Seminar in Irish History

SAME AS DRLIT-UA.0185

Since the Act of Union in 1800, Ireland has struggled to find a place in the modern world. This course will examine the major social and political forces that have shaped Ireland as it transitioned from a British colony to an independent European nation over two centuries. Particular attention will be paid to nationalism, emigration, economics, diplomacy, tourism, culture, and developments in Anglo-Irish and American-Irish relations over time, including Northern Ireland in the twentieth century.

Intensive examination of specific areas of Irish history with an emphasis on critical reading and individual research projects. Past themes include the development and modernization of the Republic of Ireland with particular consideration of the economy; the Great Famine of 1845-1851, which was an immediate and long-term catastrophe for the Irish people but which was also the catalyst for substantial changes?positive and negative?in Irish society and culture; and the cinematic representations of Irish Americans.