In 937 AD, the fate of all Britain hung in the balance when King Æthelstan was confronted by a combined Viking and Scottish army.

This is the story of the Battle of Brunanburh

A thread 🧵 Æthelstan, the grandson of Alfred the Great, had greatly expanded his grandfather's Kingdom.

After defeating the Vikings of York in 927 he brought all of England under his fold, he also later subdued the Scots and Welsh bringing them too under his indirect control.

In 1314, Robert the Bruce rode out to face the might of King Edward's England on the muddy fields below Stirling Castle.

This is the story of the Battle of Bannockburn

A thread 🧵 The War of Scottish Independence had been raging on since 1296, a war that King Edward I of England was comfortably winning.

However, the tides of war turned upon the ascension of Robert the Bruce and the demise of Edward I.

In 870 AD, the Vikings turned their furious gaze to Lowland Scotland as they struck at the Brittonic Kingdom of the Alt Clut.

This is the story of the Siege of Dumbarton Rock

A thread 🧵 Dumbarton Rock was an attractive target, it guarded both the Clyde and Leven rivers, and thus access to the river systems of Lowland Scotland.

It is a strong and naturally defensible position and had access to a fresh water well, all in all it was a very formidable target.

In 1671, Henry Morgan and the Brethren of the Coast struck at the very heart of the Spanish Americas.

This is the story of the Sacking of Panama

A thread 🧵 Henry Morgan was a Welsh Buccaneer/Privateer who operated out of Jamaica in the 17th century.

He was licensed by the English to defend Jamaica and to attack Spanish possessions in the New World as part of the Anglo-Spanish war.

In the 16th century, Queen Elizabeth unleashed her 'Sea Dogs' on the world.

These roving bands of privateers founded settlements, explored the Arctic, circumnavigated the globe and even searched for the fabled El Dorado.

This is their story

A thread 🧵 In this age England was something of a second rate power.

The real power lay with Spain, who was getting incredibly wealthy from their New World possessions.

England wanted in on the action, but a direct assault was off the cards, so instead Elizabeth turned to her privateers.

In 845, legendary Viking Ragnar Lodbrok led a raiding party deep into the heartland of the Western Franks.

This is the story of the Sacking of Paris

A thread 🧵 It is probably best to start with some details about Ragnar, his life and adventures have become so intertwined with fable it is rather difficult to disern the truth.

What we know is a viking named Reginherus, likely Ragnar, was at the head of a fleet of 120 ships and 5000 men.

In 866, The Great Heathen Army struck at the very heart of the Kingdom of Northumbria.

This is the story of the Fall of York

A thread 🧵 The Great Heathen Army is itself shrouded in myth and fable, according to Norse Sagas it was launched by Ragnar Lodbrok's sons in response to his death at the hands of King Aella.

What we know is an army of anywhere between 1000-5000 men landed on England's shores in 865.

In 870 AD, the Vikings Ivar the Boneless and Olaf the White turned their furious gaze on Lowland Scotland.

Their target was the Kingdom of the Alt Clut and their fortress capital.

This is the story of the Siege of Dumbarton Rock 🧵 Dumbarton Rock was an attractive target, it guarded both the Clyde and Leven rivers, and thus the access to the river systems of Lowland Scotland.

It's strong defensible position and access to a water well made it a formidable target.

Robert the Bruce was the King of Scotland from 1306 until 1329.

His lifelong fight for Independence and legendary victory at Bannockburn have made him a Scottish national hero.

This is the story of Scotland's Warrior King

A thread 🧵 Robert the Bruce was born on the 11th of July 1274, likely at Turnberry Castle.

He was descended from a long line of Robert the Bruces, going all the way back to his ancestor Robert de Brus, who first arrived in England with William the Conqueror.

Captain John Smith is one of history's truly great adventurers.

From the battlefields of Eastern Europe to the colony of Jamestown, the legendary explorer certainly left his mark.

This is his story

A thread 🧵 John Smith was born in Lincolnshire sometime around 1579.

He began his working life as an apprentice merchant, but this mundane day to day life could hardly contain an adventurous spirit like Smith.

Henry Hudson was an English explorer in the 17th century.

He is best known for his explorations of North America and his ill fated searches for the Northwest passage.

This is his story... 🧵 Little is known of Hudson's early years, he was likely born in about 1565 in England.

He first pops up in the historical record in 1607 whilst working for the Muscovy Company looking for the ever illusive Northwest Passage.

In 1492, the world was changed forever when a Genoese explorer landed on an island in the Caribbean.

This is the story of Christopher Columbus and the (re)Discovery of the Americas!

A thread 🧵 Columbus was not the first European to step foot on the Americas, that honour belongs to Viking explorer Lief Erikson in about 1000 AD.

The Vikings failed to build on their discovery and the knowledge was lost to time, barring old sailor tales of a land west of the cod fisheries

Sir Henry Morgan was a buccaneer operating out of Port Royal in the 17th century.

His legendary raids on the Spanish Main earned him the nickname "King of Buccaneers"

This is his story...

A thread 🧵 Morgan's background is a bit obscure, his exact birthplace is unknown, but best guess is he was born in 1635 near Llanrumney (Cardiff).

We are also not sure when he arrived in the New World but it was likely with Cromwell's forces in 1654.

On the 7th of June 1692, the jaws of the earth opened up and swallowed whole "The most wickedest city in the world"

This was the Port Royal Earthquake!

A thread 🧵 Port Royal was a major trading port on the island of Jamaica, however it had become a hotbed for debauchery and a popular hideout for pirates and buccaneers alike.

The town's sand banks were lined with bars and brothels willing to trade ill gotten loot for pleasure.

Hernán Cortés was a Spanish Conquistador in the 16th century.

He managed to topple an empire of millions, despite landing with only 500 men.

This was the Conquest of the Aztecs

A thread 🧵 Cortés was born in Medellin in 1485, his family was of the lesser nobility (Hidalgo).

He appears to have attended university for a period, but Cortés was no pencil pusher, he dreamed of power, influence and riches.

The new world offered to fulfill even his wildest dreams.

In 1607, a group of English colonists landed in Virginia with the aim of establishing a permanent settlement in the Americas.

This is the story of the founding of Jamestown.

A thread 🧵 England was desperate to catch up with their European counterparts, who had by now settled vast swathes of the Americas.

After failed attempts, most notably at Roanoke, they were keen to get this one right.

In the late 16th Century England was desperate to get in on the action in the Americas.

They selected a site in what is now North Carolina, which they deemed fit for colonisation.

This is the story of Roanoke and it's legendary Lost Colony.

A thread 🧵 Spain was the main player in the Americas at the time with an empire running from Florida to Cusco.

England wanted in, but Spain had a long headstart.

Queen Elizabeth therefore tasked Sir Walter Raleigh with the founding of a permanent settlement in North America.

In 1568, Captain John Hawkins was docked at Veracruz when a Spanish fleet attacked.

This act served as the prelude to the Anglo-Spanish war, and more importantly, it was the making of a young captain named Francis Drake.

This was the Battle of San Juan de Ulúa

A thread 🧵 John Hawkins was a prominent sailor of the Elizabethan Age and he had recently been making forays into the New World.

He had found an in with the Spanish colonial administrators by selling them slaves at a marked down price.

We often glamorise the great voyages of discovery, but life aboard these vessels was tough going for the everyday sailors.

Let's explore the life of a sailor during the Age of Discovery

A thread 🧵 One of the main problems that plagued ships was food, and how to store it.

This was a particular problem in the earlier days when ships were small and compact.

They carried a few livestock but for the most part sailors would have to be happy with hard biscuits and salted meats

The Elizabethan age is chock-full of daring adventurers and larger than life characters, but few can compare to Sir Walter Raleigh.

From Elizabeth's court to the search for the fabled El Dorado, Raleigh truly led an extraordinary life.

Let's explore his story

🧵(Thread) Walter Raleigh was born in Devon around 1553.

He was of lower gentry stock and brought up as a stout Protestant with a firm hatred of Catholicism following his families persecution during the reign of Queen Mary.

In the early 18th century pirates were the scourge of the high seas, one pirate however stands above the rest, Captain Bartholomew Roberts.

Roberts was the most successful pirate of the Golden Age capturing over 400 vessels!

This is his story

🧵 (Thread) Bart Roberts was born on the 17th of May 1682, in Pembrokeshire, Wales.

He was originally named John but later changed his name, as pirates were prone to do.

Young John went to sea at an early age, and by 1719 he was second mate on the slaving ship Princess.