Graham Moore

TODAY: the first day of our exhibition, ‘REVOLUTION 250’. It tells the story of the American Revolution through the British archive. We also look beyond the 250th anniversary of the US Declaration to encompass further stories, including Indigenous nations and Black Loyalists.

nationalarchives.gov.ukThe Black Loyalist and spy who fled to 18th-century LondonScipio Handley, a Black fisherman from South Carolina, took a great personal risk when he sided with the British during the American Revolutionary War.

This #BlackHistoryMonth #BHM2026 we’re highlighting a remarkable story from our Revolution 250 exhibition. Scipio Handley was a free-born Black Loyalist, fisherman, Revolutionary War veteran, and spy. His story took him from revolutionary America to London’s growing early-modern Black community.

We can trace Handley’s story thanks to the records of the Loyalist Claims Commission, which processed claims for Loyalist property lost during the war. (The peace treaty suggested that individual US states might pay these reparations - the British gvt quickly realised this wasn’t going to happen!)

@brionyneilson.bsky.social

Scipio was one of many displaced Black Loyalists who emigrated to early modern London. In fact, he gave his new location as ‘near the Queen’s Head, Lambeth Marsh’. The Queens Head pub no longer exists, but this is basically next to what is now Waterloo Station.

Graham Moore reposted

Briony Neilson

CfP: 'Island Empires and Pacific Power, 1688–1995' symposium taking place in Adelaide in June 2027 🗃️

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Graham Moore reposted

Reading Museum

@readingmuseum.bsky.social

4 Sept

Haven’t got tickets for the Bayeux Tapestry at the British Museum? Don’t worry you can visit Reading's full-size copy, faithfully embroidered by 35 women in 1885-86 (plus extra pants!) Or latest blog compares the two tapestries www.readingmuseum.org.uk/blog/comparing-bayeux-and-reading-tapestries

readingmuseum.org.ukComparing the Bayeux and Reading tapestriesReading’s Bayeux Tapestry is a full-size copy of the original 11th century tapestry. It was created in 1885-1886 by 35 women of the Leek Embroidery Society 'so that England should have a copy of its o...

Graham Moore reposted

Brodie Waddell

@brodiewaddell.bsky.social

3 Sept

*Many hands of every sort* I've got a 10-page feature in the latest @historytoday.com on the emergence of mass petitioning in late Tudor & early Stuart England. Tons of people adding their 'hands' to complaints and requests for the first time! #EarlyModern 🗃️ www.historytoday.com/archive/feat...

Graham Moore reposted

Daniel F Gosling

@thegozfather.bsky.social

1 Sept

Remember remember the 4th November 2026, when I'll be giving an online talk for The National Archives all about the original records relating to the discovery, trial, and punishment of the Gunpowder Plotters. www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/whats-on/eve...

nationalarchives.gov.ukGunpowder Plot – punishing the plottersWhat happened after Guy Fawkes was captured?

nationalarchives.gov.ukThe mysterious Baltimore copy of the US Declaration of IndependenceWe hold an original version of the Declaration that is completely unique: the only known copy attributed to John Dunlap’s shop in Baltimore.

12 Aug

More digging into TNA's copies of the US Declaration. Could this mysterious 'Baltimore Dunlap' be the 27th surviving original Declaration of Independence, actually printed in Philadelphia? (New evidence from our Heritage Science department says 'yes'!)

Graham Moore reposted

vesselspotter.eurosky.social

@vesselspotter.eurosky.social

5 Aug

maritime-executive.com/editorials/t... #MaritimeHistory

maritime-executive.comTiny Crystals Reveal Historical Background of the Batavia MutinyFew episodes occupy a darker place in maritime history than the wreck of the Batavia. Wrecked off the mid-west coast of Western Australia in June 16...

Graham Moore reposted

Museum of the American Revolution

@amrevmuseum.bsky.social

28 July

#OnThisDay in 1776, Jonas Phillips tried to spread the news of American independence to Europe. But a British ship intercepted his message. After 250 years tucked away at the National Archives in the UK, his letter and Declaration broadside have returned to Philadelphia. 📜: bit.ly/3MYjbIm

Graham Moore reposted

The Museum of English Rural Life (MERL)

@themerl.bsky.social

16 July

Absolute Units returns! We're back with the @uniofreading.bsky.social's Tom Oliver and Marzia Briel, talking about how we can rethink and rebuild humanity's relationship with nature. Listen wherever you get your podcasts! merl.reading.ac.uk/explore/abso...

merl.reading.ac.ukAbsolute Units podcast - The Museum of English Rural LifeCome for the big sheep. Stay for the history of rural England and its people.

Graham Moore reposted

History Workshop

@historyworkshop.org.uk

16 July

Who held the power during an arrest in early modern England? @lucyjsclarke.bsky.social explores how bystanders could uphold or undermine the power of the state.

historyworkshop.org.ukBeing an Audience to ArrestLucy Clarke examines the arrest in early modern England, reconstructing how bystanders could legitimise or challenge the power of the state.

Graham Moore reposted

@eicathomefinn.bsky.social

15 July

The Polly, seized in July 1776, looked like an ordinary merchant ship hauling oil, candles and flour. In truth, she carried a secret mission: passenger William Hodge held orders to buy muskets, gunpowder and warships for Congress—papers he threw overboard moments before capture #skystorians #history

Graham Moore reposted

Bodleian Libraries

@bodleian.ox.ac.uk

13 July

The 2026 World Cup (medieval edition). #MedievalMonday Bodleian Library MS. Douce 62

Graham Moore reposted

Margot Finn

12 July

'"This is pure mentality," he said.' Actually, as cultural historians will instantly have picked up, Thomas Tuchel was making a sophisticated reference here to the concept of mentalité. If England wants to beat Argentina, the coaching team needs to be augmented with a cultural historian pronto.

bbc.co.ukWorld Cup 2026: Tuchel fumes at 'lucky' and 'sloppy' England - but Jude Bellingham defends playersEngland head coach Thomas Tuchel is praised by former England players for saying his players "got lucky" in World Cup quarter-final win over Norway - but match-winner Jude Bellingham disagrees.

Graham Moore reposted

Andy Marshall

@fotofacade.bsky.social

7 July

One of my fave things in York Minster: a medieval wren stalking a spider. It reminds me that history isn't only kings and battles. Someone, centuries ago, found joy in the same things we still notice today. It's a reminder of how much we have in common over our differences.

historyhit.comAmerican Revolution: Declarations of War and IndependenceThe year 2026 marks a monumental milestone in global history: the 250th anniversary of the United States Declaration of Independence. To commemorate...

delighted to feature on History Hit's new film about the American Revolution, alongside documents from our Revolution 250 exhibition. Dan and I talk about everything from the US Declaration of Independence to an item colleagues and I affectionately call 'The Giant 18th-Century Spreadsheet'.

aforementioned 'Spreadsheet' is lurking in this photo from inside Revolution 250. no spoilers - but it features an inordinate amount of rum, and also a few hatpins. need to know more? watch the film - or visit the (free!) exhibition here in Kew!

Graham Moore reposted

Science Museum

@sciencemuseum.org.uk

Ahead of our upcoming exhibition Becoming America: how science shaped a nation, supported by Griffin Catalyst, our latest blog post explores the scientific thinking that underpinned the Declaration of Independence: https://bit.ly/4eKhgGk

Graham Moore reposted

On 3-4 July 1776, as Philadelphia finalised the Declaration of Independence, four American merchant ships were seized off Cape Henlopen, Delaware by the British, and taken to New York Bay. Papers from the Adrian, Fidelity, and Peggy were likely lost. More soon on the Polly's secret mission

Graham Moore reposted

Kai Bosworth

@kaibosworth.bsky.social

wordsaremonuments.orgThe Other 250 - Words Are Monuments

New from The Natural History Museum -- The Other 250, a counter-atlas which "shows how place-names shape past and present struggles over land, power, and belonging, and holds the histories that official commemoration works to sanitize or suppress." wordsaremonuments.org/the-other-250/

Graham Moore reposted

nationalarchives.gov.ukFinding a new copy of the US Declaration of IndependenceIn May 2026, a volunteer working on a cataloguing project at The National Archives made an astonishing discovery.

Rare find at the National Archives UK: earlier this year, the volunteer Michael Scurr at TNA discovered one of the earliest prints of the US Declaration of Independence in the Royal Navy Captains’ letters collection and can be linked to our collection as it travelled on the American privateer Dalton

Graham Moore reposted

David Hood

@thoughtfulnz.bsky.social

theguardian.com‘Vanishingly rare’ copy of US Declaration of Independence found by volunteer in UK archivesOne of 11 surviving copies of ‘Exeter printing’ and only one known outside US was taken from American privateer ship

But they were, all of them, deceived, for another Declaration was made in the land of Exeter.

Graham Moore@mooregraham.bsky.social

we have some fun 4 July news over at The National Archives! a new copy of the US Declaration of Independence, with an amazing story behind it (privateers! printers! prisoners!) - but also, a find that shows the power and importance of our volunteering and cataloguing projects.

thanks for visiting, Katrina - it’s so great to hear you enjoyed it!! (the Anglo-Mohawk agreement here is one of my favourites from our item selection)

Katrina Navickas@katrinanavickas.bsky.social

At the American Revolution exhibition at TNA. It's great. Something so powerful seeing the materiality of ink on vellum of documents that actually changed everything and have massive legacy for today. #Long18thC

big thanks to BBC R4’s Today programme for having me on to talk about this (find me on catch-up, around 08.45am!)

Graham Moore@mooregraham.bsky.social

the team at R4 are very professional and kind - which is lucky, because this image sums up the experience at my end

nytimes.comRare Copy of the Declaration of Independence Is Discovered in London

yesterday we invited a bunch of journalists to come look at some historical records. luckily, plenty turned up (HCA 32 fans perhaps) - to see this newly discovered ‘Exeter’ (NH) print of the Declaration! found in ADM 1 correspondence - but prize papers, muster books, etc tell the rest of the story.

nationalarchives.gov.ukThe American privateer and the secret copy of the Declaration of IndependenceUncover the story of the American privateer Dalton, and her rare copy of the US Declaration of Independence.

read the FULL story of the Dalton Declaration here on our website

1 July

Now That’s What I Call A Roundtable (on the Amistad no less!) (I’m also there, but on a different table. feasibly a quadrilateral table. many shapes of table are available, at a variety of furniture stores that may/not be Swedish. table humour aside this is a GREAT issue)

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1 July

also I feel I have said this before but I thoroughly recommend publishing with this journal, the editorial team & peer reviewers are EXTREMELY generous with their time and labour - AND, as you can see, some top notch articles (and me). all-round positive experience!

Graham Moore reposted

@speakerconolly.bsky.social

1 July

The Prize Papers Project announces a new collaboration with Capstan Games. Together with the German Maritime Museum and the Gamelab Oldenburg, we explore the Age of Sail by linking archival research with historically grounded game development for the game Ahoy #maritimehistory #earlymodern #history

Graham Moore reposted

Patrick walsh

26 June

Great new job as Professor of Early Modern Irish History at Dublin City University advertised today. universityvacancies.com/dublin-city-...

universityvacancies.comProfessor in Early Modern Irish History | University Vacancies Ireland

Graham Moore reposted

History Workshop

@historyworkshop.org.uk

26 June

📣 Call for Applications 📣 History Workshop is seeking to appoint one Editorial Fellow in 2026, with specialism in pre-1800 CE history from any part of the globe. This is a part-time, paid role. Application deadline: 7 August 2026. Please share widely!

historyworkshop.org.ukCall for Applications: Editorial Fellowship at History Workshop, 2026History Workshop is seeking to appoint one Editorial Fellow in 2026, with specialism in pre-1800 CE history from any part of the globe.

Graham Moore reposted

Past and Present

@pastpresentsoc.bsky.social

26 June

Our 2026 Supplement (#18) "Medicine, Race, and Slavery in the Transatlantic World, 1600–1850" Edited by @hsmurphy.bsky.social (@kingshistory.bsky.social @cemskcl.bsky.social) Has now been published by @academic.oup.com academic.oup.com/past/issue/2...

25 June

At Chalke History Festival today, talking about ‘Revolution 250’ with my colleague and co-curator Sean Cunningham. (Weird moment as, exactly 10 years ago in VERY different weather, I was part if the volunteer team at this same festival!) Thanks to everyone who braved the heat to hear us today!

nationalarchives.gov.ukRevolution through a British lensDiscover the story of the birth of the United States of America.

25 June

if you WEREN’T in deepest darkest Wiltshire today, you can catch a similar talk tomorrow/Friday online via TNA www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/whats-on/eve...

nationalarchives.gov.ukDivided loyalties: Ireland and the American War of IndependenceDiscover how Ireland engaged with ideas of rebellion and liberty in an age of revolutions.

25 June

AND the one and only @joelherman.bsky.social on 1 July!! www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/whats-on/eve...

docs.google.comAlumni petition against the cuts to the Faculty of Humanities, Arts and Social SciencesAny Exeter alumni who wish for their names to be added to the petition below should please complete the form at this link: https://forms.gle/SpdYvmmsCaJbmZft6. If you are not an alumnus, but still wis...

Studied at Exeter for my BA/MA (History & Classics depts). Top of the line teaching and research, interlinked. Exeter remains one of the most productive UK universities in my own fields (early modern, social, maritime history). If Humanities here is up for cuts then what university is NOT at risk?

Lewis Wade 🗃️@wadehistory.bsky.social

🚨 PLEASE SHARE WIDELY 🚨 If you are an Exeter alumnus, and wish to express your horror at the proposed cuts to the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, please sign the Google Doc petition below. Not an alumnus? You can still help by signing the Exeter UCU petition at c.org/msXfsb2g5b 🗃️

Graham Moore reposted

Lewis Wade 🗃️

@wadehistory.bsky.social

nationalarchives.gov.ukRevolution 250: America's Independence Story 1763–1783Marking the 250th anniversary of The US Declaration of Independence, this powerful free exhibition charts the emergence of the United States of America.

It’s been amazing to curate this exhibition working alongside so many other people here at TNA, and externally (including the Indigenous Values Initiative and the Black Loyalist Heritage Society). Exhibition runs 24/06-29/11 at The National Archives, Kew. #skystorians

Graham Moore reposted

How-to History

@howtohistory.bsky.social

how-to-history.comMarketsJoe Saunders Markets have historically fulfilled a key role in the economic life of Britain with most towns prior to the nineteenth-century existing as market centres. These markets provided regula…

Markets, by Joe Saunders. Markets have historically fulfilled a key role in the economic life of Britain with most towns prior to the nineteenth-century existing as market centres. how-to-history.com/2026/06/24/m...

1768: Fort Stanwix, NY. The British and the Haudenosaunee Confederacy were negotiating the final portion of a new boundary line that would extend colonial settlement west into Indigenous nations' territory. The line was supposed to bring peace to North America. Instead, it heralded a Revolution.

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The 1768 line was supposed to confirm the settlement boundary once and for all. It was also a huge concession to British colonists, who increasingly resented what they saw as their government's tendency to prioritise Indigenous dipomacy over colonists' priorities/desire to expand.

nationalarchives.gov.ukAnglo-Indigenous diplomacy in colonial North AmericaIn the 1760s, Britain tried to appease European settlers and Indigenous nations with a balance of aggressive land acquisition and careful diplomacy.

At great cost to America's Indigenous nations, Britain saw an opportunity to end its colonial crisis and expand its direct imperial territory in one sweeping move. So the question is, *what went wrong*? Find out here www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/explore-the-... #skystorians #US250

Since 1763, westward settlement had been limited to the Appalachian Mountains- but colonists continued to cross that boundary, causing conflict. This undermined Britain's alliances with Indigenous nations, which were vital to maintaining colonial power in North America.