Before the sails of Columbus breached the horizons of the New World, there were empires—vast, mighty, and relentless in their quest for dominion. These empires, their legacies etched not merely in ancient stones but ingrained in the very fabric of modern civilisation, painted the vast stretches of the known world with the colours of their …
In the tapestry of South American history, Venezuela’s story weaves through the vivid colours of indigenous cultures, the dark hues of colonial exploitation, and the bright strands of a quest for independence. Pre-colonial era and indigenous heritage Before European feet touched Venezuela’s shores, it was a land of diverse indigenous peoples. The Arawaks, Caribs, and …
Colonisation has played a significant role in shaping the modern world as we know it. Throughout history, several countries have embarked on voyages of exploration and colonisation, each driven by distinct motivations and aspirations. Despite only representing 8 per cent of the planet’s landmass, Europeans conquered or colonised over 80 per cent of the globe …
The Eleutheran Adventurers were a group of English Puritans and religious independents who sought a place where they could freely practice their faith in the face of religious and political turmoil. This small, determined group would go on to make history as the first Europeans to establish a concerted effort to colonise the Bahamas in …
The Berlin Wall, a potent symbol of the Cold War, was a physical and ideological barrier that divided East and West Berlin from 1961 to 1989. It was not merely a wall but a comprehensive border system representing the broader divide between the communist Eastern Bloc and the capitalist West during this period. A historical …
The Berlin Blockade, lasting from June 24, 1948, to May 12, 1949, marked a critical period in the early stages of the Cold War between the United States and its Western Allies and the Soviet Union and its Eastern Bloc. This article will delve into the background that led up to the blockade, the tensions …
The Cold War was a period of intense political and military rivalry between the United States, the Soviet Union, and their respective allies from the end of World War II until the early 1990s. It was characterised by a prolonged nuclear standoff, espionage, propaganda, and fierce competition for global influence. Although a direct military conflict …
India was one of the largest and wealthiest empires in the world before the arrival of the British East India Company in the late 16th century. The East India Company used its military strength and financial resources to gradually expand its control over India, eventually colonising the entire country. This colonisation significantly impacted Indian society, …
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 under Vladimir Lenin’s leadership. This revolution ousted the Provisional Government that had been in place since February and paved the way for …
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 inhumanity in Black history. The slave trade brought vast wealth to British ports and merchants but conditions were horrific. Enslaved …
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. Â Over the decades, their targets have grown to include Native Americans, Latinos, Asian Americans, Catholics, Jews, atheists and Muslims, as well as immigrants and homosexuals. On 24 …
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 stringent restrictions on the entry of Commonwealth citizens into Britain. Only those with work permits (which were typically only for high-skilled workers, such …
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 to the replacement of an autocratic regime with a communist one, marking the birth of the Soviet Union. This article will explore the background that contributed …
‍‍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 triggered by trade disputes, as British merchants sought to smuggle Indian opium into China, despite its illegality. The resulting conflicts opened …
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 its push eastward, conquering Siberia and reaching out towards Central Asia. Over the following centuries, Russia continued to expand its influence and territory, eventually …
‍The European colonisation of Southeast Asia was a significant historical event that drastically transformed the region’s political, economic, and cultural landscape. European imperialism in Southeast Asia spanned from the 16th to the 20th centuries. It was driven by various factors, such as the desire for trade, competition for power, and the ambition to spread European …
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 Day or Freedom Day. The term Juneteenth is a combination of the words June and nineteenth. History of Juneteenth During the American Civil …
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 slaves rebelled regularly. The most well-known Jamaican slave rebellions are the 1831 Christmas rebellion, led by Samuel Sharpe and the Maroon Wars led …
The partition of India on 15 August 1947 resulted in the creation of India and Pakistan, two separate states divided along religious lines. This decision was made by the British government, which sought to withdraw from the region after centuries of colonial rule. However, the consequences of partition were dire, with widespread violence, displacement, and …
The Selma to Montgomery march was part of a series of civil rights protests that occurred in 1965 in Alabama, a Southern state with deeply entrenched racist policies. Death and discrimination Even after the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibited discrimination in voting based on race, efforts by civil rights organisations such as the Student …
Brazil, the largest country in South America, is known for its diverse culture and rich history. The nation’s development has been shaped by centuries of colonisation, imperial rule, and eventual independence. The discovery and early colonisation of Brazil The arrival of the Portuguese The modern history of Brazil began in April 1500, when a fleet …
In February 1965, civil rights campaigner Malcolm X was in Britain to speak at the London School of Economics. Avtar Singh Jouhl, general secretary of the Indian Workers Association, invited him to speak at Birmingham University and visit Smethwick, a small town in the West Midlands, UK. Smethwick was a hotbed of racial tension. Just …
On Sunday 18 January 1981 a fire broke out in a house in New Cross Road, Deptford, South East London, killing 13 young people and marking a massive change for black people in Britain. Thirteen people died in the New Cross fire and another, committed suicide 18 months later in July 1983, aged 20, having …
On 5 December 1492, European navigator Christopher Columbus came upon an island in the Caribbean that he claimed for Spain and called La Isla Española (“The Spanish Island”, later Anglicised as Hispaniola). Haiti colonised by Spain Spain colonised the island and enslaved the native Taino and Ciboney people. Forced to mine gold under brutal working …
