The Colonial History of the Telegraph
Gutta-percha, a natural resin, enabled European countries to communicate with their colonial outposts around the world.
Art Nouveau: Art of Darkness
First named such in Belgium, Art Nouveau was intimately tied up with that country’s brutal rule of the Congo.
Gender, Meat-Eating, and British Colonialism
As the power of the East India Company grew, British writers embraced the idea that the (alleged) passiveness of Indians was due in part to vegetarianism.
From Imperialism to Postcolonialism: Key Concepts
An introduction to the histories of imperialism and the writings of those who grappled with its oppressions and legacies in the twentieth century.
The Prince of Wales’ 1921 Trip to India Was a Royal Disaster
Prince Edward's visit began the end of the monarchy’s influence in India.
Britain’s Blueprint for Colonialism: Made in Ireland
The British Empire began developing its colonialization tactics in Ireland and Canada, before exporting them throughout the world.
How an Incan Nobleman Contested Spanish History
Felipe Guaman Poma de Ayala left behind a one-of-a-kind object that undermines the crónicas de Indias.
Woodrow Wilson and American Empire
After World War I, it looked like President Wilson's ideas about preserving democracy would mean decolonization. But the age of empires wasn't quite over.
Strawberries and British Identity Forever
Even though they occupied much of South Asia, British civil servants and their wives wanted a taste of home. Strawberries, for instance.
How Leonard Woolf Critiqued Bloomsbury from Within
A literary scholar argues that Leonard Woolf has been unfairly neglected—perhaps because his anti-imperialism implicated his friends.