Russia: The Soviet Union
The Soviet Union was a socialist state that spanned across Eurasia from 1922 until its dissolution in 1991. Its origins can be traced back to the 1917 October Revolution, led by the Bolshevik party …
World history: The stories that shaped us all
Step into the vast tapestry of our shared human past — a world of empires and uprisings, migrations and revolutions, innovations and injustices. Our World History category brings together diverse narratives from every corner of the globe, challenging Eurocentric timelines and spotlighting the voices too often left out of the mainstream record.
From ancient civilisations to modern movements, we explore how cultures have collided, connected, and evolved. This is a space for learning, unlearning, and rethinking the stories we've been told. Whether you're drawn to forgotten kingdoms, global revolutions, or everyday acts of resistance, you'll find a world of insight here, because history isn't just about the past; it's about how we understand ourselves today.
The Zong Massacre
In 1781 over 100 enslaved Africans were thrown overboard the Zong slave ship to allow the slave owners to collect insurance money on their human commodities. This is one of the most egregious acts of …
Birth of the Ku Klux Klan
The Ku Klux Klan (KKK) is an American white supremacist terrorist hate group founded after the American Civil War to suppress and victimise newly freed African American slaves. Over the decades, …
The Commonwealth Immigration Act 1962
On 1 July 1962, the Commonwealth Immigrants Act came into effect, ending the automatic right of people of the British Commonwealth and Colonies to settle in the United Kingdom.
The Act applied …
The life of Dido Elizabeth Belle: A story of triumph and advocacy
Dido Elizabeth Belle was a unique figure in 18th-century England, a time entrenched in the transatlantic slave trade. Born in 1761 to an enslaved woman named Maria Belle and a British naval officer, …
The Russian Revolution
The Russian Revolution, a monumental event in world history, unfolded during the early 20th century and brought significant political, social, and economic changes to Russia. This watershed moment led …
The Opium Wars
The Opium Wars, also known as the First and Second China Wars, were a series of conflicts between the British Empire and the Chinese Qing Dynasty during the 19th century. These wars were primarily …
The Russian Empire: From expansion to the demise of empire
Russia’s expansion in Asia: A prelude to conflict
The Russian Empire’s expansion in Asia began during the reign of Ivan the Terrible in the 16th century. Under his rule, Russia started …
Emmett Till – Life and death
The brutal abduction and murder of 14-year-old Emmett Till on 28 August 1955 brought nationwide attention to the racial violence and injustice prevalent in Mississippi. It also spurred the emerging …
Black and Asian Soldiers in World War One
It is often thought that World War I (WW1) was a European War fought exclusively by Europeans, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. Not often mentioned is the fact that there were …
Juneteenth – The abolition of slavery
What is Juneteenth?
Juneteenth is a holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the United States. It is observed annually on 19 June. It is also called Emancipation Day, or Juneteenth Independence …
Tacky’s Rebellion
When the English took over the colonisation of Jamaica from the Spanish, they imported thousands of Africans as slaves to work on plantations of wealthy Englishmen. Like other colonised islands, the …