Tag: Early Modern History
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Princess on the Streets: How Catherine of Aragon Came to Live on the Strand
Following the sudden death of her first husband, Catherine of Aragon found herself thrust into poverty and turmoil regarding her consequent betrothal. Marnie Camping-Harris discusses the turbulent formative years of the future Queen of England.
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The Mona Lisa of the North: The Girl with a Pearl Earring
Johannes Vermeer’s “Girl with a Pearl Earring” has captivated and confounded audiences since the mid-seventeenth century. Dalma Roman inspects the various meanings that have been attached to the painting over the centuries in an attempt to better understand its historical origins.
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Early Modern Witches: Old and Female?
In today’s cultural lexicon, the word ‘witch’ is largely associated with the image of an elderly woman. But does this image reflect the real people who were tried as witches during the early modern period? Seth Silverberg delves into the historical record to challenge our assumptions and find out.
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Skeletons in Westminster: Is it Time to Solve the Mystery of the Princes in the Tower?
The identity of the “Princes of the Tower” has remained a mystery since their sudden disappearance in 1483. Naomi Wallace and Marnie Camping-Harris discuss the prevailing theories regarding their fate, and the debates which continue to preclude examination of their remains.
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Tudor True Crime: The Bizarre Death of Amy Dudley
On 8 September 1560, the body of Amy Dudley, the first wife of Robert Dudley, was discovered at the foot of a staircase. Naomi Wallace examines the scandal and suspicion surrounding her tragic demise.
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The Pendle Witches: How a Nine-Year-Old Girl Sentenced Her Family to Death
On 18 August 1621, nine-year Jennet Device testified against her family during the notorious Pendle witch trials. Marnie Camping-Harris examines how the young girl came to be a key witness in a case which resulted in the execution of her closest relatives.
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Review: Freedom Seekers: Escaping from Slavery in Restoration London, Simon Newman (2022)
Written by Boryana Ivanova. Simon Newman’s 2022 text examines racial slavery in Early Modern London by reconstructing the lives of individuals who fled from their enslavement and sheds light on the freedom-seeking Black community of England.
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An Analysis of Michel de Montaigne’s ‘On the Cannibals’
Written by Megan Sickmueller. The life and works of Michel de Montaigne are largely remembered for his ‘Essays,’ popularising the literary genre and asserting his own scepticism in the process. Megan Sickmueller discusses one of his more controversial essays – ‘On the Cannibals’ in this article.
Retrospect Journal 