The Rot Within | America Before the Revolution

In this immersive episode of Why Wars Happened, step into England in the 1500s and 1600s, a kingdom on the edge of collapse. Forests — as vital as water — were disappearing. The population doubled, food prices soared, jobs vanished, and crime exploded across the streets. Harsh Poor Laws tried to control the desperate, but poverty and hunger only grew worse.

As wars with France and Spain drained the treasury, England’s rulers searched for a way out. Their answer? A gamble across the Atlantic—a desperate leap that would create Jamestown in 1607.

This is a story of desperation, crime, and survival, told through immersive off-camera narration with relaxing visuals that pull you straight into the chaos of the past.

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💬 Comment below: Would you have survived England’s desperation—or turned to crime?

🕰️ Timestamps

00:00 – Introduction & Recap

00:15 – England in the 1500s: Crisis Begins

01:26 – Vanishing Forests and Rising Costs

02:28 – Maritime Struggles: Pirates and Icebergs

08:47 – Population Doubles, Food Prices Soar

13:55 – Harsh Poor Laws and Poverty

17:40 – Crime Consumes England

18:26 – The Desperate Search for Resources

20:03 – Jamestown: A Gamble for Survival

20:46 – Closing + Next Episode Teaser

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