Keep Calm and Drink Tea’ could probably rival ‘God Save the Queen’ as the unofficial slogan for British-ness. No other country’s national consciousness is so saturated by a single drink. Tea in Britain is not just a beverage—it’s a social experience. Our rich have tea parties, our poor have tea time and our middle-classes have […]
The role of a queen for most of English history had, up until the Tudor period, been non-existent. No queen had ruled in her own right, their role was to serve as a woman should and be subservient to their husband. When Mary ascends in 1553, a new type of monarch is forged, and a […]
The Aztec Empire was one of the most magnificent civilisations in the world, with their spectacular structures rivalling those of other great civilisations like the Greeks, Romans and Egyptians. The Aztec Empire stretched through most of Mexico and into what is now Guatemala, with its influence spreading further afield. However, the Aztec Empire was to […]
’Absolute power does not corrupt absolutely, absolute power attracts the corruptible.’ Frank Herbert The quote is from from the author of the Dune novels and perfectly describes the situation that occured at FIFA. The scandal sorrounding the international organization arose after the announcement that Russia and Qatar were hosts of the 2018 and 2022 World […]
“Whether the Belief that there are such Beings as Witches is so Essential a Part of the Catholic Faith that Obstinacy to maintain the Opposite Opinion manifestly savors of Heresy.”- Malleus Maleficarum With a decrease in loyal Christian followers across Europe, church leaders sought out way in which to re-establish church hegemony. Across early modern […]
A look at student protest throughout the ages. Dr. Max Jones is a senior lecturer in Modern History at the University of Manchester. His research and teaching focuses primarily on nineteenth- and twentieth-century British history, with particular interest, among others, in heroism, gender and masculinity; monarchy, empire and national identity; and exploration and technology. We […]
Once home to the flourishing Indus Valley Civilisation and encompassing one of the most fertile regions on Earth, Punjab in South Asia is home to over 140 million people. Punjabis also make up one of the largest ethnic groups in the world and have large diaspora communities in Britain, the USA and Canada. Punjab has […]
The entirety of humanity’s relationship with nature is not a topic which lends itself to a 450 word article, with a huge diversity in attitudes to topics like sustainability throughout human history. However, in looking back at how we have perceived nature throughout the years, we can gain insight into how we have treated nature […]
The early 1980s was a scary period to live through for American homosexual men. Homophobia and discrimination not only effected day to day life but it went hand in hand with the threat of a highly infectious and fatal disease that had no known cure. The so called ‘AIDS crisis’ of the 1980s originated, paradoxically, […]
‘Genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist’ (The Avengers, 2012) – the assured words of Tony Stark’s self-identification are comparable to the impressive historical figure of American inventor Howard Hughes. In fact, the character of Tony Stark and his father (also named Howard) have been confirmed to have been inspired by Hughes’ life and achievements. Born in 1905, […]
Following a clampdown on online abuse, two twitter ‘trolls’ who targeted a social campaigner have been jailed over their remarks. Alice Rigby explores individual protest. Jack Crutcher reviews the People’s History Museum as one of Manchester’s significant, historical gems. James Eatwell looks at student protest movements around the world in the 1960s.
As the populist left and right separated, conversations about Britain’s history of international involvement became dangerously simplistic. Amidst the ongoing culture wars, fuelled by both political division over Brexit and the populist candidates at the last general election, British people have found themselves increasingly segregated by their political opinions, creating a population that no longer […]
Zadie Smith has said that the writer’s job is not ‘to tell us how somebody felt about something, it’s to tell us how the world works.’ Her 2000 novel White Teeth takes three cultures and three families and shows us how they experience the world over three generations. Cultures, characters, and plot converge in 1990s […]
The UK’s higher education institutions play host to both UK citizens and international students. According to www.universitiesuk.ac.uk there are 165 higher education institutions in the UK, many of which are world-class universities. The wealth of resources available across the UK, the funding opportunities offered and the quality of education and intensity of courses make the […]