By Tim Lambert Before the Industrial Revolution unemployment was much less of a problem than it is now. It existed of course but there was no mass unemployment. In an agricultural society, the economy was usually stable and it changed little from year to year. However, from the 18th century, the British economy went into… Continue reading A Brief History of Unemployment
A Brief History of the Right to Vote
By Tim Lambert The Right to Vote in Britain In the 18th century, only a small minority of men in Britain could vote (only those who owned a certain amount of property). But in 1832 the government introduced a reform but the franchise was only extended to about 14% of men. The working class was… Continue reading A Brief History of the Right to Vote
A History of the Welfare State in Britain
By Tim Lambert The Elizabethan Poor Law In the 16th century, society was faced with the problem of what to do with the poor. Eventually, the Elizabethan government realized they would have to introduce some kind of system to support them. By an act of 1601 overseers of the poor were appointed by each parish.… Continue reading A History of the Welfare State in Britain
A Brief History of Women’s Education
By Tim Lambert Women’s Education in the Ancient World There have always been some educated women. In the past, generally, upper-class women were well-educated. Middle-class women often had some education. But poor girls, like poor boys, had little or no access to education. Sumer was the world’s oldest civilization. It arose in what is now… Continue reading A Brief History of Women’s Education
,A History of Chocolate
By Tim Lambert Early Chocolate Chocolate is made from the fruit of the cocoa tree, which is native to Central America. It grows large, round fruits containing seeds or beans, which are used to make chocolate. However, for centuries, people drank chocolate rather than ate it. People in Central America drank chocolate as early as… Continue reading ,A History of Chocolate
A History of Coffee
By Tim Lambert The Ethiopians invented coffee. The coffee plant is native to Ethiopia. According to legend, coffee was discovered by an Ethiopian goatherd called Kaldi around the year 800. He noticed that goats who ate certain beans became very lively. So coffee was found. Later, people added hot water to the ground-up beans. Later,… Continue reading A History of Coffee
A History of Condiments
By Tim Lambert Early Condiments Since ancient times people have used condiments to enhance their food. The first condiment was salt. Salt has always been used both as a preservative and to enhance the flavor of food. Vinegar has also been used since ancient times. Its name is probably derived from the French words vin… Continue reading A History of Condiments
A History of Desserts
By Tim Lambert Dedicated to Jane Hummerstone Early Desserts In the Middle Ages, rich people ate desserts like preserved fruits, jelly, and wafers made from batter. Furthermore, the Italians have been eating panettone since at least the 15th century, but its origins are lost in legend. The Romans knew that eggs could be used for… Continue reading A History of Desserts
A History of Drinks
By Tim Lambert Early Drinks The original drink was, of course, water or Adam’s ale as it is sometimes called. However, when people invented farming they invented other drinks. It is believed that beer was invented before writing. Certainly in Egypt, beer was a common drink. People drank it from large containers through straws (to… Continue reading A History of Drinks
A History of Food
By Tim Lambert Ancient Food Food in Ancient Egypt For most people in ancient Egypt, food was plain and dull. The staple food of the Egyptians was bread and beer. The bread was baked outside and because of the desert sand was often blown into the dough. In time eating bread with grains of sand… Continue reading A History of Food