History

Assessment

Component 1 Industrialization and the people: Britain, c1783–1885 This option allows students to study change, continuity, cause, and consequence in this period through the following key questions: • How was Britain governed and how did democracy and political organizations change and develop? • What pressures did governments face and how did they respond to these? • How and with what results did the economy develop and change? • How and with what results did society and social policy develop? • How important were ideas and ideology? • How important is the role of individuals and groups and how were they affected by developments? The course examines the following: • Impact of industrialisation in Britain, c1783–1832 and the pressure for change, c1783–1812 • Government and a changing society, 1812–1832 • The Age of Reform: Britain, 1832–1885 • Political change and social reform, 1832-1846 • Economy, society and politics, 1846–1885 Component 2 America: A Nation Divided, c1845–1877 This option provides for the study of a period of major change in American history, which saw the disintegration of the country into the Civil War, resulting in a subsequent reconstruction. It explores concepts such as political authority, abolitionism, and social justice. It also encourages students to consider what creates social tension and harmony, the idea of nationhood, and the issues surrounding political compromise. The course examines the following: • The origins of the American Civil War, c1845–1861 • North and South in c1845 • Attempts to maintain the Union, c1845–1854 • The outbreak of the Civil War, 1854–1861 • Civil War and Reconstruction, 1861–1877 Component 3: Historical Investigation • A personal study based on one question chosen from three different topics. It will take the form of a question in the context of around 100 years