Welcome to HIST–B 309, section 25813, and HIST–H 509, section 24520, British History to 1688!

course learning objective: The goal of the course is to instill historical knowledge concerning the development of Britain and its institutions from its ancient origins through the Revolution of 1688.

learning outcomes: In fulfillment of the course learning objective, students will be able to:

ascertain the reliability of primary and secondary source materials
for specific examples, explain the difference between primary and secondary sources
distinguish between objectivity and advocacy in source materials
evaluate written, artistic, and architectural evidence to achieve research goals
recognize the significance of geopolitical information found in maps
assess research-based scholarship
analyze historical cause and effect
synthesize primary and secondary source materials to create new historical knowledge
engage an audience with that new synthesis through concise written communication

In short, students will learn the craft of history.

The course addresses the prehistoric society that produced Stonehenge; the Roman, Anglo-Saxon, and Norman invasions; the development of medieval social, economic, and religious structures; feudalism; and the interplay of monarchy and Parliament. The course emphasizes political and constitutional change with economic, social, cultural, religious, and intellectual history interwoven. The course introduces historical literature, source material, and criticism.

Learning objectives for this module:

Be able to:

identify the major regions within the British Isles
explain how geography determined major social and economic developments in the British Isles

To do for this module:

read the textbook, preface, page xv
view this video, below:

Click here to download the PowerPoint file without the recording.

Click here to download the PowerPoint file with the recording

At 1:30 PM, Monday, August 24, we will have a synchronous class meeting, conducted by video through Zoom software on this Canvas site. The purpose of this class meeting is to introduce the class and ourselves—to meet and greet. We all will introduce ourselves, and I will ask you to comment on one event from British history of which you are aware, based on your previous understanding of British history from high school and college.

To participate in the synchronous class discussions (Zoom meetings) at 1:30–2:45 PM, Monday, August 24; Wednesday, September 9; Wednesday, September 23; Wednesday, October 21, Wednesday, November 4, and Wednesday, November 18:

You can connect to Zoom by clicking on the link to Zoom Class Meetings in the course navigation (list of links on the left of Canvas), or click on https://IU.zoom.us/j/9047954919, or copy that URL to your browser.

If prompted for a passcode, enter: 162885.

If those times don’t work for you (since most students also have in-person courses and/or day jobs), I can schedule one-on-one discussions on Zoom or by phone, by appointment. Please use e-mail to set up a discussion appointment with me.

If you have any trouble, watch this short video from Zoom: Join a Meeting

Welcome to the class!

Thereafter the class is asynchronous (proceed at your own pace) until 1:30–2:45 PM Wednesday, September 9, when we will have a Zoom meeting: class discussion of Bede (see Book Review of Bede) and research paper topics (see Research Paper). No later than 11:59 PM that evening, the book review of Bede, and the selection of your topic for the research paper, are due.

After that, the next synchronous event is 1:30–2:45 PM Wednesday, September 23: Zoom meeting: Bill Orme, librarian liaison for the Department of History, will provide an orientation to online research and sources (see Research Paper).