King George III: The Abdication that Never Happened

George III was Britain’s king during the American Revolution. Research during the last five years has revealed a surprise about the king. In 1783, as the Revolutionary War drew to a close, he almost abdicated—as revealed by a draft abdication speech in his own hand, recently discovered. The king’s speech blames the loss of the
- Published in American History, Early Modern Europe, For Students, For Teachers, Western Civilization
This Week in History: Althing

This week in 930 CE, the chieftains of Iceland established the Althing, which remains the country’s parliament. It’s the world’s oldest surviving legislature. Northmen (sometimes called Vikings) had arrived on the island about 60 years before, and now they set about to govern themselves – meeting outdoors at a place called Thingvellir, which means “assembly
- Published in Early Modern Europe, For Students, For Teachers, Middle Ages Europe, Western Civilization
This week in history: Ashmolean Museum

This week in 1683, the Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology opened in Oxford. It was the world’s first university museum and was named after Elias Ashmole, who in 1677 had given Oxford University what became the museum’s first collection. Construction also began in 1677. The current museum building was finished in 1845. That first
Follow-up to REAL theories for the origin of April Fool’s Day

Last week, I posted this article that had 3 real theories on the origins of April Fool’s Day, and 3 fake theories. Below are the 3 true theories: 1. In 1582, France switched from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar, which moved New Year’s Day from March to January. People who still celebrated in March were mocked as
- Published in Age of Exploration, Early Modern Europe, For Students, For Teachers, Renaissance Europe, Roman Empire, Western Civilization
Which of these are REAL theories for the origin of April Fool’s Day?

Historians debate the origins of April Fool’s Day, with three possible explanations. Which of the following are real; which three are actual theories for the holiday’s origin? In 1582, France switched from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar, which moved New Year’s Day from March to January. People who still celebrated in March were mocked
This week in history: the Diet of Worms

This week in 1521 saw the opening of the Diet of Worms: the great meeting of the princes of the Holy Roman Empire to address the turmoil created by Martin Luther. Luther was a clergyman and professor who had repeatedly criticized the Church and attacked its doctrines. His aggressive and outspoken writings had found sympathetic
- Published in Early Modern Europe, For Students, For Teachers, Western Civilization
This week in history: Ceres

This week in 1801, astronomer-priest Giuseppe Piazzi discovered a new astronomical body between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. He named it Ceres Ferdinandea. Ceres was the ancient Roman goddess of agriculture and motherhood – the Latin version of the Greeks’ Demeter, mother of Hades’ wife Persephone. So in choosing Ceres, Piazzi followed tradition: naming astronomical bodies after Roman
- Published in Early Modern Europe, For Students, For Teachers, Modern History, Western Civilization
This week in history: The Boston Tea Party

This week in 1773, the Sons of Liberty disguised themselves as Native Americans, boarded British ships in Boston Harbor, and dumped 342 chests of tea into the water. The Boston Tea Party escalated the colonists’ struggle against the Tea Act, which the British Parliament had passed in May, imposing a tax on tea. The colonists
- Published in American History, Early Modern Europe, For Students, For Teachers, Modern History, Western Civilization
Magellan: This Week in History

This week in history, in 1522, the Spanish carrack Victoria returned home with just eighteen crew-members. She had completing the first circumnavigation of the globe. The expedition had begun in 1519 with five fully-crewed ships under the command of Ferdinand Magellan. During the long journey across the Atlantic and Pacific and beyond, most of the
- Published in Age of Exploration, Early Modern Europe, For Students, For Teachers, Modern History, Western Civilization
New Novel: Secrets of Hominea
- Published in Animal History, Early Modern Europe, For Students, For Teachers, Modern History, Prehistory
Subscribe to the Blog
Recent Posts
Please visit us at Pints of History!
For future posts about history and education, p...King George III: The Abdication that Never Happened
George III was Britain’s king during the Americ...This Week in History: Althing
This week in 930 CE, the chieftains of Iceland ...This Week in History: The Treaty of Tordesillas
This week in 1494, the Spanish and Portuguese E...This week in history: Ashmolean Museum
This week in 1683, the Ashmolean Museum of Art ...
Archives
Categories
- Age of Exploration
- American History
- Ancient China
- Ancient Egypt
- Ancient Greece
- Ancient History
- Animal History
- Blog
- Bronze Age
- Early Modern Europe
- For Students
- For Teachers
- History General
- Languages
- Mesopotamia
- Middle Ages Europe
- Modern History
- Post-Antiquity
- Prehistory
- Renaissance Europe
- Roman Empire
- Teaching Stragegy
- The French Revolution
- Uncategorized
- Western Civilization
- World Wars