HIST 323: England in the High Middle Ages

HIST 323-001: England in High Middle Ages
(Fall 2026)

10:30 AM to 11:45 AM MW

Exploratory Hall (formerly Science and Tech II) L102

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Section Information for Fall 2026

This course begins and ends with an English defeat: at Hastings in 1066 and the battle of Bannockburn in 1314. In between lies the heart of the English
Middle Ages. Through a close reading of a series of primary sources, our main focus will be on the growth and development of the medieval kingdom of England and
the place of this kingdom both within the British Isles and on the wider European stage. Topics to be considered include: the nature of medieval kingship in England, origins of parliament, the development of common law, English relations with Wales, Scotland and Ireland, change and continuity in medieval Christianity, and a careful consideration of the methods and sources by which modern historians study the medieval past. At the end of this course students will be both familiar with the
main events of English political history in the period, the development of the institutions of medieval English government, as well as have developed an appreciation of just how (and how controversially) that history is written from the extant sources.

Course Information from the University Catalog

Credits: 3

Uses primary sources to examine the growth and development of the medieval kingdom of England and its place within the British Isles and on the wider European stage in the English Middle Age (1066-1314). Topics to be considered include: the nature of medieval kingship in England, origins of parliament, the development of common law, English relations with Wales, Scotland and Ireland, change and continuity in medieval Christianity, the methods and sources by which modern historians study the medieval past. Offered by History & Art History. Limited to three attempts.
Schedule Type: Lecture
Grading:
This course is graded on the Undergraduate Regular scale.

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