English philosopher Thomas Hobbes believed that life would be "nasty, brutish and short" without a strong government. IDEAS explores how a new take on Hobbes offers a surprising perspective on the ...

A witchcraft trial in England, 17th century. A suspected witch is lowered ... as the Devil’s helpers on Earth. Often, people’s lack of understanding led them to believe that bad things were ...

Opening and disturbing graves in this way was relatively common during the 17th century in the region because people often attributed misfortune to supernatural activity by the dead, Poliński said.

Although few Europeans had actually seen such a strange animal, people had countless facts at their disposal. Elephants were wise, with such a keen sense of direction that they’d guide a wayward ...

As much as a quarter of Jamaicans claim Irish ancestry, including Bob Marley, and many people on the islands are ... ancestors who settled there in the 17th century as servants on English-owned ...

The status of blacks in Virginia slowly changed over the last half of the 17th century. The black indentured servant, with his hope of freedom, was increasingly being replaced by the black slave.