Radical History Blog

We all like to entwine our own stories with those of our heroes.

All of us have heard of . I'd venture many of us also know the 14 th of July - Bastille Day – when the French masses proclaimed ' ' for all the world to hear.

Alice Paul was key to the in the US. Sadly, she abandoned other groups pursuing freedom along the way. , the New Jersey feminist crucial to winning the (which gave women voting rights), was born today in 1885.

Former Prime Minister - 126 years old today - is lionised in Labour circles. In truth he was a mixed bag - who nonetheless compares very well to other political figures of his era.

Major forthcoming dates include the and round anniversaries for the French Revolution and . But what's the real point of recalling these events?

This is the third part of our series on the 1918 General Election. As well as for women and Ireland, the election was a landmark for the Labour Party. But some true radicals such as Scottish politician John Maclean have been forgotten. Until now.

Thomas Jefferson saw the good side of allowing in the new nation of America - he was referring to Shays' Rebellion of 1786 Typically, our radical tea towel designs are made up of a person's face and memorable statement by them.

When the scandal broke a few months ago and we discovered the Home Office was hounding long established members of the British Afro-Caribbean community, telling them they had to leave, countless people came to their defence.

and I'll say it again: there's something in the water in Chicago. For about 150 years, the city's been a non-stop carnival of American radical politics.

100 years ago, Britain was in election mode. It was the first in eight years - having disrupted the political routine - and it was going to be a big one. As I , it was the first time in British history when any women would be allowed to vote.