History

Course summary

You will learn about the USA from the end of the Civil War until its establishment as a Superpower in the post-war era. This is a very broad course that covers social, economic, and political affairs including the Gilded Age, isolationism, The Great Depression, international conflict, and the Civil Rights movement. You will gain an understanding of how the American political system functions and how the USA developed its standing in the world today. You will also study modern Britain during a time in which Britain enjoyed a period of post-war affluence and boom, followed by an era of reaction. You will learn about important individuals such as Macmillan, Wilson, Thatcher, and Blair and will also examine other factors such as the impact of government policies on industrial relations, trade unions, and the nature of the relationship between the state and its citizens. By the end of the course, you will be able to demonstrate how issues such as economic performance, party-political reinvention, and multiculturalism changed Britain by 2007. In addition, you will undertake an individual study of standards of living during the Industrial period in Britain focusing on living conditions, wages, mortality rates, nutrition, working conditions, and many other areas. You will produce a 3000-3500 word essay. This will be a much more independent piece of work and will help you to develop many of the academic writing skills necessary at university.