University of London
Magna Carta and its Legacies: Freedom and protest
University of London

Magna Carta and its Legacies: Freedom and protest

Taught in English

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Course

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals

Dr Emmett Sullivan

Instructor: Dr Emmett Sullivan

4.5

(55 reviews)

Beginner level
No prior experience required
9 hours to complete
3 weeks at 3 hours a week
Flexible schedule
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There are 6 modules in this course

Welcome to Magna Carta and its legacies: Freedom and Protest. Our focus this week is Magna Carta in the 13th century. In the video lectures we'll be exploring the importance of Runnymede, the events of June 1215. The ideas contained within the great charter, and the story of how the Magna Carta, a failed peace treaty, became a permanent and iconic feature of English history. Join us in the forums, as we discuss whether King John was as bad as popular history suggests and debate whether Magna Carta is an extreme, or even revolutionary document.

What's included

11 videos1 reading1 discussion prompt

This week is led by Professor Justin Champion, Professor of Early Modern Ideas at Royal Holloway. The title for this week is <B>The reinvention of Magna Carta, 1508-1642</B>.<BR><BR><B>Week Two | Learning Outcomes</B><br><br>Gain an understanding of the uses of Magna Carta in the changing politics of the 16th and 17th centuries<BR>Gain an insight into the printed texts of the period in relation to Magna Carta<br><br>In this session we will explore:<br>How the sixteenth century public re-encountered the Magna Carta through new print editions and translations into English legal handbooks<br>How these print editions informed the development of legal thinking in the Inns of Court, and developed an understanding of liberty and the common law.<br>You will acquire a perspective on the printed history of texts (1508-1759) that either reproduced the text of the Magna Carta, or used it for specific legal or political purpose. <br>You will develop an understanding of the radical reinvention of the political significance of Magna Carta in the idea of the ‘Ancient constitution’ by exploring the efforts of Sir Edward Coke both in his legal commentaries and his Parliamentary activities.<br><br><b>Week Two | An Essential Read</b><br><br>As part of the Magna Carta 800th commemorative events Professor Champion has been engaged in an academic debate on the Liberty Fund website. We recommend you read his introduction to gain a grounding in the course themes for the next two weeks.<BR><br><a href= "https://d396qusza40orc.cloudfront.net/magnacarta/LEAD%20ESSAY%201.pdf">“Magna Carta after 800 Years: From liber homo to modern freedom”</a>

What's included

7 videos1 reading1 quiz1 discussion prompt

This week is again run by Professor Justin Champion and is entitled <b>Magna Carta: Civil War to Revolution, 1642-1776</b>.<br><br><b>Week Three | Learning Outcomes</b><BR> How Magna Carta was used in debates from the English Civil War to the American Revolution<BR>Consider how these ideas crossed both time and space<BR>How historians might identify and begin to analyse relevant publication patterns in respect to the two learning objectives above

What's included

9 videos1 reading1 peer review1 discussion prompt

This week is run by Dr. Emm Johnstone and is entitled <b>Magna Carta and the wider world: Constitution Making</b><br><br><b>Week Four | Learning Outcomes</b><br><br>Over the course of this week it is hoped that you will gain a deeper insight and have an understanding of the following:<br><br><b>Knowledge and understanding</b><br>A deeper understanding of debates over property rights and land rights in the 19th century<br>Knowledge of parliamentary reform in the 19th and 20th centuries<br>Knowledge and understanding of the reasons for remembrance and commemoration<br><b>Skills</b><br>The ability to engage with the history of ideas and arguments<br>The ability to interpret conflicting historical accounts of key documents and events<br>The ability to engage with peers constructively in online debates<br><b>Attributes</b>Self-guided research making use of online databases<br>Visiting heritage sites and related websites to explore historical connections with slavery<BR><BR><B>Week Four | Essential task prior to the lectures</b> Please begin by reading Ralph V. Turner’s <a hre= "http://www.historytoday.com/ralph-v-turner/meaning-magna-carta-1215">The Meaning of Magna Carta since 1215</a>, in History Today Volume: 53 Issue: 9 2003

What's included

8 videos1 reading1 quiz1 discussion prompt

This section of the course is run by Dr. Graham Smith and is entitled <B>Commemoration and Memorialisation</b>.<BR><BR><B>Week Five | Learning Outcomes</B><BR><BR>Over the course of this week you will gain a deeper insight and have an understanding of the following: <BR><BR><B>Knowledge and understanding</B><BR>To gain a better understanding of public history, including the use of the past in contemporary politics<BR>To develop understandings of memorials and memorialisation as an aspect of public history, including: (a) the use of the past, as well as the historical present, in memorialisation; and (b) The communication and non-communication of different versions of history through memorialisation<BR>To understand memorialisation in the contexts of time, place and space<BR><BR><B>Skills</B><BR>Apply a public history approach within historical study and discussion<BR>Identification and application of ideas to inform a case study<BR>Place the productions of public history in their historical contexts<BR>Reading a review article (Glassberg, 1991) and applying it to a different question (monuments, memorialisation and Magna Carta)<BR><BR><B>Attributes</b><BR>To develop an empathetic approach to people in the past<BR>Engage with peers constructively in online debates<BR><BR><B>Week Five | Before you watch the lectures</B> Before you start watching this week's lectures it would be useful for you to have an understanding of what the term 'memorialisation' means. Please follow <a href= "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memorialization">this memorialisation link</a> to gain a deeper understanding of the term.

What's included

8 videos1 reading1 peer review2 discussion prompts

This week is again run by Dr.Graham Smith and it entitled <B>Magna Carta: A History of an Argument c.1800-2015</B><BR><BR><B>Week Six | Learning Outcomes</B><BR><BR>By the end of this week’s work, students should have:<BR><BR><B>Knowledge and understanding</b> <br>To gain a better and more critical understanding of historical argument and historiography in relation to the impact and reception of Magna Carta in the longer view since the C18th<br>Appreciate that Magna Carta might be viewed as other than a positive and/or progressive influence in history<br>To explore in greater depth some of the debates emerging from differing interpretations of Magna Carta, with particular emphasis on the period after the Second World War<br>To appreciate the ways in which Magna Carta may still be relevant today.<br><br><b>Skills</B><br>Critically Read and listen to historical arguments Identify key aspects in historical arguments<br>Begin to construct historical arguments<br><br><b>Attributes</b><br>To develop an open but critical mind to historical argument<br>Engage with peers constructively in online debates<br><br><b>Week Six | A Recommended Read</b><br><br>One of the leading authorities on Magna Carta is the historian <a HREF= "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._C._Holt">J. C. Holt</A>. He published many works about Magna Carta, with his best known being his book entitled Magna Carta.We've been fortunate enough to secure copyright permission from Cambridge University Press and we recommend you read the following two chapters below.<BR><B>Chapter 1</B> - <a href="https://d396qusza40orc.cloudfront.net/magnacarta/Magna%20Carta%20J.C.Holt%20P1-22.pdf">The Charter and its History</a><BR><B>Chapter 11</B> -<a href= "https://d396qusza40orc.cloudfront.net/magnacarta/Magna%20Carta%20J.C.Holt%20P378-405.pdf">The Reissues and beginning of the myth</a><BR>To buy a copy of J C Holt's Magna Carta <a HREF= "http://www.cambridge.org/gb/academic/subjects/history/british-history-1066-1450/magna-carta-2nd-edition">please follow this link to the Cambridge University Press catalogue</a>

What's included

11 videos3 readings1 quiz1 discussion prompt

Instructor

Instructor ratings
4.8 (25 ratings)
Dr Emmett Sullivan
University of London
2 Courses49,275 learners

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