The Later Stuarts from the Restoration to the Reign of Queen Anne



Overview

We will explore the later Stuart monarchy from the Restoration of Charles II in 1660, through rising religious tensions and absolutist trends leading to the flight of James II from the forces of William of Orange, and ending with the tragic Queen Anne.     

From 1660 onwards, the restored Stuart dynasty survived the catastrophes of plague and fire, the challenges of the Glorious Revolution and the wars with France, to emerge in triumph with Marlborough at Blenheim.  

This course will examine the relationship of the restored Stuarts with their English subjects amid exciting cultural developments, constitutional crises, war and party politics.

The Restoration began with the 'merry monarch', Charles II, devoted to courtly pleasures, & was followed by his Catholic brother, James II, who was rejected in favour of William of Orange and Mary Stuart, and ended with the reign of the tragic Queen Anne.  

Programme details

Courses starts: 20 Sep 2023

Week 0: Course orientation

Week 1: Charles II: the restoration of the monarchy

Week 2: Charles Ii: plague & fire; court & faction

Week 3: Charles II: foreign policy; anti-Catholicism

Week 4: Restoration culture: architecture, literature, religion & science

Week 5: James II: Monmouth's rebellion; pro-Catholic policies

Week 6: James II; the intervention of William of Orange

Week 7: William III & Mary II: the Glorious Revolution

Week 8: William III & Mary II: war with France; party politics

Week 9: Anne: relationship with Sarah Churchill; union of England & Scotland

Week 10: Anne: war with France; the succession issue; course review

Certification

To complete the course and receive a certificate, you will be required to attend and participate in at least 80% of the live sessions on the course and pass your final assignment. Upon successful completion, you will receive a link to download a University of Oxford digital certificate. Information on how to access this digital certificate will be emailed to you after the end of the course. The certificate will show your name, the course title and the dates of the course you attended. You will be able to download your certificate or share it on social media if you choose to do so.

Fees

Description Costs
Course Fee £257.00
Take this course for CATS points £10.00

Funding

If you are in receipt of a UK state benefit, you are a full-time student in the UK or a student on a low income, you may be eligible for a reduction of 50% of tuition fees. Please see the below link for full details:

Concessionary fees for short courses

Tutor

Mrs Sheila Ephraim

Sheila Ephraim is a tutor in English political & social history for the Department for Continuing Education, University of Oxford and for the Workers Educational Association. 

Course aims

To introduce students to the reigns of the later Stuarts from the Restoration of Charles II to Queen Anne.

Course objectives:

  • Gain an introduction to the later Stuart monarchs by exploring their personal & public personas.
  • Explore the political and cultural developments of the period.
  • Examine constitutional developments from the Restoration Settlement to the Act of Union between England & Scotland.

Teaching methods

Each live class will be 2 hours long and consist of 1 hour of a recorded lecture, played in short clips and interspersed with 1 hour of general class discussions and group discussions in break-out rooms. The basis for these discussions will be the recorded lecture and a series of hand outs made available to students in advance of each weekly class. 

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course students will be expected to:

  • identify and contrast the personal styles and public policies of the later Stuart monarchs;
  • describe the nature of Restoration culture and outline the development of party politics;
  • access the significance of the Glorious Revolution.

Assessment methods

Satisfactory completion of either Option A or B will result in accreditation

Option A:

Two written pieces of coursework in the form of a report or pen portrait on topics we will refer to in class. Each piece should be c750 words.

OR

Option B:

An essay of c1500 words. A list of suggested essay titles will be provided but students may choose their own title to be confirmed with the tutor.                     

Students must submit a completed Declaration of Authorship form at the end of term when submitting your final piece of work. CATS points cannot be awarded without the aforementioned form - Declaration of Authorship form

Application

We will close for enrolments 7 days prior to the start date to allow us to complete the course set up. We will email you at that time (7 days before the course begins) with further information and joining instructions. As always, students will want to check spam and junk folders during this period to ensure that these emails are received.

To earn credit (CATS points) for your course you will need to register and pay an additional £10 fee per course. You can do this by ticking the relevant box at the bottom of the enrolment form or when enrolling online.

Please use the 'Book' or 'Apply' button on this page. Alternatively, please complete an enrolment form (Word) or enrolment form (Pdf).

Level and demands

This is an introductory course.  No previous knowledge is required although students will benefit from some background reading prior to the course. 

Students who register for CATS points will receive a Record of CATS points on successful completion of their course assessment.

To earn credit (CATS points) you will need to register and pay an additional £10 fee per course. You can do this by ticking the relevant box at the bottom of the enrolment form or when enrolling online.

Coursework is an integral part of all weekly classes and everyone enrolled will be expected to do coursework in order to benefit fully from the course. Only those who have registered for credit will be awarded CATS points for completing work at the required standard.

Students who do not register for CATS points during the enrolment process can either register for CATS points prior to the start of their course or retrospectively from the January 1st after the current full academic year has been completed. If you are enrolled on the Certificate of Higher Education you need to indicate this on the enrolment form but there is no additional registration fee.

Most of the Department's weekly classes have 10 or 20 CATS points assigned to them. 10 CATS points at FHEQ Level 4 usually consist of ten 2-hour sessions. 20 CATS points at FHEQ Level 4 usually consist of twenty 2-hour sessions. It is expected that, for every 2 hours of tuition you are given, you will engage in eight hours of private study.

Credit Accumulation and Transfer Scheme (CATS)

Terms & conditions for applicants and students

Information on financial support