Key facts
Details for course being taught in current academic year
Level 2 - 18 credits - spring and summer terms
E-learning links
Resources
Course description
Course outline
In 1642 King Charles I raised his standard against the forces of his own parliament. The sequence of civil wars, which started in Scotland in 1639 and subsequently spread to Ireland, thus reached England itself. On 1st January 1649 Charles I was executed. England entered its first and only period of republican rule.
This course focuses on these momentous events: their causes, contexts and interpretations. The period of the British civil wars has generated a huge amount of historical debate. We will examine key debates in this broad historiography, from political and constitutional issues to the ‘British question’ and the importance of the European context. We will also focus on the social, cultural, and religious history of the period, from the proliferation of religious sects to the role of women.
Learning outcomes
By the end of the course, a successful student should be able to:
1) understand a historical moment by reference to the particular context in which it occurred;
2) communicate the importance of locality in history, and the specificity of particular historical events;
3) supply evidence of these skills in essays that distil information provided in course lectures and for class discussion;
4) undertake a sustained argument largely based on secondary sources but also using a limited amount of primary material.
Assessments
| Type | Timing | Weighting |
|---|---|---|
| Coursework | 10.00% | |
| Essay Plan | Spring Week 7 | 100.00% |
| Essay (3500 words) | Summer Term Week 5 Thu 16:00 | 90.00% |
Resit mode of assessment
| Type | Timing | Weighting |
|---|---|---|
| Essay (3500 words) | 100.00% |
Timing
Submission deadlines may vary for different types of assignment/groups of students.
Weighting
Coursework components (if listed) total 100% of the overall coursework weighting value.
Teaching methods
| Term | Method | Duration | Week pattern |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring+Summer Terms | LECTURE | 1 hour | 1111111111 |
| Spring+Summer Terms | SEMINAR | 2 hours | 1010101010 |
How to read the week pattern
The numbers indicate the weeks of the term and how many events take place each week.
Contact details
Dr Lucy Robinson
Assess convenor
http://www.sussex.ac.uk/history/profile22808.html
Dr Naomi Tadmor
Assess convenor, Convenor
http://www.sussex.ac.uk/history/profile157767.html