History’s Great Walls, Good Neighbors or Bad Policy?

Walls have a decidedly mixed record in achieving their goals to keep some people in and others out.

A Top Ten Origins Video. In the midst of a migration crisis in Europe and strident talk by some American politicians about Mexican immigrants coming to the United States, people around the world are resorting to an old strategy: building walls. Historically, walls have a decidedly mixed record in achieving their goals to keep some people in and other out. While good fences may make good neighbors, as the old cliché has it, neighborliness has not been the reason behind most of history’s major wall projects. Here is a look at some of the most famous of these insular architectural projects.

Written by Jacob Beard. Narration by Dr. Nicholas B. Breyfogle.

Audio production by Scott Sprague and Paul Kotheimer, College of Arts & Sciences Academic Technology Services. Video production by Laura Seeger and Dr. Nicholas B. Breyfogle.

We thank the Stanton Foundation for their funding of this and other Origins projects. http://thestantonfoundation.org/