History

Course summary

“History is who we are and why we are the way we are.” (David McCullough) We are shaped by our past just as the powerful nations of today were shaped by theirs. We are offering you the opportunity to gain an understanding of how two of today’s powerful nations were shaped by events in the 16th and 20th centuries. Our course looks at a national and international history, contrasting a powerful emerging ‘Early Modern’ nation with a 20th Century Super Power. Unit 1 explores how the Tudors changed England internally, as well as how they began to spread England’s influence across the world as one of the most powerful nations of the time. Unit 2 investigates how the USA’s internal struggles brought the nation closer to equality whilst also exploring their post World War Two foreign conflicts from 1945-1976. To complement the two taught units you will also have the freedom to carry out an independent study from a choice of topics. You will produce a 3,500 word analytical essay which combines all the skills developed in unit 1 and unit 2. Topics analysed so far have ranged from the motives behind the Crusades to the role of Gandhi in Indian Independence.