The Easter Rising, an armed insurrection staged by a small group of Irish nationalists ended in total defeat, but nevertheless set in motion the events that eventually led to an independent—and partitioned— Ireland. Historian Jennifer Paxton explores the event’s origins in the upheavals of the 19th century and in the ongoing tensions between the majority Protestant north and the overwhelmingly Catholic south.
Few figures in history excite as passionately held and often-conflicting visions as Napoleon. Some extoll him as a genius and the spirit of the revolution incarnate, while others denounce him as a megalomaniac monster and compulsive warmonger. Historian Alexander Mikaberidze discusses the many facets of Napoleon the man and his enormous influence on history.
This year marks the 250th birthday of Jane Austen, one of the most famous and best-loved English authors. The six novels she completed give us a window into her era and life, with the realities of poverty, illness, war, and death rumbling through. Historian and author Carol Ann Lloyd-Stanger leads a journey into Jane Austen’s world through the lens of her works and examines their ongoing relevance in the modern world.
Within a few years of the Norman Conquest of 1066, a beautiful and intricate tapestry appeared that documented in remarkable detail the events of the Battle of Hastings. Scholars still study the Bayeux Tapestry for its expansive cultural value in understanding the complexity of the Norman–Saxon transition that carried within it the seeds of the Hundred Years War three centuries later. Historian Cheryl White examines its lasting impact as a work of art and historical documentary and how the Bayeux Tapestry speaks to the identity of a people, a kingdom, and ultimately, the role of art in reinforcing the dominant view by which scholars interpret the past.
For approximately five centuries during the second millennium B.C.E., the Egyptian city of Thebes served as the backdrop for the construction of a bewildering array of religious temples, memorial complexes, and royal tombs. Historian Justin M. Jacobs introduces the chief cultural, religious, and political themes of the monuments of ancient Thebes: the Karnak and Luxor temples of the East Bank, the memorial temples of the West Bank, and the necropolis in the Valley of the Kings.
Created by the “heretic” Pharaoh Akhenaten as the center of the monotheistic cult of worship of a sun god called the Aten, the ancient city of Tell el-Amarna is one of the most exciting archaeological sites in the world. Its extraordinary level of preservation provides an unmatched window into the population’s daily life and religious practices. Egyptologist Jacquelyn Williamson, a senior member of the Tell el-Amarna archaeological team, examines the latest discoveries at the site.
The South of France, with its glorious light and varied vistas, has long been a magnet for plein-air painters. Art historian Bonita Billman investigates the inspiration that places like Avignon, Arles, Aix-en-Provence, St. Remy, St. Tropez, and Nice provided for the brilliantly colored works produced by 19th and early 20th-century painters. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1 credit)
Palaces were the residences of monarchs, but they were also buildings where the business of state was carried out. Within their walls intrigues, murders, love affairs, and deaths—the full pageant of British history—took place and royal magnificence was displayed. Siobhan Clarke, a guide for the independent charity Historic Royal Palaces, introduces the splendid corridors of royal power and pleasure through four significant sites: the Tower of London, Hampton Court Palace, the Banqueting House at Whitehall Palace, and Kensington Palace.
