The British Civil Wars c.1639-1652
| Code | School | Level | Credits | Semesters |
| HIST3023 | History | 3 | 40 | Full Year UK |
- Code
- HIST3023
- School
- History
- Level
- 3
- Credits
- 40
- Semesters
- Full Year UK
Summary
This module surveys and analyses political, religious, social, cultural and military changes during the civil wars fought across the British Isles and the British Atlantic between 1639 and 1652. The major topics to be explored include:
- the causes of the civil wars
- the mobilisation of civilian communities
- the course of the civil wars
- the impact of war on individuals and communities
- religious and political change
- the growth of religious and political radicalism
- print culture and propaganda
- the changing roles of women
- the issues surrounding the public trial and execution of the king
- the abolition of the British monarchy and the House of Lords
- the 'Celtic dimension' of the conflict
- the Civil Wars in the British Atlantic
Target Students
Only available to level 3 or 4 single or joint honours History students and Liberal Arts students.
Classes
- One 1-hour seminar each week for 20 weeks
- One 2-hour seminar each week for 20 weeks
The module is taught principally through the vehicle of interactive tutor presentations and seminar discussions, in sessions lasting two hours. Discussions will be based around specific questions, documentary extracts (‘gobbets’) or relevant historiographical debates. Some seminars may take the form of team debates or role-play exercises, depending on the topic.
Assessment
- 30% Coursework 1: Piece of individually assessed coursework
- 30% Coursework 2: Piece of individually assessed coursework
- 40% Coursework 3: Piece of individually assessed coursework
Assessed by end of spring semester
Educational Aims
This module aims to survey, analyse and synthesise political, religious, social, cultural and military issues arising from the British civil wars of the mid-seventeenth century. It aims to place these issues within the wider context of early modern Europe and the Atlantic World,and to facilitate an understanding of the historiographical debates surrounding the subject. In doing this, it is intended to broaden the base of students’ historical knowledge, and to help them develop the intellectual and transferable skills listed below.Learning Outcomes
a. Knowledge and understanding.
By the end of the module, in their assessed work, students should be able to:
• explain and interpret the political, religious, social, cultural and military continuities and changes in the British Isles and the British Atlantic during the period 1639-1652
• demonstrate an understanding of the causes of the civil wars and of the relevant debates between historians
• demonstrate an enhanced understanding of History as a discipline
b. Intellectual skills.
Students should ultimately be able to demonstrate their ability to:
• think critically and imaginatively about the subject matter
• identify and address key problems relevant to it
• locate and interrogate printed primary sources
• read secondary sources critically and be aware of differing historiographical interpretations of the subject
• construct coherent and balanced arguments of their own
c. Professional/practical skills.
The module will develop students’ ability to:
• select, sift and synthesise information from a wide and varied range of primary and secondary sources
• demonstrate appropriate footnoting and bibliographical skills
• use IT to access primary and secondary sources and to complete written assignments
d. Transferable skills.
The module will also develop students’ ability to:
• manage large, disparate and often incomplete bodies of information
• further develop oral, audio-visual and written communication skills
• work and learn actively with others
• manage and take responsibility for their own learning
• take account of and, if necessary, accommodate differing viewpoints
• improve and utilise their IT skills