When Bite Marks, a Duel, and Jeering Crowds Marred the Paris Olympics

In 1924, Brits Called for an End to the Games After a Disappointing Performance Amid International Tensions

“Olympic Games Doomed” and “No More Olympic Games,” read headlines published in London’s Times in 1924.

A century ago, British commentators called not only for their nation to withdraw from the Games, but some, more radically, for the end of the Olympics entirely. Rather than bringing together nations in friendly competition, many felt that the Olympic Games were only deepening global strife. Looking back on Great Britain’s continuously shifting history with the Games—and with the 1924 edition in particular—today reminds us why global politics always has the potential to spill over …

by Luke J. Harris | July 25, 2024

How Everyday Britons Forced Their Government to Save Itself

During the 1832 “Days of May,” Citizens Threatened Outright Revolution Until Parliament Passed a Landmark Bill

By Tom Zoellner | December 16, 2021

The legislature had ground to a standstill on countless issues of national import. Special-interest dark money poured freely into the legislative process, and the public could never be sure whose …

Why John Quincy Adams Was the Founder of American Expansionism

An Ardent Believer in National Greatness, the Sixth President Thought America Should Dominate the Hemisphere

By William J. Cooper | February 26, 2018

As the son of John Adams, John Quincy knew most of the other Founders, including George Washington, and he had an abiding belief in the virtue of their handiwork. Declaring …

How the Bloodiest Mutiny in British Naval History Helped Create American Political Asylum

Outrage Over the Revolt Spurred the U.S. to Deliver on a Promise of the Revolution

By A. Roger Ekirch | March 24, 2017

The United States has a special history, and thus bears a unique stake, when it comes to the flight of foreign refugees, particularly those seeking sanctuary from oppression and …

How the EU’s Greek Tragedy Became a British Farce

Out-of-Touch Elites Have Themselves to Blame for Losing Voters to "Populism"

By James Galbraith | October 18, 2016

British citizens took to the polls to cast their “Leave” ballots—and their grievances—in the now-infamous Brexit vote last June, seeking to escape the overarching power of the European Union. Their …

The Quebec Battle That Opened the Door to America

By Beating Back the French in 1759, British Colonials Defeated a Big Obstacle to Their Own Independence

By D. Peter MacLeod | August 2, 2016

You can go to Quebec City, about 100 miles from the nearest U.S. border crossing, for the spectacular scenery, fine dining, great museums, and strolls through neighborhoods that date to …

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