Historical Topics

Trick-or-Treat Through Time: The Ancient Celtic Origins of Halloween

Jenna Marcus Halloween, with its enchanting blend of spooky and playful, is widely adored by millions across the globe. Yet beneath the familiar festivities lies a rich history that sheds light on the worldviews of our ancient predecessors and religious and political influences on cultural evolution. The origins of Halloween can be traced back thousands of years to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, which … Continue reading Trick-or-Treat Through Time: The Ancient Celtic Origins of Halloween

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Historical Topics

Corrupted National Identities – Prewar Japanese and Soviet Assimilationist Policies 

 Jason Roeder What ought to distinguish a nation-state from an empire is the people residing in the former’s ability to shape their own futures freely. Should the two be considered opposites? To answer this question, one must observe how empires utilize the vernacular of self-determination as a cover to amalgamate land for the metropole’s “long-term, all-union concerns.”  Prior to the Second World War, Japan and … Continue reading Corrupted National Identities – Prewar Japanese and Soviet Assimilationist Policies 

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Historical Topics

Many Ways to be Deaf: Situating Deafness in Pre-Modern Chinese History

Oscar Zhenhao Yu Disability has been a burgeoning topic for historians in different fields. Considering disability in Chinese history, few works focus on disability, not to mention exploring the ontology of disability in its pre-modern context. This essay therefore situates disability, and deafness in particular, within pre-modern Chinese history (1644-1912). How did the Chinese perceive deafness before the twentieth century? What sources would be useful … Continue reading Many Ways to be Deaf: Situating Deafness in Pre-Modern Chinese History

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Historical Topics

Assassin’s Creed: History Porn or Digital Heritage?

Rae Neville This Thursday, the popular video game studio Ubisoft will release the latest installment in the Assassin’s Creed franchise: Assassin’s Creed Mirage. Set in Baghdad in the year 861, the game will feature a world rich with art, culture, and knowledge. Players will follow the story of Basim, a “cunning street thief with nightmarish visions seeking answers and justice,” as they explore and cut … Continue reading Assassin’s Creed: History Porn or Digital Heritage?

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Historical Topics

Western Medicine’s Internuncio to Japan

Alexander von Kumberg In 1972 sculptor Tadao Koga unveiled his monument to the introduction of Western medicine to Japan in Ōita, a city on the northeastern coastline of Kyushu, Japan. The bronze statue depicts a Japanese patient preparing for his surgery, flanked by a surgeon and his assistant. The surgeon, dressed in Nanban clothes, is Luis de Almeida. But who is this giant of old, … Continue reading Western Medicine’s Internuncio to Japan

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Interviews

Tell Us About Your Summer! Interviews with PhD and MAGIC Students about their Summer Research Experiences

Over the past few weeks, Rosie Click and Sareena Dubey interviewed Georgetown History graduate students about their summer experiences. The first interview about summer teaching experiences was published on September 5th, and the second interview about summer language programs was published last week. This interview features Georgetown History PhD student J. Alexander Killion and MAGIC students Jason Roeder and Tanushree Bhatia, who talked to us … Continue reading Tell Us About Your Summer! Interviews with PhD and MAGIC Students about their Summer Research Experiences

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Interviews

Tell Us About Your Summer! Interviews with PhD and MAGIC Students about their Summer Language Programs

Over the past few weeks, Rosie Click and Sareena Dubey interviewed Georgetown History graduate students about their summer experiences. The first interview about summer teaching experiences was published last week. The next two Footnote posts will feature more interviews about summer experiences in language learning and research. This interview features Georgetown History PhD students Ethan Weisbaum and Ethan Barkalow, and MAGIC student Oscar Yu, who talked … Continue reading Tell Us About Your Summer! Interviews with PhD and MAGIC Students about their Summer Language Programs

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Interviews

Tell Us About Your Summer! Interviews with PhD and MAGIC Students about their Summer Teaching Experiences

Over the past few weeks, Rosie Click and Sareena Dubey interviewed three students about their summer experiences. The next three Footnote posts will feature those interviews; the first about teaching, the second about language learning, and the third about research. This interview features Georgetown History PhD students João Gabriel Rabello Sodré and Erica Lally, and MAGIC student Mallory Page, who talked to us about teaching … Continue reading Tell Us About Your Summer! Interviews with PhD and MAGIC Students about their Summer Teaching Experiences

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Historical Topics

The Push to “Improve” Slavery in the British Caribbean

Eamonn Bellin The abolition of the British slave trade in 1807 transformed colonial slavery into a burning issue in British politics. If the slave trade was unjust, how could slavery be sustained? Some thought the enslaved should be emancipated and resettled throughout the Caribbean. However, most leaders of the anti-slave trade campaign balked at immediate emancipation. “It would be…the grossest violation and the merest mockery … Continue reading The Push to “Improve” Slavery in the British Caribbean

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Interviews

Interview with Sarah-Louise Miller on Writing about Women in Wartime and Intelligence

This week, The Footnote interviewed Dr. Sarah-Louise Miller, an experienced historian, author and media consultant, specializing in Second World War history. She is currently based at the Faculty of History, University of Oxford, and is a tutor at the Defence Studies Department, King’s College London. She has recently published The Women Behind the Few; The Women’s Auxiliary Air Force and British Intelligence During the Second … Continue reading Interview with Sarah-Louise Miller on Writing about Women in Wartime and Intelligence

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