Written by Jack Bennett. With the rise of neoliberal globalisation from the 1970s, national boundaries are purportedly more fluid to allow for the greater movement of people and commodities. For economic and political refugees from Central America, however, these national borders have not been nearly as fluid. Continue reading Dictatorship and Beyond: Rebellion and Refugees in Central America
Written by Jack Bennett. Humanitarian intervention has become an accepted part of international relations, with global current affairs and news headlines from the Balkans in the 1990s to the current crisis in Syria and the Middle East. The origins of humanitarianism can be traced back to the Civil War which erupted in Nigeria in the decades following decolonisation and independence. Continue reading Civil War and United States Humanitarianism in Nigeria
Written by Lewis Twiby. The League against Imperialism (LAI), which first met in Brussels in 1927, has often been overlooked in the history of internationalism and anti-colonialism – often it is regarded as a ‘failure’ or a front for the Comintern. Continue reading The League Against Imperialism: Interwar Anti-Colonial Internationalism
Written by Jack Bennett. Unprecedented unrest erupted in Boston on December 16, 1773 when the Sons of Liberty protested the increasing British taxes by disposing of 342 tea chests with a value of $1 million into the harbour. The Boston Tea Party of 1773 became a pivotal event in the history of a nation and an empire, reverberating across the globe. At the centre of these transformative changes was a humble commodity: tea. Continue reading Bitter Weed: Tea, Empire and Everyday Luxury
Written by Jack Bennett. By focusing on the emergence of communism in India, in relation to anti-colonial independence movements during the first half of the twentieth century, both indigenous and global currents are revealed which produced international conservations and deep engagement across state structure, operating in transnational networks. Continue reading Red Dawn Rising: Global Communism, Anti-Colonialism and Freedom in India
Written by Ella Raphael. Modernisation Theory refers to a model of societal transition, originally meaning the movement from a ‘traditional’ society to an ‘advanced’ society. Since the seventies it has been a topic of contentious debate. Continue reading Modernisation Theory: Challenging British Exceptionalism and the Unilinear Model
Written by Anna Nicol. On Tuesday 3 March, Dr Emile Chabal, the Director of the Centre for the Study of Modern and Contemporary History, organised a Teach-out led by Dr Julie Gibbings (University of Edinburgh) and Dr Nathaniel Morris (University College London). Focusing on Mexico, Guatemala and Nicaragua, Dr Gibbings and Dr Morris aimed to provide a short overview of indigenous participation in these revolutions over the twentieth century, highlighting various similarities and differences across borders and dissecting indigenous identity and affiliation within each. Continue reading Teach-Out Review: Indigenous Politics and Revolutionary Movements in Latin America
Written by Lewis Twiby. As part of the teach-outs currently happening in solidarity with the UCU Strike, the History Society and the African and Caribbean Society hosted a very informative talk on Edinburgh’s connection to the slave trade. Continue reading Teach-Out Review: How Slavery Changed a City: Edinburgh’s Slave History
Written by: Jamie Gemmell. Following the publication of Dr Jake Blanc’s letter to his students, Jamie Gemmell has conducted interviews with other striking lecturers to shed light on why UCU voted in favour of industrial action. Continue reading Casualisation, Contracts, and Crisis: The University in the early 21st Century
Written by Jack Bennett. The music of the 1970s reflected the extreme divisions and polarisations within Britain, revealing the intersection of popular culture, politics and economics. What emerged during this decade was a cyclical process of adoption and outpacing regarding cultural trends. Continue reading Beyond Pop: The Extremes of 1970s Britain
Written by Joshua Al-Najar. Art was a key tool for renaissance cities to disseminate ideas and fashion an identity in a pluralistic, competitive society. Scholarship has tended to focus on the programmes undertaken in republics, such as Florence and Venice – perhaps less considered is how dynastic systems were able to deploy the Renaissance’s lessons in the form of state art. One prominent example is Milan, a duchy, where humanism, classical learning and heritage guided the patronage of art to strengthen the authority of the ruling duke. Continue reading War & Peace: Art in Ducal Milan
Written by Lewis Twiby. The anonymity of big cities allows persecuted sub-cultures and identities to find room to exist. London, Berlin, and Paris are just three examples of cities with flourishing LGBTQ+ communities. In the United States, New York was one of the major sites for gay liberation. Throughout the twentieth century a flourishing and diverse LGBTQ+ community emerged where class, race, gender, and sexuality intersected, paving the way for the gay rights movement to emerge. This article aims to show a snapshot into this diverse movement over a period of a century, from around 1890 to 1990, and how LGBTQ+ culture emerged in New York. Continue reading New York and the LGBTQ+ Community over a Century
