#HI-03-02 England in the Time of King Richard III
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- Course level: All Levels
About Course
University of LeicesterDescription
Travel back to the 15th century and explore life during the time of Richard III
The discovery of the skeleton of Richard III in a Leicester car park – and the recent revelations of an infidelity within his family’s bloodline – have made headline news around the world.
Go beyond the headlines with this online course. You’ll learn from scholars at the University of Leicester not only about the discovery of Richard III, but about England during his life time. You’ll examine a different aspect of the 15th century period, including medieval warfare, food and culture, death and commemoration and more. Now’s your chance to travel back in time.
What topics will you cover?
- Medieval battles and the Wars of the Roses
- Peasants and farmers
- Medieval towns, villages and houses
- Books, literacy and printing
- Death and commemoration
- Food and cooking in the 15th century
- The discovery and reburial of King Richard III
Who will you learn with?
Senior Lecturer in Archaeology in the School of Archaeology and Ancient History at the University of Leicester.
Who developed the course?
The University of Leicester is a leading research led university with a strong tradition of excellence in teaching. It is consistently ranked amongst the top 20 universities in the United Kingdom.
What Will I Learn?
- Describe the sequence of events and the key players in the Wars of the Roses, and explain the ways in which reputations are created
- Explain the nature of armed combat in the middle ages
- Describe the way English farming was organised before the Black Death
- Identify 15th century changes in the landscape and the benefits to ordinary people of the new developments
- Explore the evidence for the scale of literacy in England before printed books
- Describe how typefaces were first created and how rapidly printed books spread, and to whom
- Summarise medieval beliefs about the afterlife
- Identify the types of late medieval burial, burial customs, commemoration and memorial monuments
- Identify what foods were, and were not, available in the 15th century and the differences in the diet of rich and poor
- Describe the ways in which people cooked and ate at the table
- Reflect on some of the reasons why the discovery of Richard III has aroused such international interest
- Interpret the range of evidence that makes the identification of Richard III's body convincing
Topics for this course
Medieval battles and the wars of the roses
England in the Time of King Richard III: welcome!00:02:30
The Plantagenets and their supporters in the 15th century
The Battles of the Wars of the Roses
The nature of armed combat in the 15th century
The Wars of the Roses in popular imagination
Test yourself: review of the course
I really enjoyed taking the course because my favorite part of English history was the Richard III era, and I loved all the books about medieval wars.
It's a great online course. Full of historical knowledge, I like the part about medieval wars and wars of the Roses very much.
Deirdre O 'Sullivan tells it in a very interesting way, exploring life during Richard III's time.
This course explores life during Richard III's time, giving us a deeper understanding of medieval wars and the Wars of the Roses. History is always interesting and exciting.
Material Includes
- Official Certificate
Tags
Target Audience
- Anyone interested in medieval England or the recent discovery and reburial of Richard III will find something to fuel their interest here. No prior knowledge or expertise are needed.