Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech

It is the 50th anniversary of one of the most dramatic and emotive speeches in modern history, Martin Luther King's call for an end to racism and segregation in the United States. King's "I have a dream" speech still resonates today and it's message continues to spark debate over whether or not real civil rights have been achieved for black Americans in the US.
Take a few minutes to have a listen to a shortened version of the speech and the most famous section which is partly improvised and thought to have been prompted by gospel singer Mahalia Jackson's cry "Tell them about the dream, Martin!"

The BBC have marked the anniversary with a selection of programmes about the March on Washington. If you want to find out more about the man and the struggle for Civil Rights follow these links:
Martin Luther King
What the speech tells us about Martin Luther King
King was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964, but was assassinated just four years later by criminal James Earl Ray.

America in the 1920s

American society in the 1920s has always grabbed the attention of historians and the public at large because of the changes that took place during the decade, but there has been an even greater focus on this period in recent years. This is partly because of the subsequent economic collapse and, inevitably, parallels have been drawn between the causes of the Great Depression and the current economic crisis. Here are a selection of resources which might help you gain a better understanding of this period in which new liberties and greater independence were combined with excess, consumerism, speculation, unequal distribution of wealth and prejudice to create a period known as the Roaring Twenties.


Have a look at the first part of this three-part documentary on 1920s as a good introduction to the period; you can find the rest of the series on this site's You Tube channel.



The History Learning Site has a good introduction to the topic, while the BBC Bitesize webpage has sections on the Roaring Twenties and other aspects of the 1920s in the USA as well as on racism and intolerance.

Why Appeasement?

Appeasement remains an emotive subject to this day, but it is important to understand why the policy was adopted and to realise that it was not just Neville Chamberlain that followed it. Try and understand the historical context and not to use too much hindsight when analysing it. Take a look at the links and resources from a previous post and then make your own comments about whether or not it was justified on the Wallwisher below.

Created with Padlet

Cuban Missile Crisis

Just over 50 years ago the world was teetering on the edge of nuclear war as the Cuban Missile Crisis unfolded following the USSR's decision to deploy nuclear missiles on the Caribbean island. The BBC produced three Witness podcasts to commemorate the Cold War Crisis, follow the links to find them:

The Photos, the Missiles, the Showdown.

The John Kennedy Library has some interesting resources and a microsite on the crisis called World on the Brink. You can also try out the Schools' World TV site, BBC Bitesize and J.D. Clare for further resources and information.

Here is the video from the BBC History 20th Century series on Cuba (Mr Kennedy and Mr Khrushchev)


 Have a look at the previous post on Cuba for some other resources and videos.

The Russian Revolution

The October Revolution of October 1917 was one of the most momentous events in modern history, changing as it did not just the future direction of Russia but also that of the rest of the world. But was the the Revolution a coup by a group of dedicated and disciplined professional revolutionaries or was it a social revolution sparked by the suffering of the people under tsarism and the Provisional Government? Have a look at the following resources to help you make up your mind:
 A list of resources from the School History site.
BBC Bitesize on the causes of the October Revolution
JD Clare's pages on Russia.
An episode of Radio 4's In Our Time on Lenin
Video: The Russian Revolution in colour
A comprehensive bank of resources on the Russian Revolution from Fordham University.
A BBC Witness podcast on the Russian Revolution outlining the experience of one woman in Moscow.

The New Deal

Introduced by US President Franklin Roosevelt, the New Deal was designed to revive the country's battered economy and restore her shattered morale after the devastating impact of the Wall Street Crash and the ensuing depression. FDR instituted a series of measures, including the setting up of the so-called "alphabet agencies", which aimed to ameliorate the worst effects of the economic depression on farmers, factory workers and the unemployed. The New Deal's achievements were significant and its agencies left their mark on the USA for decades to come, but the programme also met with considerable opposition from the American Right and its economic impact remains a subject for intense debate in the USA today. Have a look at the following resources about the Great Depression and then make your comments about the success of the New Deal on the Wallwisher below.

First-hand accounts of the Wall Street Crash in the BBC Witness podcast.
Another excellent Witness podcast, this time on the effects of the Great Depression.
The History Learning Site
BBC Bitesize and the Bitesize Higher site
A short BBC podcast, including extracts from FDR speeches outlining the problems faced by the USA.
A series of resources from the History Channel on the New Deal, including some good video clips.

The Assassination of Alexander II

The assassination of Alexander II (1855- 1881) can be seen as one of the tragic ironies of Russian history. The "Tsar Liberator" was killed by a terrorist bomb attack on the very day on which he had given his approval to political reforms that may have changed the course of Russian history. Instead his death was followed by a period of brutal repression and reaction. Have a look at the Alexander II biography on the Spartacus website for some more detail about his reign and then listen to the In Our Time podcast (you can listen to it here, or download it here) with a series of Russian experts including Orlando Figes as they discuss the impact of the assassination.

The sinking of the Titanic

This year is the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic, one of the greatest peacetime maritime disasters in history. The White Star passenger liner sank after colliding with an iceberg in the North Atlantic, causing the deaths of over 1,500 of the 2,223 people on board. Passengers included some of the wealthiest and most influential people in the world as well as more humble emigrants seeking a new life in North America. Many of those on board wrote letters to acquaintances or their loved ones as they left Southampton and posted them when the ship called in at Queenstown.


The BBC has now produced a brilliant series of mini podcasts about the letters; they make for a fascinating and emotive insight into life at the start of the 20th Century. Click on the link to have a listen. It is also worth taking a look at the website of the Titanic exhibition in Belfast.

Historical Podcasts

There are an increasing number of excellent historical podcasts available on the Internet. Here is a selection of some of the ones I listen to most frequently. Try them out when you get a little bit of time:
In Our Time: almost like a mini university lecture with a team of experts being quizzed by Melvyn Bragg on a variety of subjects covering History, Philosophy, Science, Religion and Culture.  
Great Lives: A celebrity chooses a person who they believe lived a "Great Life" and discusses it with Matthew Parris and an expert on the subject. A wide range of figures from all aspects of history.  
A History of the World in 100 Objects: A superb podcast that takes 100 different objects and uses them to analyse particular periods in history. Excellent, atmospheric explanation from Director of the British Museum, Neill MacGregor. Check out the webpage too. 
Witness: History as told by people who were there. Some great eye-witness accounts from the Spanish Civil War to 25 Years of the Simpsons.
History Extra: BBC History magazine's excellent bimonthly podcast on the latest historical research.
The Art of Monarchy: A virtual visit to the Royal Collection to understand some of the objects that have defined the history of the British monarchy.  
Making History: A programme that looks at ordinary people's links with the past. 
The House I grew up in: Influential Britons revisit their childhood homes and neighbourhoods. A good one for some social history.  
Things we forgot to remember: Politician Michael Portillo looks at our collective memories from great events and characters of the past.  
Tracing Your Roots: Family History stories and advice on how to trace your family tree.
More or Less: Statistics sound like a dry subject, but this programme tries to cut through the "spin" and get to the truth of the facts and figures that are bandied around so frequently in the media. Interesting and entertaining. 

The Causes of the Second World War

Following up on the previous post, take a few minutes to add your thoughts to the latest Wallwisher I've put up on the blog. This time add your thoughts as to what were the most important causes of the Second World War. Was it the legacy of the Treaty of Versailles, the failure of the League of Nations, US isolation, the policy of appeasement of Hitler's foreign policy? Outline your arguments below and remember you can add an image or a video to support your case.