131-113 Religion, Revolution and Civil War: Britain 1603-1660

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This is a period of significant historical transformation before, during and after the civil wars of the 1640s. After 1603 the Scottish Stuart kings of England encouraged magnificent architecture, literature and art, but there were increasing political tensions between the monarchy, parliament and the law. We analyse deepening religious tensions and how they enmeshed with constitutional issues, the breakdown of government and wars with the Irish and Scots. The culmination of the study is our research into the 'bloody and unnatural' savage civil wars from 1642 to 1648, accompanied by an intellectual ferment of popular social, religious and political ideas (often more modern than 'modern ideas'). Contemporaries called it the 'world turned upside down'. The execution of Charles I in 1649 was followed by the Republic of England, Cromwell's suppression of Ireland (with far-reaching consequences), overseas colonisation and, in 1660, the restoration of the monarchy. Many political ideas and practices of this period, radical mingled with conservative, were later transplanted to Australia. Historians' theoretical ideas are considered, and students are encouraged and helped to use the many printed original sources available at this University. This subject follows on from a first semester subject, Tudor society: politics, religion, and culture in Britain 1485-1603 (131-112).

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