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LONDON! There is a resonant sound and roll in the very name… like the boom and reverberation of thunder. A note of majesty, accompanied by a throb of doom. It is the pathos, the passion and the power of restless, striving multitudes… the whole of humanity in all its varieties, moods, and conditions. In short, all the elements of that bewildering mystery we call life are here congregated and exemplified in a vastness and intensity without a parallel among cities of the world.
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—R.P. Downes, 1914 (Cities Which Fascinate) |
When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford.
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—Samuel Johnson, 1777 (Boswell's Life of Samuel Johnson) |
THIS COURSE
surveys the fascinating history of London from the first Celtic and Roman settlement to the present day. We will trace the making and remaking of this great metropolis across two millennia from its origins as a garrison town at the northern edge of the Roman Empire, to the political and cultural capital of Medieval England and later Britain, to the heart of the first industrial society and center of the world’s largest empire, through the crucible of two world wars, and finally to its evolution into one of the most complex, vibrant, and diverse cities in the world.
Course material will include a mix of historical scholarship, primary sources, literature and music. Additionally, we will regularly undertake walking tours and site visits throughout London that align with the topics we are covering each week. Along with these group excursions, assignments will require students individually to visit various libraries, archives, museums, and other research sites in London.
London Through the Ages is required component of the 2018 London Humanities Program and, apart from its academic value, is intended to enrich your experience of living in this extraordinary city.
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