Gwybodaeth Modiwlau

Module Identifier
Module Title
People, Power and Identity: Wales 1200-1999
Academic Year
Semester 2
Mutually Exclusive
Other Staff

Course Delivery

Delivery Type Delivery length / details
Lecture 20 x 1 Hour Lectures
Seminar 5 x 1 Hour Seminars


Assessment Type Assessment length / details Proportion
Semester Exam 1.5 Hours   50%
Semester Assessment Written Essay  (2000 words)  50%
Supplementary Exam 1.5 Hours   50%
Supplementary Assessment Written Essay  (2500 words)  50%

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this module students should be able to:

1. Demonstrate an understanding of the significant developments in Welsh history.

2. Evaluate a range of primary sources relating to Wales.

3. Demonstrate an understanding of the historiography and debates surrounding important themes in the social, political, religious and cultural history of Wales.

4. Analyse historical evidence and produce written arguments.

Brief description

This module offers a study of a very broad sweep of the history of Wales, from the period of princely rule to the founding of the National Assembly. Its aim is to introduce some of the key themes in the history of Wales and to identify some of the major changes over time. A major theme will be the ways in which the people of Wales responded to authority and how their experiences shaped their sense of identity. These will include the rise and fall of the united principality and the conquest and union with England, along with such attempts to resist authority as the Glyndŵr rebellion. More modern elements will include the impact of industrialization and the two World Wars as well as the development of politics and protest.


Rather than adopting a strictly chronological approach, the lecture course will explore certain key themes in the history of Wales, from attempts to forge political unity in the thirteenth century to the founding of the Welsh Assembly at the end of the twentieth century. The first lecture will provide an introduction to Wales and the Welsh people to set the context for the remainder of the module. Thereafter the lectures will explore a range of themes relating to politics, society, culture, language and identity and how they developed over the broad time period covered by the module. Amongst key milestones under consideration will be the development and consequences of the political union with England, the growth and impact of industrialization and the recurring theme of resistance to authority. The way national identity evolved and adapted at different points in the nation’s history will also be an important overarching theme.
The seminars will aim to provide an opportunity for discussion on themes relating to the direct subject matter of the lecture whilst also offering ways of thinking across lectures boundaries. The main themes of authority and politics, society, culture and religion will be explored in the series of five seminars, to allow discussion of topics including protest and politics and language and identity.

Module Skills

Skills Type Skills details
Application of Number Through occasional discussion of relevant numerical data, e.g. figures, graphs, tables.
Subject Specific Skills Students will develop the ability to analyse relevant sources and critically discuss the secondary material.


This module is at CQFW Level 4