2024/25 Undergraduate Module Catalogue

HIST2065 The Tudors: Princes, Politics, and Piety, 1485-1603

20 creditsClass Size: 48

Module manager: Professor Stephen Alford
Email: s.alford@leeds.ac.uk

Taught: Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) View Timetable

Year running 2024/25

This module is not approved as a discovery module

Module summary

Between 1485 and 1603, England, Ireland, and Wales changed dramatically. Under the Tudor kings and queens, new political ideas and a religious revolution transformed the way royal authority was understood, state power exercised, and national religion practised. This module explores the enduring significance of this most eventful of centuries.We analyse in turn the early Tudor Church, the break with Rome, and the impact of the Reformation. We consider how the rise of Protestantism and of civic humanism enhanced the crown's authority, but made the exercise of that authority more problematic, especially under monarchs disabled by age or gender. We examine how the Tudors' subjects responded to - and sometimes resisted - the new ideas imposed upon them. We interpret the experience of Tudor rule not only in its heartlands, but also at its margins in the far north and the south-west and in the Gaelic cultures of Ireland and Wales. Thus we recognize both the achievements of the Tudor monarchy and also its limitations.

Objectives

On completion of this module, students will acquire the ability to:
- analyse and interpret evidence;
- analyse and critique historiography;
- use appropriately written, visual, and electronic resources;
- present, in writing and orally, well-supported historical arguments.

Learning outcomes
On completion of this module, students will be able to:
1. analyse principal events in England, Ireland, and Wales, 1485-1603;
2. assess the significance of the Tudor monarchy, esp for politics and religion;
3. explain contemporary systems of thought;
4. appreciate geographical and cultural variety within the Tudor realms.

Syllabus

The following topics are to be covered in seminars:
1. The Tudor State: A 'Revolution in Government'?
2. The Break with Rome
3. A 'Mid-Tudor Crisis'?
4. The Contested Nature of Protestantism
5. The Elizabethan Polity: A 'Monarchical Republic'?

Teaching methods

Delivery type	Number	Length hours	Student hours
Lecture	11	1.00	11.00
Seminar	9	1.00	9.00
Private study hours			180.00
Total Contact hours			20.00
Total hours (100hr per 10 credits)			200.00

Private study

Private study consists primarily in directed reading as set out in the module handbook. Students undertake this reading in order to:

1. prepare for each seminar
2. research their essay
3. equip themselves for answering the exam questions.

Private study also includes the writing of VLE Blackboard pieces in advance of five classes, the planning and writing of the assessed essay, and revision for the exam.

Opportunities for Formative Feedback

Progress is monitored through the tutor's appraisal of students' performance in VLE Blackboard pieces, in seminars, and in the essay. Feedback on VLE Blackboard submissions will be given collectively in the seminars and personally through written comments.

Feedback on the assessed essay will be given in three ways. Collective, anonymous feedback will be given to all students, both orally and as a written handout. Each student will also be given personalized written feedback on his or her essay. Students will also be encouraged to attend a one-to-one oral feedback session with the tutor during the course.

The tutor's contact hours will be publicized in lectures.

Methods of assessment

Coursework

Assessment type	Notes	% of formal assessment
Essay	2000-word essay.	40.00
Total percentage (Assessment Coursework)		40.00

Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated

Exams

Exam type	Exam duration	% of formal assessment
Online Time-Limited assessment	48 hr	60.00
Total percentage (Assessment Exams)		60.00

Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated

Reading list

The reading list is available from the Library website

Last updated: 18/10/2024

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