History 600 
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HIST 600: Advanced Explorations:
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The monarchy remains one of the quintessential and defining characteristics of Britain in the eyes of many; monarchy-related sites are a cornerstone of British tourism and the antics of the younger royals invariably feature in gossip magazines and newspapers alike. However, this seemingly unshakable institution had weathered challengers throughout its long history and it was by no means inevitable that Britain, unlike its European neighbours such as France, should have retained its kings and queens.
This course will explore how monarchy was challenged, and the varying degrees of success with which it met these challenges during the early modern period. Students will begin by exploring the differences between the Scottish and English monarchies, using this to understand the great dynastic rivalry between the Scottish royal house of Stuart and the English Tudors. Following an investigation of the Stuarts gaining the English crown and effecting the dynastic triumph of the Union of the Crowns in 1603, the class will consider the ways in which the Stuarts themselves were challenged. These include the British civil war, during which the king was deposed and executed, and the rest of the royal family exiled and the 'Glorious Revolution' when religious controversy caused daughter to depose father. The course will conclude by considering the Union of the Parliaments, and the end of the Stuart dynasty.
Students will explore these issues through the examination of primary sources in the classroom, and field trips to some of Cambridge's significant historic sites.
This course is available for graduate credit as History 800.
Amy Blakeway is a Junior Research Fellow in History at Homerton College, University of Cambridge. Amy obtained her PhD, "Regency in Sixteenth-Century Scotland," in 2010 from Clare College, University of Cambridge, and in 2011-12 she was the youngest ever Fulbright-Robertson Visiting Professor of British History at Westmister College, Fulton, Missouri, She has also held a W.M. Keck Foundation Fellowship at the Huntington Library in San Marino, California.
Amy's research explores early modern Scottish political history, addressing issues as diverse as diplomacy and noble dynastic politics. Her publications include "The Response to the Regent Moray's Assassination," Scottish Historical Review (2009), and "The Attempted Divorce of James Hamilton, Earl of Arran and Governor of Scotland," Innes Review (2010). Her first monograph, based on her doctoral dissertation, has been accepted by Boydell & Brewer's St. Andrews Studies in Scottish History Series.