History of England to 1688, or Thereabouts
Fall 2013
This course surveys England’s history from the end of the Roman occupation of Britain to 1688. We shall look briefly at politics and society before the Norman Conquest, the impact of that Conquest, and the nature of social life in the later Middle Ages. Most of the course will focus on the Reformation and the civil wars of the mid-seventeenth century and the transformations they wrought in English politics and society. We shall also consider the extension of England as it became Great Britain and began to extend an empire across the seas. We will thus be concerned throughout the course not with England alone, but with its place in Europe and the world. Each student will write three short essays (1200-1500 words) and a final exam.
Readings May Include:
David Cressy and Lori Anne Ferrell, eds., Religion and Society in Early Modern England
Christopher Haigh, English Reformations: Religion, Politics, and Society under the Tudors
Barbara Hanawalt, The Ties that Bound: Peasant Families in Medieval England
Mark Kishlansky, A Monarchy Transformed: England, 1603-1714
Karen Kupperman, The Jamestown Project
David Lagomarsino and Charles Wood, The Trial of Charles I: A Documentary History
David Wootton, ed., Divine Right and Democracy: An Anthology of Political Writing
