HIST 50 Modern Britain, 1780 to Present
This course explores the dynamics and paradoxes of modern Britain as a divided – but highly influential and remarkably stable – society. In modern times, during a dramatic rise in Britain’s prosperity and world prominence, forces behind that ascendancy made Britain a divided society. Divisions formed along lines of class, gender, sexuality, race, ethnicity, generation, and other bases of identity, including notions of Britishness itself. And yet, while violent upheaval characterized the period worldwide, Britain avoided revolution. Topics include: industrial poverty, disease, and crime; Liberal, Conservative, and Labour politics; British socialism, suffragism, and fascism; new imperialism; the Irish Question; world wars; post-colonial multiculturalism; Thatcherism, New Labour, and Brexit.
Department-Specific Course Categories
Class of 2023 and Before Major/Minor Dist: EUR; Class of 2024 and Beyond Major/Minor Dist: EUR, modern.