HR349-6-AU-CO:
London 1500-1700: Reformation, Wealth and Destruction
PLEASE NOTE: This module is inactive. Visit the Module Directory to view modules and variants offered during the current academic year.
2023/24
Philosophical, Historical and Interdisciplinary Studies (School of)
Colchester Campus
Autumn
Undergraduate: Level 6
Inactive
Thursday 05 October 2023
Friday 15 December 2023
15
31 March 2021
Requisites for this module
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)
London is more than just a normal city: its scale, diversity, cultural and economic might put it on a different scale to anywhere else in Britain. For these reasons many love it, but others complain that it is 'too much', and that it crowds everywhere else out. That was already true in 1500. During the early modern period London had more exports than the rest of the country combined, was home to the first permanent theatres, and the Chartered Companies that pioneered empire, and drew migrants and refugees from across Europe. In short, the processes that were to make London one of the world's truly global cities were already in play hundreds of years ago.
This module focuses on the story of London's cultural and economic growth, its relationship with the rest of Britain, and Europe, and the lives of everyday people who lived in the city. We explore London's status as a 'free' city, its relationship with the church and Reformation, the life of migrants and marginal communities, theatre and trade. Two cataclysmic events (the Great Plague and the Great Fire) in the space of two years, 1665-6, marked the end of an era, yet London was not reborn as an orderly classical city in the way that many planned. Through examining these events and themes, we will consider the character of the city and its place within the wider world.
The module aims to:
1. Understand London’s growth (commercial, demographic and cultural) across the early modern period.
2. Understand the interplay and catalysing effects of political, economic and demographic factors on each other, and upon cultural development.
3. Critically consider the place of London in national and international hierarchies and networks.
4. Use a wide variety of primary sources, including literature, images and maps.
On successful completion to the modules, student will:
1. Learn to situate particular developments within wider national and international patterns.
2. Learn to consider the impact of events and historical processes on individual lives by writing a biography of an early modern Londoner.
3. Compare and evaluate the impact of the actions of individuals, local and national governments, and commercial institutions.
4. Consider the importance of geography and social connections in the working of communities.
For introductory reading, see:
Alford, Stephen, London's Triumph: Merchant Adventurers and the Tudor City (London: Allen Lane, 2017).
Bucholz, Robert O., and Joseph P. Ward, London: A Social and Cultural History, 1550-1750 (Cambridge University Press, 2012).
Clark, John, and Cathy Ross. London: The Illustrated History. (London: Allen Lane, 2008).
MacGregor, Neil. Shakespeare's Restless World: An Unexpected History in Twenty Objects. (London: Penguin, 2014).
One-hour lecture and one-hour seminar per week.
This module does not appear to have a published bibliography for this year.
Assessment items, weightings and deadlines
| Coursework / exam |
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Coursework weighting |
Exam format definitions
- Remote, open book: Your exam will take place remotely via an online learning platform. You may refer to any physical or electronic materials during the exam.
- In-person, open book: Your exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer to any physical materials such as paper study notes or a textbook during the exam. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
- In-person, open book (restricted): The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer only to specific physical materials such as a named textbook during the exam. Permitted materials will be specified by your department. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
- In-person, closed book: The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may not refer to any physical materials or electronic devices during the exam. There may be times when a paper dictionary,
for example, may be permitted in an otherwise closed book exam. Any exceptions will be specified by your department.
Your department will provide further guidance before your exams.
Overall assessment
Reassessment
Module supervisor and teaching staff
Dr Justin Colson, email: jcolson@essex.ac.uk.
Dr Justin Colson
Belinda Waterman, Department of History, 01206 872313
Yes
Yes
No
Dr Mark Williams
Cardiff University
Senior Lecturer in Early Modern History
Available via Moodle
Of 24 hours, 19 (79.2%) hours available to students:
5 hours not recorded due to service coverage or fault;
0 hours not recorded due to opt-out by lecturer(s).
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