As a recent Guardian editorial reminded us, Nicky Morgan, former Education Secretary (who studied at Oxford, and is now ennobled and in the House of Lords) once said this about the subject area I practice within: ‘[In the past] if you didn’t know what you wanted to do … the arts and humanities were what... Continue Reading →
Racism, feminism and the role of white privilege
This is last of the series of blogs from our students this week, inspired by the Black Lives Matters protests, and it comes from Holly, one of our History Masters post graduates. As a white female growing up in East London, the concept of multi-culturalism has always been something that has intrigued me and made me proud... Continue Reading →
‘Keep cool and you command everybody’*: reflections on history and why we are focusing on the wrong freedoms.
‘We live in societies where the positive freedom to act as we wish is perhaps our central concern. Whatever the professed fears f global warning, or the expressed sympathies with the poor and downtrodden, the willingness actively to change our way of living is the province of only a small minority. For most, the everyday... Continue Reading →
The ‘Female Blue Beard’?: Rumour and sensationalism in the case of Sarah Dazley
This week is the 175 anniversary of the execution of Sarah Dazley at Bedford Gaol, the first and only woman to be hanged in public at the prison. Sarah’s crime was the murder of her second husband (William) and the suspected killing of her previous one (Simeon Mead) and their son Jonas. Dazley may well... Continue Reading →
‘Future focused’ not stuck in the past: Study History because we don’t know what’s going to happen next
As we approach the end of another year I thought I’d reflect on what, if anything we might learn from the events of 2017. This has been (another) tumultuous annum with terrorism, the threat of nuclear war, and political turmoil at home and abroad. What I’d like to discuss though, is the value of History... Continue Reading →