English history

An Amateur Historian Helped Find Richard III's Remains Under a Parking Garage. Her Story Hits the Screen

The Plantagenet King Richard III was portrayed as a villain by the Tudor dynasty that supplanted him in 1485 (including by Shakespeare). Philippa Langley came to question his bad reputation, and began investigations that led to the discovery of his remains

Amateur History Sleuths Decode Letters from Mary Queen of Scots

57 coded letters held by the French national library were mistakenly identified as Italian. A team of codebreakers found they were the prison correspondence of the ill-fated cousin of Queen Elizabeth I. 

Exhibition: Church of England's Links to Slavery

The exhibition is an acknowledgment of the church's investments in the transatlantic slave trade, but critics argue that the church remains obligated to pay reparations. 

William Longbeard, the Unjustly Forgotten Radical of 12th Century London

by Dominic Alexander

The rebellion sparked by William Fitz Osbert, the bearded holy man of London, presaged the growing assertiveness of the rural and urban poor in English politics. 

What Explains the Enduring Fervor for Guy Fawkes Night?

British historians explain the enduring appeal of a festival commemorating a failed coup-by-explosion—a fortuitous combination of spectacle, seasonal change, and anti-catholicism. 

The Many Myths of the Term ‘Anglo-Saxon’

by Mary Rambaran-Olm and Erik Wade

References to America's "Anglo-Saxon heritage" are often racist dogwhistles, and usually fully detached from the history of the Anglo-Saxon people. 

The Push to Preserve Where Wilde Was Jailed for Being Gay

The local council in Reading has been thus far rebuffed in its efforts to purchase Reading Jail, the site of Oscar Wilde's incarceration for "gross indecency," to make it publicly accessible as a historical monument. 

The 'America First Caucus' Is Backtracking, But Its Mistaken Ideas About 'Anglo-Saxon' History Still Have Scholars Concerned

"They’re just picking up on these words and terms and phrases that have been used and misused for so long—but I do appreciate that people were really pushing back."

Poverty, Politics and Pandemic: The Plague and the English Peasant's Revolt of 1381

by Alfred Thomas and Peter Rutland

Seen in a historical context of pandemic-induced paranoia, antisemitic conspiracy, and broad-based resentment, the English rebels start to look less like the innocent victims of tyranny and more like the Trump supporters who invaded the Capitol.

The Queen's Two Bodies

by Ed Simon

Queen Elizabeth's speech to English soliders in anticipation of the Spanish invasion of 1588 rallied the troops for a battle that never happened. But it anticipated today's cultural battle over the stability of gender categories. 

If You Thought Byron Was Bad You Should Have Met His Family

The scandal-prone poet came from a family mired in cuckoldry, cowardice and killing.

Reform or Revolution: England’s Lessons of 1688 for Today and Tonight's Democratic Debate

by David Walter Leinweber

As we go forward into the holidays, and then a contentious election, the English example in 1688 continues to provide an important lesson. We can cherish our history and institutions, while still being clear-eyed about necessary changes.  

The 1969 Documentary That Tried to Humanize Queen Elizabeth II and The Royal Family

The idea was to show the royal family in their day-to-day lives. The results were mixed.

Trump and the Divine Rights of Kings

by Ed Simon

Nobody feels sorrier for themselves than a monarch who discovers that their divine right is an illusion; nobody is more liable to lash out and project the blame for their predicament.

Why the queen said yes to Boris Johnson’s request to suspend parliament

by Laura Beers

So why isn’t the Queen taking more criticism for giving Johnson what he wanted? One answer is that she had no choice.

Chocolate and the History Behind Historical Fiction

by Karen Brooks

The history of chocolate in England and how a 17th century diary and a chance encounter with public history inspired The Chocolate Maker's Wife. 

How Two Regicides Escaped to America and Became Folk Heroes

by Matthew Jenkinson

How Edward Whalley and William Goffe went from household names to forgotten historical figures. 

Is Stonehenge a Tourist Rip-Off?

by Ken West

If Stonehenge is to be restored to its rightful heritage then it must be reengaged with the River Avon and its tribal lands. Only then can we interpret the astounding achievement of these prehistoric people.   

The Declassified History of Hitler's British Traitors

by Tim Tate

For all the genuine unity and determination of the vast majority of the British population to defeat Hitler, there was also a small – but dangerous – sub-stratum which yearned for the day when his troops could goose-step down Whitehall amid an orgy of swastika flags.

Robinson Crusoe’s Wall

by Geoffrey Sill

We can look to history, especially literary and cultural history, to explain the passionate desire of many Americans to build a wall.