Surveys the history of England and the surrounding countries from the time of the Celts to the time of the Stuarts, with attention to the economic, religious, social, constitutional, and political developments.
Goals, Topics, and Objectives
- Celtic and Roman Britain
- Description of the British isles
- The Re-Christianization of Britain
- St. Patrick
- Canterbury
- Augustine of Canterbury
- Monks/monasticism
- Anglo-Saxon England
- Angles
- Saxons
- Jutes
- Alfred the Great
- The Norman Conquest
- William the Conqueror
- Harald Godwinson
- Harald Hardraade
- Battle of Stamford Bridge
- Battle of Hastings
- Norman Conquest
- Henry II and the Reform of English Government
- Feudal system
- Royal government
- King John and the Great Charter
- King John
- Magna Carta
- Barons
- Edward I, Parliament, Politics, and Finance
- Parliament
- Edward III, the French Question, and the Black Death
- Henry V and the End of the Hundred Years War
- Henry VII and the Emergence of Tudor England
- Tudors
- The English Reformation
- Henry VIII
- Protestant/Catholic
- Church of England
- Thomas More
- The Elizabethan Renaissance
- Elizabeth I
- Colonization in the New World
- The Stuart Dynasty
- Stuarts
- James I (James VI of Scotland)
- Divine Right of Kings
- Absolute monarchy/constitutional monarchy
- Civil War in England
- Charles I
- English Civil War
- Oliver Cromwell
- Commonwealth
- The Last of the Stuarts
- Charles II
- Restoration
- James II
- Glorious Revolution
Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to:
1. Outline time and chronology in Early English History.
2. Identify, summarize, and analyze major elements of Early English History.
3. Analyze cause and effect in Early English History.
4. Trace elements of change and continuity in Early English History.
5. Emphasize parallelism by describing the impact of major events, personalities, and places upon Early English History.
Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to:
1. Outline the political and cultural history of England and the surrounding countries from prehistoric times to the late 17th century (1688).
2. Describe the Celtic and Roman civilizations in England and elsewhere in the British Isles.
3. Describe the Germanic culture of England.
4. Identify and give the significance of the Angles, Saxons, Jutes, and Alfred the Great.
5. Describe the political organization of Anglo-Saxon England.
6. Describe the Christianization of the British Isles.
7. Identify and give the significance of Augustine of Canterbury, Canterbury, monks, monasticism, and St. Patrick.
8. Discuss links to Europe, including trade, religion, and marriages.
9. Explain the role of the Vikings in the history of the British Isles ending with the Norman Conquest.
10. Identify and give the significance of William the Conqueror, Harald Godwinson, Harald Hardraade, Stamford Bridge, Hastings, and the Norman Conquest.
11. Describe the feudal system and royal government during the Plantagenet Dynasty.
12. Identify and give the significance of the Magna Carta, King John, Parliament, and the barons.
13. Describe the Renaissance and Reformation in the British Isles and their effects on society.
14. Identify and give the significance of Henry VIII, Elizabeth I, Church of England, Thomas More, Protestant, Catholic, Tudors, Stuarts, and James I (James VI of Scotland).
15. Explain the “Divine Right of Kings” and its effects on England and its history.
16. Identify and give the significance of Charles I, Oliver Cromwell, the Commonwealth, the English Civil War, Charles II, the Restoration, absolute monarchy, and constitutional monarchy.
17. Explain the significance of the “Glorious Revolution” of 1688.
18. Compare and contrast the events surrounding the Glorious Revolution to those surrounding the signing of the Magna Carta.
19. Place the exploration and colonization of the New World (i.e., the United States) in its English context.
Assessment and Requirements
Assessment of academic achievement will be identified and implemented by the class instructor. Methods will include, but will not be limited to, individual projects, vocabulary, class participation (discussion and critiques), and tests.
These texts are suggested. Individual instructors may choose other texts:
- llister, C. Warren, Robert C. Stacey, and Robin Chapman Stacey. The Making of England to 1399. 8th edition. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2001.
- Smith, Lacey Baldwin. This Realm of England: 1399 to 1688. 8th edition. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co, 2001.
- Castor, Helen. She-Wolves: The Women Who Ruled England Before Elizabeth. Perennial, 2012.
Outcomes
- Social Sciences
- Humanities and Fine Arts
- Civil Society and Culture - U.S. and Global
- Category 4: Social Sciences
- Category 5: Humanities and Fine Arts