For nearly a century until 1694, thousands of enslaved Africans escaped from Portuguese plantations to the rebel kingdom of Palmares, where fugitives ruled.Wikimedia CommonsIn this 1647 map of the Brazilian state of Pernambuco, the Palmarians are represented in the right corner.
For over three centuries, millions of Africans and their descendants were held in captivity throughout the Americas and forced to provide the labor that would generate vast fortunes for their captors. Read More...
Red-light districts are city neighborhoods with a high concentration of sex work. These unique worlds exist all over the globe — and each has their own unique history.Many people around the world know about red-light districts thanks to places like the famous De Wallen neighborhood in Amsterdam. However, for centuries, red-light districts have existed in various forms all around the globe.
Such neighborhoods where sex work is popular and concentrated, are common in many urban settings. Read More...
Medieval philosopher Roger Bacon was said to have predicted numerous inventions hundreds of years before they were created and may have even discovered the formula for the philosopher's stone.Today, Roger Bacon is regarded as a forward-thinking genius in both scientific and philosophical circles. However, most people living in 13th-century England alongside him thought he was a sorcerer — if not a fool. Public DomainRoger Bacon in his observatory at Merton College, Oxford. Read More...
