Category: BAME History

18th Century, BAME History, History

How the Emergence of Capitalism in the Early Modern Period Fuelled the African Slave Trade as Britain Became an Industrial Nation

This paper was written at the end of my first semester at university in 2010. The study of history through an economic lens was new to me. It sparked an interest in US history and I picked up a second module covering Slavery and Race in the USA for my second year. I was awarded a hugely encouraging A* grade. I felt very passionate about … Continue reading How the Emergence of Capitalism in the Early Modern Period Fuelled the African Slave Trade as Britain Became an Industrial Nation

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BAME History, History, In the News

Statuary: Heritage or Modern Horror?

The dumping of the statue of slave trader Edward Colston into the harbour at Bristol has brought into question the veritable army of statues that Britain displays in towns and cities. Many of us walk by without giving them a second glance. Many of them are relics of Britain’s defunct Empire and proudly display men of power and money that were often ill-gained in modern … Continue reading Statuary: Heritage or Modern Horror?

HistorianRuby2 Comments
BAME History, History, In the News

#BlackLivesMatter

Cities in America have seen protests and riots after the death last month of George Floyd in Minneapolis after a police officer continued to kneel on his neck for over eight minutes. George Floyd’s arrest was witnessed and filmed, with bystanders and George himself begging the officer to release his hold to allow him to breathe.  The situation has brought into focus systemic police brutality, … Continue reading #BlackLivesMatter

HistorianRuby9 Comments
17th Century, BAME History, History

Pocahontas: the Native American Princess Buried in Gravesend, Kent

Pocahontas was born circa 1596, near Jamestown, Virginia, U.S.A. and died in March 1617 in Gravesend, Kent, England. Her story has fascinated for 400 years, but how many people know that she is buried in the Garden of England, as Kent is known? Pocahontas was buried in the chancel of the church of St George in 1617, the church was destroyed by fire in 1727 … Continue reading Pocahontas: the Native American Princess Buried in Gravesend, Kent

HistorianRuby17 Comments
19th Century, BAME History, History, Women's History

Emma Clarke, Born 1875: Britain’s First Black Female Footballer

As I noted in The ‘Black Boy’ of the Philanthropic Society, much of Britain’s black history is hidden from the historical record, not least because histories were generally recorded of rich, white men;  women and minorities are hard to locate unless they married into the aristocracy, did something extraordinary or found themselves in trouble with the law. It also relies on the person recording any … Continue reading Emma Clarke, Born 1875: Britain’s First Black Female Footballer

HistorianRuby14 Comments
20th Century, BAME History, Family History, History

Black History Month: Nursing in the NHS and Me

With the proliferation of #BlackHistoryMonth hashtags haunting various social media sites [I’m sure haunting is the correct term during October], you may have noticed that October is Black History Month in the UK.  It is the time that we celebrate our diversity, learn about other cultures and the people who have settled in Britain in the near and distant past. While we embrace our differences, during … Continue reading Black History Month: Nursing in the NHS and Me

HistorianRuby8 Comments
BAME History, History, In the News

In the News: Black History Month 2018

October marks Black History Month in the UK. It has been celebrated for more than 30 years by schools and councils with discourse and community events highlighting black heritage for the wider population. However, this year a row has overshadowed one of the highlights of the cultural calendar. Some councils have changed the name ‘Black History Month’ to be inclusive of other diverse cultures now … Continue reading In the News: Black History Month 2018

HistorianRuby11 Comments
18th Century, BAME History, History

The ‘Black Boy’of the Philanthropic Society

Originally posted on HistorianRuby: An Historian's Miscellany:
This article was first published on history@kingston, February 2015 So much of London’s fascinating black history is hidden from the historical record, so when I noticed the phrase ‘Black Boy’ written in the minutes of the Philanthropic Society during research for my recent MA dissertation on juvenile delinquency and philanthropy in the late eighteenth century, I was… Continue reading The ‘Black Boy’of the Philanthropic Society

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18th Century, 19th Century, BAME History, History

Cesar Picton: an African in Georgian Britain

Cesar Picton was born in Senegal in 1755 but was taken to Picton Castle, Pembrokeshire, as a boy in  November 1761. The castle belonged to Sir John Philipps, Baronet and MP for Pembrokeshire. Philipps described his journey to Norbiton, near Kingston upon Thames, where he had a home, with ‘a black boy from Senegal given to me by Captain Parr, a paraquet [parakeet] and a … Continue reading Cesar Picton: an African in Georgian Britain

HistorianRuby15 Comments
20th Century, BAME History, History

22 June 1948: Empire Windrush Arrived in Britain

In 1948, Britain needed a fresh influx of people to help rebuild the country after World War Two had battered Britain’s towns and cities. The arrival of British citizens from the Caribbean on 22 June 1948, at Tilbury Docks, Essex, on the Empire Windrush, was a defining moment in Britain’s post-war history. It signalled a welcoming of citizens of the British Empire to embark on … Continue reading 22 June 1948: Empire Windrush Arrived in Britain

HistorianRuby4 Comments
18th Century, Academic Research, BAME History, History

The ‘Black Boy’of the Philanthropic Society

This article was first published on history@kingston, February 2015 So much of London’s fascinating black history is hidden from the historical record, so when I noticed the phrase ‘Black Boy’ written in the minutes of the Philanthropic Society during research for my recent MA dissertation on juvenile delinquency and philanthropy in the late eighteenth century, I was intrigued.  It was the first time that I … Continue reading The ‘Black Boy’of the Philanthropic Society

HistorianRuby13 Comments