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Oliver Cromwell\\u2019s Protectorate in the mid-seventeenth century lasted a mere six years and was England\\u2019s sole experiment in republican government. The historian Paul Lay tells Andrew Marr how Cromwell forged both his foreign and domestic policy according to God\\u2019s will - including waging wars in the Americas.

Protestant separatists are at the heart of Stephen Tomkins's recreation of the journey of the Mayflower, three decades before Cromwell\\u2019s rule. Escaping religious persecution, the Pilgrim Fathers built their version of a brave new world in America.

In the 400 years since the sailing of the Mayflower the USA has become a world superpower. Lindsay Newman from Chatham House looks at President Trump\\u2019s foreign policy decisions, especially in relation to Iran, and examines the political ideology that drives them.

It is 70 years since the death of George Orwell. The academic Lisa Mullen explores the contemporary relevance of his writings on political and religious ideology, republicanism and the freedom to express heretical views.

Producer: Katy Hickman