Sunday, March 24, 2024

UK/Irish History

Sometime before the start of the first millennium AD, the Celtic people of Western Europe took to boats and settled the two islands later known as Britain and Ireland. Since that time, the history of these two islands has been interconnected. The Irish invaded and created Scotland. The Norman British later returned the favour and launched an invasion that started centuries of fighting that lead to the political division of Ireland today.

Amidst this constant fighting, the two island have produced many of history’s biggest names: King Arthur, St. Patrick, Henry VIII, Shakespeare, Thomas Moore, Duke Wellington, Queen Victoria, Winston Churchill, and so many more.

Big Ben: The fascinating story of the creation one of Britain’s most enduring symbols

On the night of October 16, 1834 a fire tore through the Palace of Westminster destroying the houses of Parliament. Ten years later,...

Augustine of Kent

Augustine of Kent or Canterbury brought a lasting Christianity to the island of Britain. No one is exactly sure when or how Christianity first came...

“A Prophet Before Her Time:” Beatrice Potter Webb, Part 2: The Poor Law Commission...

Nineteen men and women were appointed the Royal Commission For Poor Law Reform and Relieving of Distress. Most of the appointees were social reformers,...

The Easter Rising: Irish Republican Uprising of 1916

The 1916 Easter Rising paved the way for the creation of the Irish Free State in 1922. The causes and consequences of the 1916 Easter...

Lloyd George’s “People’s Budget,” and the Parliamentary Act of 1911, Part 2

As a result, Parliament was dissolved and the General Election was set for January 1910. The Liberals, before the crisis somewhat divided, went to...

The Gunpowder Plot

In 1604 a group of conspirators tried to assassinate the King by blowing up the Houses of Parliament. When Elizabeth I of England died...

“A Party For Ordinary Blokes:” The Birth of Britain’s Labour Party, 1900-1924

One of the greatest political events of 20th-century British history was the twin rise to prominence of the Labour Party and the sudden demise...

The Conscience of His Generation: George Lansbury, Pacifism, and the 1930s

There seldom has been a more committed idealist in British politics than George Lansbury. He once wrote that he sympathized with "...those who stand...

Lloyd George’s “People’s Budget,” and the Parliamentary Act of 1911, Part 1

In December 1905, James Balfour, the Conservative prime minister (PM), suddenly resigned. (1) King Edward VII called upon Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman, the Leader of...

“What About the Rentiers?”: The Formation of the National Government (1931), Part 1

The formation of the National Government in August 1931 remains one of the more controversial issues in Labour Party and 20th Century British political...