Originally published on February 13, 2023 (Episode 303)
Introduction
On a cold January night in 1897, an Episcopal church in Philadelphia staged a ceremony that seemed curiously out of place and time. In the Church of the Evangelists—just a short walk from Independence Hall—clerics unveiled a life-size painting of Charles I, King of England—and, in their eyes, saint and martyr as well. Bishop William Stevens Perry of Iowa then proclaimed that Charles I, far from being a tyrant, had laid the foundations of American political liberty.
This striking scene opens Michael Connolly’s Jacobitism in Britain and the United States, 1880–1910 (McGill-Queen's University Press, 2023), a study of how Anglo-American monarchists reimagined the Stuart legacy. For some British and Americans at the turn of the 20th century, Jacobitism became a way to critique modern politics and to revive older ideals of loyalty, order, and legitimacy. Our conversation explores how these unlikely monarchists sought meaning in the past, and why their vision resonated across the Atlantic.
About the Guest
Michael Connolly is Professor of History at Purdue University Northwest. A specialist in American political culture, this is his third appearance on the podcast.
For Further Investigation
Michael Connolly, Jacobitism in Britain and the United States, 1880–1910 (McGill-Queen's University Press, 2023)
Related Episodes
Episode 2: Michael Connolly on American presidents
Episode 60: Michael Connolly returns to discuss presidential leadership
On the execution of Charles I and the escape of two regicides to Connecticut
💬 Listen & Discuss
What explains the late nineteenth-century fascination with Charles I and Jacobitism? Was this nostalgia, serious political critique, or something else? Share your thoughts in the comments—and consider forwarding this episode to someone intrigued by Anglo-American intellectual history.
