O Level was the Agricultural and Industrial Revolutions. So that was actually interesting.
I get bored by foreign history (un PC of me - but tough). So A Level not so exciting, as it was pan-European. Although I enjoyed French Revolution and Napoleon - the later stuff with all that endlesss to-ing and fro-ing between obscure kings, Napoleon family, etc, got a bit bored.
We did a lot of Disraeli and Gladstone (bit boring except for when Gladstone touched on 'The Irish Question') and also 'did' The Irish Question which I think should be compulsory in English schools.
WW1 and 2, the way it was delivered for A Level - they managed to make an interesting subject very dry and boring.
So Empire was there but not overt. Boer War was probably the nearest we came to it. We covered more about French, Italian and German nationalism than British.
My history teacher was Indian, and she pronounced Copernicus as coppernickers, it seems odd now that is all I remember of 2 years of study, empire is pink and coppernickers.
No I can only remember doing the Romans, Tudors, Victorians and WW2 in primary school then in secondary school the dissolution of the monasteries, suffragettes and Jethro Tull. I probably studied quite a bit more in secondary school but I don't remember it and I didn't pick it as one of my GCSE options so only had lessons until year 9. I don't ever remember learning about WW1 and we only learnt briefly about the Egyptians in RE.
No I can only remember doing the Romans, Tudors, Victorians and WW2 in primary school then in secondary school the dissolution of the monasteries, suffragettes and Jethro Tull. I probably studied quite a bit more in secondary school but I don't remember it and I didn't pick it as one of my GCSE options so only had lessons until year 9. I don't ever remember learning about WW1 and we only learnt briefly about the Egyptians in RE.
If it was I don't remember. Then again, I don't remember what I did this time last week so it's no surprise I don't recall what I was taught in secondary education history lessons.
All I remember from History at secondary school was industrial revolution and crop rotation ! I dropped it before GCSE because the only options were 20th century history or medicine .I love history usually but those topics didn't appeal to me .
Anything I know about empire ,kings and queens ,social history ..basically everything I know about history, I learnt after school either through my own interest or university .
We did the Holy Roman Empire, but not the British one. We also did the rise of Nazism, the Wars of the Roses and the Russian Revolution. That Rasputin, eh, bit of a character, wasn't he?
We did very little on the British Empire or the 2 world wars, it was mainly Romans, Tudors, Stuarts and Industrial revolution at middle school and castles, history of medicine, Romans (again) and the irish problem at high school.
I did all manner of history at school including the Tudors, Victorians, Romans, both world wars and all the rest of it, but they did rather skate over the topic of the British Empire.
I remember my parents telling me how they learnt all about the British Empire when they were at school in the 1930's. They used to have a day in May called Empire Day when all the children dressed up as children of the Empire.
I think all this brainwashing is the reason that very old people still think that Britain is Great and the Empire was good.
I remember my parents telling me how they learnt all about the British Empire when they were at school in the 1930's. They used to have a day in May called Empire Day when all the children dressed up as children of the Empire.
I think all this brainwashing is the reason that very old people still think that Britain is Great and the Empire was good.
Huh, had no idea there was ever an 'Empire Day'. How silly it must have all looked.
Huh, had no idea there was ever an 'Empire Day'. How silly it must have all looked.
Apparently it was 24th May. I remember my mum telling me that they all had to sing a song where they kept repeating "Emprire Day is the 24th May." The song was sung to the tune of The Big Ships Sails Through The Ally Ally Oo.
I have an old photo book of photos of my mother as a child. There is one taken on Empire Day at her school. There is a girl dressed a Brittania complete with the fork and shield, and kids dressed in all kinds of national dress. My mother, however, much to her disappointment was chosen to represent England and just had to wear her normal school outfit.
I wouldn't say it looked silly, but no wonder they were all brainwashed into thinking that the Empire was a wonderful thing. It never seemed to occur to them that Britain was ruling countries that it shouldn't be.
It's a black mark in our history which is probably why it's rarely talked about here. I suspect it's an important subject matter in many countries in which our dark shadow was cast. But it's still an interesting subject that our kids can learn from and it should be encouraged rather than the subject hidden way.
Undoubtedly a lot of bad things went on during those times, but we also banned such practices as sati. This delightful little custom was where a widow was burnt or buried alive along with her husband.
Comments
By far prefered studying Russia 1863 - 1989 though.
I get bored by foreign history (un PC of me - but tough). So A Level not so exciting, as it was pan-European. Although I enjoyed French Revolution and Napoleon - the later stuff with all that endlesss to-ing and fro-ing between obscure kings, Napoleon family, etc, got a bit bored.
We did a lot of Disraeli and Gladstone (bit boring except for when Gladstone touched on 'The Irish Question') and also 'did' The Irish Question which I think should be compulsory in English schools.
WW1 and 2, the way it was delivered for A Level - they managed to make an interesting subject very dry and boring.
So Empire was there but not overt. Boer War was probably the nearest we came to it. We covered more about French, Italian and German nationalism than British.
That was when Britain was great.
And cats eyes!!
Me neither. I was taught how to read at an early age however. In case your education hasn't killed your curiosity:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Rise-And-Fall-British-Empire/dp/0349106673
PS Humble apologies if you're being sarky, so am I.
I didn't and think it ought to be taught as it's consequences are still felt to this day.
I think we covered everything except the 2nd and 3rd World Wars.
Actually I'm hard pushed to think of anything since the renaissance and reformation and up to the 2nd Boer war that wasn't covered.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZoE5kGMUpcg
Anything I know about empire ,kings and queens ,social history ..basically everything I know about history, I learnt after school either through my own interest or university .
'the romans', 1066, turnip townshend, lambert simnel and piers plowman
that and squeezing my, one and only, extremely large acne spot
to relieve the boredom
(it was on the back of my neck so i had'nt noticed it before)
i remember a great deal more from this book '1066 and all that'
I think all this brainwashing is the reason that very old people still think that Britain is Great and the Empire was good.
we did the industrial revolution. all i can remember is "pig iron" and "puddling furnace"
Huh, had no idea there was ever an 'Empire Day'. How silly it must have all looked.
Apparently it was 24th May. I remember my mum telling me that they all had to sing a song where they kept repeating "Emprire Day is the 24th May." The song was sung to the tune of The Big Ships Sails Through The Ally Ally Oo.
I have an old photo book of photos of my mother as a child. There is one taken on Empire Day at her school. There is a girl dressed a Brittania complete with the fork and shield, and kids dressed in all kinds of national dress. My mother, however, much to her disappointment was chosen to represent England and just had to wear her normal school outfit.
I wouldn't say it looked silly, but no wonder they were all brainwashed into thinking that the Empire was a wonderful thing. It never seemed to occur to them that Britain was ruling countries that it shouldn't be.
Undoubtedly a lot of bad things went on during those times, but we also banned such practices as sati. This delightful little custom was where a widow was burnt or buried alive along with her husband.