Social history

Find podcasts relating to social history. From government records to true crime tales, these authoritative talks bring history to life, placing historical documents in societal context.

The Golden Stool: cataloguing Colonial Office records from 1900

In 1900, war broke out between the British and the Ashanti in the Gold Coast. The Colonial Office records from this year have recently been catalogued by volunteers at The National Archives. This talk, given by the volunteers themselves, shares ...
Medieval queens in The National Archives

Many medieval kings still loom large in popular culture but the queens who lived and worked alongside them are often less well known. This explores the role of the queen in medieval England focusing in particular on what we can ...
Selling history: the role of the past at Fortnum and Mason

Founded in the year when Great Britain was created, the history of Fortnum and Mason is that of the development of British taste. It covers tea drinking, picnics, mail order, climbing Everest and knickerbocker glories. It is a history of change, ...
Digging for diamonds: hidden histories at The National Archives

From ‘parachuting’ to ‘truffle-hunting’, there are many ways to research at The National Archives. This talk focuses on the histories that are harder to find, from the voices of enslaved Africans to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) communities in ...
Africa through a lens: Focus on Nigeria

Presented by James Cronan, diplomatic and colonial records specialist at The National Archives.
Africa through a lens: The history of colonial South Africa

The history of colonial South Africa, presented by Daniel Gilfoyle, diplomatic and colonial records specialist at The National Archives.
Africa through a lens: Origins and aims

The origins and aims of the Africa through a lens project, presented by Caroline Kimbell, head of licensing at The National Archives.
Africa through a lens

Africa through a lens, presented by Jenny Orme, Diverse Histories Specialist at The National Archives.
What Titanic means to me: Rudi Newman

Academic and Historian Rudi Newman talks about what Titanic means to him.
What Titanic means to me: Peter Boyd-Smith

Maritime Historian Peter Boyd-Smith talks about what Titanic means to him.
What Titanic means to me: James Cronan

Records Specialist James Cronan talks about what Titanic means to him, and a document of special significance.
To Her Most Excellent Majesty…

An introduction to the Privy Purse 1 (PP1) series of records. The beautiful, rarely-seen congratulatory addresses in the Privy Purse series were presented to Queen Victoria to celebrate her Golden Jubilee in 1887 and Diamond Jubilee in 1897. The senders ...
Women and Children First

This talk looks at the origins and social context of why women and children were evacuated from the Titanic first, and did this conformity to the social norm actually lead to a greater loss of life. The talk also looks ...
Titanic: The Last Night of a Small Town

It was Walter Lord in A Night to Remember (1955) who described the sinking of the Titanic as ‘the last night of a small town’. John Welshman’s talk builds upon and challenges Lord’s famous account. On the centenary of the ...
Frederick Woodford, a crewman on Titanic

Much has been written about RMS Titanic, but this has tended to concentrate on the ship and its passengers. Using sources such as crew lists, local newspapers, Titanic Fund minute books and the 1911 census, this talk traces the lives ...