Radical History Blog

The story of the man whose name inspired a British battalion in the Spanish Civil War Tom Mann, a pioneering figure in Britain's early labour movement In 1936, volunteer military units from all over the world journeyed to Spain to fight against Franco’s fascist rebellion.

Haiti's first President realised that for his country to be free, slavery would have to be abolished everywhere For a long time the Haitian Revolution was completely forgotten.

The 14th Dalai Lama was a political figure who came to represent his nation from afar The Dalai Lama met Mao Zedong in 1955 to celebrate Tibetan New Year. He had initially sought to cooperate with the communist regime.

The struggle for economic freedoms coalesced with the struggle for political freedoms in 19th century aristocratic Britain A meeting of the Anti-Corn Law League in Exeter Hall, Manchester, 1846 Free trade versus tariffs is a hot political issue these days – and not for the first time...

It's been eleven years since Britain lost Tony Benn - Pete charts his move leftward during an epic career in politics A young Anthony Wedgwood Benn, aged 22 in 1947 , giant of the postwar British Left, passed away on this day in 2014.

The story of Therea Malkiel, who created the forerunner to the international annual celebration of women International Women’s Day was created by the American socialist movement.

Boudica stood up to her oppressors in an era when Britain was on the receiving end of imperial injustice It’s not often in history that Britain’s been on the receiving end of imperial injustice.

The German Peasants' War of the early 16th century was yet another peasant rebellion on the road to European democracy England had the – Germany had the Peasants’ War.

The NAACP, founded in segregationist America, has been at the forefront of the campaign for Civil Rights ever since On this day in 1909, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) was founded by civil rights activists in New York.

Elizabeth Blackwell, born on this day in 1821, became the first woman to gain a medical degree in the US. Her struggle against the odds made her an advocate for women's rights. The first woman medical doctor in U.S. history was... English?!