colonial history

3 posts tagged with this keyword.

Portrait of Ellen Turner by Henry Wyatt, 1829

The Matrimonial Entrepreneur

Mar 7, 2026 By Andy Barca

In 1826, a 30-year-old diplomat abducted a 15-year-old heiress with forged letters and a manufactured family crisis, married her at Gretna Green, and nearly got away with it. He served three years in prison. Then helped found New Zealand.

The Death of General Wolfe by Benjamin West, 1770

A Few Acres of Snow

Feb 10, 2026 By Andy Barca

On 10 February 1763, the Treaty of Paris ended the Seven Years' War. France traded a continent for a sugar island, Britain collected an empire, and the bills came due within a generation.

Portrait of John VI of Portugal, prince regent who led the court's transfer to Brazil in 1808.

The Court That Sailed Too Well

Jan 22, 2026 By Andy Barca

On 22 January 1808, the Portuguese royal court arrived in Brazil after fleeing Napoleon. The colony became the empire's capital, Britain got the trade access it had always wanted, and Portugal spent a decade governing itself from the wrong continent.