Julius Caesar is said to have once remarked ‘it is easier to find men who will volunteer to die, than to find those who are willing to endure pain with patience’. During its early years, the Roman Republic was forced to endure a recurring cycle of conflict, bloodshed and pain. The Romans were more than … More Rome: Origins of the Empire, Part Two
John F. Kennedy, the 35th President of the United States, is one of the most iconic political figures of 20th century history. The modern, maverick president who would change the world for the better. Young, attractive and the quintessential American – he was the American Dream. Sadly for JFK, however, he is remembered largely for … More JFK: The Dawn of the Modern Politician
On 28th January 1829, a sizeable crowd gathered in the Lawnmarket area of Edinburgh. Standing before them, one of the most infamous killers in Scottish history awaited execution. William Burke, an Irishman born in County Tyrone in 1792, was one of two boys born into a middle-class family. By all accounts, he had a comfortable … More Who Were Burke and Hare, Edinburgh’s Infamous Killer Duo?
Lying just outside of Edinburgh, the now picturesque town of North Berwick was the site of one of Scotland’s most infamous witch trials. … More The North Berwick Witch Trials
National Museums Scotland is set to lead a new research project into one of Britain’s most important archaeological sites, the Galloway Hoard. Funded through a grant by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), the three-year project will carried out in collaboration with the University of Glasgow. ‘Unwrapping the Galloway Hoard’ The Galloway Hoard is … More New Research to Unlock the Secrets of the Galloway Hoard
The arrival of Europeans in North America heralded a dark period for indigenous populations the length and breadth of the continent. Within the space of a few centuries, the patchwork of varied, independent tribal societies that littered the modern-day mainland United States was gradually destroyed; with peoples scattered and often subjected to brutal acts of … More Dreams of the Past: The Indian Barrier State
In 1937, before a shot was even fired in Europe, Imperial Japanese forces were engaged in a long, bloody conflict in China – and it is during this period that we catch a glimpse of the atrocities that would stain the 1940s. The event, or series of events, we are looking at today is the … More 83 Years On: Remembering the Nanjing Massacre
The Battle of Gettysburg epitomises the futility of war and offered people of the time a terrifying glimpse at the devastating future of conflict. It is a landmark moment not only in the American Civil War but in world history; a victory and tragedy in the same breath. Fought from the 1st of July through … More The Battle of Gettysburg: The Turning Point
On the 17th October 1346, Scottish and English forces clashed outside Durham in one of the key battles of 14th-century British history. The Battle of Neville’s Cross was a disastrous military failure for the Kingdom of Scotland which led to the capture and humiliation of King David II. Embroiled deep in the Hundred Years War, … More Defeat and Humiliation: The Battle of Neville’s Cross
Every year on the 5th November, the skies above Britain are awash with colour as thousands of fireworks let out their brief, explosive bursts of light. Bonfires burn throughout the land and Brits young and old recall the rhyme, “Remember, remember, the fifth of November, gunpowder, treason and plot“. The Gunpowder Plot reads like your … More Kings, Queens & Treacherous Schemes: The Gunpowder Plot
