Curated Video
The Persians & Greeks: Crash Course World History
In which John compares and contrasts Greek civilization and the Persian Empire. Of course we're glad that Greek civilization spawned modern western civilization, right? Maybe not. From Socrates and Plato to Darius and Xerxes, John...
Crash Course
American Imperialism Crash Course US History
In which John Green teaches you about Imperialism. In the late 19th century, the great powers of Europe were running around the world obtaining colonial possessions, especially in Africa and Asia. The United States, which as a young...
TED-Ed
TED-ED: Mansa Musa, one of the wealthiest people who ever lived - Jessica Smith
Mansa Musa, the 14th century African king of the Mali Empire, is said to have amassed a fortune that possibly made him one of the wealthiest people who ever lived. Jessica Smith tells the story of how Mansa Musa literally put his empire...
Crash Course
Revolutions of 1848: Crash Course European History
In 1848, Europe experienced a wave of revolutions. Last week we covered some of the reform movements that presaged these uprisings. This week, we're learning about what the people wanted from the revolutions, who was involved, and how...
Crash Course
The Death and Resurrection of Theater as...Liturgical Drama: Crash Course Theater #8
As the Roman Empire fell, so did the theater. If there's anyone who hates theater and actors more than Romans, it's early Christians. As Christianity ascended in the west, theater declined. But, fear not. This isn't the end of the...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: What happened to the lost Kingdom of Kush? | Geoff Emberling
Along the Nile River, in what is now northern Sudan, lay the ancient civilization of Kush. Though they were once conquered by a powerful neighbor, the kings and queens of Kush would go on to successfully challenge two of the most...
TED Talks
TED: The powerful stories that shaped Africa | Gus Casely-Hayford
In the vast sweep of history, even an empire can be forgotten. In this wide-ranging talk, Gus Casely-Hayford shares origin stories of Africa that are too often unwritten, lost, unshared. Travel to Great Zimbabwe, the ancient city whose...
Crash Course
Mansa Musa and Islam in Africa Crash Course World History
In which John Green teaches you about Sub-Saharan Africa! So, what exactly was going on there? It turns out, it was a lot of trade, converting to Islam, visits from Ibn Battuta, trade, beautiful women, trade, some impressive...
Crash Course
18th Century Warfare: Crash Course European History
European powers had a lot of wars in the 18th century, and they weren't confined to Europe. Conflict raged across the globe, in what might be called a World War...but we don't call it that, because we already have a couple of those...
Curated Video
Imperialism: Crash Course World History
In which John Green teaches you about European Imperialism in the 19th century. European powers started to create colonial empires way back in the 16th century, but businesses really took off in the 19th century, especially in Asia and...
Crash Course
Christianity from Judaism to Constantine Crash Course World History
In which John Green teaches you the history of Christianity, from the beginnings of Judaism and the development of monotheism, right up to Paul and how Christianity stormed the Roman Empire in just a few hundred years. Along the way,...
Curated Video
Wait For It...The Mongols!: Crash Course World History
In which John Green teaches you, at long last, about the most exceptional bunch of empire-building nomads in the history of the world, the Mongols! How did the Mongols go from being a relatively small band of herders who occasionally...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: The rise and fall of the Mongol Empire - Anne F. Broadbridge
Trace the rise and fall of the Mongol Empire which, under the leadership of Genghis Khan, became the largest contiguous land empire in history. -- It was the largest contiguous land empire in history— stretching from Korea to Ukraine,...
Crash Course
Imperialism Crash Course World History
In which John Green teaches you about European Imperialism in the 19th century. European powers started to create colonial empires way back in the 16th century, but businesses really took off in the 19th century, especially in Asia and...
TED-Ed
TED-ED: The rise and fall of the Inca empire - Gordon McEwan
It was the western hemisphere's largest empire ever, with a population of nearly 10 million subjects. Yet within 100 years of its rise in the fifteenth century, the Inca Empire would be no more. What happened? Gordon McEwan details the...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: The rise and fall of history's first empire | Soraya Field Fiorio
History's first empire rose out of a hot, dry landscape, without rainfall to nourish crops, without trees or stones for building. In spite of all this, its inhabitants built the world's first cities, with monumental architecture and...
TED-Ed
TED-ED: The rise and fall of the Assyrian Empire - Marian H. Feldman
Before the sun never set on the British Empire; before Genghis Khan swept the steppe; before Rome extended its influence to encircle the Mediterranean Sea; there was ancient Assyria. Considered by historians to be the first true empire,...
Crash Course
The Persians & Greeks Crash Course World History
In which John compares and contrasts Greek civilization and the Persian Empire. Of course we're glad that Greek civilization spawned modern western civilization, right? Maybe not. From Socrates and Plato to Darius and Xerxes, John...
Curated Video
Decolonization and Nationalism Triumphant: Crash Course World History
In which John Green teaches you about the post-World War II breakup of most of the European empires. As you'll remember from previous installments of Crash Course, Europeans spent several centuries sailing around the world creating...
TED-Ed
TED-ED: The rise and fall of the Byzantine Empire - Leonora Neville
Most history books will tell you that the Roman Empire fell in the fifth century CE, but this would've come as a surprise to the millions who lived in the Roman Empire through the Middle Ages. This Medieval Roman Empire, today called the...
Crash Course
The Dark Ages...How Dark Were They, Really Crash Course World History
John Green teaches you about the so-called Dark Ages, which it turns out weren't as uniformly dark as you may have been led to believe. While Europe was indeed having some issues, many other parts of the world were thriving and...
Curated Video
Christianity from Judaism to Constantine: Crash Course World History
In which John Green teaches you the history of Christianity, from the beginnings of Judaism and the development of monotheism, right up to Paul and how Christianity stormed the Roman Empire in just a few hundred years. Along the way,...
TED-Ed
TED-ED: A day in the life of a Roman soldier - Robert Garland
The year is 15 CE, and the Roman Empire is prospering. Most of the credit will go to the emperor, but this success wouldn't have been possible without loyal soldiers like Servius Felix. Robert Garland illuminates what life was like for a...
Crash Course
Mesopotamia: Crash Course World History
In which John presents Mesopotamia, and the early civilizations that arose around the Fertile Crescent. Topics covered include the birth of territorial kingdoms, empires, Neo-Assyrian torture tactics, sacred marriages, ancient labor...