For Greco-Roman societies, marriage was not for love; rather, it was seen as a legal duty for all citizens. The idea of love and relationships began to change during the twelfth-century when the idea of ‘courtly love’ appeared for the first time in France with Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine’s ‘Court of Love’.
AUTHOR ELLIE-MAE BRITTON
Discussing the intricate history of plastic surgery, Lizzy Stott discusses its ideological and racialised aspects. Desiring to debunk the popular myth that plastic surgery originated after the First World War, this article makes for an illuminating read on the development and implications of the practise for a variety of groups.
AUTHOR LIZZY STOTT
Retelling the history of the Qing dynasty, Leon Corneille-Cowell discusses the range of factors that led to its eventual decline. This article gives an overview by detailing events such as the Taiping Rebellion while also looking at typical Qing fashion.
AUTHOR LEON CORNEILLE-COWELL
Kate Maybury discusses the mythology and local history surrounding Punkie Night. Inspired by her own links to the tradition, this article sheds a new light on the origins and stories behind Punkie Night and Halloween.
AUTHOR KATE MAYBURY
The Alexiad was written to chronicle the life and times of the Emperor Alexios I Komnenos, imperial sovereign of the Eastern Roman Empire from 1081-1118, by Anna Komnene, his first daughter, as a homage to him and also a personal account of facts she witnessed herself. What it stands out from the narrative is her unique personality and the emotion which is embedded in it.
AUTHOR JAMIE MEADE
The winner of our Halloween Writing Competition, Jack Rooney, details the tragic story of a crew tormented by disease, cannibalism, and the cold. Inspired by Dan Simmons’ novel ‘The Terror’, this article reveals the harsh historical reality of humanity’s own battle with their world.
AUTHOR JACK ROONEY
Runner up of our 2023 Halloween Writing Competition, Seren Davies-Jones outlines the Celtic influences behind the celebration of Halloween. By looking at the common human fascination with all things dark and mysterious, clear connections are drawn between Samhain and Halloween.
AUTHOR SEREN DAVIES-JONES
Delving into the interlinking presidencies of Kennedy, Johnson and Nixon, Sam Chapman presents a fascinating element of 1960s and 1970s American political history. Focusing on how Johnson and Nixon differently revelled in becoming Kennedy’s successor, this article uniquely looks at how this ultimately contributed to both of their downfalls.
AUTHOR SAM CHAPMAN
To commemorate the Remembrance Day on the last 11th November (also known as Poppy Day), Joe Langham built an special and very personal account around a casualty of war happened during the WWII in the fight against Germany, the fate of the Lancaster W4240 and its crew.
AUTHOR: JOE LANGHAM
The nature of the causes of World War I have often been debated among historians. Steph Pook adds to the argument with her unique and fresh essay analysing the paradoxical and entangled origins of the war.
AUTHOR STEPH POOK
When we think about the disease of leprosy, this conjures up in the popular imaginary images of groups of wandering and forcibly isolated people; nameless faces horribly scarred, targeted often with prejudice by society. But, what is (and was) leprosy in fact? And how did late medieval people understand it? Find out more about the medical and religious ideas from were these understandings drawn in this very interesting and thought-provoking article.
AUTHOR: SACHA BROZEL
Lauren Cheetham-Birmingham explores the interesting development of hospital medicine in Paris during the 19th century.
AUTHOR: LAUREN CHEETENHAM-BIRMINGHAM
The Uyghurs are predominantly Muslim and have been for at least several hundred years, with a rich and complex cultural history, stretching back millennia. Archaeological sites in Xinjiang showed that many in the past adhered to Buddhist beliefs.
AUTHOR ABIGAIL MANGION
In our latest article Katie Wilkinson and Ariane S. Palmas review the new festive exhibition at Fairfax House, a Georgian town house, with influences of neo-classical architecture in its standing building.
AUTHORS: KATIE WILKINSON AND ARIANE S. PALMAS
Located in the heart of Suffolk, Beoderic’s Worth (later known as Bury St Edmunds) has a rich, complex history ranging from saints to rebellions to legends.
AUTHOR EMMA LE POIDEVIN
An exciting review of the life and relevant work of one of the most mysterious figures of the Italian Renaissance, Italian humanist and librarian Vespasiano Da Bisticci.
AUTHOR EMMA LE POIDEVIN
How we see The Wars of the Roses is overwhelmingly masculine. From militant Kings and backstabbing nobles to she-wolf Queens demonised for presenting attributes equal to men, its male influence is almost inescapable. This article will try to rectify, exploring the tumultuous life of Anne Neville: Princess of Wales, Duchess of Gloucester, and Queen of England.
AUTHOR KATIE WILKINSON
Stephanie Wilson analyses how Japan utilises the Olympic Games for political means
AUTHOR: STEPHANIE WILSON
A glimpse into the old days of York, serving as a centre of Roman power.
AUTHOR: FIN BOSWORTH
The pill is often considered to have had a pivotal influence on the lives of women and the expansion of women’s rights, however contemporary feminist literature sought to counter this point of view
AUTHOR: ANNIE FINEGAN
Mary Taylor Lewis walks us through speeches made by the winner and shortlist of the 2020 Wolfson History prize, from the York Festival of Ideas
AUTHOR: MARY TAYLOR LEWIS
An exploration into how the holy man is they key to understanding late antique religion
AUTHOR: HOLLY PALMER
As we enter into the new year of 2021, we take a look at some of the historical anniversaries we saw in 2020, from literature to international legislation
AUTHOR: VARIOUS
Charlotte Small explores the often overlooked story of the Black Tudors through an analysis of John Blanke, a Black Tudor Musician.
AUTHOR: CHARLOTTE SMALL
Destruction! Dystopia! Deplorable? These are some of the many phrases we could choose to describe Peter Harness’ The War of the Worlds – a three-episode BBC adaptation of H.G. Wells’ 1898 novel. With… Continue reading
Military history has traditionally, and continues to, have something of a poor reputation in academic circles. It seems beyond dispute that the field is the subject of much sneering at the intellectually lightweight… Continue reading
Image Credit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_sLZBWcPklk @ 01:06, UK Parliament Today, out of the 92 hereditary peers currently sitting in the House of Lords, none are women. The House of Lords is a pivotal institution of… Continue reading
‘Battle of Poltava’, Pierre-Denis Martin, 1726, oil on canvas (size unknown) Charles XII of Sweden, who pulled the country into the disastrous Great Northern War at the age of only eighteen, is the… Continue reading
In a thrilling review, Sophie Turbutt explores changes in Spain’s historical memory through analysis of Netflix’s Cable Girls
AUTHOR: SOPHIE TURBUTT
In anticipation for the upcoming 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, Stephanie Wilson analyses how Japan utilises the Olympic Games for political means
AUTHOR: STEPHANIE WILSON
A brief introduction to the History of Emotions
AUTHOR: LIAM GREENACRE
An insightful examination of the multifaceted role of narration in history.
AUTHOR: VERA RATNIKOVA
A review of the recent British Library exhibition: Anglo-Saxon Kingdoms: Art, Word, War. AUTHOR: LIAM GREENACRE
To mark LGBT History Month, Alice Van-Cliff explores the symbolism of art produced in response to the AIDS crisis in the 1980s.
AUTHOR: ALICE VAN-CLIFF
An insightful discussion on the Watergate Crisis in light of the on-going investigation surrounding the Trump administration.
AUTHOR: JAN SZTANKA-TOTH
Our latest article investigates George Orwell’s ‘The Road to Wigan Pier’ and what it can tell historians about perceptions of the North in 1930s Britain.
AUTHOR: GEORGIA OWEN
A review of Timothy Snyder’s ‘Bloodlands’.
AUTHOR: MÅNS AHLSTEDT ÅBERG
On the 100th anniversary of Polish independence, Jan Sztanka-Toth explores the nation’s past, and how it is commemorated in contemporary society.
AUTHOR: JAN SZTANKA-TOTH
This article deals with the changing state of American foreign policy and Cold War politics during the Vietnam War.
AUTHOR: KATE MESHER
Very little is known about St Edmund’s life. Our latest article explores his legacy, and how his image has been shaped and changed to serve different purposes throughout history.
AUTHOR: LIAM GREENACRE
In our latest article, Liam Greenacre explores King Theodoric’s attempts to manage and shape Gothic and Roman identities in sixth-century Italy. AUTHOR: LIAM GREENACRE
A thought-provoking evaluation of the historian’s role in contemporary debates around statue destruction.
AUTHOR: JACK HARVEY
In 1681, a fictional Popish Plot went too far. Perhaps ‘alternative facts’ are not unique to the twenty-first century…
AUTHOR: SOPHIE TURBUTT
How far an American Identity had developed by 1776 is widely debated among historians. This article considers some of the facets of identity and assesses how far a uniquely American one had developed by the outbreak of the War of Independence.
AUTHOR: VICTORIA BETTNEY
This article considers the development of anti-Irish sentiment in modern Britain, using a range of evidence to show the changes and continuities in the depiction of the Irish.
AUTHOR: ENYA HOLLAND
A review of A Million Years in a Day: A Curious History of Daily Life from the Stone Age to the Phone Age (2015), by Greg Jenner.
AUTHOR: VICTORIA BETTNEY
Usually when we think of York, we think of the Vikings. Why has York’s Anglo Saxon history been overlooked?
AUTHOR: ELSA ROBINSON
In our latest article, Victoria Bettney reviews the Smithsonian Institute, an institute which aims to share knowledge with the anyone interested in its contents.
AUTHOR: VICTORIA BETTNEY
What is the purpose of history? The works of divisive theorist Hayden White tackle this most controversial dilemma.
AUTHOR: LIAM GREENACRE
The meanings expressed in, and drawn from, memorials are contested by historians. What can York’s First World War memorials offer to the debate?
AUTHOR: SOPHIE TURBUTT
