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'Washington, DC Government charwoman', 1942

This is a famous black-and-white anti-discrimination photograph, also widely known as 'American Gothic, Washington, DC'. It shows Mrs Ella Watson, an African American cleaner at the Treasury in Washington, USA. She is standing stiffly in front of the US flag, with a broom on one side and a mop on the other. The photograph ...

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'Am I not a man and a brother?', 1837

This is a black-and-white illustration of a kneeling male slave in chains. It appeared on a broadside (a poster, often with a poem or news and sometimes with woodcut illustrations) published in New York. The broadside also featured John Greenleaf Whittier's anti-slavery poem, 'Our countrymen in chains' and two quotations, ...

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Thornhill plantation house, 2010

This is the two-storey Thornhill plantation house in Greene County, Alabama, showing the southern facade with its two-story portico of six Ionic columns across the front, and the eastern-side elevation. The photograph was taken by Carol Highsmith.

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Rural exodus

This resource is about the exodus of country people over the last two centuries from the villages and hamlets of Britain to the towns and cities and overseas. It is organised under the following topic headings; Introduction; a better life; Leaving the Highlands; Relative opportunities - pros and cons; and Find out more. ...

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Eric Bloodaxe

This resource is about Eric Bloodaxe, a Viking legend and the last Viking king of Northumbria. It includes text and some images. The resource is organised under six topic headings: What's in a name?; Exile to England; Invader or guest?; Conquest and reconquest; The end of the story; and Find out more. The images are interposed ...

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Roman religion: gallery

This resource is about Roman religion. It consists of nine images that link to text about the different practices and beliefs that existed in ancient Rome. It includes information on the state-recognised worship of traditional gods and about some of the diverse religions that were tolerated in ancient Rome as long as they ...

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Mummification in Bronze Age Britain

This resource is about the discovery of two Bronze Age mummies in Britain. It describes the discovery by a team of archaeologists of the bodies of a male and a female under the floor of a prehistoric house on the Hebridean Island of South Uist. It presents the evidence for mummification following investigations using archaeological ...

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Pillar of Ashoka

This resource is about a significant individual in history. It shows a fragment of a pillar built by the Emperor Ashoka in India about 240 BC. On the fragment is part of an inscription that uses a type of writing known as 'Brahmi'. The inscription is by Ashoka. It reads of how the great conquest in life is not over other ...

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Britain's empire in 1815

This resource is about the British Empire after the defeat of Napoleon as Britain emerged dominant among the European great powers and was recognised as one of the world's great imperial powers. It shows through a series of maps the extent of the British Empire in 1815, with three disparate parts: North America, the eastern ...

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Viking women

This resource is about the role of women in the Viking world. It includes text and some images. The resource is organised under six topic headings: Female Vikings?; Viking women in England; Scandinavian immigration; Daily life; Women of influence; and Find out more. The images are interposed in the text.

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Viking religion

This resource is about the Vikings attitude to religion. It includes text and some images. The resource is organised under six topic headings: The age of conversion; Pagan belief; Gods and giants; Pagan and Christian together; Conversion in Scandinavia; and Find out more. Interposed in the text are images of an amulet, ...

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Black Death: the effect of the plague

This resource is about the effects of the plague, known as the Black Death, in rural England from 1348 to 1352. The resource describes deserted villages in rural England, uninhabited after the death of the population from the plague. It reports that the biggest effect of the plague was in rural areas because most people ...

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Ancient China: geography - explore

This is a resource featuring six interactive maps and associated tools that address different aspects of the geography of China. The maps include geographical features and important cities, archaeological sites and political boundaries in ancient times, as well as a modern political map. The maps of ancient China depict ...

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Ancient China: crafts and artisans

This is a resource titled Workshop Alley, produced by the British Museum, in which the viewer explores three ancient Chinese workshops making jade, bronze and ceramic objects. Each workshop contains: an introduction to the material being worked; an illustrated description of the processes used; one or two questions and ...

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Stories: journey to the west

This is a two-part presentation of slides, telling and illustrating the Chinese Buddhist legend of 'Journey to the west'. 'Part 1: the adventures of Monkey' introduces the main character, Monkey, and the folk story outlines how his character evolves, becoming boastful and mischievous. 'Part 2: preparing for the great journey' ...

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Victorian Heritage Database

This is a rich, interactive resource that lists Victoria’s most significant heritage: places, objects, shipwrecks and archaeological sites. It has four main sections: Introduction; Explore heritage map; Recommended tours; and Timeline browser. The Explore heritage map searches for sites and provides information and images ...

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The Mongols in China

This is an illustrated four-part historical account of Mongol rule in China. It includes sections on: the Mongol influence on China; Khubilai Khan in China; life in China under Mongol rule; and the beginnings of the Mongol collapse. The life in China section describes the effects of Mongol rule on peasants, artisans, merchants, ...

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Gladiators: heroes of the Roman amphitheatre

This resource is about Roman gladiators and their role in Roman society. It covers the origins of the gladiatorial system as a funerary practice to honour the dead, which gradually became entertainment. Topic headings in the resource include: Conscripts and volunteers; Rules and regulations; Fighting-styles; Barrack life; ...

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Roman women: following the clues

This resource is about Roman women. It examines sources of evidence about the lives of women in ancient Rome, given that there is little written material describing their lives. Sources include examples from literature, state inscriptions, tombstones and the bases of statues, Roman paintings and sculpture, all of which ...

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Agricultural revolution in England 1500-1850

The resource is about the agricultural revolution in England. It includes a discussion of the ongoing controversy over when and how the agricultural system changed from being one of peasant farmers working in a subsistence economy to a capitalist farming system, using new machinery and supporting millions of people in the ...