William Sterling

Life and times of Queen Anne

1. What is the course about?
   

   by Michael Dahl 1705

Queen Anne was the last of the Stuarts and suffered much personal tragedy but she ruled over an increasingly prosperous nation that had unprecedented military success in Europe under the Duke of Marlborough.

2. What topics will we cover?

Although Anne reigned for only 12 years they were momentous years in many ways. In politics they saw the Union between England and Scotland and also the formation of the Whig and Tory parties that were to dominate governments for two centuries. In international relations Great Britain became a major player for the first time with the Duke of Marlborough becoming the first British general to win a battle in Central Europe at Blenheim in 1704. In the arts Sir Christopher Wren’s masterpiece, St Paul’s Cathedral was completed and Handel made his first visit to England writing music for the queen and to mark national celebrations. Dr Sterling will present an outline of Queen Anne’s life and reign but with adequate opportunity for class discussion and personal views to be expressed.

3. By the end of the course you should be able to:

Identify key stages in the history of Late Stuart Britain

Demonstrate understanding of the roles of the monarch and parliament in the early C18th

Contribute to discussions on the role of Queen Anne and her government in the development of the British Empire and the British way of life