Course HIST 134a Ian Hopper
Spring 2014 Office Hours: Tu, F 11am-12pm
Course Times:Tu, F930-1050am Office Olin-Sang 105
Course Location: Olin Sang 116 Tel # x62291
The History of Great Britain, 1756-1956
This course covers the period of Britain’s ascension to the world’s greatest power as a result of its victory in the Seven Years’ War, its growing military, diplomatic, and economic influence, and the ultimate decline and fall of its international influence through the World Wars. You will encounter important themes in modern British history and you will formulate your own analyses and critiques of the historical problems associated with them. Over the course of the semester we will examine the past in social, cultural, economic, political, intellectual, imperial, military, and biographical contexts. The course consists of lectures intermixed with discussion and in class group activities.
Requirements and Grading
1. Participation. Class attendance is mandatory and you should be prepared to participate. Make sure you are familiar with the assigned materials for each class and be ready to ask a pertinent question related to them each time we meet. I strongly encourage you to come by my office hours to discuss your work, any questions you may have, and the course in general; talking with me outside of class helps your participation grade. Participation accounts for approximately 1/3 of your final grade.
2. FiveAnalytical Essays (approximately 1,000-1,200 words each) on the specified primary source documents. These essays constitute approximately 1/3 of the final grade.
3. The Final Examinationaccounts for approximately 1/3 of the final grade.
There will be opportunities for extra credit work.
OR
Instead of taking the Final Exam, students may elect to write a research paper (maximum 3,500 words). The research paper may be handed in any time before the end of the Final Exam. See end of syllabus for more information.
Additional Information
If you are uncertain about anything, just ask me.
1. Come see me during my office hours; you will get more out of the course if you do. If you are concerned about your performance in the class you should speak to me right away. It is my desire that you perform excellently in this course and I will do all I can to help you if you want to improve. The grades you receive are a systematic way to communicate to you how well you are doing in the course and serve both to encourage you when you do well and challenge you to do better when you need to improve. If you wish to discuss a grade, see me in person, either during my office hours or by appointment. I cannot make corrections or offer assistance after the course has ended, however, and I will not adjust grades already given unless I have made a factual or mathematical error.
2. You must act with integrity. This means that you write your own papers, that you supply your own answers for the final exam, and that you do not in any way misrepresent the work of another as your own; uncited paraphrasing from a source is plagiarism. You are expected to be familiar with and to follow the University’s policies on academic integrity (see Faculty may refer any suspected instances of alleged dishonesty to the Office of Student Development and Conduct. Instances of academic dishonesty may result in sanctions including but not limited to, failing grades being issued, educational programs, and other consequences. If you have any doubts about what is appropriate just ask me.
3. If you are a student with a documented disability on record at Brandeis University and wish to have a reasonable accommodation made for you in this class, please see me immediately.
4. This should be obvious, but do not use cell phones or other communication or entertainment devices during class. Use of laptops is permitted, but only so long as their use does not distract other students.
5. Be alert and critical of what you read and hear. If I or any of the authors you will read for this course make a consequential error and you can demonstrate this error, you will receive a bonus toward your final grade for each such correction. This really can make a difference: last time I taught this course a student’s grade improved because he corrected me in class!
Required Books
The narrative of the history will be provided predominantly through lectures. The following sources are intended to provide greater breadth and depth than is possible in the classroom. I have intentionally selected books to broaden your understanding without overburdening your finances.
You can purchase the following books at the university bookstore (though I recommend you check online for better prices).
Hamish Fraser and Callum Brown, Britain since 1707
Elizabeth Gaskell, North & South
Frederick Manning, Her Privates We
Sources listed with an asterisk (*) will be available via Latte, provided in handouts, or found on reserve in the library. These are almost invariably short extracts from larger works.
Meetings and Assignments
Throughout the semester I will update the syllabus based on the progress of the course. Therefore you should use this printed copy of the syllabus only as a general guide, and refer to the Latte website for the most up to date information on specific assignments.
January 14
Introduction to Course, British history from 1688-1756
Britain since 1707, ch. 2, pp. 17-37
January 17
Culture , Society, & Politics Before the French Revolution
Britain, chs. 3-5, pp. 38-76
January 21
Britain And the World to 1783
Britain, ch. 6, pp. 77-100
January 24
The Industrial Revolution: Causes, Conflicts, and Consequences
Britain, chs. 7, pp. 103-118
*Malthus, selection from An Essay on the Principle of Population. Analytical Essay due on this source.
January 28
Social Revolution & Historical Debates
Britain, chs.8,9, pp. 119-152
January 31
The French Revolution, Napoleon, and the British Reaction, 1789-1815
Britain, ch. 10-11, pp. 153-187
February 4
Britain Under the Tories, 1815-30
Britain, ch. 12, pp. 191-206
Gaskell, chs. 1-5, pp. 7-52
February 7
The Whigs And the Great Reform Act, 1829-41
Gaskell, chs. 6-12, pp. 53-99
February 11
Chartism, Peel, and the Corn Laws, 1830-1846
Gaskell,chs. 13-19, pp. 99-156
February 14
Social Values
Britain, ch. 14, pp. 225-240
*Smiles, selection from Self-Help. Analytical Essay due on this source.
February 25
Victorian Prosperity
Britain, chs. 13, pp. 207-224
Gaskell, chs. 20-30, pp. 156-246
February 28
Growth of Liberalism, 1846-74
Britain, ch. 16, pp. 254-275
Gaskell, chs. 31-36, pp. 246-293
March 4
The Growth of the State & Social Reform
Britain, ch. 17, pp. 276-292
Gaskell,chs. 37-42, pp. 293-354
March 7
Victorianism
Britain,ch. 15, pp. 241-253
Gaskell, chs. 43-52, pp. 355-425
Be prepared to discuss North & South
March 11
Britain and the Wider World After 1815
Britain, ch. 19, pp. 319-338
*Palmerston, “Don Pacifico Speech”. Analytical Essay due on this source.
March 14
The “Great Depression” & The Rise of Labour
Britain,chs. 20, 22, pp. 339-355, 370-384
March 18
Late Victorian Politics & Society
Britain,chs. 21, 23, pp. 356-369, 385-399
March 21
The New Imperialism: 1874-1914
*Hake, selection from The Story of Chinese Gordon
*Chamberlain, Pax Britannica Speech
*Watch Gunga Din (1939), film
March 25
Edwardian Politics, 1901-1914
Britain,chs. 24, pp. 400-415
*Pankhurst, “Freedom or Death”.Analytical Essay due on this source.
March 28
The Road to War
Britain,ch. 25, pp. 416-429
Manning, chs. 1-4, pp. 1-46
April 1
The Great War, 1914-1918
Britain, ch. 26, pp. 430-450
Manning, chs. 5-9, pp. 47-111
*Grenfell, “Into Battle”
April 4
The Aftermath of the Great War, 1918-29
Britain, ch. 27, pp. 453-464
Manning, Privates,chs. 10-13, pp. 112-179
April 8
The Depression and Appeasement, 1929-1939
Britain, ch. 28, pp. 465-480
*Chamberlain, “Peace in our Time” speech
Manning, Privates,chs. 14-18, pp. 180-247
Be prepared to discuss Her Privates We
April 11
The Second World War, 1939-1945
Britain, ch 29-30, pp. 481-511
*Churchill, Listen to “Never Surrender” speech, 4 June 1940
*Watch This Happy Breed (1944), film
April 25
The Benign State: Social Security and the New Consensus, 1945 onwards
Britain,ch.31-32, pp. 512-539
*Attlee, Listen to “The New Social Services and the Citizen”, 4 July 1948. Analytical Essay due on this source.
April 29
The Eclipse of British Power & Unraveling of Empire, 1945 onwards
Britain, ch. 33, pp. 540-562
*Watch The Guns at Batasi (1964), film
Analytical Essays
These papers focus on the analysis of a specific primary source in historical context. You should expect to do a little background research to understand the historical context. Most importantly, you must analyze the document itself to understand its key arguments and ideas.
Each essay should address the followingquestions:
1) Who authored the document? What is his or her position or significance? For whom was the message intended?
2) What is the context? Was the document created in response to a specific circumstance? What did it aim to accomplish? What are the key arguments and ideas contained in the document? Do the author’s ideas hold together? How could they be criticized?
3) What is the historical significance of the document? What was the influence of the ideas of this author? Was the author prescient about the future?
In each of these essays you should formulate your own argument in correct and lucid prose. This is not an assignment for recapitulation of information, or paraphrasing others’ ideas. Articulate a clear thesis statement, make connections and clear analytical arguments, formulate coherent and focused paragraphs.
It is highly recommended that you come see me if you have any uncertainty about your essay. I am happy to work with you to clarify your ideas and improve your writing.
Optional Research Paper (instead of Final Exam)
Your term paper should advance an original comparative argument about one of the themes addressed in this course. Your paper must be supported by your own research and written in lucid prose. This is not an assignment for recapitulation of information, or paraphrasing others’ ideas. You will need to find sources in addition to those assigned in class in order to complete this assignment well. I strongly recommend that you come see me to get advice in choosing a topic and finding appropriate sources. I would be very happy to look over a preliminary draft for your paper, but I recommend that you get it to me as early on in the semester as you can since you will want time to make revisions. The maximum length for these papers is 3,500 words.
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