Language
The Story of Hebrew
Professor Michael Carasik discusses how Hebrew has survived the ages as both a language, and an intrinsic part of Jewish culture. […]
History
History
The History of Spanish Gypsies—The Romani and Gitanos in Spain
The history of Spanish Gypsies is more complicated than one of traveling beggars—they were an essential part of the development of modern Spanish culture. Here is their story. […]
Ancient History
The Role of Women in Ancient Rome—Piecing Together A Historical Picture
Nearly everything we know about Roman women is filtered through the lens of how Roman men viewed them. Here’s what historians have pieced together through this one-sided account of history. […]
History
Criminal Justice in Imperial China: Sorcery in the Qing Dynasty
Halfway through China’s most powerful dynasty, the empire was rocked by accusations of sorcery. These accusations of sorcery in the Qing Dynasty involved tales of masons, monks, and others stealing human souls by cutting the hair of their victims. […]
Ancient History
The Making of Constantinople: Constantine’s “New Rome”
The Christian emperor Constantine was ever pragmatic; he could only push his pagan subjects so far. One act of his, in the end, ensured the position of Christianity: the establishment of a new capital that would be known as Constantinople. […]
History
Unpacking the “Other Europe”: 10 Reasons to Immerse Yourself in a Study of Eastern Europe
Political turmoil in the Ukraine. The struggle of nationalism in Poland. The resurgence of neo-Nazism around the world. The conflicts of Eastern Europe are all over the news today, but beyond the headlines is a long and complex series of events going back more than a hundred years. […]
American History
A Love Letter from George Washington
“I retain an unalterable affection for you, which neither time nor distance can change.” -Letter from George to Martha Washington, 1775 […]
European History
The History of France: The Road to French Absolutism
Absolutism was a system of government in which all sovereignty resided with the king, true to Louis XIV’s dictum: “I am the state.” Particularly in France and Germany, the wars of religion had seriously weakened national governments and monarchies. Nobles had regained a great deal of power, peasants were in revolt, and there was really a great need for a political rebuilding of monarchies. […]
History
Military History: The Middle East in World War II
The role of the Middle East in World War II fundamentally altered Americans’ conception of the region. For the first time, U.S. officials saw the geopolitical orientation of the Middle East as vital to American national security—a view of the region that persists to this day. […]
History
History of Latin America: The Rise of Latin American Nations
Latin America does not usually loom in world history as the source of one of the great traditions. It’s a borrower of forces and influences from other places that then merge with more local elements and traditions, but Latin America has had a varied and significant role in world history. […]