Four of America’s first five presidents were born and raised within a 60-mile radius in the state of Virginia. Those men -- George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison and James Monroe -- and their sometimes complicated...

When Julius Maada Bio first seized political power in Sierra Leone in 1996, he did so to improve the lives of its citizens. But he soon realized that for democracy to flourish, its foundation needs to be built on the will of the people....

While the English were falling apart a little, with their civil war and their restoration and their succession problems, the Dutch were getting their act together. They were throwing off the yoke of the Spanish Empire, uniting their...

In which John Green explores exactly when Rome went from being the Roman Republic to the Roman Empire. Here's a hint: it had something to do with Julius Caesar, but maybe less than you think. Find out how Caesar came to rule the empire,...

She was the most notorious woman in ancient history, a queen who enraptured not one but two of Rome's greatest generals. But was she just a skilled seductress or a great ruler in her own right? Alex Gendler puts this controversial figure...

In which John Green teaches you about China's Revolutions. While the rest of the world was off having a couple of World Wars, China was busily uprooting the dynastic system that had ruled there for millennia. Most revolutions have some...

After the French Revolution erupted in 1789, Europe was thrown into chaos. Neighboring countries' monarchs feared they would share the fate of Louis XVI and attacked the new Republic, while at home, extremism and mistrust between...

On January 16th, 1895, two men arrived at Liliʻuokalani's door, arrested her, and imprisoned her. The Missionary Party had recently seized power and now confiscated her diaries, ransacked her house, and claimed her lands. Liliʻuokalani...

In which John Green examines the French Revolution, and gets into how and why it differed from the American Revolution. Was it the serial authoritarian regimes? The guillotine? The Reign of Terror? All of this and more contributed to the...

In which John Green explores exactly when Rome went from being the Roman Republic to the Roman Empire. Here's a hint: it had something to do with Julius Caesar, but maybe less than you think. Find out how Caesar came to rule the empire,...

In 1789, the French Monarchy's habit of supporting democratic popular revolutions in North America backfired. Today, we're talking about the French Revolution. Across the world, people were rising up to throw off monarchies, and Louis...

In which John Green teaches you about China's Revolutions. While the rest of the world was off having a couple of World Wars, China was busily uprooting the dynastic system that had ruled there for millennia. Most revolutions have some...

Margaret Atwood's speculative fiction masterpiece The Handmaid's Tale explores the consequences of complacency and how power can be wielded unfairly. Atwood's chilling vision of a dystopian regime has captured readers' imaginations since...

In which John Green examines the French Revolution, and gets into how and why it differed from the American Revolution. Was it the serial authoritarian regimes? The guillotine? The Reign of Terror? All of this and more contributed to the...

Twenty four hundred years ago, Plato, one of history's most famous thinkers, said life is like being chained up in a cave forced to watch shadows flitting across a stone wall. Beyond sounding quite morbid, what exactly did he mean? Alex...

In this video Professor Justin Champion explains the significance of the trial and execution of Charles I at the end of the English Civil War.

In this video Professor Justin Champion addresses the question of whether Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell was king in all but name?

In this video Professor Justin Champion grapples with the difficult question of whether Oliver Cromwell can be regarded as a hero or villain.

The French love a good controversy! At times, it can seem that the whole country’s a debating team. In contemporary times, there has been the usual serving of political scandals and allegations, immigration issues, foreign cultural...

Japan's last shogun is ousted in a coup and a young emperor seizes power to become the supreme executive authority. Part 3 of our 2,600 year timeline of history's greatest revolutions.

The Roman Kingdom falls and a Republic is born--Part 1 of history's greatest revolutions that created our modern civilization.

Gandhi gains power and leads India's independence movement. Part 4 of our timeline of the greatest revolutions in history--moments that shaped modern civilization.

This World Cultures instructional video discusses a brief history of Ireland.

The U.S. Constitution transformed Enlightenment ideas about government, power, and rights into the laws that shaped the foundation of the United States for generations.