150 years of Transactions of the Royal Historical Society (1872-2022)
November 2022 marks the 150th anniversary of the first volume of ‘Transactions of the Royal Historical Society’, our academic journal. A century and a half on, the latest ‘Transactions’ — published in this month — also sees significant changes to the content, scope and design of the journal. In this post, the RHS President, Emma Griffin, considers the journal’s origins and some of its major developments since the 1870s. In addition, Emma outlines the changes to Transactions from 2022: with a new editorial team, new design and a broader range of article types — as well as an invitation to all historians t
The Glasgow Sugar Aristocracy: Quantifying Caribbean Slavery’s Historic Connections and Modern Legacies in Scotland
In his new book, ‘The Glasgow Sugar Aristocracy: Scotland and Caribbean Slavery, 1775-1838’, Stephen Mullen provides the first comprehensive study of Scotland’s West India merchant elites and the economic legacy of Caribbean slavery on Scottish, and wider British, society. Stephen’s monograph, published on 10 November 2022, is the latest title in the Society’s ‘New Historical Perspectives’ book series, and is now available in paperback print and as a free Open Access download.
The Partition of British India: 75 Years On
On 1 November, broadcaster and journalist Kavita Puri gave the 2022 RHS Public History lecture, in association with Gresham College. Kavita’s lecture — ‘The Partition of British India: 75 Years On’ — explores the impact of dividing British India by recovering and sharing the life stories of British Asians today. Kavita’s lecture is now available to watch via the Gresham College website.
Studying history in a secure environment: legacies, challenges, opportunities
In July 2022, Rosalind Crone was awarded this year’s Royal Historical Society’s Innovation in Teaching Prize for ‘Exploring the History of Prisoner Education’, an open online course for the Open University which launches this month. The 8-session course surveys prison history and the place of education in that history, as well as providing educational content for those in secure environments. Here, Rosalind introduces her course and its engagement with the challenges, and opportunities, of higher education in secure environments.
New to Teaching History 2022: An Interactive Workshop, Part 8 – ‘Assessment and Feedback in History’
In September 2022 the Royal Historical Society, in partnership with History UK, organised an interactive workshop hosted by Professor Jamie Wood (Lincoln). In this final session, Dr Sarah Holland presents her talk on ‘Assessment and Feedback in History’ where she explores the need to rethink student assessment as a process, rather than an end product. She also shares some advice on designing assessment activities.
New to Teaching History 2022: An Interactive Workshop, Part 7 – ‘Coordinating Large Classes in History’
In September 2022 the Royal Historical Society, in partnership with History UK, hosted ‘New to Teaching, 2022’: an online Workshop in which eight university lecturers provided seminars for those new to teaching History in UK Higher Education. The Workshop explored different aspects of History teaching, as well as the challenges and opportunities facing new lecturers, providing History teachers with effective pedagogical skills and techniques. In this session (7 of 8), Dr Jon Chandler (UCL) discusses ‘Coordinating Large Classes in History’.
New to Teaching History 2022: An Interactive Workshop, Part 6 – ‘Creativity in History Curricula’
In September 2022 the Royal Historical Society, in partnership with History UK, organised an interactive workshop hosted by Professor Jamie Wood (Lincoln). In this sixth session, Dr Lucie Matthews-Jones presents her talk on ‘Creativity in History Curricula’ where she explores more dynamic teaching practices as this both introduces students to new ways of communicating History beyond the written word, and provides them with a varied skill set.
New to Teaching History 2022: An Interactive Workshop, Part 5 – ‘Module Design and Delivery: Challenges and Opportunities’
In September 2022 the Royal Historical Society, in partnership with History UK, organised an interactive workshop hosted by Professor Jamie Wood (Lincoln). In this fifth session, Dr Michael Barany presents his talk on ‘Module Design and Delivery: challenges and opportunities’ where he discusses using module design, teaching methods, and pedagogical technologies together, to teach students from varied disciplinary backgrounds.
New to Teaching History 2022: An Interactive Workshop, Part 4 – ‘Online Teaching in History’
In September 2022 the Royal Historical Society, in partnership with History UK, organised an interactive workshop hosted by Professor Jamie Wood (Lincoln). In this fourth session, Dr Katie Carpenter presents her talk on ‘Online Teaching in History’ where she explores the increasing trend of remote learning, some challenges this creates for History teachers, and shares some tips from her own experience.
New to Teaching History 2022: An Interactive Workshop, Part 3 – ‘Small Group Teaching in History’
In September 2022 the Royal Historical Society and History UK in partnership organised an interactive workshop hosted by Professor Jamie Wood (Lincoln). In this third session, Dr Jon Coburn presents his talk on ‘Small Group Teaching in History’ where he explores teaching in smaller groups, some challenges and opportunities, and how to make the most of these sessions.
New to Teaching History 2022: An Interactive Workshop, Part 2 – ‘The History Lecture’
In September 2022 the Royal Historical Society and History UK organised an interactive workshop hosted by Professor Jamie Wood (Lincoln). In this second session, Dr Max Jones presents his talk on ‘The History Lecture’ where he draws on 20 years experience in higher education to provide eight ‘top tips’ on dealing with the practicalities of teaching History.
‘Aristocracy, Democracy, and Dictatorship’: Latest RHS Camden Volume
Twenty years after first using the political papers of Charles Vane-Tempest-Stewart, seventh Marquess of Londonderry, Professor Neil Fleming has recently published his scholarly edition of Londonderry’s political papers — ‘Aristocracy, Democracy and Dictatorship’ — as the latest volume in the Society’s Camden Series. The seventh Marquess of Londonderry (1878–1949) corresponded with the leading political figures of his day, including Winston Churchill (his second cousin) and Neville Chamberlain. Londonderry’s controversial amateur diplomacy meant that his regular correspondents also included Hermann Göring and Joachim von Ribbentrop.