London History Study Group

Director Spring 2014: Professor Andy Rotter, Charles A. Dana Professor of History

The London History Study Group offers students a chance to do intensive historical research while enjoying the cultural resources of one of the world’s greatest cities. Drawing upon the extraordinarily rich archival resources available in London and its environs, students engage in original primary-source research and produce a paper capable of making a genuine contribution to historical knowledge. The Group will engage questions related to British-American interaction, and the two nations’ 19th and 20th century empires, and students will be guided in a semester of historical inquiry at the archives, libraries, and museums of London. Student research interests may be centered on British history, but archival materials in London will also support inquiry in a wide range of imperial and transnational histories.

Required Courses

History 349: History of the City of London. A lecture course taught by Dr. Katy Layton-Jones, an expert on the social, cultural and architectural history of the city. Walking tours led by Dr. Layton-Jones will enable students to move outside the classroom and explore the city’s varied past.

History 482: Seminar on the British and American Empires. Close examination through reading and discussion of selected sources on U.S.-British relations and the two nations’ empires in the 19th and 20th centuries. Prerequisite: History 300 [proposed]

History 491: Independent Study. The director serves as mentor for each student’s major research project. Many students choose a topic in British or Commonwealth history, but other they are not limited to these. Using a combination of primary and secondary materials, the student produce 30-40 page papers. Students will consult with the director about this paper soon after acceptance into the program to discuss their individual topics and begin research in secondary sources available in the United States. This paper often serves as the basis for an honors or high honors thesis in history. Prerequisite: History 200 [and History 300]

English 332: Contemporary London Theater and Culture. Instructor: Michael Punter A study of drama, both classic and modern, as represented by plays in production in London during the spring of 2014. Students will see and study roughly ten plays, focusing on theoretical and technical aspects of drama, as well as on what specific productions rveal about British culture or contemporary London.

Prerequisites

Upon acceptance into the program, history majors must enroll in HIST 300: the London Colloquium. Each student should have taken HIST 200: History Workshop, prior to departure. These courses provide an introduction to the themes covered in History 349 in London, and to the skills needed for archival research.

Classroom Facilities

Colgate hires classroom space and offices at the Florida State University at the London Study Centre. The centre also has a small library, study space and limited computer facilities.

Library and Research Facilities

Colgate purchases, for each student, a library card at the University of London’s Senate House Library, which provides access to the library and borrowing privileges. Funds are also available on a limited basis for passes to the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London, the British Film Institute, and similar institutions. The British National Archives at Kew is the archive most heavily used by Colgate history students. The director helps with orientation at the BNA and credentials for all students. For particular research topics, students may get access to some of London’s innumerable other archives and libraries. In the past, LHSG students have worked at the Imperial War Museum, the Feminist Library, the Courtauld Institute, the British Library, the National Maritime Museum, the Churchill Archives Centre, the Wellcome Institute for the History of Medicine, and many others.

Field Trips

The group will take three field trips outside of London. There may include day-long trips to Stonehenge, Avebury, and Salisbury, and to Cambridge and Ely. Students will also take an overnight trip to the continent to visit the Great War-era battlefields on the Western front in France and Belgium.

Student Living Arrangements

Housing in London is more costly than in Hamilton, but Colgate has made arrangements with an agency in London to provide students with centrally-located and fully-furnished apartments. Students will be responsible for their own meals.

Costs

For details of student expenses on this study group, please see Student Cost Estimate Sheet.

Calendar and Deadlines

The deadline for applications has already passed.

Passports and Visas

You must confirm that your passport is valid through December 2014. All students participating on the Spring 2014 London History Study Group will be required to obtain a U.K. student visa. With participation on this study group comes the responsibility of understanding and complying with U.K. visa requirements. If you will not be traveling on a U.S. passport it is imperative that you contact an adviser in Off-Campus Study/International Programs, 101 Lathrop, and International Student Services, 103C Lathrop, to learn as much as you can about the visa requirements. For some students there are significant requirements to be met that take time, advance planning, and incur extra costs.