The Writer Who Told 19th Century Europe What To Think of America
The French writer Chateaubriand made up or copied a great deal of what he wrote about the early United States. What he said had tremendous influence.
The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising and Jewish Identity
How do identity politics work in extremis? The resistance in the 1943 Warsaw Ghetto Uprising had to both suppress and amplify their Jewishness.
The Extremely Un-British Origins of Tea
Tea is bound up in the nation's history of colonial expansion. British tea drinkers preferred Chinese tea at first, and had to be convinced on patriotic grounds to drink tea from India.
The First Moral Panic: London, 1744
The late summer crime wave of 1744 London sparked an intense moral panic about crime that burnt itself out by the new year. But not before heads rolled.
Whatever Happened to the Samurai?
Warriors rarely give up their power, but the samurai of Japan dwindled away rapidly after the Meiji Restoration and the modernization of the country.
How Highlanders Came to Wear Kilts
Kilts are traditional garb from Scotland, right? Well, that's not quite the whole story.
How 17th Century Unmarried Women Helped Shape Capitalism
Under coverture, married English women had no rights to their property, even though unmarried women did, making for a unique system in Europe.
How a Postage Stamp May Have Helped Create the Panama Canal
The decision to build a Panama Canal came about because of two lobbyists, one of whom thought a stamp would make a telling point.
Are Reforms Part of Saudi Arabia’s PR Campaign?
In September, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia announced to the world that it would begin licensing women to drive in 2018. Is it all part of a PR campaign?
The Secret Sign Language of the Ottoman Court
Deaf servants were favored companions of the Ottoman sultan, and their facility in nonverbal communication made them indispensable to the court.