Raye's History House

The Rise and Fall of Roman North Africa

“Right around the birth of Christ, Rome was in the middle of taking over North Africa. When Carthage fell to the Romans in 146BC, Rome created the province of…”

How Ancient Egypt Changed Africa

“For 30 centuries (3100BC-332BC), ancient Egypt was the greatest civilization on the Mediterranean. Egypt built magnificent structures, organized a central government, invented its own language and…”

The Invention of Paper: Fear and Promise

“Paper was one of the most influential inventions of all time. That statement seems…”

The Bantu Migration: The Origin of Modern Southern Africa

“The Bantu migration took place over about 1500 years as the original inhabitants of approximately modern day Cameroon and southern…”

A Basic History of Guns

“In 2019 alone, approximately 250,227 people died from gun-related deaths. 71% of those deaths were homicides, 21% were suicides, and 8% were accidental discharges…”

The Heavy Plough: Northern Europe’s Saving Grace

“The heavy plough allowed the growth of Northern European cities, since, for the first time, the heavy clay soil could be easily farmed…”

Chaco Canyon: America’s Forgotten Treasure

“Chaco Canyon was once one of the greatest cities in what is now the United States, yet many people don’t even know it exists. The Pueblo began to occupy….”

Cahokia Mounds

“The Cahokia Mounds are a group of mounds on the southern tip of Illinois in Collinsville, 8 miles (13km) northeast of St. Louis. They were created by the Natives who lived in the area between the years 600 and 1400 AD…”

Origin of the Castle

“The first modern castles were brought to England by the Norman invasion in 1066. These structures were usually built on top of ancient defensive sites atop high ground. Early castles were often made of wood and were used primarily…”

Great Zimbabwe: A Look into Africa’s Lost Past

“Great Zimbabwe is the largest single ancient structure existing in sub-Saharan Africa. Located in southeastern Africa, Zimbabwe was named for the ruins when it gained its independence from Britain in 1980 (previously called Rhodesia)…”

The Cliff Dwellings of Mesa Verde

“Mesa Verde is a series of cliff dwellings created by the Ancestral Pueblo in southwestern Colorado near the modern city of Cortez in Montezuma county. The people…”

The Compass: That Invention that Discovered the World

The very first compasses existed in ancient China and were probably invented about 2000 years ago. These consisted of a lodestone or a needle rubbed on a lodestone which is then suspended in water. The needle or stone will then direct itself in a north-south alignment. In China, this was initially used for Feng-shui. Mesoamerica…”

Casa Grande: Arizona History

“Casa Grande is what is left of the Hohokam society that thrived between the 14th and 16th centuries in the flat plain of central Arizona between the Gila and Santa Cruz rivers. It is contemporary with other Arizona ruins, such as Tonto and Montezuma. Casa Grande was once part of a collection of settlements along the Gila River that were connected by a network of irrigation canals. The Hohokam (a name given to them by researchers) lived in one of…”

Rich Africa: The Trans-Saharan Gold Trade

“The Sahara Desert has tantalized minds, been a transcendent destination, and/or a tomb for the countless people who have stood in its wake and asked, ‘What do those golden horizons hold for me?’…”

Chicago’s Ugly Laws: Ableist Laws Stayed on Books for 100 Years

“In 1881, Chicago created a city ordinance banning anyone “diseased, maimed, mutilated, or any way deformed, so as to be an unsightly or disgusting object’ from appearing in public. Chicago was following in the footsteps of several other cities which had instituted similar laws, beginning with San Francisco in 1867. Other cities with ‘ugly laws’ included New Orleans (1879), Portland (1881)…”

Elizabeth Packard: Deemed Crazy for Disagreeing With Her Husband

“Elizabeth Packard (1816-1897) disagreed with her husband’s, Theophilus, beliefs. Theophilus was a Calvinist minister, but his wife’s views were closer to what were considered more modern and enlightened, such as perfectionism, spiritualism, and Swedenborgianism. After Elizabeth argued with Theophilus in front of his congregation and announced she was moving to the…”

The Boer Wars

The Boer Wars, also called the Wars of Independence or the Anglo-Boer Wars, were two wars that took place in South Africa between 1880-1881 and…”

What Was the Rwandan Genocide? How 800,000 People Died in 3 Months

“The Rwandan Genocide was a period of about 100 days from April-July 1994 when 800,000 people lost their lives to ethnic conflict…”

Color TV

“The color television was invented in Mexico by Guillermo González Camarena in 1940. Camarena first became interested in engineering when he was just a child. His interest began with radios, and he would scavenge for parts for…”