61 - "First Catch Us, Then Hang Us"

In this episode, we want to take a more granular look at the Guelders war by zooming in on the events as they affected one city in particular, Amsterdam, during a roughly one year period from the end of 1507 until December 1508. Mainly, we want to develop a perspective of how people who were not dukes, bishops or princesses, but rather the regular Jans and Geertjes; citizens of a small but powerful town, whose lives were greatly impacted by the actions and decisions of those above them on the social hierarchy ladder of life that existed at the time. We have been on imaginative journeys through Amsterdam before, once in the 1420s (Episode 22) and more recently (in Episode 53) as we explored the shipbuilding traditions that were, by then, well established. Well, we figured there is no harm in going back, some twenty years on from that most recent adventure, to see what has become of our caulker and how he may have experienced a tumultuous year in Amsterdam as the Guelders war suddenly erupted on the city’s doorsteps. Our account of this time is mostly based on the history of Amsterdam written by city historian Jan Wagenaar, published between 1760-67. Wagenaar was given unrestricted access to the city archives and this use of primary sources means that his account is full of the vivid details you are about to live through. So kick back, relax, and transport yourself back in time, to the early autumn of 1507… Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices