Why do we have statues? Remembrance of great human beings? The celebration of people who were largely good? Surely not to remember slave traders. Since the removal of slave trader and philanthropist Edward Colston, a debate has been reignited around…
Anti-racism protests, the result of the murder of George Floyd and others, have been met with a cool, even hostile response from some governments who seem unwilling to go beyond the usual platitudes. Over the last ten years or so…
Late this past June, the Princeton University Board of Trustees voted to remove Woodrow Wilson’s name from its Public Policy school. The decision makers cited this “searing moment in American History” (i.e. the fallout from the George Floyd shooting) as a wakeup call for…
The task of defending Britain’s history is a tall order, particularly when Britain’s record of slavery and colonialism gets scarce mentioning at schools. There is a vague understanding of the basics. People know the name of William Wilberforce, the man…
David Starkey is one of the most prominent historians and academics in Britain today. Specialising in Tudor history, he has published many books and hosted multiple television programmes for the BBC and Channel 4 since 1977. Recently, he has caused…
Blood, death, violence, risk: revolutions are rarely synonymous with peace. They are seen to be a matter of sharpening your pitchforks rather than sharpening your pencil. Yet non-violent political revolutions are very much a part of shaping global politics. Although…
In 1688, the immortal seven sent their invitation to William of Orange, Stadtholder of the Netherlands and son-in-law of King James II. Their purpose in doing this was to remove James II from the thrones of England, Scotland and Ireland, because he…