How has migration shaped the Midlands?

In this introduction to the study of History, students will learn about why people have migrated to Birmingham, looking at how migration has shaped our city. Through this topic, students will encounter the ways that historians find out about the past and the key concepts such as change and continuity. They will learn about different reasons for migration, including economic factors and war, and the huge variety of groups that have made the UK, and the Midlands, their home.

Which Persian King was the most effective ruler?

In this module, students will study the Persian Empire from 559BCE when Cyrus the Great conquered large areas of the ancient near east. They will explore how the empire grew and how the following kings contributed to this expansion.

How have historians and archaeologists uncovered the history of the Silk Routes?

In this module, students will engage with a range of primary historical sources to piece together the story of the Silk Road and how this trade route connecting civilisations and influenced culture and religion. Students will compare what historians can learn from a range of sources, including written accounts and material culture.

How was England created?

In this module, students will look at the process by which England became a single kingdom in the early medieval period, focusing on the roles of different kings and queens and assessing the importance of the different individuals and groups involved in the process.

How did the Normans conquer England?

1066 is the most famous date in British History. In this topic, students will learn about the famous Battle of Hastings as well as the events that came after the battle that cemented William the Conqueror’s control over England. Students will evaluate the relative importance of different events in the conquest.

What was it like to live in a Medieval village?

In this social history topic, students will study what day-to-day life was like in Medieval England for the majority of people: the peasants. They will look at the influence of the seasons on daily life, the power of the church, what it was like to grow up in the village, the and why some people were able to leave their villages.

How did Plantagenet Kings deal with threats to royal authority?

The Plantagenets ruled England for most of the late Medieval period. During that time, they faced many challenges to their power – from their barons, the Church, peasants, and even from their queens. In this unit, students will study the nature of

those challenges, and the extent to which royal authority was threatened, focusing on the reigns of Henry II, John, Edward II and Richard II.

Why were the Crusades significant?

The Crusades is one name given to a series of wars and conflicts, mostly in the Middle East, but also in Eastern Europe and elsewhere, in the Medieval period. Students will study why the Crusades were important to people at the time, as well as their lasting legacy.

How ‘bloody’ were the Tudor monarchs?

The Tudor period was a period of huge change in England as the Reformation swept across Europe. Mary I earned the nickname ‘bloody Mary’ for her policy towards Protestants, but students will study whether it is fair that Mary is singled out for this title – were other Tudor monarchs just as brutal?

How effectively was the monarchy’s power restricted between 1603 and 1727?

There were two attempts by Parliament to reduce the power of the monarch in the seventeenth century: once with a Civil War and once with a new constitutional arrangement. Students will compare these two events and consider which one was a more effective way of increasing the power of parliament.

How can historians write the history of the Kingdom of Benin in the precolonial period?

Benin, a powerful kingdom in West Africa in the precolonial period, had a complex society, legal system and economy. Whilst many histories of the Benin have used European – particularly British – primary sources, this unit will look at how we can find out about Benin people from their own perspectives, using a range of primary material, including written sources and material culture.

What were the experiences of enslaved people in the Transatlantic Slave Trade?

The Transatlantic Slave Trade, which lasted between the 16th and 19th centuries, saw the kidnapping, brutal transportation and enslavement of millions of West Africans, who were forced to work in plantations and other roles in the Americas by various European imperial powers. In this unit, students will study the experiences of enslaved people through various stages of this process.

Why was slavery abolished in the British Empire?

The slave trade was abolished in the British Empire in 1807, and slavery itself in 1833. There were various reasons that this reform was introduced, including the campaigns of individuals such as Olaudah Equiano and William Wilberforce, public protest through a sugar boycott, and the pressures put on slave holders by the rebellions of enslaved people, such as the Haitian Revolution and Samuel Sharpe’s rebellion in Jamaica. Students will study all of these factors, and reach a judgement about which the most important was in bringing abolition to the British Empire.

Why did Birmingham change so much between 1750 and 1900?

The Industrial Revolution transformed society in Britain and beyond. In this unit, we focus on Birmingham, which changed in many similar ways to other cities, but some different ways too. We will look at the changes to industry, transport and housing, and the key people and ideas behind those changes.

Why do people disagree about what to call events in India in 1857?

Britain had a vast empire between the 16th and 20th centuries. In this topic, we focus in on a single event: a rebellion against British rule in India, variously called the “First War of Independence” and the “Sepoy Mutiny”. Students will understand the events of the rebellion, and why the different names chosen to describe it represent different perspectives about Empire.

How can historians understand the experiences of Indigenous peoples and others affected by the British Empire?

The indigenous experiences of Empire are sometimes harder to find, because fewer written accounts exist which explain them in detail. In this topic, students will look at a range of sources from a variety of indigenous groups across the British Empire and consider how historians can give agency to people who did not leave written accounts of their experiences.

Why is 1770-1860 known as the ‘Age of Revolutions’?

Many huge changes occurred across the world in the 18th and 19th century – the American, French and Haitian Revolutions, the Indian Rebellion, the ‘Year of Revolutions’, 1848, and many others. Students will study the worldwide connections between these events.