For students of the humanities…
If you like Shakespeare, this website is for you. The Folger Shakespeare Library has a great deal of information on the live, times, and works of the great bard from Stratford upon Avon. link to Folger Shakespeare Library
This is more of a book recommendation than a review. Daniel Defoe is one of the preeminant primary sources on the Black Death, or Black Plague. Because he lived through the plague in London, and chose to record his experiences, he has helped centuries of scholars better understand the Black Death. link to A Journal… Continue reading Book Review: A Journal of the Plague Year, by Daniel Defoe
The National Institutes of Health has an extensive library containing information about many medical topics. In one of these articles, they deal with the Black Plague as Daniel Defoe knew it. Since Defoe is generally considered to be one of the best contemporary sources on the plague (and since he is an accomplished author) this… Continue reading Article: Defoe and the Plague Year
No matter how much we love studying the past, there are times when it is a good thing that we cannot directly experience it. One such time involves London's "The Great Stink." Just like its name implies, "The Great Stink" resulted from the smell coming from the highly poluted and diseased Thames River during a particular summer. It… Continue reading Article: “The Great Stink” Engulfed London In A Cloud Of Fetid Air Back In 1858
Food is an important (and often overlooked) part of culture of any people or region. This article from Smithsonian Magazine details one woman’s quest to sample Britain’s scones. link to One Woman’s Quest to Eat 244 Scones Across U.K. Is Now Complete
There have been two Elizabethan Ages in British history. The first took place in the 16th Century, and the second ended with the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II on September 19, 2022. In this article, Sky News tries to put the most recent Elizabethan age into some kind of context as a great portion of… Continue reading Article: Queen’s own words perhaps best sum up the legacy of her Elizabethan age
Queen Elizabeth II reigned for more than 70 years until her death in 2022. This (the longest reign of any British monarch) gave artists more than enough time to depict her in a number of different ways. Some of the images are official (on things like coinage) and some are less so. Thi article from… Continue reading Article: Picturing the Queen: How artists portrayed Queen Elizabeth II through her reign
When you think of Legos shipwrecks and environmental disasters are probably not the first thing that comes to mind. However, that's what this article is about. Apparently, a shipwreck a couple of decades ago dropped 5 million Legos (amongst other things) into the sea off of the coast of England in what has come to… Continue reading Article: After 25 Years at Sea, Shipwrecked Lego Pieces Are Still Washing Ashore on Beaches in England
Did you know that humanity has lost much of our literature through history? The Lost Plays Database discusses the dramatic losses from English theater in the Renaissance (specifically 1570-1642). It's a solid research tool and a source of a lot of interesting information on the plays that have been lost from that period. link to… Continue reading Website: Lost Plays Database
Painted portraits aren't as popular as they used to be, but they can still excite interest and comments. This article from Hyperallergic discusses the controversy over a new royal portrait. link to Critics Roast Prince William and Kate Middleton’s Official Portrait
For students of culture, the online home of the Smithsonian Magazine is an incredible resource. They have searchable sections on Smart News, History, Science, Innovation, Arts & Culture, Travel, At the Smithsonian, Photos, Videos, and Games. Wherever your interests lie within the Humanities, the Smithsonian Magazine would be a good place to start your research.… Continue reading Website: Smithsonian Magazine
English Heritage is a English charity that takes care of a number of historic properties. They also have put together extensive learning resources, which can be accessed on the "Learn" section of their page. If you are interested in anything related to England or the British Isles, then I strongly suggest you check out their… Continue reading Website: English Heritage-Learn
When studying Medieval Europe, it's important to remember that, while we can make some generalizations, each region or country in Europe faced some unique challenges during this period. England in particular experienced the many things in the Middle Ages completely differently than the rest of Europe. In some ways this post is about a section… Continue reading Article: English Heritage-Early Medieval
This site has so much information, it can become a little overwhelming. In the future, I plan to highlight a few specific areas, but I didn't want to wait to share information about this resource in general. The Kahn Academy provides free courses (including some excellent videos) on a wide variety of subjects. If you're… Continue reading Website: Kahn Academy
The World History Encyclopedia purports to be the "world's most-read history encyclopedia." I don't know about that, but they have a huge number of articles about a wide variety of topics on history, culture, and art. They have been very helpful to me when researching new topics, and they are easy to search. link to… Continue reading Website: The World History Encyclopedia
Humanities Scholars 