| Unit name | The Legacy of Magna Carta |
|---|---|
| Unit code | HIST30020 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | H/6 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12) |
| Unit director | Dr. Cervantes |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
NONE |
| Co-requisites |
NONE |
| School/department | Department of History (Historical Studies) |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts, Law and Social Sciences |
In 2015 Magna Carta will be eight hundred years old. It remains prominent in the popular consciousness – and not just in the U.K. When an American TV host recently quizzed the British Prime Minister on the history of his country, one of his questions concerned the meaning in English of Magna Carta. Unlike Mr Cameron, the Founding Fathers of the United States would have had no difficulty in identifying the ‘Great Charter’, which they saw as the basic enunciation of the liberties they cherished. Magna Carta was the product of particular tensions surrounding the rule of King John (1199-1216) that resulted in the revolt of his greatest barons. But it also asserted ideas about the correct ordering of politics, and the relationship between power and law, that retain their relevance to this day. This unit will examine the legacy of this momentous event in the development of medieval kingship and its repercussions beyond the medieval period.
On successful completion of this unit students will have developed: 1. a detailed and in-depth knowledge and understanding of the production and legacy of the Magna Carta; 2. the ability to work at an advanced level with primary sources; 3. the ability to integrate both primary and secondary source material into a wider historical analysis; 4. the ability to learn independently within a small-group context; 5. a deeper awareness of how to approach a long term historical analysis; 6. the ability to select pertinent evidence/data in order to illustrate/demonstrate more general historical points; 7. the ability to derive benefit from and contribute effectively to group discussion; 8. the ability to identify a particular academic interpretation, evaluate it critically and form an individual viewpoint; 9. the acquisition of advanced writing, research, and presentation skills.
Weekly 2-hour seminar Access to tutorial advice with unit tutor in consultation hours.
3,500 word essay (50%) 2-hour unseen written exam (50%)
J. C. Holt, Magna Carta and Medieval Government (1984) [DA208 HOL] J. C. Holt, Magna Carta 2nd edn. (1992) [JN147 HOL] Janet S. Loengard (ed.), Magna Carta and the England of King John (2010) [DA208 MAG] S. D. Church (ed.), King John: New Interpretations (1999) [DA208 KIN] John Gillingham, The Angevin Empire 2nd edn. (2001) [D121 GIL] D. A. Carpenter, The Struggle for Mastery: Britain 1066-1284 (2004) [DA175 CAR]
