Advertise on podcast: On the Record at The National Archives

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 discover the American Revolution through the archives.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

From Richard III's lavish wardrobe to Queen Victoria's chaotic ceremony, coronations have a rich and fascinating history. For some, a coronation is a once-in-a-lifetime public event; for the new king or queen, it is a display which can set the tone for their reign. In this episode of On the Record released to mark the coronation of King Charles III, our specialists examine records from previous coronations and explore how traditions have formed and changed through the centuries. For a transcript and information about the documents used in this episode visit our show notes: https://bit.ly/TNACoro This podcast series is part of a season of events and commemorating the coronation of King Charles III on May 6th. Find out more at nationalarchives.gov.uk/coronations

From frozen festivals to royal polar bears, from wartime recovery to medieval merchants.The River Thames has been the stage for some of Britain's most extraordinary moments. In this episode, Sarah Castagnetti explores this rich history—from the 13th-century king who kept a polar bear in the river, to a Dutch naval attack that brought war to London's doorstep, and the legendary Thames frost fairs.Three very different Thames stories, all revealing how central this river has been to London's history. Download the full episode transcript here.

In this episode, we bring you four stories that span two hundred years of British history. Two women leave their families to make a new life together in Wales in 1780, a Manchester drag ball in 1880, a secret gathering space for gay men in 1920s London, and a community archive collected by Black LGBTQ+ Londoners. For a transcript and information about the documents used in this episode visit our show notes: https://bit.ly/TNALGBTQ1 Listeners, we need your help to make this podcast better! We need to know a bit more about you and what themes you're interested in. Visit: smartsurvey.co.uk/s/ontherecord/

On Tuesday, May 8th, 1945, the Allies who had been fighting the Second World War formally accepted Germany's unconditional surrender. May 8th became known as Victory in Europe Day, or VE Day, and is still marked every year. In this episode, host Chloe Lee is joined by Will Butler, a specialist in British society during the First and Second World Wars, to explore what that first VE Day was like, from the soldiers and medics who'd been at the frontline, to the folks at home who wanted peace — and for butter to be easily available again in British towns and cities. Download the full episode transcript here.

Spy fiction has captivated our imagination for decades, but the truth behind Britain's security service is even more fascinating than the high-stakes capers of the movies. At The National Archives, we hold the real files—declassified documents that reveal the actual operations, successes, and sometimes failures of MI5 since its creation in 1909. In celebration of our new exhibition featuring these secret files and spy gadgets, this episode delves into the real world of espionage – one perhaps more intriguing than fiction. Our guests include Gill Bennett, a historian specialising in secret intelligence and former Chief Historian at the Foreign Office, and Mark Dunton, Principal Records Specialist at The National Archives. Download the full episode transcript here.

To mark Women's History Month, we take a long view of working women. Our guest host, Jessamy Carlson invites three historians to explore the lives of working women over the centuries. From the working lives of medieval women, through the story of the first Women Patrols in the Metropolitan Police, to the striking Ford factory workers in 1968, this episode examines women's jobs, their conditions, their struggles, and their resilience. Download the full episode transcript here.

The National Archives holds over 4,000 boxes of letters, papers, and artefacts from ships captured by the British between 1652 and 1815. Join us for the conclusion of our three-part series diving deep into the fascinating Prize Papers collection. In this episode, Chloe Lee takes a step back from the ship logs and scrawled letters to uncover the grand tapestry of colonialism, empire building, and trade. With insights from experts Lucas Haasis and Annika Raapke-Öberg, we explore the intricate and often surprising history of the high seas. For a transcript and information about the documents used in this episode visit our show notes: https://bit.ly/PrizP3

The National Archives holds over 4,000 boxes of letters, papers, and artefacts from ships captured by the British between 1652 and 1815. In the second episode of our three-part series on the Prize Papers collection, Oliver Finnegan explores the scientific techniques and conservation skills used to analyse these items. Guests Marc Vermeulen and Marina Casagrande discuss examining and reading letters without opening them and the discovery of a well-preserved centuries-old knitted jumper. For a transcript and information about the documents used in this episode visit our show notes: https://bit.ly/PrizP2

Across more than 4,000 boxes in The National Archives sits a significant collection of letters, papers and artifacts from ships captured by the British between 1652 and 1815. In this first episode of a three-part series, Chloe Lee meets Oliver Finnegan, a specialist in what is known as the Prize Papers collection. Oliver tells Chloe about some of the most fascinating items in the collection, providing insights into global trade, warfare, and the everyday lives of the people who lived during the Age of Sail. For a transcript and information about the documents used in this episode visit our show notes: https://bit.ly/PrizP1