Early
B309/H509:
Fall Semester, 2004
Dr. Erik L. Lindseth
A general study of the concept of "Britain" becomes more relevant
than ever as the United Kingdom
seems to be moving towards more and
more regional
devolution (while at the same time "Europe"
attempts to unify and move towards a blurring of the concept of national
identity). Certainly the
foundation upon which a British identity is built is quite diverse! Beginning with the arrival of the
Celts, and the recording of a written history of the British
peoples (associated with the Roman
conquest) this class will trace the evolution of
and as linked societies. This study of
the foundations of the British tradition which has so widely
influenced the modern world should serve to clarify apparently straightforward assumptions
that
are the basis of modern views on politics, economy, social
philosophy.
Syllabus
August 31
Introduction to course - What do we mean by the term "
September 07 The Celts (Read Chapter 1 from Roberts)
Assignment 1 - Profile a web site. Using the Resources link above
surf through a
a few of the British sites available. Choose one site and consider the
scope of
the information contained, the source
of the information, reliability, currency, and
general usefulness. Prepare a one page write-up and be ready to
summarize in
class (not a presentation as such).
September 14 The Roman
Age (plus any
additional web site discussion).
(Chapter 2 from Roberts and Tacitus text)
Submit a research paper proposal
September 21
Anglo-Saxon England
(Chapter 3 from Roberts and Adomnan text)
Assignment 2 - Find two or three articles
on a story (preferably dealing with your
your research subject area in some way) and consider perspective.
Prepare a short
comment on what you found.
September 28 The
Norman Conquest (Chapter
4 from Roberts and Barlow text)
October 05 The Angevin dynasty and the Magna Carta
(Chapter
5 from Roberts and Geoffrey of Monmouth)
Assignment 3 - Introduction to Expanded
Academic Index ASAP and bibliographic
searching. Find two articles and two books which seem to contain
information on
information on a sub theme of British history or culture. Turn in a
short annotated
bibliography of the four texts (the citation plus at least a sentence or two
on the
author, content of the text, or what ever else you can find which will help
you to
evaluate whether or not it is a good resource). This is a good chance to confirm
the topic for your project and see if there is enough information available.
October 12 The High Middle
Ages and
(Chapters 6 from Roberts)
October 19
The Late
Medieval Crises
(Chapter 7 from Roberts)
October 26 First
Exam - The War of the Roses
(Chapter 8 from Roberts)
November 02 Tudor
(Chapters 9 and 10 from Roberts)
November 09 The Elizabethan Age
(Chapters 11 and 12 from Roberts)
November 16 The Jacobean Age
(Chapter 13 from
Roberts and the
McGrath text)
November 23 The English Civil War, Parts I and II
(Chapters
14 and 15 from Roberts)
November 30 Final Exam – Student Presentations
December 07 Final
Paper Due - Student Presentations
December 14
Student Presentations