On the Record at The National Archives

The National Archives

1,000 years of history, 1,000 years of stories to uncover. On the Record is the podcast from The National Archives, the official archive for the UK Government and for England and Wales. Join our experts and special guests as we uncover the real-life stories found in more than 11 million historical records, spanning over 1,000 years of history. Discover fascinating tales of forbidden love, spies, protest and the everyday people of the past. Follow On the Record wherever you get your podcasts and never miss an episode.

  1. Oct 28

    The American Revolution, Part 2: A Global War

    The American Revolution didn't just transform North America. It was part of a global struggle involving competing empires, international alliances and conflict at sea. In the second of our two-part series of On the Record, we explore the global history of the American Revolution through original records held at The National Archives in Kew, London. From intelligence seized at sea and treaties drawn up between nations to proclamations aimed at those with the most to lose, the records reveal a conflict that stretched far beyond Britain's thirteen American colonies. How did the global dimension of the American Revolution shape the outcome of the war? And how did the conflict transform the roles Britain and America would go on to play in the world? Séverine Ange and Graham Moore, historians and records specialists at The National Archives, guide us through the second part of our series on the American Revolution. Explore the records featured in this episode: https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/explore-the-collection/explore-by-topic/democracy-and-protest/causes-of-the-american-revolution/ Find out more about the Prize Papers project and collections: https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/professional-guidance-and-services/our-research-and-academic-collaboration/our-research-projects/collections-and-archives-research/the-prize-papers/ Visit our exhibition, Revolution 250: America’s Independence Story, at The National Archives until 29 November 2026: https://ontherecord-thenationalarchives.captivate.fm/nationalarchives-govuk-revolution250 Sign up to our mailer for news, events and more stories from our collections: https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/contact-us/email-updates/ Tell us what you think. Take our listener survey: https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/ontherecord/

    The American Revolution, Part 2: A Global War

  2. Oct 28

    The American Revolution, Part 1: The Other Side of the Story

    The American Revolution is the origin story of the United States. But what did it look like from the British perspective? In the first of a two-part series of On the Record, we turn the map around and explore the American Revolution through British records held at The National Archives in Kew, London. How did decisions made in Westminster fuel rebellion three thousand miles away? What does an appeal to the king reveal about Britain's ambitions for its North American empire? And what do private letters tell us about a war that divided families and communities? Dan Gosling and Sean Cunningham, historians and records specialists at The National Archives, explore the American Revolution and American War of Independence through original records, revealing the conflict from the British side of the Atlantic. Explore the records featured in this episode: https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/explore-the-collection/explore-by-topic/democracy-and-protest/causes-of-the-american-revolution/ Visit our exhibition, Revolution 250: America’s Independence Story, at The National Archives until 29 November 2026: https://ontherecord-thenationalarchives.captivate.fm/nationalarchives-govuk-revolution250 Sign up to our mailer for news, events and more stories from our collections: https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/contact-us/email-updates/ Tell us what you think. Take our listener survey: https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/ontherecord/

    The American Revolution, Part 1: The Other Side of the Story

  3. Season 14 Trailer

    Trailer: The American Revolution

    The American Revolution is the origin story of the United States. But what did it look like from the British perspective? In a special two-part series of On the Record, the podcast from The National Archives, we explore the American Revolution from the British perspective, using original records held at The National Archives in Kew, London. Subscribe to On the Record and never miss an episode.

    Trailer: The American Revolution

  4. May 13

    The People's Charter

    In this episode of On the Record, we explore Chartism, Britain's first mass political movement, driven by the working classes. It emerged in response to the failure of the 1832 Reform Act to extend the right to vote beyond those who owned property. The Chartists published newspapers, organised mass rallies, and, in some cases, took up arms, becoming a driving force for reform. To guide us through this movement, we're joined by Joe Cozens, a historian at The National Archives whose work explores working-class politics.

  5. Mar 26

    The Putney Debates

    In 1647, inside St Mary's Church in Putney, army generals sat alongside ordinary soldiers to debate nothing less than the future of the nation. Should political power remain in the hands of property owners, as it always had? Or could it be a birthright - something every man possessed simply by being born? In this episode, we step into the Putney Debates, where soldiers, radicals, and reformers wrestled with bold, world shaping ideas about rights, representation, and how society should be governed. This is part two of People and Power, our miniseries exploring how people across British history have challenged authority and fought for their voices to be heard. Our guests are Dr Neil Johnston, historian at The National Archives, and Dr Erica Canela, a public historian.

  6. Mar 5

    Magna Carta

    When King John sealed Magna Carta in 1215, it was meant to end a civil war. Instead, it sparked an idea that still resonates today. In this episode, we explore two medieval documents that shaped ideas about power in society - Magna Carta and the 1265 summons list for a parliament led by the charismatic baron Simon de Montfort. This is the first instalment of our mini-series People and Power, which looks at how people have challenged authority and fought to have their voices heard in Britain. Our guests are Paul Dryburgh and Jessica Nelson, historians at The National Archives.

  7. Jan 29

    Love Letters

    Love letters might not be what you'd expect to find in a government archive, yet The National Archives holds an extraordinary collection spanning over 500 years of devotion, longing, sacrifice and passion. From heartfelt declarations to calculated proposals, intimate notes and secret exchanges, these records reveal the deeply human emotions captured in the nation's documents. As we open Love Letters, a free exhibition at our Kew site, running until 12 April 2026, showcasing correspondence from royalty, parliamentarians, relating to literary icons and to everyday people, this episode shares some of the stories behind these captivating records. Featuring specialists Sean Cunningham, Vicky Iglikowski-Broad and Mollie Clarke, we explore how these letters survived, what they reveal about relationships shaped by power, distance and circumstance. Read the full episode transcript here.

  8. 09/11/2025

    People of the railways

    The story of Britain's railways isn't just about steam engines and steel tracks—it's about the people who built them, worked on them, and sometimes fought for their rights along the way. To mark the 200th anniversary of the first modern passenger railway in 2025, this episode explores the human stories hidden within The National Archives' vast railway collections, focusing on records up to around 1950. Hosted by family history specialist Jessamy Carlson, with railway historian Mike Esbester and records specialist James Cronan, the episode uncovers tales from accident registers that capture moments of tragedy and resilience, staff magazines that connected workers across vast distances, and annotated timetables that reveal individual journeys from centuries past. Read the full episode transcript here.

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About

1,000 years of history, 1,000 years of stories to uncover. On the Record is the podcast from The National Archives, the official archive for the UK Government and for England and Wales. Join our experts and special guests as we uncover the real-life stories found in more than 11 million historical records, spanning over 1,000 years of history. Discover fascinating tales of forbidden love, spies, protest and the everyday people of the past. Follow On the Record wherever you get your podcasts and never miss an episode.

Information

  • Creator
    The National Archives
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2026
  • Episodes
    67
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © This podcast from The National Archives is Crown copyright. It is available for re-use under the terms of the Open Government License.
  • Show Website
    On the Record at The National Archives

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