The Biafran Crisis: How Famine Redefined Humanitarianism   The Nigerian Civil War, 1967-1970, arose from tensions between different and diverse ethnic groups following a forced union by British colonial powers. These struggles continued post Nigerian independence, and Louisa Steijger explores…

Beyond Consent: The Inconsistencies of Rape Laws in the antebellum South The American legal system in the South before the Civil War was highly inconsistent, especially in term of rape and consent laws. Eva Beere explores these antebellum rape laws, and how Black women received less legal…

“[T]he mute body speaks by its gesture and movement”: A Classical Corporeality in Catherine de Medici’s Tears   Harry Fry contextualises Catherine de Medici's tears upon the death of her husband within early modern thinking about, and historiographical frameworks on emotion.

Heritage and Amnesia: The Overlooked Legacy of Slavery in Britain’s Country Houses Olivia Norbury uncovers the untold history of slavery in British country houses.

King Alfred’s Victorian Millenary   Fleur O'Reilly explores Alfred the Great’s legacy as a unifier and educational reformer and how his reign shaped England's identity and history.

Scotland, 1093-1097: An Aptly Tumultuous End to Eleventh-Century Scotland The tumultuous Scottish succession crisis from 1093-1097 saw multiple kings perish amid violent conflicts. Harry Child highlights how this was an apt end to the eleventh century in Scotland.

Cleaning Up Auld Reekie: Dr Henry Littlejohn and the Public Health of Edinburgh Edinburgh has historically been known as 'Auld Reekie,' owing to the fact that for most of its existence it smelled awful. Ailsa Fraser explores how Dr Henry Littlejohn, the city's first Medical Officer, helped to…

Feminist Interventions in Art from 1970 – 2010  Emily Jones charts the evolution of Feminist Art from the late 1960s, emphasising women's marginalisation in the male-dominated art world and analysing work notably by the Guerrilla Girls, Valie Export, and Martha Rosler.

Witnessing the Spanish Civil War- A Visual Archive from the Republican Side.  Arianna North Castell discusses the impact of the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) on Catalan identity and resilience through visual records, particularly photographs by Antoni Campañà. These images reveal women's…

‘Century of Humiliation’: The Opium Wars and the legacy of British imperialism in China  Edie Christian explores the historical impact of the Opium Wars and the role of the East India Company in shaping China's vulnerabilities and attitudes towards the West. The legacy of British imperialism…

‘We Are The Daughters of the Witches You Couldn’t Burn’; Modern Paganism and The Paradox of the Contemporary Witch  Daisy Gillam explores the historical and cultural transformation of what a witch is.

Art in the Harlem Renaissance and its legacy    Flora Gilchrist explores the legacy of the Harlem Renaissance through the work of African American artist Aaron Douglas and Charles Henry Alston.

‘The Last Dissenting Voice’ – how the death of Jimmy Carter caused a dark shift in American Politics Jimmy Carter, the 39th U.S. President, served from 1977 to 1981, was a vocal critic of his successors, including Donald Trump. Sam Mackenzie explores the political shift which occurred following…

Nasta Rojc: Tracing the Life of Croatia’s New Woman  Leila Hajek delves into the life and legacy of Croatian artist Nasta Rojc, who was negated from the art history canon due to her gender, sexuality and identity as Eastern European. Hajek explores her life, legacy and her significant…

The Impact of the 1979 Revolution on Iranian Women: Gains, Losses, and Contradictions The Iranian Revolution of 1979, led by Ruhollah Musavi Khomeini, drastically altered women's rights, particularly the rights of middle- and upper-class women. Yael Frankie discusses the previous regime, the…

Book Review: How Europe Underdeveloped Africa by Walter Rodney  Angelina Castrucci explores Walter Rodney’s book 'How Europe Underdeveloped Africa'.

Review of Alice Loxton’s Uproar! Satire, Scandal and Printmakers in Georgian London  Lauren Hood's review of Alice Loxton's "Uproar!" explores the impactful evolution of British satire in the 18th century, highlighting the influential careers of artists Rowlandson, Gillray, and Cruikshank amidst…

Cartucho y Las Adelitas – the Mexican Revolution through the Female Lens The women of the Mexican Revolution, often overlooked, were crucial to the war effort. Arianna North Castell reviews the book 'Cartucho' by Nellie Campobello, who was a child during the conflict. North Castell explores…

What Time is it Mr Willett? The History of British Summer Time Kate Taylor explores the origins and evolution of British Summer Time (BST).

“The American Crime”: Butchery at Wounded Knee, and the End of the Plains Nations Sam Mackenzie vividly reconstructs the tragic events of the massacre at Wounded KNee.

The Factory, the Forest, and Folklore: The Origins of Hiking as a Radical Activity Logan McKinnon explores how hiking can be understood as a radical act of reclaiming nature, fostering freedom and equality while challenging societal norms and structures.

Artichokes, Humours, and Swords: A Look at a Revealing Episode in Caravaggio’s Life Helene Chaligne examines one particularly strange moment in Caravaggio's life, in which a debate about the preparation of artichokes led to a Roman brawl.

Epilogue to a story of hubris: Italians in Adwa Emilio Luppino explores how Italy's colonial ambitions in Africa were impaired by internal divisions, diplomatic failures, and military defeat.

Wolf’s Rain: An Elegy to Lost Dreams  Peiqi An reviews the Japanese animation series Wolf's Rain.

The role of Khomeini in the 1979 Iranian Revolution  The 1979 Iranian Revolution resulted in the toppling of the Pahlavi dynasty and the creation of the Islamic Republic. Olivia Norbury acknowledges Khomeini's role in unifying the Iranian people and cementing the ideology of political Islam.…

The art of travel in medieval England – dispelling the myth around medieval travel   Travel is often viewed as a modern phenomenon. Fleur O'Reilly wishes to counter this notion by exploring the various reasons, ranging from pilgrimages to trade, as to why medieval people of all social ranks…

NAGPRA: The Success and Struggle with US Repatriation Legislation   Michaela Hamman discusses how the U.S. government has tried to return Native American human remains and cultural objects taken by museums and institutions.

Dance until you Drop; The Dancing Plague of 1518  Abbie Teal narrates how, in 1518 Strasbourg, a bizarre contagion known as the Dancing Plague caused frenzied dancing and death.

Steve Biko: The Black Consciousness Movement and its Ideological Struggle Against Apartheid  Edie Christian explores Steve Biko’s Black Consciousness Movement and its role in resisting apartheid.

The Times are Changing: Health, Productivity, and Daylight Saving Time in Britain, 1895–2025  Ailsa Fraser explores the history of Britain's Daylight Saving Time and how this reflects ongoing debates about health, productivity, and our relationship with time.

Textile Art: Decoration or Activism?   Textiles are a common art form that can evoke a range of emotions. Flora Gilchrist analyses how textiles were designed during wars and conveyed deep political meanings.

Street Rats and Symbols: The Historical Partnership Between Pigeons and Humans  As a final segment of a five part series, Ailsa Fraser analyses the age-old partnership between humans and pigeons.

Using Nick Hedges’ Photography to Challenge Narratives of Widespread British Affluence in the 1960s   Many historians deem the 1960s to be a decade of consumerism and affluence which affected the working class. Lauren Hood seeks to complicate this notion through analysing the striking photography…

The Failure of Intervention in the Bosnian War The Bosnian War (1992-1995) resulted from Yugoslavia's collapse and the wider collapse of Communism in Eastern Europe. Louisa Steijger demonstrates how intervention in the conflict from the rest of world was delayed and ineffective.

“I didn’t save mine”: A Review of The Darjeeling Limited (2007) Through a Saidist Lens Manahil Masood considers Wes Anderson's The Darjeeling Limited (2007) through the lens of Edward Said's landmark text Orientalism, to argue that the film reinforces colonial narratives surrounding India.

Eugenics and the Dangers of Simplifying Intolerance  Eugenics, coined by Francis Galton in 1883, aims to influence future generations' racial quality, intertwining with scientific racism and legislative practices such as forced sterilisation. Kate Philips evaluates how the idea of eugenic and its…

Defecting from the Soviet Union: The Story of Rudolf Nureyev’s Escape   Annika Rasmussen tells the story of ballet dancer Rudolf Nureyev’s.

The Cone-Shaped Hennin: A Small History of a Big Hat  The Hennin is a staple of children's fancy dress. Elida Lyons offers an explanation as to why this hat dominates the imagery of medieval fashion.

The Ancient Greek Guide to Creation (and a little beyond) In this fiction piece, Arianna North Castell offers a quick-witted retelling of the creation of humanity, as understood in Greek mythology.

A Trip Down Gin Lane: An Enquiry into British Boozing  Alcohol consumption is central to British national self-conception and military culture. Olivia Hiskett traces the contentious moral history of alcohol from the eighteenth century to the present.

Rethinking the Nahda: Decentring Europe in the Arab Renaissance   The Nahda, also known as the Arab Renaissance, was a set of reforms surrounding education, traditional thought and culture. Olivia Norbury explores the differing perspectives of historians on the Arab Renaissance, with many viewing…

The English Dream of Utopia  Fleur O'Reilly tracks the meanings behind the English dream of Utopia, from the Greek translation, through the sixteenth century and the Industrial Revolution.

The Court of King Henry VIII and the Importance of Dynastic Portraiture   The Tudor dynasty leveraged portraiture to assert their legitimacy and power, with images emphasizing ancestry and wealth. Emily Jones considers portraits of Henry VIII and his heirs as not only symbolising dynastic…

Executive Clemency: Evaluating the Legacy of Nixon’s Pardon  The pardoning power exercised by the US President has become a major source of controversy surrounding American executive authority. Edie Christian examines the precedent set by the pardon of Richard Nixon for the misuse of executive…

Daughter of Castile to Queen of England: A Brief Biography of Catherine of Aragon and Her Place in Tudor England  Catherine of Aragon, first wife of Henry VIII, navigated complex political alliances since childhood. Narrated by Ishaabhya Tripathi, away from merely her tumultuous marriage and lack…

The Long Telegram: George Kennan and the Birth of Containment  Eva Beere explores George Kennan’s Long Telegram and its impact on U.S. foreign policy.

Review of Voices in the Evening by Natalia Ginzburg Kate Phillips reviews Voices in the Evening by Natalia Ginzburg.

Review of Fighting Deindustrialisation: Scottish Women’s Factory Occupations, 1981-1982 by Andy Clark  Lauren Hood reviews Andy Clark's Fighting Deindustrialisation: Scottish Women's Factory Occupations, 1981-1982.

Marxist Clerics? Subversive Clerics and their Repression in Argentina Junta (1976-1983) Alexander Stroem considers the church's complex role during Argentina's dictatorship. Involving both collaboration and opposition, it simultaneously reflected significant human rights violations and the…

Rites of Passage is HERE! We are so excited that our Semester 1 24/25 print edition is available for your reading. We are deeply thankful for our collaboration with @boapublishing.bsky.social for making this edition possible! A PDF edition will also be available on our website shortly!