Colonialism

Draft of The Balfour Declaration with handwritten notes, 1917

How a Single Paragraph Paved the Way for a Jewish State

The Balfour Declaration changed the course of history with just one sentence

"This book was representative of an era during which colonialism and the associated conversion to Christianity oppressed the indigenous population in often violent ways,” says curator Gabriela Pérez-Báez.

A Rare Public Display of a 17th-Century Mayan Manuscript

With the book newly digitized, scholars are reinterpreting a story of native resistance from within its pages

This copy of the first chart of the Gulf Stream was printed in 1786, ten years after Benjamin Franklin first drew it up.

Benjamin Franklin Was the First to Chart the Gulf Stream

Franklin's cousin, Timothy Folger, knew how the then-unnamed current worked from his days as a whaler

The second parchment Declaration of Independence

Found: A Second Parchment Copy of the Declaration of Independence

Likely commissioned in the 1780s by James Wilson, the handwritten copy's signatory order appears to emphasize national unity

The lost colony of Roanoke

The Mystery of Roanoke Endures Yet Another Cruel Twist

An artifact found 20 years ago turns out to not be what archaeologists thought

National Archives of Korea's Busan Repository

Why South Korea’s National Archive Uprooted 12 Japanese Trees

The kaizuka trees represent a long and complicated history with the country's former colonial occupier

Archaeologists Worked Feverishly to Excavate Colonial-Era Graves at Philly Construction Site

The First Baptist Cemetery was supposed to have been moved in 1859, but as it turned out many of the graves were left behind

Refugees wait for water at a camp in Delhi. The partition of India put millions on the move.

After Nearly 70 Years, the India-Pakistan Partition Gets a Museum

The Partition Museum is unrelenting in its portrayal of a brutal era

What Pilgrims Heard When They Arrived in America

They came to America seeking religious freedom, but what did their prayers, and those of the local Native Americans, sound like?

Irom Sharmila ended her 16-year-long fast with a lick of honey.

Why India’s “Iron Lady” Went on a Hunger Strike for 16 Years

Irom Chanu Sharmila resisted a draconian law with her own body

The Masonic Lodge in Monrovia, Liberia. Before the civil war, the descents of American slaves who mainly controlled the government often made official decisions at the lodge, which did not allow native members.

These Abandoned Buildings Are the Last Remnants of Liberia's Founding History

The world created by former slaves in Liberia was a cruel paradox for more than 150 years

American Exiles: Leaving Home

A series of three photo essays explores how America has treated its own people in times of crisis

Darjeeling white tea brews with a delicate aroma and a pale golden color.

For the First Time in 150 Years, Anyone Can Buy One of the World’s Rarest Teas

Go straight to the source

The tomb was discovered by construction workers near one of Mexico's largest cathedrals.

A Construction Crew Uncovered the Grave of One of Mexico’s First Catholic Priests

The 16th-century grave was found at the site of an Aztec temple

This could be New Zealand's next flag.

New Zealanders Are Voting Whether to Adopt a New Flag

The country could drop the Union Jack in favor of a design with a more distinctive national symbol

The secretly-made 3D scan of Nefertiti's bust.

Thanks to Sneaky Scanners, Anyone Can 3D Print a Copy of Nefertiti’s Bust

Scans of the famous sculpture are free for the taking

Images of survivors of the Herero genocide foreshadowed similar scenes from the liberation of Nazi death camps

A Brutal Genocide in Colonial Africa Finally Gets its Deserved Recognition

Activist Israel Kaunatjike journeyed from Namibia to Germany, only to discover a forgotten past that has connections to his own family tree

Overlooking part of Malpaso or Nezahualcoyotl Dam in Chiapas.

The Sunken Ruins of a 450-Year-Old Church Rise From a Mexican Reservoir

After a historic drought, a 16th-century church has reemerged

The Oldest City in the United States

St. Augustine, Florida, was the first city founded by European settlers in North America

An Astrobiologist Is Already Fighting For Martian Independence

Should colonists on the Red Planet be free from Earth’s influence from the get-go?

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