A Radical Pocket Book
A miniature Emancipation Proclamation helped to recruit Black soldiers during the Civil War.
History Matters
Thoughts, opinions and commentary on all things historical.
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Life after Death in Ancient Egypt
Despite the belief of their Pharaohs, not every ancient Egyptian was convinced of the certainty of an eternal afterlife.
Pat Harrison: Roosevelt’s Southern Connection
Was Franklin D. Roosevelt ‘dealing with the devil’ in his relationships with segregationist politicians or was his ‘the art of the possible’?
Stakhanovite Shopping
Even the retail sector became part of the second Five Year Plan imposed on the Soviet Union by Stalin.
Haiti’s Black Legend: Zombies, Cannibals and Werewolves
The complexities of Haitian Vodou were misunderstood and exploited by imperialists, with tales of human sacrifices and cannibalism a backdrop to the US invasion of 1915.
All By Myself
Solitude was treated with suspicion in the Middle Ages. For most people it has only been a possibility in recent times.
The Politics of Pancakes
In England, Shrove Tuesday has not just symbolised feasting, fasting and family, but riot and rebellion, too.
The Romantic Reputation of John Keats
On his death, John Keats and his work looked sure to be forgotten. Why is his poetry now so well-loved?
The Story of Peru’s Cloud Warriors
What can be known about Peru’s pre-Incan civilisation, the Chachapoya people or ‘Warriors of the Clouds’?
Medieval Minims
The hidden meaning of a medieval pen-twister.