HIST 105-05, The British Empire and Its Enemies, Fall 2007

Abstract

This course will introduce students to some of the main historical developments involving the British Empire from the Elizabethan age to the present. During this period Britain gained, and lost, an empire unrivalled in human history. It is the objective of this course to understand some of the main reasons for British imperial expansion in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, and the retreat from empire in the twentieth century. The impact of empire on British political, social and economic life will be considered, as will be the influence of British culture and institutions on the colonies. Imperial ideas, the growth of racial attitudes, and other intellectual issues and social problems associated with the empire will also be addressed. The many enemies that empire created, both at home and in the colonies, will also be a major theme of this course. Their role in ending the empire, and in creating post-colonial societies in the aftermath of empire, will also be explored. This course is linked to English 215, “The Imperial Idea in British Literature: Promoters, Doubters, and Enemies,” which is being offered by Professor Mike Leslie. There will be several common meetings outside the normal class times for the students enrolled in these two courses. Some of these meetings will consist of guest lectures by experts on British imperialism and some will be viewings of famous films about the empire. In addition, each student will write a research essay on a topic that is appropriate for both courses. This essay must be approved in advance by Professor Leslie and me; it will also be graded by both of us and count toward the final grade in both of our courses.