HIST 424 - How to Make an Empire: Histories of Global Britain

FC SSCI CD WADV

4 credits
This course considers the definition of “empire” by examining the many distinct currents of British imperial history. How have historians approached the global British empire from the perspective of race, gender, politics, economics, and geography (among other lens)? While the course has a British focus, foundational themes include general theories of European imperialism as well as how Britain’s relationship with other European and Indigenous powers shaped its particular trajectory. The bulk of course readings emphasize the early modern period but we will cover some foundational works on the nineteenth century as well as the “legacy” of the British empire today.