Tag: History
All longform pieces tagged with #history on The Slow Scroll
The evolution of Italy's railway system is an ongoing effort that spans over a century. Marco Chitti explores how the Italian railways transformed from outdated infrastructure into a network capable of meeting modern demands. Chitti details the technical and political challenges ...
Kathryn Hughes writes about the lives of Victorian London's "cat's meat men," who sold cheap meat to pet owners. This took place during a time when public attitudes toward cats were shifting—from being seen primarily as rat catchers to becoming beloved domestic companions. The tr...
The history of the bulldozer is darker than you might think, and its evolution goes beyond simple construction and demolition. Joe Zadeh explores its origins in violent voter suppression, to its weaponization in war and state-sanctioned home demolitions, and how it has been a sym...
As Chile commemorated the 50th anniversary of Augusto Pinochet's coup, President Gabriel Boric's unveiling of the National Search Plan aimed to confront painful historical wounds. The initiative seeks to find the remains of many Chileans who disappeared during the regime, but tru...
Marcin Wichary takes us on a fascinating journey while exploring the surprising ubiquity of the font “Gorton” in New York City. Despite its quirky and often imperfect designs, this font can be found in both mundane and extraordinary settings, from office signs to the Apollo space...
Names are not just labels; they carry stories, power, and cultural memory. In this excerpt from his book, “Names of New York,” Joshua Jelly-Schapiro invites us to reconsider how the names we encounter daily affect our perceptions and connections to the places we inhabit.
In the 1980s, a significant shift occurred in global food production, allowing the average person to access enough calories for the first time in history. Charles C. Mann explores how innovations from the Green Revolution, particularly advances in fertilization, irrigation, and g...
Atossa Araxia Abrahamian writes about how Jean Ziegler has spent the past 60 years exposing how Switzerland enabled global wrongdoing.
Colin Dickey explores ley lines, theorized as unseen lines connecting ancient sites, and their evolution from archaeological speculation to metaphysical importance. It traces the origins of the idea to Alfred Watkins' "The Old Straight Track" and its subsequent interpretations, c...
Anton Howes continues tracing the history of the rise of coal, and how it transformed not just heating practices but also the economy and daily life in growing urban centers. The essay provides rich historical detail, as it highlights the interplay between technology, culture, an...