The Dark Side of History: Stories That Were Hidden for Centuries

The Dark Side of History: Stories That Were Hidden for Centuries

Explore the dark side of history with eye-opening hidden stories, forgotten events, and untold truths that shaped our world and were kept secret for centuries.

Introduction

When we think of history, the stories of great leaders, heroic victories, and progress come to mind. But history also has a dark side, and it’s a side that rarely ever makes it into history books. In fact, there are many hidden stories, secrets, and tragedies that exist behind the glory and accomplishments that have been buried or forgotten throughout time.

While all of these hidden stories are relevant to inform us of the mistakes of mankind, our purpose is not to glorify suffering, for which we do not claim a monopoly over, but rather to shed light on the hidden side of history so we can understand the truth of human nature, power, greed and survival.

In this article, we will highlight a number of chilling, forgotten, or otherwise uncomfortable truths that illustrate how history is much more complicated than what we were taught during history lessons.

1. The Library of Alexandria: Knowledge Permanently Lost

The Library of Alexandria in ancient Egypt was one of the largest repositories of knowledge in history. According to sources, it contained "thousands" of scrolls on topics such as science, literature, philosophy, and medicine from cultures across the ancient world.

For reasons not entirely known, a good amount of this knowledge found its way to permanent destruction in a fire around 48 BC, when Julius Caesar's army invaded Alexandria. Given that the library existed for centuries, further loss may have occurred through neglect or lost to forever by other attacks.

Why it matters: If the scrolls had survived, we cannot help but wonder how much more advanced human civilization might have already been. Consider how many cures, scientific discoveries, or technological concepts were wiped out. This represents one of the greatest human losses in history that remains in the shadows of Rome's conquests.

2. The Salem Witch Trials: Fear instead of Justice

In 1692, the town of Salem, Massachusetts gained worldwide notoriety for its witch trials. Motivated by fear, superstition, and battles for leverage, there were over 200 accusations of witchcraft, with 20 women hanged.

The real tragedy? Most of the people accused were innocent. The trials had little to do with witchcraft as they did allegations of control, paranoia, and personal vendettas.

Why it matters: The Salem Witch Trials serve as a powerful reminder of how fear can trump reason in society - something organizations and governments have inherited standing feuds.

3. The Trail of Tears - AnIntentionally Maligned, and Painful Walk of Suffering

The Trail of Tears (1831 - 1850) was one of the most devastating periods in American history. Under the Indian Removal Act, Native American tribes, such as the Cherokee, Creek, and Seminole were forced to vacate their lands and move west.

During the horrendous march westward, thousands died from disease, starvation, and fatigue. This travesty remained hidden beneath the centuries-old narratives of "expansion" and "progress."

Why it matters: The Trail of Tears represents a historical moment when governments were willing to sacrifice human lives in the name of Power, and land, inflicting generational trauma upon Indigenous peoples.

4. The Great Fire of London - Truths Ignited in Ashes

The Great Fire of London caused a massive destruction to much greater areas of the city, leaving thousands of people homeless, all of which is widely known. However, it is not as well-known that minority groups had been scapegoated for the Great Fire of London.

Foreign-born individuals, particularly French and Dutch immigrants, faced violence and harassment, with their properties burned down or completely vandalized, and were largely thought of as arsonists and accused of starting the fire that burned much of London. In actuality, the fire was blamed on an accidental beginning in a bakery.

Why it matters: This account shows the panic that makes it too easy for fear to result in scapegoat violence, which echoes in our contemporary moment.

5. The Génocide arménien - L'horreur caché

The Ottomans committed what we now refer to as the Armenian Genocide during World War I. Between 1915 - 1917 over 1.5 million Armenians were murdered or marched to death.

For decades it was denied or downplayed, which makes it one of history's hidden tragedies.

Why does it matter: Remembering genocides is extremely important not only to remember the victims but to help inspire action to prevent future genocides.

6. The Dark Truths of Colonialism

Columbus and America is most often taught as an advance of civilization and history. But it was much more like a hunting and resource acquiring expedition. Lands were seized , people were enslaved, cultures destroyed or erased.

Whether it was the scramble for Africa, or the forced labor on Indian peasants, millions of people endured hardship and suffering as a result of imperial powers. But very little of this is captured in the history and text books.

Why does it matter: Understanding the colonial experience, in large important areas we refer to as untenable, allows us to see why many contemporary nation-states struggle with poverty, inequity, and stability.

7. The Invisible Plague: The Black Death

The Black Death (1347-1351) was one of the most lethal pandemics in history, having decimated nearly half of the population in Europe. But beyond the deaths was a new social identity, a new economy, a new relation to religion and spirituality.

But what's hidden is how minorities were scapegoated. Jewish communities were blamed for poisoning wells and bottomed in massacres across Europe.

Why it matters: The plague demonstrates how fear can lead to violence, scapegoating and discrimination - traumas we still observe today during global crises.

8. The Partition of India- a Human Catastrophe

In 1947, the British left India, and India gained its independence to become two nations: India and Pakistan. While this was certainly celebrated as the successful end of colonial subjugation, it also resulted in the world's largest forced migration in history and violence between communities.

Millions of peoples were displaced, and the violence resulted in almost a million deaths. This jarring reality in history, is often sanitized in the lessons we teach to our young people and future leaders, but for families that lived it, remains a trauma that neither the political nor historical mind can comprehend.

Why it matters: It teaches us how political decisions can cause human suffering, and leave scars apparent for most generations.

9. The Tulsa Massacre - Expletive Deleted From Memory

In 1921, the wealthy Black community of Greenwood in Tulsa, Oklahoma, known as "Black Wall Street," was attacked by mobs of white individuals. Homes and businesses were burned, and hundreds of people were killed.

For decades, this event was expunged from official records and rarely even taught in schools.

Why it matters: The Tulsa Massacre is an example of racial injustice and how often the uncomfortable truth is erased to protect narratives.

10. The Dark Side of Medical History

Medicine has saved a lot of people, but it too has a dark side. It has included unethical experiments on vulnerable populations, and dangerous practices such as bloodletting, where not every "advance"