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HIST 150: Climate Change in Historical Perspective (Spring 2025)

The Doom of London

Published in 1903, Fred White's Doom of London includes Six stories about ecological disasters in a near-distant-future London. 

This include:

  • a four day blizzard that freezes the city into a lifeless wastelast
  • four days of total darkness in the city because of smog
  • a disease in the soil causing a plague due to poor sanitation
  • a flood in Africa destroying the world market
  • an underground electrical cable turning the city into a deathtrap
  • a taunted water supply poising the entire city.

Questions

  • What historical context do we need to understand this source?
  • What are important questions we need to answer about the author, publisher, etc?
  • What is the intended audience?
  • How might we use this as a primary source in this course?

Bonus Text