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Global & imperial history

Global & Imperial History
Courses Online & in London

Thousands of years ago humanity migrated to almost every part of the world and as a consequence our history has since been global. Evidence from several thousand years show how the regions we now call the Middle East, South Asia and inland China were the first to see the emergence of agriculture and empires, each region defined by its eco-systems. Later, similar developments took place in Western and Central Africa and in Central and South America. Lastly, the region we later called Europe followed.

Since then, the connections between and within the different regions of the world have waxed and waned through the transfer of people, technologies, ideas, belief systems, and wealth. For several centuries this process has been defined by imperial cooperation, competition and conflict on the one hand and human creativity and resilience on the other. Much contested around the world, Europe emerged to become a global influence in this period, remaking several regions via the connections between with the imperial expansion and settler colonial state building of the 19th century, capitalism and industrialisation.

Today, historians are exploring these connections and their often-violent consequences with greater understanding than previously and, in the process of overcoming the Eurocentric and/or US-centric overall perspective(s), which came to dominate the discipline. This process is far from easy or simple, however. There is no quick fix. It is a longer conversation.

In recognition of this, we aim to make our courses not only enjoyable but also relevant to further your understanding of the varied links between our global past, present and future. Within our global and imperial history category, you will find courses of varying lengths as well as online, delivered either online or face-to-face, exploring different aspects of the journey to our global present.

Curious? Join us!

Courses available both in-person and online

We offer a range of courses allowing you to choose between online and in-person learning. All our courses are live, interactive, and taught by expert tutors. No matter how you prefer to learn, you’ll receive the same great City Lit experience. See our guide to online learning for more information about accessing our live online courses.

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  1. Full fee £169.00 Senior fee £135.00 Concession £110.00
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  2. Full fee £199.00 Senior fee £159.00 Concession £129.00
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  3. Full fee £309.00 Senior fee £247.00 Concession £201.00
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  4. Friday Late: From Feudal Isolation to a Modern Nation-State: an introduction to Japan’s Meiji Restoration period (1868 – 1889)
    Evening
    Course start date:  Fri 26 Sep 2025

    Location on this date:  Online

    Tutors:  Dale Mineshima-Lowe

    Join Dr. Dale Mineshima-Lowe for a brief introductory history of Japan’s Meiji Restoration period (1868-1889) - an important turning point that helped to shape modern Japan. 

    Full fee £19.00 Senior fee £19.00 Concession £12.00
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  5. Full fee £219.00 Senior fee £175.00 Concession £142.00
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  6. Full fee £19.00 Senior fee £15.00 Concession £12.00
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  7. Full fee £169.00 Senior fee £169.00 Concession £110.00
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  8. Full fee £119.00 Senior fee £119.00 Concession £77.00
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  9. Full fee £149.00 Senior fee £119.00 Concession £97.00
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  10. Full fee £149.00 Senior fee £149.00 Concession £97.00
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  11. Full fee £169.00 Senior fee £135.00 Concession £110.00
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  12. Global History Friday Lates: Opium & the Opium Wars: Culture, Society & Conflict
    Evening
    Course start date:  Fri 7 Nov 2025

    Location on this date:  Online

    Tutors:  Ellen Carpenter

    What was the significance of opium for British traders and why were wars ostensibly fought with China over opium in the 1800s? Join us to discover the links between global trading, opium and British colonial power in this Friday Late session.

    Full fee £19.00 Senior fee £19.00 Concession £12.00
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  13. Full fee £59.00 Senior fee £47.00 Concession £38.00
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  14. Global History Friday Lates: White Gold: Sugar, Enslavement & the Caribbean
    Evening
    Course start date:  Fri 12 Dec 2025

    Location on this date:  Online

    Tutors:  Ellen Carpenter

    Join us for a Friday Late session on the history of sugar, sugar consumption in Britain and its associations with enslavement and crop production in the Caribbean colonies. What impact did sugar consumption in Britain have on enslavement, the slave trade and the Caribbean?

    Full fee £19.00 Senior fee £19.00 Concession £12.00
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  15. European global empires
    Course start date:  Tue 6 Jan 2026

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Tutors:  Michael Schraer

    This course compares the main European global empires - Spanish, British, Portuguese and Dutch - by taking a thematic approach to the acquisition of empire, settlement, history and legacy in each case.

    Full fee £149.00 Senior fee £119.00 Concession £97.00
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