Having just finished my own MA History Degree at the University of Manchester the Historian asked me to write a short piece reflecting on the year. I thought that firstly it would be useful to outline my motivation for staying on for the year after completing my undergrad years in Manchester. Over the year I […]
This article will argue that although there were many reasons for the Iranian Revolution, the main cause was fundamentally Shi’ite religion and the rise of Ayatollah Khomeini in sustaining and succeeding with the revolution. There are other causes to consider when analysing the revolution. By the late 1970s, monarchies were fading around Europe and the […]
“Winner writes history”. This simple phrase simplifies the complex narrative of history, particularly in the context of conflict. Today, it would take only a cursory search online to find examples of ‘losers.’ Why does this age-old saying persist? As is evident by the qualifying terms of ‘winner’ and ‘loser,’ history is entirely biased no matter […]
In reading George Mosse’s historical tracing of manliness, one gets the impression of an author who appears omniscient of masculinity’s insidiousness and is also personally encumbered by the subject matter at hand. Oppressed both by totalitarianism and, as a gay man, it is no wonder that he has a keen eye for the inner workings […]
‘A bagel creation that would have my parents turning over in their graves is the oat-bran bagel with blueberries and strawberries. It’s an ill conceived bagel form if there ever was one.’ Ed Levine, New York Eats. The term ‘Americanisation’ is thrown around in historical writings like a Jewish groom during Hava Nagila. However, the […]
The people of Cuba possess a revolutionary spirit, one of passion, selflessness, tenacity, and long-suffering, unlike that of many other nations. As of 2021, it has been 10 years since Fidel Castro resigned as the leader of Cuba. If anything, Castro’s legacy is contentious because the history of Castro is ultimately the story of a […]
When Pêro Vaz de Caminha arrived in Brazil on the 22nd of April 1500 aboard Pedro Alvares Cabral’s voyage of ‘discovery’, he was awestruck. The letter he wrote to the Portuguese King Manuel I is in stark contrast to those written by other explorers of the period. Caminha admired the innocence of the natives who […]
Your family has a well-document interest and passion for history and politics, was conversation around the dinner table dominated by these topics when you were growing up? The conversation at the table was very historical, very political. My mum’s a journalist, my aunt is Margaret McMillan who’s the head of St. Anthony’s College, she’s a […]
When contemplating what alcoholic beverages are truly British, nothing springs to mind quicker than a refreshing gin and tonic. Whilst this drink has strong historical roots in the British Empire, gin has not always been Britain’s favoured tipple. Though consumed widely today throughout the UK and having associations with all things British, gin’s roots do […]
The seaboard of Southeastern American states has always been prone to dangers imposed by hurricanes. Hurricanes can form several times a year, typically originating off of the coast of Africa, in the Cape Verde area, and travelling North over the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico before hitting the United States. According to CBS News, […]
You would not expect to find those two words in the same sentence right? However, evidence has shown that the Fuhrer of the Third Reich shared the same (apparent) vision as the Al-Qaeda leader, Osama Bin Laden; a vision of a blazing New York City. According to officers in the Nazi party, Hitler had expressed […]
It’s 1758, the Duke of Bridgewater is having drainage problems with his coal mines in Worsley. The duke remains disgruntled by the inefficiency of turnpike roads, packhorse routes and the Mersey Irwell navigation to get his coal into Manchester. His response is to take inspiration from the Canal du Midi and Sankey Canal, carving an […]
First wave feminism, which was and is viewed as pivotal in the fight for women’s rights by giving around 8.4 million women the vote, only claimed the vote for two in every five women in the UK; similarly in the US, the Nineteenth Amendment of 1920 brought the vote for only white women. First wave […]
On 16 October, 1953, Fidel Castro gave an impassioned speech while on trial for his role in the Moncada Barracks attack. The speech was entitled, ‘History will absolve me.’ Having studied law at Havana University, Castro represented himself at the trial, and being a skilled propagandist, used this platform to spread his message of revolution against […]
