Dido Belle was a young black woman, born to a British Naval Officer and a slave woman but brought up in an aristocratic family. She was privileged but not equal, loved but not legally free. She occupied an extraordinary position in the home of the Lord Chief Justice Mansfield as his adopted niece, at a time when he was giving judgement in the notorious case of the Zong slave massacre. Julie will be looking at her life story, her portrait and what her life tells us about attitudes to black people in Britain in the 18th Century.
Up Next in Season 1
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What Actually Were the Anglo-Dutch Wars?
Not many people have ever heard of the Anglo-Dutch Wars of the Seventeenth century – These were three wars between England and the United Provinces (you’ll know them today as the Netherlands) between 1652 and 1674, fought for money, prestige and political rivalries in England. The Anglo-Dutch war...
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History Through Statues: The Early Am...
In the second talk of a three part series, Steven Bishop will pick up where we left off last time at the Declaration of Independence to examine the first decades of the newly formed United States. How did George Washington rise to become the first President and a national hero? How were the Bill ...
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Athens: Birthplace of Democracy
Percy talks about Athens in the period 600 to 338 BCE. He discusses topics such as Pericles of Athens and the birth of democracy. He looks broadly at the City described as ‘The City of the Gods’. Athena, the goddess of Athens was the goddess of wisdom and war. Wisdom was particularly apposite as ...
