Long History

Amerigo Vespucci’s Four Journeys. 4: More Than a Thousand Souls

(4 of 12) Towards the end of the first voyage, why does Vespucci take so many prisoners?

Amerigo Vespucci’s Four Journeys. 3: Compunctions of Conscience

(3 of 12) On his first journey, in 1497, why does Amerigo Vespucci describe one area as looking like Venice?

Random UK Prime Minister of the Week. 1763-1765: George Grenville

Sometimes, minor prime ministers do major things. George Grenville introduced an innocuous little tax and accidentally helped to create a country along the way: only the blummin' United States! Learn why Grenville made his misstep here.

Amerigo Vespucci’s Four Journeys. 2: Their Mode of Life

(2 of 12) How does the supposed document about Amerigo Vespucci’s first journey describe the first group of local people met in the Americas?

Amerigo Vespucci’s Four Journeys. 1: The Man Who Named America

(1 of 12) Why is it thought that America was named after Amerigo Vespucci?

Random UK Prime Minister of the Week. 1834-35 & 1841-46: Robert Peel

Arguably the 19th century's most famous prime minister, not least because he created a police force who would use his name ('bobby'). What else led to Robert Peel being one of the most reformist of all prime ministers?

Jacques Cartier’s Three Voyages to Canada: Top Ten Surprises

What stood out in the source documents about Jacques Cartier's journeys exploring the area of Canada's St Lawrence River? What makes these documents different from others looked at on Long History?

Jacques Cartier's Three Voyages to Canada: Top Ten Events

French explorer Jacques Cartier explored the area of the St Lawrence River in the 1500s, leading to the earliest written use of the word Canada. What were the main events during Cartier's three journeys to the area of today's Montreal and Quebec City? 

Random UK Prime Minister of the Week. 1754-1756; 1757-1762: Thomas Pelham-Holles

One of the earliest prime ministers was also the only one to follow his brother into the top job. Find out more about Thomas Pelham-Holles, the Duke of Newcastle, who was prime minister during the Seven Years War.

Two Years of Long History: The Most Memorable Events

Long History has just passed its second birthday. We've heard fantastical claims about El Dorado, we've followed the earliest explorers across the Pacific and heard eye-witness accounts of the earliest exploration and settlement of North America. What were the highlights of Long History's second year?