Civil Rights

The End of Serfdom in Britain

Henry Marsh describes how England and Scotland became the first European countries to begin freeing their serfs, towards the close of the twelfth century.

All Men are Created Equal: the American Experiment

J.R. Pole describes how the idea of equality, when applied to the new multi-racial, multi-lingual, multireligious America of vast industry and teeming cities, was destined to conflict with some of the deepest existing preconceptions about the fundamental character of American society.

Revolution in Russia

The impact of the Soviet Revolution in October 1917 has been so overwhelming that we seldom look back to the February days when the Tsar was compelled to abdicate forty-eight hours after the outbreak of disturbances, and even more seldom to the First Revolution of 1905. Yet, A.J. Halpern writes, October came as a culmination of the February crisis, and 1905 was the necessary prologue to the 1917 drama. 

Madame Jullien and the Jacobins

J.M. Thompson reveals a remarkable set of late 18th century letters, penned by an enthusiastic female supporter of the French Revolution.

The Media Made Malcolm X

Depicted as a dangerous extremist and a threat to the civil rights movement, black activist Malcolm X was as much a beneficiary of the media as he was its victim.