History

Course summary

History is the study of ourselves, an investigation of human behavior, an inquiry into our motives and the consequences of our actions. Our A Level looks at exciting periods in History. The first unit is discovering Tudor England and the significant events that shaped our country under some of the most famous monarchs in our History. You will learn about how Henry VII’s paranoia transformed England into a terrorized state, how Henry VIII was forced to confess his own lack of virility in open court, and consider the reasons surrounding Elizabeth’s refusal to marry. The course also includes a second examined unit investigating the Russian Revolutions of 1917 and how communist extremists like Lenin and Trotsky were able to hijack an anti-war mood to overthrow the government and emerge as the dominant governing party, and then to systematically crush all opponents. You will also consider Stalin’s role in the systematic murder of millions in his Siberian Gulags and his role as the great patriotic leader through the Second World War in saving Russia from Nazi defeat. The third unit, the development of African American Civil Rights in the USA, is assessed through coursework. Students are introduced to the final defeat of Slavery in America in 1863 and the expected freedom for African Americans which failed to materialize. The role of the political system in America, its successes and failings in enabling Black Americans to secure their rights is explored along with the impact of some of the most significant figures in history, such as JFK and Martin Luther King Jr.