Medicine through time
Early pandemics: the plague
The bubonic plague, or Black Death, was responsible for killing almost half of the Medieval world population.
Medicine in the Middle Ages, 500CE to 1500CE
Doctors in the Middle Ages did not have access to the advanced knowledge that we do. So what did they know?
The Renaissance: the rebirth of medicine, 14th to 17th century
The Renaissance saw the new availability of older wisdom lead to a period of innovation in science and medicine.
Pioneers of medicine
The work of some individual doctors and scholars has helped to advance medical practice.
Case Study: Cholera
Cholera is a water-borne disease that was responsible for killing thousands of people during the 19th century Europe. Find out how it was eradicated.
Burke and Hare: The body snatchers
In the 19th century, the dead bodies of criminals were often used by doctors to practice dissection. Find out about the grisly role played by the body snatchers.
Government interventions in healthcare
During the 19th century, governments decided that the health of the nation could not be left solely to individuals.
The impact of war on medical developments
Many medical advances of the 20th Century were developed through the treatment of soldiers during World War One and World War Two.
Scottish witch trials
Why did the Scottish witch trials begin?
Learn about the background to the witch hunts that took place in Scotland and across Europe in 15th to 17th Centuries.
Why were people afraid of witches?
What powers were witches thought to have and what harm did people fear from them?
What sort of people were accused of being witches?
Anyone could be accused of being a witch, but some people were more likely to be accused than others.
What happened to those accused of being witches?
Find out about the treatment and punishment anyone accused of witchcraft might face.
Case Study: James VI and the North Berwick Witch Hunt
Find out how King James VI became involved in one of Scotland's biggest witch hunts.
Why did the Scottish witch trials end?
Learn about the social, religious and legal changes that brought an end to witch hunts in Scotland and across Europe in the 17th and 18th Century.
How are witches thought of now?
Find out about modern attitudes to witches and witchcraft. How do we view the Scottish witch trials now?
Industrial Revolution
What was life like before the Industrial Revolution?
The arrival of the Industrial Revolution brought massive changes to work practices and everyday life. Find out more.
The impact of the railways during the Industrial Revolution
Steam-powered locomotives and the building of the rail network led to huge changes in Scotland during the Industrial Revolution. Find out why.
Why was coal so important to the Industrial Revolution?
Coal was the fuel that powered the Industrial Revolution, but working conditions in coal mines were often terrible. Find out more.
How did the Industrial Revolution change the textile industry?
The invention of new technologies during the Industrial Revolution allowed the textile industry to expand and make new cloth products.
Social and political reforms during the Industrial Revolution
Living and working conditions during Industrial Revolution could be tough. Find out about political and social reforms designed to make life easier and fairer.
World War One
Reasons for the outbreak of World War One
Explore the rivalries and tensions that led to the outbreak of World War One.
Why did Scots volunteer to fight in World War One?
Explore how unemployment, patriotism, propaganda and social pressure all played a part in Scots enlisting to fight in World War One
Life on the Western Front during World War One
The trench changed the nature of combat during World War One. Find out why they were important, and what it like to live and fight in them.
Scots at the Battle of Loos, 1915
The Battle of Loos is referred to as the Scottish Battle, due to the sheer scale of Scots involvement. Find out about this major WW1 battle.
Scots at the Battle of the Somme, 1916
The Battle of the Somme was one of the bloodies encounters of WW1. Find out about the role played by Scottish soldiers.
World War One: the war at sea
During World War One, the sea became a new battleground. Find out about the biggest naval clash of the war - the Battle of Jutland, 1916.
Life on the 成人快手 Front during World War One
Find out how air raids, food and rationing, the Defence of the Realm Act and other laws affected daily life and industry in Britain during World War One.
World War One: empires at war
Not all battles in World War One were fought in Europe. Major battles were fought in the Middle East as Britain and her allies fought against the Ottoman Empire.
How was the USA involved in World War One?
Find out why the USA decided to enter World War One, and how US involvement helped bring the war to an end.
Hitler and Nazi Germany
World War Two
World War Two changed the world and changed history like no other event in the modern era. From phoney beginnings to global devastation, the course of history was transformed.
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The Holocaust
The Holocaust
The Holocaust is the most infamous genocide in history. It came close to wiping out the entire Jewish population of Europe but questions remain over who has a share in the responsibility for it.
Kristallnacht - the Night of Broken Glass. Video
The full devastation of Kristallnacht and the loss of hope in the Jewish community.