History 2405E:History of Modern Britain, 1660-1980
Fall and Winter, 2006-2007
Nipissing University, Department of History
Lecture Time: Friday 8.30-11.30 a.m
Location: A226
Instructor: Dr. A. Clendinning
Office: H310;
Ext: 4405;
Email: annec@nipissingu.ca
Scheduled Office Hours: Monday afternoons 4.30-6. p.m.,
Friday afternoons 12:30-2 p.m.,
Or by Appointment
474-3461 ext: 4405
annec@nipissingu.ca
History 2405, History of Modern Britain surveys the growth and development of modern Britain from the Restoration Monarchy in1660 up to the end of 1980s and the Margaret Thatcher government. During this roughly three-hundred-year period, England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales experienced a number of political, economic and social transformations. For example, in the 17th century when our survey begins, Britain was an agrarian society, ruled by aristocratic landowners. By the 19th century, Britain was the first industrial nation with distinct classes and competing economic and political interests. In response to public pressure for change, the British developed a parliamentary monarchy with rival parties and a representative elected parliament. It was also during this same time span that Britain became a colonial and imperial power, with possessions that encircled the globe. By the twentieth century, however, after two world wars and declining commercial and industrial strength, Britain's empire succumbed to the independence movements among its colonized peoples while increased immigration from the colonies to the United Kingdom profoundly altered the social and political climate in post-war Britain.
This course addresses a number of interrelated questions. What factors enabled an island-nation of sheep farmers and shopkeepers to eventually become a leading world power, in both political and economic terms? Why was Britain the first nation to industrialize? What was the relationship between economic change and the formation of class and gender identity? What was the role of the monarchy, and how did it change and adapt from the 17th to the 20th centuries? How did Britain develop a global commercial and political empire? And why did Britons believe, as they did at the beginning of the twentieth century, that the strength and influence of their nation was diminishing? What has been the impact of two world wars on Britain? What were the achievements of Britain’s welfare state and at what long-term costs?
Finding answers to the above questions provides the organizing concept for this course. Lectures, assigned readings, films and in-class discussions will address major political, economic and social themes. The course material is also intended to develop the skills of critical reading and writing, leading to a better understanding of historical sources and evidence. Written assignments, based on the use of primary and secondary sources, will allow students to apply methods of historical analysis while developing their writing skills.
Clayton Roberts, David Roberts and Douglas R. Bisson, A History of England: vol. II, 1688 to the Present (Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall/Pearson, 2002).
Walter L. Arnstein, The Past Speaks: sources and problems in British History vol. II, since 1688 (Lexington and Toronto: D. C. Heath, 1993.)
Both books are available in the Campus Shop and are the basic texts for History 2405E. The textbooks are also available on 2-hour reserve in the library for emergency use.
Modern History Source book
www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/modsbook.html: This is an excellent source with numerous primary sources with links to other sites and references to secondary sources. A general site that covers different time periods and regions, it has several headings of specific relevance to Great Britain, such as the 19c century, WWI and WWII and Imperialism. Check it out if you haven’t already.
Victorian Web
www.victorianweb.org/ A great site for anyone interested in nineteenth-century British history, literature, popular culture, material life, gender roles, childhood, technology and science. Some documents are posted on the site, but many are links, which can usually be trusted since this is a recognized academic site.
Spartacus
www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/ From past experience, this is a favorite site with students for quick reference, but be warned. The information presented here is often of a very general nature and is actually designed for primary and secondary school teachers and students in Britain. In terms of research, this site is a good beginning point for general information. That said, Spartacus is best for excerpts from primary sources. e.g. the testimonials on child labour make fascinating reading and are taken from documented Victorian sources.
Encyclopedia Britannica
www.britannica.com Like Spartacus, this is a good general reference guide to get you started but don't rely on it as a source for your research papers. In general, encyclopedia references are not recommended for academic papers at the post secondary level.
Imperial War Museum
www.iwm.org.uk A fascinating museum with a wonderful collection, the IWM site includes some primary sources and many images. An excellent research resource and an interesting site to browse. Also check out the online collections at www.iwmcollections.org.uk
Museum of London
www.museumoflondon.org.uk/ Another great museum with some online exhibitions and image collections. The information presented here is reliable and a great resource for those interested in the history of London.
BBC
In addition to the usual news, sports, weather etc., the BBC site has a history section, which is very good. Again, a great place for images, timelines, primary sources and general information. Go to www.bbc.co.uk/history
Grading Structure
Assignment 1
15%
Mid-Term Test 20%
Assignment 2
25%
Participation 10%
Final Exam 30%
*The instructor will take attendance in class. If a student misses more than 20% (that is, 10% per term), he or she may not be allowed to write the final exam. Please note that this is in accordance with Nipissing University policy: ‘Punctual and regular attendance is essential for the successful completion of a course. When absenteeism exceeds 20%, the student may be excluded from the writing the final examination'. (Nipissing University Academic Calendar, 2006-07, Final Examinations, p. 48).
Accommodations for learning disabilities: Students with special requirements should contact Student Services at ext. 4235.
Wednesday September 20, 2006: This is the last day for course changes for term 1 or 3 courses. Students who drop History 2405E after this date receive a WDR on their academic record.
Friday February 9, 2006: Students who withdraw from F/W courses after this date will receive an F on their academic record.
Written Assignment 1: Comparative Review of Two Scholarly Articles
Due: on either Friday October 20 OR Friday October 27, 2006. You may hand in the assignment on either date. Value 15%.
Instead of writing the traditional book review, students in History 2405E are asked to write a comparative review of two scholarly articles. Students are asked to select two articles on a British historical topic that deals with the period from 1660 to roughly 1830. The articles must be taken from recognized academic journals such as those found in the e-sources in our library, such as J-Stor or EBSCOhost. Find two articles on a related topic and write a review essay that compares the two by addressing the thesis, content, argument and conclusions of each article. This is very similar to writing a comparative book review, using the same skills of critical reading and analytical writing. In this case however, students are allowed to select two articles in a topic that hopefully will be of interest to them. In addition, since scholarly articles range usually from twenty to forty pages, this assignment asks students to read, carefully and thoughtfully, a manageable amount of text while offering them the opportunity to use on-line research databases.
The suggested length for this assignment is 6-7 pages, of double-spaced text. A bibliography is not necessary, but footnotes or endnotes taken from the articles being reviewed are required. Consider the points listed below to help structure the review and to assist when thinking about the components of your comparative article review.
The article review has two purposes: it tells the reader of the review what the article is about and also offers an evaluation of the article. The comparative article review contrasts two related articles that often address similar themes but from different perspectives in terms of methodology or thesis. When writing a comparative article review, you must decide if you are going to review the articles concurrently or consecutively. Either way is acceptable, however, if you have limited experience writing reviews, it may be advisable to review the articles consecutively since this method is more straightforward. Remember, however, that if you review the articles concurrently, be clear as to which author you are describing to avoid confusing your reader. Consider what themes the articles have in common, and also where they differ. What types of analysis do the historians use in their respective works? How do they contribute to a particular school of thought or the historiography of a certain topic? In other words, do the articles engage in a form of academic debate? What do they add to their field? In some cases, historians directly challenge one another in their work and the terms of a particular scholarly disagreement are easy to recognize. You do not have to adhere to these kinds of articles only however, since articles on a related topic may be in dialogue with one another.
Components of the Comparative Article Review
Introduction: The introductory paragraphs should contain the titles of the articles being reviewed and the authors; it should also contain something to draw the reader’s attention, such as a quote from the respective articles, or something that the reviewer found particularly interesting about the articles. Remember, this paragraph, is the lead in to the review. You want your reader to be engaged with the subject, and be interested in the article that you are reviewing, but also what you, the writer, has to say about it. In terms of style, avoid long and complex sentences for your opening paragraph, especially for the first sentence. Keep it simple until you have introduced your subject and gotten your reader's attention.
If you decide to review one article at a time, after your introductory section, present the summary and critiques of each article.
Summary of the Article: In your own words, describe the major theme or themes of the article. This will usually be found in the introductory paragraph. There are always a few key passages where the author 'sets up' their study. Consider the following questions. What is the thesis of the article? What are the purpose and central arguments of the article? How does the author support his/her thesis? What types of evidence does the author use? What conclusions do they draw? Where possible, use direct quotes from the article to support your points, but avoid overly long quotes of say, in excess of 3 lines. Your reader wants to know what you think of the article.
Critique: This is the evaluation of the article being reviewed. Does the author present convincing arguments and sufficient evidence to support their thesis? Does the article deliver the information that the author claimed it would in the introductory paragraph? You should support your evaluation with quotes from the text, but again, avoid lengthy quotes. You may also ask whether the article under review contributes to an established school of thought or debate. What information does the article contribute, and does it significantly or successfully alter an accepted point of view? Avoid subjective criticism of style and structure. As the reviewer, if you feel that an article is longer than it needed to have been or is poorly written, you may indicate that in a scholarly and professional manner, but don't write that the article was too long, boring and used words that you didn't understand. There are tactful ways of expressing criticisms, but be fair to the author.
Comparative Critique: Consider here how the articles compare and contrast with one another. Is either more successful than the other. Which one did you the reviewer find more convincing and why? Think about their joint contribution to the existing scholarship.
Conclusion: Here the reviewer presents the final assessments of the articles and your overall impressions. You may also state what contributions these articles make to their field, and what readers would find these articles useful or interesting. For example, you might consider if either article is suitable for lay readers, for undergraduates or for specialists in British history. Remember, avoid introducing new ideas or criticisms of the articles in the concluding paragraph or paragraphs. This is the last section of your review so try and leave the reader with a final impression of the articles.
Length: 6-7 pages of text; double-spaced; 1" margins; 12 point typeface; all pages must be numbered and in proper order! Include a title page with your name, student number, course number and the date the assignment was submitted to the instructor.
Students will be tested on material that was presented in our weekly lectures and also on material found in the assigned readings from both textbooks. The exam will be held in our regular classroom. Students who require special arrangements should contact the staff in Student Services to make the necessary accommodations. The exam will be 2-hours in length. You are free to leave after the exam. If the class agrees, we could run the exam from 9.30 to 11.30 a.m to give everyone an extra hour that morning, for final cramming or extra coffee. To be discussed in class and determined by November 10.
Students are required to write a research essay, using secondary and primary sources. A list of suggested topics will be available from the instructor and students are asked to sign up for a particular topic. While this does restrict choices somewhat, it avoids putting extensive pressure on the library's resources and also ensures that students begin to consider their papers well in advance of the due date. The list of topics will be presented to students in late November with a sign up sheet posted outside my office, room H-310. Students may develop their own research topic, however, you must consult with me well in advance of the due date for the assignment if you want to do a topic that is not on the list.
The essay should be approximately 10 pages double-spaced. It must include a bibliography, footnotes or endnotes and a title page. This is a research paper and your bibliography must use at least eight secondary and primary sources. These may be articles and monographs. You may not use more than two on-line sources and be sure to use reliable academic sites.
Written material must adhere to a formal academic style using footnotes or endnotes. There are several helpful style guides. Recommended style guides include:
Mary Anne Rampolla's, A Pocket Guide To Writing in History (Boston and New York: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2001).
Richard Marius, A Short Guide to Writing About History (New York: Longman, 1999).
Chicago Manual of Style Citation Guide. www. lib.ohio-state.edu/guides/chicagod.html
This site provides quick and easy reference for the Chicago style, used most often by historians, as demonstrated by Rampolla and Marius.
Participation: Value 10%
A participation grade will be determined by the student’s regular contributions to the class including attendance at lectures, in-class discussions and group work. The participation grade will be based on the entire year’s performance but will be calculated at the end of the second term.
A formal three-hour exam will be scheduled for April 2007 after classes have ended. The exam will include short answer and essay questions that are based on lectures, readings and material presented in class, including films. Please do not make plans to leave the area until after the final version of the exam schedule has been posted. The schedule is set by the registrar's office, however academic conflicts should be reported immediately to the registrar's office.
All assignments must be submitted in class on the due date. Students who for extraordinary reasons cannot meet a deadline should contact the professor before the due date. Extensions for medical reasons require documentation. Late assignments will be deducted 2% per day, which is 10% per academic week. Please, organize your time and make a strong effort to submit your work on the assigned date. Develop and adhere to good professional work habits!
DO NOT PLAGIARIZE. By enrolling in this course, each student assumes the responsibilities of an active participant in the scholarly community of Nipissing University. As such, everyone's academic work and behavior are held to high standards of honesty. Cheating, fabrication and plagiarism, and helping others to commit these acts, are all forms of academic dishonesty and will not be tolerated in History 2405E. Academic misconduct will result in disciplinary action, which is an automatic zero for the assignment and the submission of a formal report to the Dean of Arts and Science. Repeat offences are dealt with by the Dean's office. If you have any doubts about what constitutes plagiarism or its consequences, read the Policy on Academic Dishonesty in the Nipissing University Calendar, 2004-2005, Student Policies, pp. 270-271. Written assignments may be checked by plagiarism-detection software.
WEEK 1
Sept. 8: Introduction and Description of the Course
Britain in the 1660s
WEEK 2
Sept. 15: From the Restoration Monarchy to the Glorious Revolution of William and Mary
READINGS: Roberts and Roberts, History of England, chap. 16, pp. 408-414; Arnstein, Past Speaks, selections from chap. 1: Gilbert Burnet, ‘The Character of James II and William III, pp. 10-11; John Locke, Second Treatise on Government, pp. 15-17; The Bill of Rights, p. 17-20; The Act of Settlement, 20-22.
WEEK 3
Sept. 22: Reign of Queen Anne and the Hanoverian Succession
READINGS: Roberts and Roberts, chap. 16, pp. 415-440
WEEK 4
Sept. 29: Politics in the 'Age of Stability': Robert Walpole and the Whig Oligarchy
READINGS: Roberts and Roberts, chap. 17
WEEK 5
Oct. 6: "A Polite and Commercial People": Commerce, Mercantilism and Agrarian Life
READINGS: Past Speaks, selections from chap. 2: Gregory King, pp. 26; Arthur Young, pp. 27-28; Defoe, 29-30; Misson, 30-31; Kalm, 31-33; Davies, 35-36; Fielding, 43-47.
WEEK 6
Oct. 13: Study Week; work on your article review assignment
WEEK 7
Oct. 20: Political and Religious Radicalism at mid century:Pitt the Elder, Fox, John Wilkes and the Whig Radicals; John Wesley, Anglican Evangelicalism and Dissent
READINGS: Roberts and Roberts, chap. 19, pp. 492-503.
WEEK 8
Oct. 27: George III: Triumphs and Failures of a controversial king
READINGS: Roberts and Roberts, chap. 20; Past Speaks, selections from chap. 5, George III speech, pp. 93-95; Burke, 98-99; Tucker, 101; Adams, 111-113.
WEEK 9
Nov. 3: Industrial Revolution: Economic and Social Causes of Industrialization
READINGS: Roberts and Roberts, chap. 18; Past Speaks, Adam Smith, pp. 64-74.
WEEK 10
Nov. 10 Britain and the French Revolutionary Wars
READINGS: Roberts and Roberts, chap. 21; pp. 541-551; Past Speaks, selections from chap. 6, Burke, pp. 118-122; Paine, pp. 127-130; Wollstonecraft, pp. 134-36.
WEEK 11
Nov. 17: The Impact of the Revolutionary Wars: Social, Economic and Political
READINGS: Roberts and Roberts, chap. 21; Past Speaks, selections from chap. 7;
John Aiken, pp.148-150; Leeds Woollen Merchants, pp. 153; Robert Owen, 150-151;
WEEK 12
Nov. 24: Mass Protest and Reform: The Great Reform Bill of 1832 and the making of an English Working Class?
READINGS: Roberts and Roberts, chap. 22, pp. 566-577.
WEEK 13
Dec. 1: In-class test; 2 hours in length. The exam will begin at 9.30 and run to 11.30, if this is more convenient for the class and decided upon in advance.
End of Term 1: Please begin thinking about your essay for next term, or read a English novel. I recommend the works of Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, George Gissing, George Eliot, Elizabeth Gaskell, Charlotte Bronte, Emily Bronte, Wilkie Collins, Thomas Hardy, Somerset Maugham, George Orwell or E.M. Forster. Have a good break.
WEEK 1
Jan 12: Utilitarianism and the Advent of Social Reform: a case study of the New Poor Law
READINGS: Roberts and Roberts, chap. 22, pp. 583-591; Past Speaks, selections from chap.7. James Kay, pp. 155-158; Andrew Ure, pp. 158-162; Freidrich Engels, pp. 162-163; James Wilson, pp. 164- 168; and from chap. 8, read Lord Ashley, pp. 180-182.
WEEK 2:
Jan.19: Reform Movements of the 1840s: Chartism and Anti-Corn Law League
READINGS: Roberts and Roberts, chap. 22, pp. 577-583
WEEK 3
Jan. 26: British Foreign Policy: Pax Britannica and Europe, Asia and the Indian Sub-continent
READINGS: Roberts and Roberts, chap. 25
WEEK 4
Feb. 2: The Victorians at Home: Gender and the Cult of Domesticity
READINGS: Roberts and Roberts, chap. 23, pp. 593-605
Past Speaks, selections from chap. 8, Sarah Ellis, pp. 172-175; Isabella Beeton, pp. 176-178; Eliza Lynn Linton, Girl of the Period, 190-192; Wife of a Cotton Spinner, pp. 178-180; Henry Mayhew, pp. 182-185.
WEEK 5
Feb. 9: Democracy and the Party System: Disreali and Gladstone
READINGS: Roberts and Roberts, chap. 23, pp. 605-621
Selections from Past Speaks, chap. 8, John Stuart Mill, pp. 185-190; chap. 10, pp. 226-230; John Bright, pp. 230-233, Robert Lowe, pp. 233-236.
WEEK 6
Feb. 16: Britain and New Imperialism and the South African War
READINGS: Roberts and Roberts, chap. 25; Past Speaks, selections from chap. 12 Disreali, pp. 271-272; Gladstone, pp. 273-276; Chamberlain, pp.276-278; Chamberlain, pp. 281-283; Lloyd George, pp. 283-285; Hobson, pp. 285-287.
WEEK 7
Feb. 23: Study Week : work on your essay!!!
WEEK 8: Essay Due in class March 2, 2007
March 2: Progressivism and Popular Reform in the Edwardian Era: New Liberalism, Labour and women's suffrage
READINGS: Roberts and Roberts, chap. 26; Past Speaks, selections from chap. 13, Churchill, pp. 301-304; Lloyd George, 304-305.
WEEK 9
Mar. 9: Britain and World War I
READINGS: Roberts and Roberts, chap. 27
Past Speaks, selections from chap. 14, Edward Grey, pp. 309-314; Russell, pp. 324-327; Ward, 327-330.
WEEK 10
Mar. 16: Britain and the Great Depression
READINGS: Roberts and Roberts, chap. 28; Past Speaks, selections from chap. 15, Sir Ernest Barker, pp. 346-35; selection from George Orwell’s, The Road to Wigan Pier, chap. Part I, chapter 4, pp. 46-68 (hand out for the class).
WEEK 11
Mar. 23: Britain and World War II
READINGS: Roberts and Roberts, chap. 29
Past Speaks, selections from chap. 16, Chamberlain, pp. 372-373; Churchill, pp. 373-376.
WEEK 12
Mar. 30: Britain in the Post-War Decades: from ‘cradle to the grave’ socialism to ‘the winter of our discontent’
READINGS: Roberts and Roberts, chap. 30
Due to the Easter long weekend, we do not have a class on Friday April 6. This does mean that we have only 12 weeks of classes in our second term. I will schedule an extra class after the Easter Break if there is sufficient student interest. This class will be devoted to exam review.
Final Exam: April 2007, TBA by Registrar's Office, Value 30%