Indholdsfortegnelse for No. 127 i All About History

Inside History ALL ABOUT THE BRITISH EMPIRE When Queen Victoria passed away on 22 January 1901, the outpouring of grief was tremendous. She had reigned for 63 years and at that time was the longest-ruling British monarch. The impact of the queen's death was felt not just in Britain but across the British Empire. In Imperial India, the thenviceroy, Lord George Nathaniel Curzon, declared that a vast monument to the late queen would be built, known as the Victoria Memorial Hall. This structure was designed by the celebrated architect William Emerson, also known for All Saints Cathedral in Allahabad. Curzon instructed Emerson that the memorial should be suitably “stately, spacious, monumental and grand”. However, his plans went far beyond a mere monument to the late queen and he also stated that…

Hall of Fame ALL ABOUT THE BRITISH EMPIRE Nanny of the Maroons Ghanaian, c.1686 – c.1733 Nanny of the Maroons is believed to have originally come from the Gold Coast (now Ghana) and was possibly taken to Jamaica as a slave. She led a group of formerly enslaved people – the Windward Maroons who had sought refuge in the Jamaican mountains – in a guerilla war against the British. Her tactical prowess meant the British eventually had to sign a peace treaty with the Maroons as they couldn't defeat them. GEORGIOS GRIVAS CYPRIOT, 1897 – 1974 Though he failed in his ultimate aim to form a union between Cyprus and Greece, Georgios Grivas’ resistance against British colonial authorities resulted in Cypriot independence. After World War II, Grivas formed EOKA (National Organization…

The woman who became Catherine II, the Great, Empress of all the Russias, from 1762 to 1796, was born Sophie Frederica Auguste in the Baltic port of Stettin in Pomerania (now Szczecin in Poland) on 21 April (in the Julian calendar) 1729. She was the first child of 39-year-old Prince Christian August of Anhalt-Zerbst and his 17-year-old wife, Princess Johanna Elizabeth of HolsteinGottorp. Anhalt-Zerbst and HolsteinGottorp were two of the 300 or so tiny sovereign states, or principalities, of which the area roughly covered by present-day Germany consisted in the 18th century. Among the noble families of these endlessly subdividing states, referred to by Russian historian VO Klyuchevsky as an “ancient feudal anthill”, everyone seemed related to everyone else. Even the occupant of the Russian throne, Empress Elizabeth, was a…

Bar Confederation (1768-72) Set up by Polish nobles to defend the sovereignty of Poland from Russian rule, the Bar Confederation formed after Russia blocked state reforms in the country. A series of uprisings followed, turning into a civil war and ultimately the First Partition of Poland. Moscow Plague Riot (1771) After plague spread among troops fighting for Russia against the Ottoman Empire in Moldova, it reached Moscow around February 1771, with c.100,000 people perishing. The city was quarantined, trapping the poor but with rich nobles escaping, leading to riots by those left behind. Pugachev's Rebellion (1773-75) Discontent among serfs over rising taxes and Catherine's rule was consolidated around a rumour that Peter III lived and was primed to reclaim the throne, emancipating the serfs in turn. In fact ‘Peter’ was…

As with other gangs, legends of the Whyos’ ferocity were perpetuated by Herbert Asbury in his 1928 book The Gangs of New York. One member of the gang, known as Piker Ryan, became infamous after he purportedly listed the prices he would charge for certain hit jobs. These ranged from punching a man for $2 to shooting them in the leg for $25. One of the most notorious was his offer to chew off a man's ear for $15. Ryan was said to have kept a list of the various attacks he had undertaken. However, as with a number of his claims, questions have been raised about Asbury's stories of Piker Ryan. For example, he includes what he claims is a picture of the notorious criminal – in fact it's…

While zoos and menageries have long been a place where people have been able to view and study the animal kingdom, some European zoos in the 19th and 20th centuries took these ideas to an inhumane level. The ‘human zoo’ became a popular attraction for people to come and view individuals from elsewhere in the world, primarily Africa and Asia. These poor people were taken from their homes and transported across the globe to be placed in ethnological exhibitions where they were displayed to crowds and kept captive in manufactured surroundings that were said to mimic their authentic living situations. The narrative of these indigenous people as ‘savages’ was perpetuated in these settings, and they were seen as comparable to the animals kept in similar enclosures. The exhibitions held at…

INTERVIEW WITH DR GRACE MALLON Grace is a junior research fellow at Oxford University's Rothermere American Institute. Her research focuses on law, politics and government in the American founding era. Her writing has appeared in The Washington Post, Reviews in History, and Publius: The Journal of Federalism. Politicians in any era of history often attract controversy, or even scandal, polarising the views of those around them. Alexander Hamilton was no exception; a man whose character, behaviour and policies created deep division. It is easy for his flawed personality and impetuous nature to create an image of colourful dramatic folklore. And yet, although never centre stage, alone in the presidential spotlight, the brilliance of his work behind the scenes, his vision and forethought for his infant nation, created structures and practices…

Author: Eleanor Janega Publisher: Norton Price: £22 Released: 3 March 2023 When we think of medieval women, our thoughts tend to drift towards the women we can put a name to. Figures like Eleanor of Aquitaine and Joan of Arc are known to us because of their subversive attitudes and the mark they made on history. But what was life like for ordinary medieval women? How were they expected to act and behave and how were they treated? In The Once and Future Sex: Going Medieval on Women's Roles in Society, Dr Eleanor Janega delves into medieval perspectives on womanhood to understand the ideals of femininity from the past all the way to the present day. In this entertaining and revealing book, Janega examines sources written by both men and…

Anatomy JACKET The first sepoy regiments were formed in the East India Company (EIC) by Robert Clive. He purportedly gave them standard uniforms to wear, though other sources state that they originally wore more indigenous clothing. The jackets were the same vibrant red as those worn by other EIC soldiers. However the collar, cuffs and lapels differed in colours to those worn by their British counterparts. SEPOY'S IN THE EIC ARMY Sepoys were Indian soldiers recruited and trained in the European fashion in the service of the EIC. They were an important part of the EIC's formidable army, which at one point was double the size of the British Army and numbered some 275,000 men. However, unlike their British counterparts sepoys were not permitted to become officers. In 1857 a…

Q&A ALL ABOUT THE BRITISH EMPIRE How did the British Empire first become involved in slavery? First, it's important to remember that the slave trade was a part of a much larger political and economic system that relied on the mass enslavement of African labourers. Second, when Britain first became involved in the transatlantic slave trade, the British Empire did not yet exist. England and Wales united with Scotland in 1707 to form the new polity of Great Britain and subsequently Ireland in 1800-01 to form the United Kingdom. So, the British Empire did not become involved with slavery, it was made during an era when plantation slavery and the transatlantic slave trade were hugely profitable. In the 16th century, English privateers captured ships carrying enslaved people and precious metals sent…

Clearly not waiting for history to make up its mind about her reign or legacy, Catherine II took it upon herself to craft an epitaph in 1778, nearly 20 years before her death. This epitaph on herself was modelled on the one written for her greyhound Sir Tom Anderson and reads as follows: “Here lies Catherine the Second, born in Stettin on 21st April [2nd May] 1729. She came to Russia in 1744 to marry Peter III. At the age of fourteen she formed the threefold project of pleasing her husband, Elizabeth and the nation. She neglected nothing to succeed in this. Eighteen years of boredom and solitude made her read plenty of books. Arrived on the throne of Russia, she desired its good and sought to procure for her…

EXPERT BIO WILBUR MILLER Wilbur Miller is an emeritus professor at Stony Brook University, New York. He is the editor of the fivevolume encyclopaedia The Social History of Crime and Punishment in America (2012) and the author of Cops and Bobbies (1977), Revenuers and Moonshiners (1991) and A History of Private Policing in the United States (2019). New York. From Brooklyn to the Bronx, the great city is a hive of culture and considered by many to be the very heart of America itself. However, in the 19th century it was a different world to the bustling metropolis we know today. In that century, one area in particular known as the Five Points in Lower Manhattan had a reputation as a poverty-stricken nightmare of vice and criminality. European immigrants who…

To mark this year's Women's History Month, we gathered a panel of incredible historians to tell us about the women from the past famous monarchs to nearly anonymous pioneers, we received some fantastic responses, which we're delighted to share with you here. ANNE BOLEYN Anne Boleyn may seem an unusual history hero given her bad press. But in researching my corrective biography, Anne Boleyn: 500 Years of Lies, I discovered that not only did Anne fight corruption within the church, opposing the sale of fake holy relics, she also used her position of power to offer amnesty to religious refugees. She funded student scholarships at her own grammar school and had her ladies make smocks for the poor. But it was when Anne lobbied for a poor law that would see…

PATRICE DE MACMAHON A distinguished French marshal of Irish descent, MacMahon was handed control of French forces by Napoleon III but had to relinquish control himself when he was injured during this battle. With the Second Empire ending he served as chief of state of France for the new Republic from 1873 to 1875 and then as president of France from 1875 to 1879. NAPOLEON III While Napoleon had stepped away from control of the armed forces earlier in the Franco-Prussian War, he still accompanied MacMahon to lift the siege of Metz prior to this battle. Napoleon III's capture at Sedan effectively ended his reign and the Second French Empire. On his death bed his last words were reported as: “Isn't it true that we weren't cowards at Sedan?”…

1775-83 REVOLUTIONARY WAR Determined to play as full a part as he could, Hamilton saw action a number of times, in particular the Battle of Princeton in 1777 as well as the Battle of Yorktown in 1781. As a lieutenant colonel he was aide to General George Washington, which began a long and sometimes fraught relationship. The American victory would see Hamilton become one of the Founding Fathers of the newly independent United States and a major contributor to the writing of the US Constitution. He was a great patriot but had practical views as to a future relationship with Britain. 1789-95 MONEY, MONEY, MONEY As secretary of the treasury under Washington, Hamilton's vision was of a strong and centralised government, with a centralised bank. He set about debating and…

Author: Charlie Taverner Publisher: Oxford University Press Price: £30 Released: Out now Today, any visitor to London with a few pounds in their pocket and an empty belly is spoiled for choice by the array of quick and easy street food. But what are the origins of this phenomenon? In Street Food author Charlie Taverner shines a light on the street hawkers of London's past who provided much-needed nourishment to the city's inhabitants. Yet their story has, for the most part, gone untold. These street hawkers sold a wide variety of items such as oysters, cherries, pies and milk for 300 years. One particular fact of interest is Taverner's suggestion that they were integral in providing the city's in habitants with nutrient-rich foods, notably fruit. One source Taverner quotes observes…

ALL ABOUT THE BRITISH EMPIRE 1663 ROYAL APPROVAL GRANTED FOR BRITAIN TO BEGIN TRADING IN SLAVES A royal charter is granted to the Company of Royal Adventurers of England Trading into Africa. Issued by Charles II, this is the moment when the transatlantic slave trade formally begins. Around 630,000 Africans are forced into slavery between this year and 1700. 1775 AMERICAN REVOLUTION BEGINS Following years of unrest the American Revolution begins with the battles of Lexington and Concord. Seven years of fighting follow, with a major American victory occurring at the Battle of Yorktown in 1781. Two years later, the Treaty of Paris ends the conflict. As disease was responsible for a high number of battlefield deaths, eorge Washington ordered smallpox inoculations for his troops. JOHN HAWKINS AND THE SLAVE TRADE…

Places to Explore ALL ABOUT THE BRITISH EMPIRE 1 PORT ARTHUR TASMANIA, AUSTRALIA During the heyday of the British Empire, Australia was a notorious penal colony. Between 1788 and 1868 more than 162,000 people convicted of a variety of crimes were sentenced to transportation to be used as slave labour. From 1833 to 1877 many of them would have been sent to Port Arthur in Tasmania. This was an infamous and cruel prison complex where inmates were put to work in the production of ships, steel, bricks and a variety of other items. Visitors can participate in a variety of tours, including an ‘escape from Port Arthur’ tour (which details some of the escape attempts made by various inmates) and a ghost walk. Off the shore of Port Arthur is ‘Isle…

Peter the Great Reign: 1682 – 1725 Catherine picked up the legacy of reform that Peter started after he gained sole control of the Russian Empire. In desperate need of modernisation, he led the charge of westernising Russia's civil service and economy. This brought in more money, which also helped to fund his military campaigns. Frederick the Great of Prussia Reign: 1740-86 One of the great advocates of Enlightened Absolutism and the idea that monarchs ruled not through divine right but a social contract of betterment for their people, Frederick II wrote an essay defending the concept. He greatly expanded Prussia's borders while also investing heavily in the arts and education. Maria Theresa Reign: 1743-80 The Queen of Bohemia who also served as Holy Roman Empress to her husband Francis I, Maria Theresa…

Between 11-14 July 1863, angry New Yorkers took to the streets to oppose the Civil War draft. As the bloody conflict between the North and the South raged on, New Yorkers’ faced new strict laws in the effort to find men to join the fight. However, affluent draftees could, for the princely sum of $300, avoid being conscripted. This caused widespread discontent among the working population. For many, $300 was an entire year's wages and they were angered by the blatant inequality. Black people became the target of much of the violence. President Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation in September 1862 had caused anger in New York, where some did not wish to see slavery abolished but wanted to preserve the Union. Many who were against the war feared that emancipation…

We're delighted to be giving away over £900-worth of history books to mark Women's History Month this issue. From ancient queens to modern artists, there's a wide range of topics covered and some historical fiction to enjoy too. We're only sorry we can't offer you a bookshelf to go with them all! The list of over 50 books is too numerous to include, but we thank Thames & Hudson, Penguin Books, Verso Books, Osprey Publishing, Hodder & Stoughton, Head Of Zeus, The History Press, Unicorn Publishing, Orion Books, NYU Press, British Library Publishing and Yale University Press for their generous contributions. The full list of titles is available on the competition entry site. Head to bit.ly/WHMcomp to enter and answer the following question: Who wrote Jane Eyre? Competition closes 22…

FREDERICK III Friedrich Wilhelm was in charge of the Third Army and achieved successes in the Franco-Prussian War at Wissembourg and Wörth prior to the victory at Sedan for the North German Confederation. He would continue on to Paris and was made field marshal. When his father William I was made emperor in 1871, he became heir apparent and then Frederick III from 1888. HELMUTH VON MOLTKE THE ELDER Moltke was in charge of the Prussian forces through the Franco-Prussian War and had led the Third and Fourth armies at the Battle of Beaumont on 30 August 1870. He was renowned for his innovative tactics, being among the early adopters of railways for military purposes. Following the war he was made a count and served in the federal parliament. ALBERT…

1796 – 1804 THE SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP IS BORN EARLY Hamilton had proposed the president and elected representatives should hold office for life unless found to act improperly or illegally. This prompted criticism that he wanted a kind of monarchy and that his affiliations were too close to Britain. He certainly saw Britain as a major trading partner, and as president he may have furthered this relationship. This would've avoided support for Britain's adversaries, especially the French, and averted any direct conflict that led to the War of 1812. 1796 TO?? RUN, RUN, RUN With no official restrictions at this time to the number of terms a president could serve, and given his political passion and self-belief, had Hamilton become president he would have stayed in office for as long as…

Book Film TV Podcast Games Other Reviews by Martyn Conterio, Emily Staniforth, Callum McKelvie, Catherine Curzon Out now! Operation Market Garden The final years of World War II saw the Allies win epic battles, but also brought memorable defeats. One such failure was the allied attack on the bridges leading over the Rhine into Germany. This bookazine explores Operation Market Garden and the Battle of Arnhem in fine detail. Using stunning photography and unforgettable accounts, this Allied operation is brought to life. Buy Operation Market Garden in shops or online at magazinesdirect.com Price: £13.99 Out now! RECOMMENDS… Spying On The Reich Author RT Howard Price £25 Publisher Oxford University Press As its name suggests, Spying on The Reich looks at the role various intelligence agencies played in monitoring Nazi Germany in…

Author: Multiple authors, foreword by Andrey Kurkov Publisher: Thames & Hudson Price: £25 Released: Out now “A valuable reminder of the threat posed to Ukraine, its people and its heritage” This book is a stunning showcase of the cultural treasures of Ukraine, whether architectural, decorative or everything in between. It encompasses a range of items and buildings including everything from simple wooden churches to modern municipal buildings, and historical city seals to state-of-the art video installations. It could not come at a more important moment for Ukraine and is a rich, rewarding and ultimately moving celebration of the country's long history, told through treasures from the humble to the opulent. Treasures of Ukraine is divided into chronological chapters, beginning with the earliest prehistory and guiding readers all the way to…