Themes in British History
Understanding History and Heritage Tudor England World War Two: The People’s War
Humanities International Summer School Provisional Module Handbook, 2013
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Themes in British History
Themes in British History will introduce students to the historian’s craft by taking them into the field to look at local archives and heritage sites. This experience will, on the one hand, familiarise them with the city of Plymouth, its heritage, history and historical resources, but, on the other, it will prepare them for their studies in weeks two and three (and in the Themes in European History module) by introducing them to different sources and different ways of examining sources. By the end of the Summer School, students will have developed a sound knowledge of local history and sources, and two key periods in British history, the Tudor Era and the Second World War.
This module (class) lasts three weeks and consists of three themes, each of which lasts for one week and is worth a third of the mark for the module. Each theme is made up of a number of different kinds of assessments, for example, presentations, document analysis, blog reflections, presentation write-ups, in-class tests and a final presentation/project. These will become your portfolio. Students will be awarded marks for each assessment, which will then be added together to create a mark for the theme; each theme is worth a third of the module and the final mark will be arrived at by averaging the marks for each theme.
For example, a student receiving marks of 68% for Theme One, 58% for Theme Two and 63% for Theme Three, will receive a mark of 63% for the module (68+58+63=189/3 = 63)
Although assessments may not carry many marks individually, all must be completed in order to pass the module.
Presentations will be partly peer-marked, in other words, those students not presenting will be asked to grade those who are and these marks will be combined with those of the tutor to arrive at a final mark for the piece.
Reading
Detailed reading lists will be provided before you arrive in the UK and it is extremely important that you are adequately prepared for the Summer School.
We recommend that you purchase the following books
Susan Brigden, New Worlds, Lost Worlds: The Rule of the Tudors, 1485-1603, Penguin, 2000
John Guy, Tudor England, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1990
Janet Gardiner, Wartime Britain, 1939-1945, Headline Book Publishing, London, 2004
Assessment
Theme One: History and Heritage in Plymouth (which runs for three days): three 500-word blogs (33% each)
Theme Two: World War Two, The People’s War: Short essay – 12%; Presentations – 38%; Oral History project 50%
Theme Three: The Tudors: Short essay/document analysis – 50%; Presentations - 50%
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Your assessments for each module will be combined to create your coursework portfolio and at the end of the Summer School you will have completed a portfolio for each module.
Submission of coursework
Coursework can be submitted daily, but all of Week One’s coursework must be submitted by 1pm on Monday of Week Two; Week Two’s coursework must be submitted by 1pm on Monday of Week Three and Week Three’s coursework by 10.00am on the Friday of that week (the last day of the Summer School). See Coursework Grid below.
Coursework Grid
This will help you keep track of your assessments.
Theme Coursework Due Date History and Heritage Blog One Monday, Week Two
Blog Two Monday, Week Two
Blog Three Monday, Week Two
Tudors Presentation One In-class
Presentation Two In-class
Presentation Three In-class
Presentation Four In-class
Document Analysis Monday, Week Three One Document Analysis Monday, Week Three Two Document Analysis Monday, Week Three Three Document Analysis Monday, Week Three Four World War Two Presentation One In-class
Presentation Two In-class
Presentation Three In-class
Questionnaire In-class
Mini-essay Friday, Week Three
Interview Essay Friday, Week Three
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Theme One: Understanding History and Heritage
The afternoons of the first week of the Summer School will be spent understanding various forms of History and Heritage. This will involve visiting and working in archives and visiting a local heritage site as ways of considering the ways in which ‘history’ and ‘heritage’ are constructed. The experience of visiting these sites will provide excellent grounding as you engage with primary sources, and grapple with the problems of interpreting historical events, over the course of the next three weeks. You will have the opportunity to work with original documents, look at the practice of archivists, the construction and maintenance of collections, including visual materials, and visit a working heritage site.
On Day One, we will visit the Plymouth and West Devon Record Office (PWDRO); on Day Two, the Ford Park Cemetery Trust and on Day Three, the South West Film and Television Archive (SWFTA)
Day One: Plymouth and West Devon Record Office (PWDRO)
From the PWDRO website (http://www.plymouth.gov.uk/archives):
About Plymouth & West Devon Record Office Plymouth City Council's Plymouth & West Devon Record Office is the principal archive repository within Plymouth and the West Devon area. It exists to collect and preserve the historical records (archives) of the area and to promote and encourage their use by all who want to study them. The record office holds records of the old borough and modern city of Plymouth, as well as the West Devon area. The record office holds original records of many organisations and individuals and is always interested to hear of any potential gifts or deposits of archival material. Please contact the office if you are aware of any such items or if you want to discuss the preservation of your records. Dating from circa 1190, the record office has over half a million individual items including deeds, charters, minute books, letters, registers, manorial documents, reports, diaries, financial records, maps, plans and photographs. Find out more about the record office, including opening hours and a link to the online catalogue.
Structure
PWDRO guided tour and research
1.30: Arrive and tour of strong-room and collections.
2.00: Introduction to the search-rooms, undertake own research
3.00: Strong-room task and shadowing staff
Day Two: For Park Cemetery Trust
From the Ford Park website: http://www.ford-park-cemetery.org/
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Ford Park Cemetery Trust
Ford Park Cemetery contains not just a chapter but a whole volume on life in Victorian Plymouth. There are memorials to notable figures, but there are also graves of ordinary people who led extraordinary lives. We have collected detail on 600 individuals to date and welcome additional information from the public. Please mark any material for the attention of Rod Pickles. Some headstone detail tells a great deal, like how many children in one family died young, regardless of class or location. Other memorials give profession, where death occurred or clues through symbolism (see separate section). Imported marble from Italy denoted wealth and status of a family, large and ornate images emphasised this. Delabole slate was for the less well off. The Trust believes passionately in the cemetery as a heritage asset for the people of Plymouth, visitors and children. During the summer, guided walks are offered on a variety of subjects on the first Sunday afternoon of each month (see program of events for details). Private group walks can be arranged through the cemetery's Friends organisation via the office. This also applies to talks to groups outside the cemetery in the Plymouth area. Twice a year the Visitor Centre has an exhibition (see program for details) Children come to learn about Victorian symbolism, life in Victorian times, about the Second World War and wildlife subjects. Why not come along and see how the cemetery could help with the curriculum. It is a tranquil location full of possibilities and inspiration where you can step back in time.
Structure
Students will spend the afternoon working with tutors and staff at the trust, learning about the site and how the heritage industry works and gaining an insight into life and death in Victorian Plymouth.
Day Three: South West Film and Television Archive (SWFTA)
From the SWFTA website: http://www.swfta.org.uk/c69c522d7937/main/
The South West Film and Television Archive (SWFTA) is the regional film archive for the South West of England. It covers an area from the Isles of Scilly in the west to Bournemouth in the east and as far north as Gloucestershire, and includes all the county and unitary authorities in the South West. SWFTA is a charity whose role is to conserve, preserve and provide access to the moving image heritage of this region. Established in 1993, it is one of the largest regional film archives in the UK and holds the Westward Television and TSW (Television South West) independent television collections as well as a significant number of donated film collections, both amateur and professional. SWFTA is an independent registered charity and a non-profit making company limited by guarantee. It is governed by a board of directors who are also trustees of
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the charity. It is registered with the Charity Commission (charity number 1128985) and at Companies House as South West Film and Television Holdings Ltd (company number 6846469).
Structure of the day
Students will be spending this afternoon working with tutors and staff examining the use and collection of visual material.
Assessment
Students will write an individual 500-word blog about each of these visits, outlining the processes of each and analysing the tasks they carried out as part of their visits.
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Theme Two: The Tudors
The Tudor dynasty ruled England from 1485 until 1603, starting with the reign of Henry VII and ending with the death of Elizabeth I. In this theme we will examine how the Tudors came to power and then consolidated their position, examining the ways in which the various Tudor monarchs (Henry VII, Henry VII, Edward VI, Mary I and Elizabeth I) modernised the country and dealt with internal and external pressures. We will analyse the key moments of the period, including the War of the Roses, the English Reformation (when England broke with Rome and abandoned Catholicism), the dissolution of the monasteries under Henry VIII, Henry’s tumultuous quest for an heir, the brief rule of the Catholic Mary I and the Elizabethan age, which coincided with the emergence of William Shakespeare. We will consider the impact of the Tudors on Plymouth stressing, of course, the defeat of the Spanish Armada off the coast of the city in 1588. We will also look at life for ordinary people during the period.
We have excellent holdings in the library on the Tudor era, but students should purchase at least one of the following texts: Susan Brigden, New Worlds, Lost Worlds: The Rule of the Tudors, 1485- 1603 (Penguin, 2000), this is a good overview of the period, and John Guy, Tudor England (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1990), which is the fullest textbook account of the events of the period.
Consider the following general questions:
How successful was Henry VII in securing the Tudor monarchy?
Why were there no wars of religion in England during the sixteenth century?
What motivated the Reformation between 1529 and 1553?
Was England still more Catholic than Protestant in 1547?
Was religious change imposed from above rather than rooted in popular feeling?
Consider the myths and realities of Elizabeth’s reign
Structure and Format
Each day will consist of a lecture, an in-class discussion of primary documents and a group presentation. Assessments will consist of the group presentation and a document analysis.
Your week will look like this:
Structure and Format Assessment Day One Lecture 1.00-2.00 Presentation (50%) The Wars of the Roses and the Reign of Henry VII Primary Source Workshop 2.00-3.00 Document analysis (50%)
Presentations 3.00-4.00
Day Two Lecture 1.00-2.00 Presentation (50%) The Reign of Henry VIII Primary Source Workshop 2.00-3.00 Document analysis (50%)
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Presentations 3.00-4.00
Day Three Lecture 1.00-2.00 Presentation (50%) Edward VI and Mary I Primary Source Workshop 2.00-3.00 Document analysis (50%)
Presentations 3.00-4.00
Day Four Lecture 1.00-2.00 Presentation (50%) Elizabeth I and Elizabethan England Primary Source Workshop 2.00-3.00 Document analysis OR Mini- essay (50%) Presentations 3.00-4.00
Document Workshops
Note: the list of documents for each session is indicative, however, the tutor may assign particular documents or ask individual students to look at specific sources
Student Presentations
Students will be divided into groups and each group will offer a fifteen minute presentation on one of the assigned documents
Assessment One: The presentation is part of the assessment and students will be graded according to their analysis, research and presentation skills. Each member of the group will receive the same grade. (50%)
Assessment Two: Write a 500 word analysis of one of the documents discussed in class. Using secondary reading, you will examine the document in its historical context and offer an assessment of importance, noting its influence, the motivation of the writer and the nature of the source (50%)
Day One
Lecture 1.00-2.00
The Wars of the Roses and the Reign of Henry VII
Document Workshop 2.00-3.00
A DESCRIPTION OF HENRY VII, From Polydore Vergil, The Anglia Historia, 1485-1537
Francis Bacon on Henry VII and Empson and Dudley, from his History of Henry VII
An Act against Unlawful Retainers and Liveries, 1503/4
The Reign of Henry VIII and the early Tudor Court
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The Venetian Ambassador’s Report describing Henry VIII
The Fall of Cardinal Wolsey, Edward Hall’s Chronicle
Presentation 3.00-4.00
Day Two
Lecture 1.00-2.00
The Reign of Henry VIII: The early Tudor Court; Reformation: Repression and Reaction
Document Workshop
The Venetian Ambassador’s Report describing Henry VIII
The Fall of Cardinal Wolsey, Edward Hall’s Chronicle
Thomas Wyatt, Whoso List to Hunt, I Know where is an Hind
Act in Restraint of Appeals, 1533
The Act of Supremacy (1534)
Royal Injunctions, 1536
The Suppression of Glastonbury Abbey, 1539 (both letters)
Presentation 3.00-4.00
Day Three 1.00-2.00
Lecture
Edward VI and Mary I
Document Workshop
Edward VI
Decision of the meeting of the co-executors of Henry VIII’s will, 31 Jan. 1547.
Act of Uniformity, 1549
Order for Bringing in Popish Rituals, 1549
Demands of the Rebels of Devon and Cornwall, 1549
Mary I
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John Knox, The First Blast of the Trumpet Against the Monstrous Regiment of Women (1558)
Act for the Marriage of Queen Mary To Philip of Spain, 1554
Robert Parkyn’s Narrative of the Reformation, c. 1555.
Act of Repeal, 1553
The burnings of Bishops Ridley and Latimer at Oxford, 16 0ctober, 1555 as recorded by John Foxe’s, Acts and Monuments, 1563
Presentation 3.00-4.00
Day Four
Lecture 1.00-2.00
Elizabeth I and Elizabethan England
Document Workshop
Act of Uniformity, 1559
Act of Supremacy, 1559
Nehemiah Wallington, Diary
The Papal Bull Regnans in Excelsis,
Elizabethan Government and Politics
Leicester’s Commonwealth on puppet monarchy.
William Camden on faction: Elizabeth and Mary 1584
Sir Robert Naunton on Elizabeth and Faction
The 'Scandal Letter': Mary, Queen of Scots, to Elizabeth [1584]
Presentation 3.00-4.00
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Theme Three: World War Two, The People’s War
In this Theme we will examine the experience of the British on the home-front during the Second World War. The aim is to look at some of the mythology that has grown up surrounding the war. For example, we will consider the notion of the ‘Blitz Spirit’, the idea that the morale of ordinary Britons remained high even during heavy German bombing of British cities. Students will hear first-hand accounts of life during the war when they interview survivors as part of the ‘All Our Stories’ oral history project. We will analyse the role of women as they had to take on traditionally male roles in the workplace as their fathers, husbands and sons were called up to fight. We will assess both the positive and negative aspect of this upon British life. Finally, we will examine the ‘Friendly Invasion’ of American GIs. American entry into the war after Pearl Harbor in 1941 was welcome, the arrival of a million or more young American men in the UK was less so, and we will consider the impact of this ‘invasion’ upon both the British and the Americans.
We have good holdings in the library on World War Two, and excellent e-resources, but students should consider purchasing Janet Gardiner, Wartime Britain, 1939-1945, Headline Book Publishing, London, 2004, which offers a comprehensive account of the period. We will make extensive use of online primary source material including the BBC’s People’s War website (http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ww2peopleswar/ and http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/britain_wwtwo/blitz_01.shtml
Consider the following general questions:
Was there a ‘Blitz Spirit’?
What impact did the Blitz have on British life?
How effectively was propaganda used to maintain morale?
How did the British and Americans respond to each other?
Did the British adopt American racial segregation?
Structure and Format
Your week will look like this:
Structure and Format Assessment Day One Lecture 1.00-2.00 Presentation (50%) The Myth of the Blitz Document Workshop 2.00-3.00 Mini-essay (50%)
Presentations 3.00-4.00
Day Two Oral History project Questionnaire (50%)
Presentation (50%)
Day Three Presentations 1.00-2.00 Interview essay (100%)
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Roundtable Discussion 2.00-3.00
Lecture 3.00-4.00 British Women and WWII; ‘Overpaid, Oversexed and Over here!’ Day Four Document Workshop 1.00-2.00 Presentation (100%)
Document Source Workshop 2.00-3.00
Presentations 3.00-4.00
Day One: The Blitz
Lecture 1.00-2.00
The Myth of the Blitz
London Can Take It (1940) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLgfSDtHFt8&feature=related
Document Workshop 2.00-3.00
We will be drawing upon documents from Mass Observation surveys and the BBC’s ‘People’s War’ website.
Consider this image of St Paul’s cathedral in London. Why was it used for propaganda purposes by both the British and the Germans?
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Student Presentations 3.00-4.00
Students will be divided into groups and each group will offer a fifteen minute presentation. Students will examine the idea of the ‘Blitz Spirit’ and assess the extent to which it was simply propaganda (50%)
Assessment
Write a 500 word mini-essay analysing the experience of one of the following British cities during the Blitz: London, Plymouth, Coventry or Belfast (50%)
Days Two and Three: Oral History Project
Day Two
On Day Two, students will be carrying out interviews as part of ‘All Our Stories’ oral history project. Students will work in pairs. You must consult the ‘Do’s and Don’ts’ at the end of the booklet for guidance in the conducting of interviews, but we will be discussing the ethics of interviewing and good practice. These interviews must be recorded (preferably digitally) and submitted as part of the assessment. Each interviewer is advised to make their own recording. The interview should last about 45 minutes.
Day Three
Presentation 1.00-2.00
Students will present their findings to the rest of the group
Roundtable Discussion 2.00-3.00
The group will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of oral history and analyse the ways in which their interviewees’ recollections of their wartime experience compares with contemporary accounts of the war
Assessment
Design a questionnaire for your interview, demonstrating an understanding of the ethics and principles behind oral history and applying the good practices discussed in Theme One (50%)
Students will present their findings to the rest of the group on Day Three (50%)
These two exercises constitute Day Two’s assessment
For Day Three’s assessment, write a 750 word reflection on your interview and include a recorded copy of the interview (100%)
Lecture 3.00-4.00
British Women and World War Two; ‘Overpaid, Oversexed and Over here!’
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This afternoon’s lecture will be in two parts. The first part will analyse how the war affected women and the second will deal with the arrival of American troops in the UK. This will provide a platform for tomorrow’s sessions
Day Four
Document Workshop 1.00-2.00 British Women and the War
How did the role of women change during the war?
Was the war positive for British women?
Document Workshop 2.00-3.00 ‘Overpaid, Oversexed and Over here!’
How did the British react to the American ‘occupation’?
What was the experience of African American troops in the UK?
Student Presentations 3.00-4.00
Assessment
Presentation (100%)
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Appendix
Oral History Interview do’s and don’ts (Adapted from the Oral History Association of Australia Journal)
Don’t: Interrupt a story Impose your own way of thinking or your own order of topics Dominate the interview Ask complicated questions Ask leading questions Ask questions which have already been answered Ask questions by telling all you know first Put forward your opinions or make moral judgments Be afraid of silences and pauses Belittle or laugh at your interviewee Exhaust your interviewee Ask confrontational questions Use jargon or unnecessarily complicated terms
Do: Be a good and interested listener Stick to a fruitful area and follow it through while the memories are flowing Be aware of your own biases and prejudices Be patient Use appropriate language Ask for descriptions and examples Use sensitive “open-ended” and “follow-up” questions as often as possible Be alert to touchy subject and don’t just blunder in Follow up emotions, e.g., ‘How did you feel about it?’, ‘How did you react?’ Laugh and smile with your interviewee Probe generalisations, e.g., ‘What was so good/bad about school?’, ‘Could you describe some specific incidents?’ Allow your interviewee to complete a story Encourage interviewees to reconstruct conversations, e.g., ‘And what did your boss say then?’ Encourage interviewee to reconstruct physical environments Invite evaluations, e.g., ‘Why do you think that happened?’ Respect silences, if these are pauses while your interviewee collects and/or selects memories. Provide positive reinforcement to assure your interviewees that the memories they are offering are important
Do use a mixture of: Open-ended questions Closed or direct questions Follow-up questions Evaluative questions
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Possible oral history questions: adapted and selected from Paul Thompson, The Voice of the Past: Oral History
Childhood and early family life Where and when were you born? How many years did you live in the house where you were born? Where did you live next? What jobs did your father and mother do at that time? Did you have any tasks that you regularly did to help around the house? How did your parents expect you to behave towards them? Do you remember family holidays or going away? How did you spend Saturdays and Sundays in your childhood? How much, if anything, did religion mean to you as a child? What views do you remember your parents holding about the world around them? Why do you think they held these views? When your parents were not working how did they spend their time? What interests did you have as a child? Who would you play with as a child? Did your parents ever give you any pocket money? If so, what did you spend it on? Did you have any awareness growing up of belonging to a particular social class or group? If so, what made you aware of what classes or groups other people belonged to? Do you think that some people in your area felt themselves superior to others? Why?
Education/University What school/s did you go? What did you think of school? What did you feel about the teachers? If you did something the teachers disapproved of, what would happen? Did the teachers emphasise certain things (e.g., values or behaviours) as important in life? When you were at school did you ever have a part-time job? How did you get that job? Did you think you were fairly paid/treated in it? Where and why did you go to university (if applicable)? What are some of your memories of life at university?
Work/Early Adult Life How did you get your first job after leaving school/university? What sort of work was it? Did you think you were fairly paid/treated? How did you feel about your employer? Did you get on well with your work colleagues? Did you belong to any union or professional organisations? Did you continue to live at home when you started work? When did you move out? Did your interests in your free time change when you started working? What age were you when (if) you married? How long had you known your spouse before this time? When and how did you meet them? Did you continue working/change jobs at all after marriage? How did you and your spouse manage the household budget/housekeeping? How did you decide how money should be spent? Did you have children? Who looked after the children while you were working?
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