocks. Yet, the global market for bonds is actually larger than the total value of all publicly traded stocks. Moreover, bond markets have the power to influence …
Podcast Transcript Every year, on the last Monday in May, the United States honors its war dead. It is often celebrated with parades, cookouts, and ceremonies at military cemeteries. While many people just think of it as a three-day weekend and the beginning of summer, it is a tradition that extends back over 160 years. …
In 1610, Galileo Gallieli used a new invention called the telescope to observe the planet Jupiter. What he found revolutionized the science of astronomy and our entire understanding of the universe. He discovered four moons in orbit around the planet, the first objects in the solar system to have been discovered since antiquity. Today, astronomers …
Podcast Transcript After the American Revolution, the United States economy was in trouble. One solution proposed to solve the crisis was the establishment of a national bank. The bank wasn’t just an economic issue; it also sparked one of the first constitutional debates in the nation’s history. Fast-forward several decades, and the United States found …
Podcast Transcript The Romans were familiar with Africa, or at least part of it. At one point, they controlled everything on the north coast of Africa from Morocco to Egypt. However, below their African territories was the vast Sahara Desert, which was extremely difficult to cross. For all practical purposes, it served as a permeable …
Podcast Transcript For centuries, the English Channel served as a moat that kept the conflicts of Continental Europe away from the island of Great Britain. While it served as a barrier for armies, it also served as a hindrance to commerce. The movement of goods and people across the English Channel was much more difficult …
Podcast Transcript In early 18th-century London, a petty criminal became one of the most celebrated people in England. He wasn’t celebrated despite the fact that he was a criminal; he was celebrated because he was a criminal. The authorities didn’t share in the public’s enthusiasm. He was arrested several times, but he managed to escape …
Podcast Transcript In the middle of the Third Century, things were looking really bad for the Roman Empire. This period was marked by civil war, economic collapse, foreign invasions, and a rapid succession of emperors, often military usurpers, most of whom died violently. If things had gone just a little differently, we would have been …