The Making of Today: Tacky’s War, April-June 1760

On Easter Monday, April 7 1760, across the plantations of Jamaica recently enslaved Africans rose up in rebellion. Although technically several rebellions in one the iconography of the war came to surround one figure – a former warlord in what is now Ghana called Tacky. While not the first enslaved uprising in the Caribbean, or

The Making of Today: The French Invasion of Ireland during the Seven Years’ War, January-March 1760

There is a common myth in the British Isles that no one has successfully invaded these islands since William the Conqueror in 1066. Not only is this a myth, but if we include the Channel Islands the last time the islands were invaded was 1940. During the midst of the Seven Years’ War, just as

The Making of Today: Assassination and Power in late-1700s Mughal India, October-December 1759

On November 29 1759 the Mughal emperor Alamgir II, the descendant of the great Babur and Akbar, was assassinated on the orders of his vizier, Imad ul-Mulk. Coming to power at an incredibly young age Imad ul-Mulk had played the intricate game of court politics as the power of the Mughals was collapsing. Today we

The Making of Today: The Plains of Abraham and the British take Quebec, July-September 1759

As the French and Indian War has been raging for the last few years the British forces have had one goal in mind: take Quebec City. The administrative capital of New France it was one of the most important lynchpins in the French empire in Canada, and one that threatened the British colonies in New

The Making of Today: The Birth and Life of Radical Feminist Mary Wollstonecraft, April-June 1759

On April 27 1759 one of the most remarkable feminists of history was born: Mary Wollstonecraft. We often imagine feminism as emerging in the 1800s with the suffrage movement, but women throughout history have been fighting against patriarchal dominance with Wollstonecraft being a revolutionary example. Today we will be looking at her remarkable life and

The Making of Today: Exploitation and Knowledge, The Founding of the British Museum, January-March 1759

Starting off with our first The Making of Today post of 2024 we are looking at one of the most monumental institutions in world history: the British Museum. From a pet project of physician and collector Hans Sloane to one of the most important museums in the world, the British Museum was a major turning

The Making of Today: Frederick’s Fumble, The Battle of Hochkirch, October-December 1758

Frederick the Great was noted for his stunning victories during the War of Austrian Succession and Seven Years’ War, but this was not the case on October 14 1758. At the village of Hochkirch in Saxony the bold and often egotistical king was humiliated by the Austrian army. This week we’ll look at the Battle

The Making of Today: The Battle of Zorndorf, July-September 1758

In the midst of 1758, when Europe was torn apart by the Seven Years’ War, the forces of Prussia and Russia clashed at Zorndorf. One of the bloodiest battles of the war in Europe Zorndorf was a disappointment for both sides although this did not stop each side from claiming victory. We’ll be looking at

The Making of Today: The Siege (and Fall) of Louisbourg, April-June 1758

For the last few years North America has been split asunder as Britain, France, and their Native American allies have battled for supremacy – something which has not spilled over into Europe and Asia. The British know they will need to take the French colony of Quebec to secure their position, but to get to

The Making of Today: Francois Mackandal and Enslaved Resistance in Saint-Domingue, January-March 1758

In 1791 enslaved Africans and Afro-Caribbean peoples rose up in the French colony of Saint-Domingue, modern Haiti. However, the famous revolution of 1791 was far from the first slave revolt in Saint-Domingue. One earlier revolt, planned by the enigmatic Francois Mackandal, was found out resulting in Mackandal’s brutal execution on January 20 1758. Today we’ll