British & Irish History
Courses Online & In London

Intrigue, murder execution…over 500 years on from her death, Mary’s colourful life continues to attract filmmakers and novelists alike. What can her reign, abdication and execution teach us about the social instabilities of social, religious and political life in Scotland and England in the 1500s?

Why did the British slave trade end in 1807 despite its apparent financial advantages? Historians have long debated the reasons for the abolition of the slave trade, variously citing economic, social, political and moral factors. How can we reconcile these competing theories over the reasons why the slave trade ended?

Spies, military strategists, couriers, petitioners, soldiers, nurses – women played an extraordinary variety of roles during the English Civil Wars of the 1640s. In this session, we will explore the significance of women’s participation for both the Royalist and Parliamentarian causes. What motivated women and what can their experiences teach us about the nature of the relationship between gender, power and warfare in the era?



This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.

Raise the Jolly Roger, we’re off to the Caribbean! With thousands of pirates active globally, the late 1600s and early 1700s have been referred to as the ‘Golden Age of Piracy.’ On this short course we will discover the people who joined pirate crews; what life was like on board a pirate ship; and the reasons why pirate crews are referred to as early democracies.