Eighteenth-Century Britain and the Origins of American Independence: Looking Back at 250

Thursdays, October 1 - November 19, 6-8pm ET
Yale Club of NYC (Clarence Day Room)
50 Vanderbilt Ave., New York, NY


COURSE DESCRIPTION:

This course begins with the so-called Glorious Revolution of 1688 in England, Scotland, and Ireland, and ends with the American War of Independence, often known as the American Revolution. But our perspective will largely be that of the British center rather than the American periphery, and will ask the question of whether and to what degree the war that severed the Thirteen Colonies from Great Britain was a civil war. The course will examine the establishment of England`s constitutional monarchy, the creation of Great Britain as a state, the expansion of the British Empire, social and political tensions within Great Britain, the politics and economics of the Thirteen Colonies, the costs of war and empire, the rising tensions between the British government and Britons in America from 1763-1773, and, finally, the war that created the United States of America.

COURSE FORMAT:

This is an interactive in-person seminar course that meets weekly over 8 weeks. Classes will meet in New York City at Yale Club of NYC (Clarence Day Room) 50 Vanderbilt Ave.,
Weekly reading or other forms of materials may be assigned.

There are no papers or grades. This course does not offer any credits or certificates. This course is intended for learning for the love of learning.

COURSE MATERIALS:

This course will require participants to rent/buy/borrow the following text:
P.J. Marshall, The Oxford History of the British Empire, Vol. 2 (This can be purchased used or new on Amazon)

Registrants will receive access to the course website about two weeks before the course starts.

COURSE CANCELLATION POLICY:

Registrants can cancel and receive a full refund up to September 16. After September 16, there will be no refunds issued. Yale Alumni College courses are subject to schedule changes as well as cancellations. If Yale Alumni College must cancel any course prior to its start due to low enrollment, you will be notified of this by the cancellation date. Upon cancellation of a course, registrants may transfer their registration to another available course or have the registration fee fully refunded.

In the event of a disruption to the original course schedule, including but not limited to; Professor absence, hazardous weather conditions, or local travel restrictions, Yale Alumni College will do its best to reschedule the missed class for the week immediately following the original end date at the same course time and day.