General Early Modern

A portrait of Russian empress Catherine the Great

Hypocrite, reactionary, usurper, sex maniac: is Catherine the Great’s reputation justified?

Buckland Abbey, Devon, UK. (Image by Alamy)

The colonial secrets of Britain’s stately homes

The leader of the Luddites, 1812. Found in the collection of British Museum. Anonymous artist. (Photo by Fine Art Images/Heritage Images/Getty Images)

5 of the worst years in British history

A painting of 1616 depicts the Moriscos boarding ships to sail from the port of Valencia

The 17th-century expulsion of the Moriscos from Spain: what happened?

Painting of Masons building a pillar in a church

General Early Modern

Your guide to... the Freemasons

Aztec double headed serpent carved in wood and decorated in turquoise mosaic pieces (Universal History Archive / Getty Images)

The real Aztecs: brutal, bloodthirsty… and caring?

Olaudah Equiano (Photo by Getty)

General Early Modern

Who was Olaudah Equiano – and why was his story of slavery so important?

History Traveller final 1024x768

General Early Modern

History Traveller, part 2: St Basil’s Cathedral, Moscow

Frances Griffiths poses with the fairies

Fairies, rabbit births and an ‘ancient’ tiara: what are the greatest historical hoaxes?

A copper engraving of Margaret Pole's execution

General Early Modern

Are these the worst botched executions in history?

Oliver Cromwell, Lord Protector

General Early Modern

Royalists, beards and cowardice: are these the strangest taxes in history?

Pope John XVII

Q&A: Has there ever been a married Pope?

Midwives and babies in the sun

General Early Modern

Midwifery and childbirth: a historical A–Z guide

Queen of hearts: When Catherine's husband Tsar Peter III alienated his people, they instead turned to his wife, and she was proclaimed the rightful ruler.

General Early Modern

Catherine the Great: your guide to the famed Empress of Russia

This 1867 magazine illustration shows a group of children preparing for Halloween. (Photo by American Stock/Getty Images)

General Early Modern

The origins of Halloween: tricks, treats and cobbled streets