Revolution and Disaster in Ireland and Britain 1603-1707

Overview

This module examines the interrelationships between the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland from 1603 to 1707. This period witnessed the union of the English and Scottish crowns in 1603, the so-called ‘Glorious Revolution’ of 1688-90, the destruction of the Irish Catholic elite, and the Anglo-Scottish parliamentary union of 1707. The theory and practice of politics was transformed as older concepts of authority associated with the person of the monarch began to be challenged as the representatives of ‘the people’ – however defined – in England’s Parliament asserted their new-found power of control over finance. Modern notions of democracy, rights, representation, and toleration began to be formulated in response to the political revolutions of the period – the execution of Charles I, the protectorate of Oliver Cromwell and the Commonwealth, the ‘Glorious Revolution’ of 1688. In economic terms, the seventeenth century saw the emergence of Britain as a global power, eclipsing the Dutch.

After an introduction to the sixteenth-century background, the course will examine the principal events and developments of the period – the union of the crowns 1603, the wars of the three kingdoms in the mid seventeenth century, the Revolution of 1688-91, and the Anglo-Scottish Union.

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 Seventeenth Century.
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 communication written communication skills.

Assessment

None