The “Deviant” African Genders That Colonialism Condemned
European travellers and anthropologists found that their gendered worldview didn’t easily map onto the societies they encountered.
The Global History of Labor and Race: Foundations and Key Concepts
How have workers around the world sought to change their conditions, and how have racial divisions affected their efforts?
The Unlikely Role of Kitchens in Occupied Japan
After World War II, "occupationaries" tried to spread American-style domesticity to Japanese women.
Black Conquistadors and Black Maroons
Some formerly enslaved Blacks and freedmen accompanied the Spanish invaders; others formed their own communities.
Girls and Dolls in the Roman Empire
Analyzing the dolls of elite girls shows that playthings reinforced gendered expectations but also allowed for imaginative play.
Why Suicide Was a Sin in Medieval Europe
Although there were historical and scriptural precedents for honorable suicide, Christian theology saw it much differently.
Was “Khaki Fever” a Moral Panic over Women’s Sexuality?
At the start of World War I, young working-class women swooned for men in uniform, leading middle-class women to form patrols to police public morals.
What Was the Zanj Rebellion?
A remarkable episode of Medieval Islamic history that often goes untold.
How Rock against Racism Fought the Right
A rising tide of violence and bigotry in the 1970s infected the British music scene. A group of musicians organized to resist.
Plant of the Month: Agarwood
Agarwood has long been prized for its olfactory splendor. Its essential oil is even known as liquid gold today.