This course will cover the
history of the British Empire from the opening of the reign of Elizabeth I when
the roots of the modern Empire were laid down until the return of Hong Kong to
China in 1997. Empire is a story of
encounters between indigenous peoples and the agents of the imperial power. In the experiences of those encounters, the
history of indigenous peoples was for ever changed with consequences that
remain with us today. But, equally, the
history of the imperial power--in this case the British--was also shaped by
these encounters. The way the history of
the British Empire has been written has tended to hide this consequence of the
imperial encounter. But this course will
give full recognition to the formative role of the Empire on the history and
culture of the British Isles.
Thus, the history of the British Empire will be presented from the perspective of encounter and experience rather than as a triumphalist march of superior British civilization. As such, it will give due weight to the way the various peoples of the British Empire--the Indians, the Xhosa and Zulu, the Maori and others--responded to the establishment of British power. The course will treat the many forms assumed by the imperial encounter: as the experience of conquest and subjugation through military and cultural means; as the product of negotiation and collaboration between imperial forces and indigenous elites; as featuring schemes to dominate the minds and bodies of the colonized and the resistance that met such efforts. Equally, the course will portray the diverse aspects of the imperial experience as a series of social, political and cultural encounters as well as the more familiar military and economic themes of empire. The course will be organized chronologically; it will march through several centuries of history. But rather than presenting the history of the imperial experience as a progressive march through time, it will treat topics each week which illustrate the conceptual approach described above,
The purpose of the course will be two fold. First, it will introduce students to the varied and colorful history of the largest of the modern western Empires. Second, it will deliver a sense to the students of the different ways historians, anthropologists and cultural critics have approached the study of Empire. It will attempt to display the diversity of disciplinary approaches to the study of history and thereby convey an understanding of the way history is done.
The basic text for the course is Niall Ferguson, Empire. The Rise and Demise of the British World Order and the Lessons for Global Power (New York, 2003). This book is to be read in conjunction with the lectures and the discussion sections.
This class is sectioned. Each week there will be a topic for discussion related to the topics covered in the lectures that week and specific readings will be assigned for those meetings. There will also be occasional assignments that involve simple web based research for these sections. Students are expected to attend and participate in the discussion sections and perform the assignments that may be set by the Teaching Assistant. A portion of the grade will derive from performance in the sections.
There will be two mid term exams and one final. The mid term exams will be a combination of short answers and essay. There will be a choice of short answer topics to be answered, but the essay will be a common essay to be answered by all students. The final exam will be all essay, will cover the whole course material and there will be a choice of questions. Exam grades are based upon the following factors: knowledge of the material, understanding of the ideas and concepts demanded by the question, and quality of written expression.
The mid term exams are each worth 20% of the grade. The final exam will be worth 40% of the grade and performance in section will be worth 20% of the grade.
Grade Scale
The grade will be determined by the followng scale out of a total of 100 points.
85-100 A
(85-89:
A-; 90-94: A; 95-100: A+)
70-
84 B
(70-74:
B-; 75-79: B; 80-84: B+)
55-
69 C
(55-59:
C-; 60-64: C; 65-69: C+)
40-
54 D
(40-44:
D-; 45-49: D; 50-54: D+)
0- 39 F
Professor Price’s office is in Francis Scott Key, 2101A.
Phone Number: 2012-405-4277
Email: rp36@umail.umd.edu
Andrew Kellet’s office is in Francis Scott Key 3111
Phone number:
Email: ajk1916@yahoo.com
Office Hours will be arranged.