History 498

HIST 498: Explorations in Historical Perspectives: Land of Hope and Glory? History of the British Isles 1500-1901 Amy Blakeway

This course will provide students with an insight into the political, social and cultural history of the four nations of the British Isles: England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland. The changes which occurred during this period ranged from the establishment of Protestantism in England and Scotland, the political maneuverings and treaties which gradually led to the creation of the modern 'United Kingdom and Northern Ireland', the birth and growth of the British Empire and the seismic changes to society and technology wrought by the Industrial Revolution. The position of the monarchy and the reigns of famous kings and queens, from Henry VIII, to Mary, Queen of Scots, to George III and Victoria will be explored.

Students will be introduced to key primary sources throughout the course, and taken on field trips in Cambridge to see for themselves how these historical events changed the character of this most beautiful of cities.

This course may be used to satisfy the UNH Historical Perspectives Discovery requirement.

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.