Yankees in London: History of the United States through the Eyes of Americans who Lived, Worked and Partied in London

Course description:
What does American history look like from 'across the pond'? How can we re-evaluate key events – the American Revolution, the struggle over slavery, the emergence of the US as a global superpower, the Civil Rights and ‘black power’ movements – by seeing them through the eyes of history-making Americans who lived, studied, worked, and partied in London? This module introduces students to a magnificent kaleidoscope of Americans in London, including revolutionaries (Benjamin Franklin, Abigail Adams), radical abolitionists (Frederick Douglass, Sarah Parker Remond, Elizabeth Cady Stanton), businessmen (George Peabody, J.P. Morgan), and artists (Ira Aldridge, Henry James, Paul Robeson). They will learn to work with a variety of original sources – textual, visual, and material – and make routine use of our London setting to visit museums and historical sites - ‘the rooms where it happened'!

Learning outcomes:
On completion of the module, students can expect to have acquired:
• Knowledge about key events in American history from a unique perspective from the American Revolution, the abolitionist campaign, Civil War and Reconstruction, the Gilded Age, the World Wars, the Age of Prosperity, and the New Conservatism
• An understanding of the elite actors in politics, diplomacy, and business, as well as grassroots activists, artists, and reformers, who were shaped in profound ways by their experience in London and the UK and leveraged transnational connections to advance their respective agendas.
• Information regarding London as a pivotal place for trajectory of American history
• An awareness of a long history of transnational flows of people, goods, knowledge and ideas.
• A view of history from above and below, with an emphasis on debates that shaped race and gender inequalities.
• New approaches to history that transcend national boundaries (transnational, global, micro, urban, social).

Assessments:
The course assessments are not compulsory, however, if you wish to transfer credit for this course to your home university it is essential to complete the assignments.
Essay: 1,500-word (80%) and Presentation (20%)

Preparation:
Before you arrive on campus, it is advised that you familiarise yourself with the course content before it begins. You will be given instructions for accessing our Virtual Learning Environment (QMplus) before you arrive on campus.

Teaching:
The course is taught in two two-hour sessions per day (10.00 - 12.00 and 13.00 - 15.00), held Monday to Thursday each week.