Module Information

Module Identifier
HQ36520
Module Title
British Society and the French Revolution, 1795-1803: The Revolutionary Wars and Napoleon (Part 2)
Academic Year
2018/2019
Co-ordinator
Professor Martyn Powell
Semester
Semester 2
Co-Requisite
HQ36420
Other Staff
 

Course Delivery

 

Assessment

Assessment Type Assessment length / details Proportion
Semester Assessment 1 x 2,500 word essay  50%
Semester Exam 2 Hours   (1 x 2 hour exam)  50%
Supplementary Assessment 1 x 2,500 word supplementary (resit) essay  50%
Supplementary Exam 2 Hours   1 x 2 hour supplementary (resit) examination  50%

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this module students should be able to:

1. Demonstrate an understanding of the various British responses to the French Revolutionary wars and the rise of Napoleon
2. Demonstrate an understanding of different historical debates and interpretations evident in related texts on the impact of the Revolutionary wars and Napoleon, ranging from contemporary sources to recent scholarly works.
3. Read, analyze and assess a range of different types of historical evidence, including political theory and literary works.
4. Demonstrate an understanding of Britain’s response to the latter phases of the French Revolution (from c.1795-1803).

Aims

This module and its companion are designed to provide an in-depth study of British society in the age of the French Revolution. Students will have the opportunity to explore the period from a variety of perspectives (political, history of ideas, economic, cultural) as it seeks to present a rounded picture of Britain in the later eighteenth century, and the use of primary sources will be a central aspect of this.

Brief description

This module and HQ36420 involve an intensive study of society, culture and politics in Britain during the French Revolution, drawing particularly on contemporary documentation, publications and other source material, to assess the impact of the French Revolution on Britain and the British people. This module looks at the period from 1796 to 1803 and focuses upon Britain at war with France, facing not only the threat of invasion, but also considerable social unrest at home. Students will consider the rise of a politics of insurrection, unrest in the armed forces, the 1798 rebellion in Ireland, the ‘Jacobin’ poets, and the moral counter-offensive led by Hannah More.

Content

1. Introduction
2. Humanitarianism and Anti-slavery
3. The Great Debate about Poverty
4. The Revolution and the Arts: Coleridge and the Jacobin Poets
5. The Revolutionary Underground and Insurrection 1796-1803
6. Ireland and the Rebellion of 1798
7. Thomas Spence: Early Socialist and Revolutionary
8. Hannah More and the 'Cheap Repository Tracts'
9. Popular Patriotism and Propaganda
10. Art and Revolution: James Gillray and Political Caricature

Module Skills

Skills Type Skills details
Application of Number N/A
Communication Written communication skills will be developed through the coursework and written examination; skills in oral presentation will be developed in seminars and are also assessed.
Improving own Learning and Performance Students will be advised on how to improve research and communication skills through the individual tutorial providing feedback on submitted coursework.
Information Technology Students will be encouraged to locate suitable material on the web and to apply it appropriately to their own work. Students will also be expected to word-process their work and make use of Blackboard. These skills will not be formally assessed.
Personal Development and Career planning Students will develop a range of transferable skills, including time management and communication skills, which may help them identify their personal strengths as they consider potential career paths.
Problem solving Students are expected to note and respond to historical problems which arise as part of the study of this subject area and to undertake suitable research for seminars and essays.
Research skills Students will develop their research skills by reading a range of texts and evaluating their usefulness in preparation for the coursework and the written examination.
Subject Specific Skills Students are expected to have become proficient in the understanding of the history of Britain in the 1790s, its historiography, and its political thought.
Team work Students will be expected to play an active part in group activities (e.g. short group presentations in seminars) and to learn to evaluate their own contribution to such activities.

Notes

This module is at CQFW Level 6