Britain & Ireland

What was it about industrialisation that led to the emergence of a woman’s movement in Victorian Britain? Why do we see so many people fighting for so many rights and liberties in this period and what are the origins of some of the issues we still campaign on today? This section includes our major series on Social and Political Change in the UK from 1800 to the present day. There are also articles and podcasts on the often violent relationship between England and Ireland during this period and England’s changing relationship with Scotland and Wales. Read more

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  • English first-aid organisations and the Provisional IRA mainland bombing campaign of 1974

    Article

    Barry Doyle reveals how the devastating Provisional IRA bombing of two Birmingham public houses in 1974 led to a resurgence in first-aid training and preparation, on the scale with which we are familiar today.

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  • Rotha Lintorn-Orman: the making of a fascist leader

    Article

    Stephen M. Cullen draws out the influences and events that shaped one of Britain’s most significant fascist organisers and leaders.

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  • A revolution in warfare: the creation of the RAF

    Article

    A revolution in warfare started 100 years ago in November 1917. Paula Kitching describes the changing role of air power during the First World War that led to the creation of the RAF.

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  • Out and About: on the trail of the Pentrich Rebellion

    Article

    Richard Gaunt introduces us to a revolutionary incident in mid-Derbyshire whose 200th anniversary is commemorated this year.

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  • My Favourite History Place: Lord Street, Southport

    Article

    Trevor James introduces an international dimension to local history, revealing how a future French Emperor interpreted his affection for Southport’s Lord Street into the extensive redesign of Parisian streets.

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  • Podcast Series: The Age of Revolutions

    Multipage Article

    This podcast series was commissioned as part of the HA’s education programme on the Age of Revolutions period, funded by the Age of Revolution legacy project. They were recorded with leading academic historians and are intended to shed light on a variety of perspectives on the period. These podcasts were...

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  • A tale of two statues

    Article

    Dave Martin relates how the statue of one of our imperial ‘heroes’ prompted a campaign to have it taken down while the statue of another imperial ‘hero’ prompted a fund-raising campaign for its repair. As the tide of Empire ebbed across the globe vestiges of British rule remained, some great,...

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  • Terriers in India

    Article

    Peter Stanley is working on the largely unexplored history of the thousands of British Territorial soldiers who served in India during the First World War using their letters and diaries. He is trying to discover what happened to these men when they returned to Britain. Did their service in India...

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  • 1851 by Asa Briggs

    Article

    This classic pamphlet is being re-published in digital form to coincide with the special edition of The Historian devoted to the memory of Asa Briggs. He was one of the most illustrious members of the Historical Association and a devotedly loyal member all his life. One Historian has said that...

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  • Podcast Series: The Women's Movement

    Multipage Article

    In Part 2 of our series on Social and Political Change in the UK 1800-present we look at the Women's Movement in the UK from its early origins through to the end of the 20th century Part 2 features Dr Anne Logan, Professor June Hannam and Ms Jean Spence. Also...

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  • Podcast Series: Politics, Reform and War

    Multipage Article

    In the first part of this series we look at UK political history, political reform and the domestic impact of the World Wars. This series features Professor Eric Evans, Professor Stanley Henig, Professor Richard Grayson, Professor Keith Laybourn, Dr Daniel Todman and Dr Helen Parr. Also in the series: The Women's Movement, Religion in the...

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  • Podcast Series: Religion in the UK

    Multipage Article

    In Part 5 of our series on Social and Political Change in the UK 1800-present we look at religion in the U.K. This set of podcasts features Dr Janice Holmes of the Open University, Revd Dr Jeremy Morris, Dean, Fellow, and Director of Studies in Theology at King's College, Andrew Copson,...

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  • Admiral Lord Mountbatten: man of science and royal role model

    Article

    Mountbatten was a controversial figure who died in tragic circumstances but Adrian Smith demonstrates that, behind his aristocratic facade, he was a very adept, talented and formative personality. Four years have passed since the re-opening of Broadlands, the Hampshire home of Lord and Lady Brabourne. The house was subject to...

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  • The development of the Department of Health

    Article

    Health as a specific feature of central government strategy is a relatively recent phenomenon and Hugh Gault identifies how this feature of everyday headlines in our newspapers has been managed until the present time. At the start of the twentieth  century Lord Salisbury’s Cabinet comprised four Secretaries of State –...

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  • British organised youth and the First World War

    Article

    This posthumously published article by John Springhall was presented to us, with recommended illustrations, shortly before his death. It reflects his interest in popular culture and how people lived their lives in quite a remarkable manner. Adult-directed British uniformed youth movements played a  significant but often overlooked role during the...

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  • The Great Yarmouth Suspension Bridge Disaster of 1845

    Article

    Many communities have cataclysmic disasters which tend to dominate or define their local history. Gareth Davies reveals that the sudden collapse of the Great Yarmouth Suspension Bridge is a telling example of this trend. Beside the waters of the River Bure in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk stands a shiny black memorial...

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  • Folkestone in World War One

    Article

    Grahame Jones contributes to our determination to explore the wider involvement of the community in responding to the challenges of the Great War, in this case two inspirational women who provided refreshments for soldiers en route through Folkestone harbour. A fading Edwardian resort and handy for that trip through the...

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  • The President's Column 131

    Article

    The autumn is upon us. And Poldark is back! The images of the beautiful Cornish coast around Treen, Porthcurno, and St Michael’s Mount are welcome visitor to the screen asthe grimy nights draw in. The television series, reborn from the novels of Winston Graham, and the earlier screen adaptations of...

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  • Tank development in the First World War

    Article

    The emergence of the tank as a further weapon of war is inextricably associated with Lincoln where various early models were developed. By 1915 the Great War had gone just about as far as it could and for the first time, the way an entire war was fought was described...

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  • Social Unrest in the Isle of Man in 1916

    Article

    The Isle of Man played a remarkable role during the First World War. Over 8,000 men enlisted, which was 82.3% of the island’s men of military age. Even by the standards of the time this was high. Over 2,000 were either killed or wounded and two Victoria Crosses were awarded....

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