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Caricature of Charles Cunningham Boycott, published in Vanity Fair magazine in January 1881. Source: Public domain

Captain Boycott's Abuse of Irish Farmers Sparked the Term “Boycott”

Certain words emerge from peculiar circumstances, leaving an indelible mark on language and society. The term “boycott” is one such example, as it carries a fascinating origin story that intertwines...
Representational image of a Red Turban warrior. Source: Generated with Adobe Firefly

The Revolutionary Red Turban Rebellion: When Peasants Take Up Arms

The Red Turban Rebellion, which took place from 1351 to 1368, was a pivotal event in Chinese history, marking the decline of the Mongol Yuan Dynasty and the rise of the native Ming Dynasty. This...
Gladiator mosaic at a Roman villa in Nennig, Germany. Source: Carole Raddato / CC BY-SA 2.0 DEED

Spartacus: The Rebel Gladiator and His Final Last Stand – Part 2

(Read Part 1) Led by the Roman gladiator Spartacus, the Third Servile War stretched on from 73 to 71 BC, an attempt by thousands of Roman slaves to escape the gladiatorial ring. As a Thracian, forced...
Photo of a statue of Spartacus by Denis Foyatier, on display at the Louvre, combined with a 4th-century mosaic depicting gladiators. Source: Public domain

Spartacus: Gladiator and Leader of Slaves Against the Romans – Part 1

The Thracian born Roman gladiator known as Spartacus is now considered the stuff of legend. To this day, books, movies and TV shows have been created to highlight the strength of this heroic rebel...
Boudicca became the warrior queen who led a revolt against Roman rule in ancient Britain. Source: NorLife/Adobe Stock

Boudicca: The Truth Behind the British Legend (Video)

Boudicca, the enigmatic warrior queen of the Iceni, has become a legendary figure in British history. Her rebellion against the Roman Empire, shrouded in the accounts of historians Tacitus and...
The Sertorian War saw Roman generals and forces clash with the rebel leader Sertorius in a prolonged struggle for control. Source: Hui / Adobe Stock

The Sertorian War: How Rebels Nearly Toppled Rome from Within

Even the greatest of empires and kingdoms can be weakened by internal strife and civil war. The formidable power of Rome was no exception. Throughout its history—from the Republic to the Empire days—...
Queen Mary I of England. Source: Yuri A/peopleimages.com / Adobe Stock.

The Ruthless Things Queen (Bloody) Mary Did (Video)

Queen Mary I of England, often known as " Bloody Mary ," ruled during a turbulent period in history. She is infamous for her brutal persecution of those who did not follow the Catholic faith. Mary's...
Nile mosaic in Palestrina      Source: CC BY-SA 3.0

Archaeologist Digs for Evidence of the Rosetta Stone’s Ancient Egyptian Rebellion

By Jay Silverstein /The Conversation The Rosetta Stone is not known for its content, but as a lexicon of Egyptian hieroglyphics. The decree inscribed on the stone, however, discusses a violent revolt...
King Ludd, the leader of the Luddites. Source: Public domain

Calling Someone a Luddite Isn't Actually an Insult

Historically Luddites have gotten a bad wrap since the use of the word exploded as a belittling term for clumsy “Neanderthal technophobes” in the 1960s. Unfortunately for the Luddites, the way its...
Afro-Colombian slaves used their braids to communicate messages and escape routes. Source: Vanessa / Adobe Stock

African Slaves Used Braids to Communicate Escape Routes in Colombia

The hair of black boys and girls was, and continues to be, an object of ridicule and discrimination. This kind of distain is a throwback to a more openly racist era, steeped in beliefs of African...
Trung sisters riding elephants. Đông Hồ painting. (Public Domain)

The Trung Sisters – Venerated First-Century Freedom Fighters Of Vietnam

Trần Lệ Xuân, or Madame Ngo Dinh Nhu, the First Lady of the Republic of Vietnam from 1955 to 1963, once celebrated the holiday to commemorate the Trung sisters by riding an elephant in honour of...
Though we do not have many images of Pemulwuy, the prominent Australian Aboriginal rebel leader of the late 18th century, we know he was strong like this man at an Aboriginal culture show in Queensland. 		Source: Rafael Ben-Ari / Adobe Stock

Pemulwuy: Prominent Aboriginal Rebel Leader Murdered in 1802 AD

Pemulwuy was an Aboriginal Australian who lived during the 18 th century. This was the period when the Europeans began to colonize Australia. The arrival of the Europeans in Australia had a profound...
Kenilworth Castle today. Source: Carl / Adobe Stock.

Something in the Water: Kenilworth Castle and a History of Rebellion

Kenilworth Castle is a ruined castle located in the market town of Kenilworth, in Warwickshire, a county in the West Midlands, England. It is believed the site was occupied by a fortified structure...
The Afaq Khoja Mausoleum And The Legacy Of A Great Uyghur Leader

The Afaq Khoja Mausoleum And The Legacy Of A Great Uyghur Leader

The Afaq Khoja Mausoleum is a tomb complex located in Xinjiang, an autonomous region in northwestern China. For the predominantly Muslim Uyghurs (or Uighurs ) who inhabit the region, this mausoleum...
Christian Slave Masters Destroyed Winemaking In Japan

Christian Slave Masters Destroyed Winemaking In Japan

It has always baffled historians why domestic Japanese winemaking ceased in mid-17th century AD. But now, new research suggests that in 1627 AD a Japanese “war” was waged against Christians in Japan...
African slave turned king. Credit: Max / Adobe Stock

Slave Turned King: The Rule of Miguel De Buria of Venezuela

In Venezuela’s early history, between 1552 to 1555, lies the first and most famous historical account of a slave revolt in the new world. This rebellion was led by Miguel de Buria, who not only won...
Wat Tyler on June 15th, being stabbed by William Walworth, the mayor of London, with King Richard II looking on. He was later decapitated and his head displayed on London Bridge for his involvement in what became known as Wat Tyler’s Rebellion. Source: Public domain

The Flame of Freedom: Wat Tyler’s Peasant Revolt

Throughout the history of the medieval period, the voice of the peasants and the working class was always suppressed. In the difficult periods of this era, the peasant was always the oppressed party...
Bar-Kokhba Rebellion coin inscribed with the words "Return to Israel" with a cluster of grapes in the center. Source: (Koby Harati/City of David/Israel Antiquities Authority)

Ancient Coin of Jewish Bar-Kokhba Rebellion Against Rome Unearthed

In Jerusalem, archaeologists have unearthed a very rare find. They have revealed a coin that was issued by Jewish rebels against Roman rule from the 2 nd century AD. It was minted by the last Jewish...
The White Lotus Society was a political, religious, and revolutionary movement that that rebelled against the government in imperial China.

The White Lotus Secret Society and the Demise of Mongol Rule in China

The White Lotus Society / Sect (written in Chinese as 白莲教, and Romanized as ‘Bai Lian Jiao’) was a millenarian movement that existed in imperial China. As a religious movement, the teachings of the...
Hato Cave

Hato Caves –Shelter of the Rebellious Slaves of Curaçao

Caves and cave systems have an enduring fascination for us and are to be found all over the world. While some still remain undiscovered or closely guarded secrets, many are open to the public and...
Was Wang Mang a visionary, or a murderous villain – or both? (Wang Mang art italkcafe.com, The Analects of Confucius; Deriv)

The Emperor is Dead, Let Confucianism and Chaos Reign! The Rise and Fall of Wang Mang and the Xin Dynasty

Some saw Wang Mang as an evil usurper – others a selfless visionary. Either way, an emperor lay dead, and a learned Confucian scholar sought to bring peace and harmony, but the dynasty would descend...
An artistic representation of Al-Muqanna, the Veiled Prophet.

Second Moon Uprising: How Science and Skullduggery Helped an 8th Century Prophet Raise a Revolt

“The 'Moon of Nakhshab' was an artificial moon which Hakim Ibn-e 'Ata, known as Muqanna' (the Veiled One), caused to arise from the Pit of Nakhshab. This moon had been prepared by means of [magical]...
Urraca I of Leon by Jose Maria Rodrigues de Losada (deriv.)

Urraca the Reckless: How Did a Child Bride Unify a Kingdom?

Feminine, inspiring, and powerful – these three words could be sufficient to describe the queen whose rule transformed the position of women in medieval courts. Her original stamp on society is felt...
Zhang Daoling, the First Celestial Master of Taoism

Temple ruins excavated at the Palace of Zhang Daoling, the First Celestial Master of Taoism

An important ancient temple site dedicated to the founder of a sect of Taoism has recently been excavated by Chinese archaeologists. In China's Jiangxi Province, the archaeological site of ruins of...