In this podcast Dr. Yangwen Zheng of the University of Manchester looks at the origins, theatre and consequences of the Opium Wars. Dr Yangwen Zheng's essential textbook Ten Lessons in Modern Chinese History is now available. Written for university entry-level students and A-level teachers and students, it uses primary sources to tell the story...

In this podcast Professor Trevor Burnard of the University of Warwick looks at the the primary forces which led to the development of the British Empire, the role of commerce and trade, the role of war in imperial expansion during this period and the importance of the slave trade.

In this series of videos, produced by Royal Holloway, University of London, staff and students explore the Great Revolt of 1381, better known as the Peasants’ Revolt, through a combination of animations, dramatised primary sources, and short presenter-led videos. This includes videos looking at the causes of the revolt, its...

In this podcast Dr Glyn Redworth looks at the factors that led to the Spanish Empire in the new world, why Ferdinand and Isabella backed Columbus and discusses how Spain was able to consolidate an Empire of such magnitude.

In this podcast Dr Jordan Goodman discusses the Royal Society and Royal Navy expeditions between 1800 and 1850.

In this set of podcasts Professor Stana Nenadic of the University of Edinburgh discusses the Scottish textile industry, the craft and artisan economy in Scotland and the impact of the Industrial Revolution.

In this podcast Dr Anne Murphy of the University of Hertfordshire looks at the origins and significance of the South Sea Bubble, one of the earliest modern financial crises.

In this podcast Professor Gad Heuman of the University of Warwick examines the origins of the Trans-Atlantic slave trade, the triangular trade, race, slave society and the changing interpretations of the abolition of the slave trade. (See also podcast The business of slavery: Economic history in the classroom from the HA's Britain and...

In this podcast Professor Peter Fearon of the University of Leicester looks at the economic transformation of the United States in the years before the Wall Street Crash and the Great Depression.

In this series of videos, produced by Royal Holloway, University of London, staff and students look at the development of trade unionism and workers’ rights in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The playlist includes videos examining the Tolpuddle Martyrs, New Unionism, the London Dock Strike and the Match Girls’ Strike...