The hottest Colonial History Substack posts right now

The British Bang a U-ey

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 185 implied HN points • 18 Mar 26

💾 History Colonial History

British forces evacuated Boston on March 17, 1776, ending a yearlong siege and returning the city to patriot control.
Many Loyalists left with the British; the departure was chaotic but avoided the mass tragedies that can accompany rushed evacuations.
The evacuation showed that a great power can withdraw from a city while still helping its allies, a practical lesson for later and modern withdrawals.

A Lawful Insurrection: The Massachusetts Provincial Congress

Papyrus Rampant • 119 implied HN points • 05 Oct 24

💾 History Colonial History

In 1774, Massachusetts set up its own government, independent from British rule, even before the American Revolution officially started. They did this peacefully and with strong community involvement.
General Gage, the British governor, faced growing resistance from the people of Massachusetts. They were organizing and defying his orders, making it clear they opposed British authority.
The Massachusetts Provincial Congress acted like a government by making decisions, collecting taxes, and preparing for war. Their actions laid the groundwork for the future American government and the fight for independence.

Australia: American FOB, American mimic

Kvetch • 60 implied HN points • 01 Mar 26

💾 History Colonial History

American power has been the dominant force shaping Australian politics and culture for the last century, with Australia often following U.S. leads rather than acting independently.
Australia’s security posture shifted from Britain to the United States early in the 20th century, effectively making Australia a U.S. forward operating base and binding its military policy to American interests.
Major social and legal changes in Australia — from immigration and civil rights to disability and marriage laws — frequently mirrored American reforms, with U.S. ideas, movements, and precedents strongly influencing Australian law and public debate.

Was White Australia an aberration?

Kvetch • 53 implied HN points • 21 Feb 26

💾 History Colonial History

Australia was born and matured with strong classical liberal ideals that favored universal rights and practical equality, which limited how extreme racial policies became. These liberal roots coexisted with reactionary elements but remained a central part of the political culture.
The White Australia policy grew out of specific geopolitical and economic fears—Chinese gold rush migration, the rise of Japan, and worries Britain wouldn’t defend the continent—so it was as much a nationalist, pragmatic response to vulnerability as an expression of racial animus. Even many liberals supported it at the time as a means to preserve social order and democratic stability.
After WWII, changing global circumstances—Britain’s retreat, Japan’s defeat, and growing trade with Asia—pushed Australia back toward its liberal, universalist traditions and led to the dismantling of racially exclusionary policies. In that sense, the White Australia era can be seen as a roughly six-decade nationalist interruption rather than the nation’s defining character.

2025 Reading List

Nemets • 219 implied HN points • 29 Dec 25

💾 History Colonial History

Canada’s political identity is fragile and regionally divided, with strong provincial differences and historic ties to both Britain and the United States shaping competing loyalties. Constitutional and judicial changes have amplified these divides and made separatist movements and political strain more plausible.
Legal and institutional shifts—especially expanded judicial review and civil‑rights era policies—have empowered courts and bureaucracies to reshape public life and corporate practices, producing wide cultural and administrative effects often called “woke.” These changes can discipline institutions without mass mobilization, but they also weaken direct democratic accountability.
Geography, migration, and demography drive political outcomes: settlement patterns, resource booms, and cross‑border movements shaped provinces and regions and altered national trajectories. Paying attention to these material forces helps explain why states change, fragment, or endure.

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How Australia excised its British soul

Kvetch • 53 implied HN points • 01 Feb 26

💾 History Colonial History

For over a century many Australians thought of themselves as essentially British and kept hoping Britain would look out for them, even after repeated disappointments.
Britain’s turn to Europe in 1973 broke the idea of a shared imperial future and forced Australia to rethink its identity, leading to moves like a distinct citizenship and a new national anthem.
When Australians chose 'Advance Australia Fair' in 1977 they picked a song rooted in British-flavoured patriotism but cut the stanza about a 'British soul', signaling a tendency to downplay or hide that inherited identity while still struggling to find a clear replacement.

(Largely) HOISTED FROM THE ARCHIVES: “West”, “North Atlantic”, or “Dover Circle”?

Brad DeLong's Grasping Reality • 61 implied HN points • 03 Jan 26

💾 History Colonial History

Labels like “the West” or “Global North” are too vague, and a more useful term is “Dover Circle‑Plus” — the set of societies in, settled from, or that copied the economic and institutional model that emerged after 1500 around the Dover area of England.
That model depended on specific institutional and social features — church rules that broadened trust, legal systems that bound rulers, competitive proto‑nation states, self‑governing cities that empowered merchants, and fragmented elites — which together created social flexibility and room for experimentation and growth.
Telling history as a continuous ‘Western Civilization’ torch is misleading: the Dover Circle’s rise was gradual and contingent, not an ancient unbroken lineage, and its global dominance was secured only over centuries through both hard power and cultural influence.

The Scramble for French Africa

Diane Francis • 659 implied HN points • 04 Sep 23

🌍 World Politics Colonial History

Recent military coups in former French colonies, like Gabon and Niger, reflect growing instability as local governments lose support and seek new alliances. This situation is often fueled by foreign powers, especially China and Russia, looking to expand their influence.
France's past colonial actions led to many African countries facing issues like dictatorship and lack of democracy, which has contributed to current unrest. Many African nations feel abandoned by France, leading to a rejection of French military assistance.
As countries like China and Russia gain power in Africa, France is struggling to keep its influence. New leadership may not guarantee democracy, but there is a hope for fair elections and rights, though many see these coups as just swapping one corrupt leader for another.

In Omsk: A German Colony in the Western Siberian Command - Ivan Babkov, 1912

The Library of Alexandria Ultima • 8 implied HN points • 11 Feb 26

💾 History Colonial History

Omsk was a modest provincial city in the 1850s that had lost much of its military role but later grew through construction and civic improvements under the Governor-General.
The Western Siberian military and administrative leadership was largely non-Russian, dominated by Germans, Swedes, Poles, Latvians and Finns, creating a distinctly foreign-led local elite.
Patronage among these officers placed compatriots into positions, sometimes despite little relevant experience, so local commanders often relied on imported personnel rather than native Russian officers.

Alfred McCoy: Controlling the 'World Island'

God's Spies by Thomas Neuburger • 45 implied HN points • 08 Aug 25

🌍 World Politics Colonial History

Western powers have long tried to control Asia, referred to as the 'world island,' for its vast resources and strategic importance.
Geopolitics, the use of geography for military and economic advantage, has shaped strategies for empire management throughout history.
The U.S. has focused on dominating the Pacific coast to ensure its global influence, which is now challenged by China's growing presence and ambitions in the region.

Layer Upon Layer.

Trying to Understand the World • 5 implied HN points • 23 Jul 25

🌍 World Politics Colonial History

Empires have shaped our world in many ways, and their impact is still felt today. Political borders and identities often trace back to these historical empires, not just modern nations.
Conflicts often involve identity groups and communities, rather than just nation-states. Understanding these deeper historical relationships is key to addressing the ongoing issues in places like Ukraine and the Middle East.
The idea of the nation-state is complicated and often ineffective. Many conflicts arise when trying to force people into rigid national identities that don’t reflect their actual histories or communities.

The River Chu - Nikolai Abramov, 1860

The Library of Alexandria Ultima • 4 implied HN points • 10 Jul 25

💾 History Colonial History

The Chu River is important in Central Asia, flowing from the Tianshan Mountains through Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan. It's known for its quick currents and sandy shores.
Historically, the river marked Russia's frontier with Central Asia, and the Kokand Khanate controlled parts of the area including key fortresses until Russian conquest.
The Chu River supports local agriculture and is home to various fish species, with its surroundings rich in natural resources and historical significance.

The River Ili - Nikolai Abramov, 1860

The Library of Alexandria Ultima • 9 implied HN points • 09 Nov 24

💾 History Colonial History

The Ili River has been home to many nomadic peoples throughout history, with different groups displacing each other over time. This shows how migration and displacement shaped the region.
The Russian conquest in the 1850s marked a significant shift from nomadic to sedentary lifestyles in the Ili region, leading to the establishment of towns and agriculture.
The Ili River is important not just for its water, but for the diverse history and cycles of inhabitants that have lived along its banks, influencing Central Asia's culture and economy.