UK
History of William Wilberforce: Champion of British Slavery Abolition
Reading Time: 6 minutesHISTORY OF WILLIAM WILBERFORCE ne hundred ninety-three years ago today, on July 26, 1833, the Slavery Abolition Act passed its third reading in the House of Commons, ensuring the end of slavery in the British Empire. William Wilberforce had championed the cause for nearly half a century. This article, published on the anniversary of the…
Read MoreHistory of John Witherspoon: the Ordained Founding Father
Reading Time: 5 minutesHISTORY OF JOHN WITHERSPOON: THE ORDAINED FOUNDING FATHER Part of the series on America 250, the US Semiquincentennial Podcast version [In my previous article, I discussed how the American Revolution against England was driven by the Enlightenment, the Age of Reason… and Religion, the predominantly Protestant Christian faith energized by the revival of the Great Awakening.] ohn Witherspoon,…
Read MoreInterview on – That Shakespeare Life: Midsummer and St. John the Baptist Day
Reading Time: < 1 minuteINTERVIEW ON THAT SHAKESPEARE LIFE: MIDSUMMER AND ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST DAY Cassidy Cash interviewed me for her popular podcast, That Shakespeare Life, to discuss the history and traditions of Midsummer and St. John the Baptist Day, and what it would have been like to celebrate these two simultaneous holidays in Elizabethan England. We…
Read MoreHistory of Charles Dickens: 214 Years Ago
Reading Time: 5 minutesHISTORY OF CHARLES DICKENS oday marks the 214th birthdate of Charles Dickens, considered by many the greatest English writer since Shakespeare – at least he was during his lifetime in the Victorian age. He enjoyed the distinction of fame and a measure of financial success during his lifetime, starting in his 20s. Many of his…
Read MoreHistory of Middle-earth, Part 2: Tolkien’s English Inspiration
Reading Time: 5 minutesHISTORY OF MIDDLE-EARTH, PART 2: TOLKIEN’S ENGLISH INSPIRATION .R.R. Tolkien had a 35-year career at the University of Oxford, spending the last part of his time at Merton College, across the street from Magdalen College, where his friend C.S. Lewis taught. His younger brother, Hilary Tolkien, had a farm in Evesham, England, in the Cotswolds,…
Read MoreInterview on BBC: What’s the History Behind New Years Eve?
Reading Time: < 1 minuteINTERVIEW ON BBC: WHAT’S THE HISTORY BEHIND NEW YEAR’S EVE? Marianna Spring recently interviewed me on BBC Radio 5 Live for their last Politics of 2025 show, to discuss the history and traditions of New Year’s Eve in England, Scotland, and America. We covered the following topics: Why is the New Year on…
Read MoreHistory of Plough Monday: Start of the Agricultural Year
Reading Time: 2 minutesPLOUGH MONDAY: START OF THE AGRICULTURAL YEAR lough Monday signifies the traditional start of the English agricultural year, being the first Monday following the January 6th Epiphany and the attendant revelries of Twelfth Night. Like last week’s Distaff Day for women, it marked the day men returned to their regular (farm) work. How did…
Read MoreHistory of A Christmas Carol: Being a Ghost Story of Christmas
Reading Time: 6 minutesHISTORY OF A CHRISTMAS CAROL Podcast version harles Dickens’ novella A Christmas Carol was published in London on December 19, 1843. The first edition sold out by Christmas Eve. No other book or story by Dickens or anyone else (except the Bible) has been more enjoyed, referred to, criticized, or more frequently adapted to other…
Read MoreHistory of Guy Fawkes Night: How Gunpowder Mixed with Parliament
Reading Time: 3 minutesHISTORY OF GUY FAWKES NIGHT For our friends across the Pond November 5th is known as “Bonfire Night” or “Guy Fawkes Night,” and across Britain, people set off fireworks, light bonfires, and burn effigies of Guy Fawkes. Historically, Guido Fawkes was an Englishman who, in popular legend, tried to blow up the Houses of Parliament…
Read MoreHistory of Michaelmas: Who is St. Michael?
Reading Time: 8 minutesHISTORY OF MICHAELMAS September 29 is Michaelmas, meaning “Michael’s Mass” or the Feast of Saint Michael and All Angels. It’s known as the Feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael in the Roman Catholic Church or just the Feast of the Archangels in the Anglican Church. The Eastern Orthodox Church, instead, celebrates the Feast of…
Read MoreLondon Tour: London in a Day, part 6 – Food and Dining
Reading Time: 7 minutesLondon in a Day, part 6 – Food and Dining In my previous article, I talked about London shopping. But one of my favorite things about London is the food. It’s not just the abundance of international food in the city; it’s also the excellent traditional English food.
Read MoreLondon Tour: London in a Day, part 5 – Shopping
Reading Time: 6 minutesLondon Tour: London in a Day, part 5 – Shopping London is renowned worldwide for its shopping. There are all kinds of shops in all sorts of places around the city. Using our ranking system: A: must see if you have only one day in the area B: valuable to see, but might require a…
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