History Today

Changing views of illegitimate children raise both moral and economic issues.

The fall of man and the concept of Original Sin.

Folklore, fairies and demonic spirits in the sceptical 17th century.

We continue our series of pen-portraits of less-well-known parliamentarians with a sketch of Richard Salwey, member of the Long Parliament and commissioner for the navy.

From the Thirty Years War to the ancient civilisation of Iran, from Anglo-American rivalries in the desert to the persecution of indigenous peoples, historians select their favourite books of the past year.

On 27 November 1809, a bet between two friends brought a large part of London to a standstill.

As today, accusations of rape in 19th-century America inevitably, and repeatedly, met with harsh backlashes against the victims.

When it comes to rapid world-changing events, the Meiji Restoration has few equals.

The voice of the British monarch carried considerable weight in imperial India. Its slow silencing mirrored the retreat of Britain from the subcontinent.