When Societies Put Animals on Trial
Animal trials were of two kinds: (1) secular suits against individual creatures; and (2) ecclesiastic cases against groups of vermin.
How European Empires Helped Shape the Hajj
Despite the Hajj's celebration of ascetic faith and brotherhood, there has always been plenty of profit made off the pilgrims traveling to Mecca.
The Turkish Origins of the “Deep State”
The "deep state" idea of a shadowy parallel government, heard much in the news now, seems to be a concept borrowed from the Turkish experience.
The Curious Character Who First Called For a General Strike
The idea of a general strike is to shut down all but essential services in a city, region, or nation. America has had its share. A Briton invented the idea.
Why Do We Take Pride in Working for a Paycheck?
In the modern imagination, work is a source of pride, but early labor unions regarded hourly toil in industry as "wage slavery."
In Memoriam: Elizabeth L. Eisenstein
Elizabeth L. Eisenstein, who passed away this year at the age of 92, played a significant role in shaping our understanding of the print revolution.
MacArthur Foundation Winners’ Work at JSTOR
Articles by three of this year's MacArthur Foundation Fellows.
F is for Falconry
Since so few do falconry in the U.S. today, and hawking hasn't made it to the wide world of TV sports, some background is probably in order here.