An Age of Revolutions: Britain and Ireland, 1688-1815

Overview

This module provides a survey of some of the major developments in Britain and Ireland in the one hundred and thirty years after the so-called ‘Glorious Revolution’ of 1688. This was an age of political, economic, cultural, and intellectual revolution. Modern notions of rights, representation, and toleration grew out of political revolutions – the ‘Glorious Revolution’ of 1688, the American Revolution from 1775 to 1783, and the French Revolution of 1789. The eighteenth century saw the emergence of Britain as the first global economic power owing to the industrial and commercial revolutions as well as the growth of the ‘first’ British empire. This period was also the ‘Age of Reason’ when the Enlightenment challenged traditional understandings of society and paved the way for the dominance of modern reason and science. These various structural changes had a profound impact on ordinary people as they became consumers, family and interpersonal relations were transformed, and their knowledge of the world was expanded.

Learning Objectives

On completion of this module the student should be able to demonstrate, through the formal assessment of the module:

An understanding of the various relationships between England, Ireland, and Scotland in the eighteenth Century.
An understanding of the interplay between political, economic, religious, cultural, and intellectual change
An ability to engage with the most important historiographical debates relating to the subject-matter of the module.
An ability to work independently.

Skills

Enhanced ability to think critically, reason logically, and evaluate evidence
Further develop written communication skills, both written and oral.
The ability to use and evaluate primary and secondary source material available in electronic format

Assessment

Short assignment, 40%.
Long assignment, 60%.
We intend that one of the two will be assessed by oral exam.