Syllabus

• Week 1

  Introduction to British country houses’ connections with empire

  • Introduction to the course

    Introducing country houses and a timeline of events in Britain’s colonial past.

  • Objects

    In historic houses, colonialism is often most conspicuously represented by the goods which were acquired from or were tied to activities across the empire.

  • Summary of the week

    A summary of what you have learnt in week one of the course.

• Week 2

  Transatlantic slavery, the British slavery business and its impact on British country houses

  • Introduction to transatlantic slavery

    Many of the legacies of transatlantic slavery can be found in historic houses.

  • Abolition and compensation

    The slave trade was eventually abolished in Britain in 1807. British slave holders were given compensation.

  • Penrhyn Castle

    Penrhyn Castle in Bangor, Wales is perhaps the most well-known National Trust property with links to transatlantic slavery.

• Week 3

  The Atlantic World: Commodities and goods and their continual presence in country houses

  • Sugar

    The significance of objects related to sugar that often appear in country houses.

  • Mahogany

    The production of mahogany, often used to make furniture ubiquitous to country houses.

  • Cotton

    Cotton often brings thoughts of the industrial revolution, but much of the cotton that was used in Britain was picked by enslaved Africans in the Americas.

• Week 4

  The relation between Britain and India, including the East India Company and the British Raj

  • The East India Company

    Introducing the East India Company (EIC) which was an English company was formed to trade in the Indian Ocean region.

  • Powis Castle and Tipu Sultan

    Powis Castle in Wales contains many artefacts extracted by the East India Company (EIC) in the eighteenth century.

  • The Raj

    Introducing the British Raj and British power and influence in India.

• Week 5

  African and Indian people in rural Britain and their presence in British country houses

  • Evidence of African and Indian people in country estates

    Discovering archival evidence of African and Indian people on country estates in eighteenth and nineteenth-century England.

  • Depictions of black people

    Looking at how black people are often portrayed in the archives, and how these can be addressed through contemporary art.

  • Learning more about enslaved people in 18th century Britain

    We can learn a lot about enslaved people in 18th century Britain from local newspapers. Adverts have been collated into the Runaway Slaves database.

• Week 6

  Presenting histories of empire in British country houses

  • Contemporary Artistic Responses

    The Arts are one means of restoring dignity to those who never got to record and convey their own experiences of what happened to them.

  • Gatekeeping

    The challenges of presenting the history of country houses and heritage spaces.

  • Emotional labour and cultural connections

    The emotional costs and burdens of inclusive heritage practice.

  • Summary

    A summary of what you have learnt throughout the course and a chance to reflect.

Who will you learn with?