U.S. History (HIST 2111) London Summer 2010

First week of classes (21 -24June 2010)

2010-06-24T11:25:00.000-07:00

Starting at 9am Monday (21 June) students began their classes (which include US [& English] History 1, Art Appreciation, Theater Appreciation, Environmental History, British Literature, World Literature, Watercolors, and Psychology. Classes are each Monday and Wednesday (AM classes are 9am to 11am and PM classes are 1pm to 3:30pm). Then Tuesday and Thursday are field trips. For the various classes, these included the Globe Theatre, the British Musuem, the Natural History Museum, and various walking tours. For the US History class, our field trip was today, 24 June.

We started out at 9:30am in front of Astor College, and walked to the British Museum, where we saw exhibits on the Enlightenment, and Prehistoric/Roman/Saxon/Medieval England, including the famous Sutton Hoo artifacts and the Lindow Man (a well preserved bog body).

London -- third day (20 June 2010)

2010-06-22T11:09:00.000-07:00

Today, after everyone ate another full English breakfast (which traditionally includes eggs, bacon, sausages, beans, tomatoes, corn flakes & milk, toast and marmalade, and coffee/juice) it was off to Hampton Court palace, home to Henry VIII (as well as many later monarchs such as George III, William III, Anne and Charles II). The journey was a forty minute train ride from Waterloo station. That evening the students went on a walk to Trafalgar Square, Buckingham Palace and Parliament.

London -- second day

2010-06-22T10:51:00.000-07:00

Today was the students first full day in the city. After a full English breakfast provided by the program at Ramsey Hall here at the University College of London (UCL), the students were off for a Photo Frenzy -- a photographic scavenger hunt that also doubles as a London orientation training. Grouped into teams, students are given a list of items places and clues to take photos of. Below are some their images.

London -- first day

2010-06-18T13:08:00.000-07:00

After leaving bright and early Thursday morning (an eye-opening 4:30am) from Bainbridge College...

.....we checked our bags and passports in Atlanta for a connecting flight to New York City-JFK International Airport). Bainbridge students going to London are Caprice Kelly, Meghan Vickers, Shaquera Moore, Danielle Richmond, Lillian Wingate, Sean Perry, Alex Casteel, and April DeRocco (along with Dr. Dave Nelson).

Arriving at JFK in early afternoon, we waited and ate till our 6:30pm flight (delayed till 8:30pm).

After the all-night flight, we landed at 7:30am (GMT) where the students breezed through customs and officially became legal aliens in the United Kingdom. We took a bus tour form the airport through London to our rooms at University College of London (UCL). Today's activities included an orientation, a quick walk of the area, checking into out rooms, lunch and dinner at the college, and mostly simply trying to stay up till evening.

Below ar e images form our dorm at Astor College in the heart of London at UCL.

And we are (almost) off

2010-06-15T11:49:00.000-07:00

I proud to say that eight students from Bainbridge College will be in London for five weeks (17 June through 23 July). Please watch this blog -- originally created to promote the program -- over the next month to now see updates on our activities while abroad. We will now upload photos and updates for families, students, and colleagues to see and enjoy.

Cultural Matters: More British televsion

2010-04-04T15:51:00.000-07:00

Since the last post was about language, I thought I'd return again to TV -- since one of the best things American visitors to Britain can do to acclimate themselves to the language is to watch English movies and especially television (as their TV shows are generally aimed at a British audience, while their films tend to more 'universal' in accents and vocabulary.)

This Easter was a big TV weekend for Britain with the season debuts of Ashes to Ashes and Doctor Who. To get you started, below are clips from several recent British shows.(Also be sure to check out my earlier TV post). NOTE -- to view properly, right-click and then click "Show all" to get the proper perspective.

PS -- if you bring your laptop, you can get online access to the BBC's iplayer website (which is only available in England) to watch all the newest shows. Also consider trying to attend a television taping while in London.

BBC Drama trailer for Spring/Summer 2010
Clips featuring shots of all the BBC's newest shows. Many of these shows will be playing while we are there.

Doctor Who (2010 season, with new tenth doctor)

Jonathan Ross Show
The BBC's equivalent to the Tonight Show. The below clip with a embarrassingly cocky and obnoxious Miley Cyrus is one of the most uncomfortable TV moments in recent years (and therefore quite hilarious).

Catherine Tate Show
One of England's most popular comedians, Catherine Tate starred in her own highly popular sketch show for several years. Below are two clips of her most famous characters: the insulting and profane Nan; and the teenage 'chav', Lauren Cooper with then Prime Minister Tony Blair.

Ashes to Ashes (see earlier post for more info)

Some common English - American words

2010-04-04T15:18:00.000-07:00

Although too much has probably been made of the differences between English words in the U.S. versus Great Britain -- playwright George Bernard Shaw once famously said that England and the USA were "two countries separated by a common langauge" -- there are some differences that any American traveller should be aware of. (Although generally, thanks to movies and TV, they will know what you mean even when you may not know what they mean.) I have listed a few common English words below in no particular order followed by the American equivalent.

ENGLISH AMERICAN

Pound The main currency; like our dollar.

Quid Slang for the Pound "Can I borrow five quid?"

Wayout Exit

Hire Rent

Football Soccer

Takeaway Take-out (as in pizza)

Carpark Parking lot

Petrol Gas, Fuel

En suite Hotel room with private bath

VAT Value Added Tax (sales tax)

Chemist Pharmacist

Motorway Highway

Single carriageway Two-lane road

Dual carriageway Four-lane road

High street Main street

Give way Yield

Lorry Pick-up truck

Single-ticket One way

Return ticket Round trip

Toilet Bathroom, restroom

WC (Watercloset) Bathroom, restroom

Mate Friend, pal, buddy

Telly Television

Boot Trunk

Bonnet Hood

Trainers Tennis shoes, sneakers

Trousers Pants

Jumper Pullover (sweater)

Kit Uniform

Posh Expensive, overly fancy

Tube Subway

Biscuits Cookies

Scones Biscuits (sort of)

Crisps Chips

Chips Fries

Jacket potato Bakeed potato

Jam Jelly

Sweets Candy

Wind up Tease
Take the Piss Tease

Fag Cigarette

Hoover Vacuum cleaner or to vacuum

Letter box Mail box

A couple of more images of Astor College at UCL

2010-04-02T19:36:00.000-07:00

Cultural Matters: English candy

2010-01-28T21:02:00.000-08:00

Although not everyone is a fan of English food, most agree that England showcases some of the best candy around, especially for chocolate lovers. Sweeter and milkier than most American chocolate (many English claim that Hershey chocolate has a sour aftertaste), sweets (as candy is often referred to) is a regular feature of English life. The two biggest producers are Nestle and Cadbury UK (which was started by John Cadbury in 1824. Just this year -- 2010 -- Cadbury was taken over by the American compnay Kraft.)

Curly Wurly
My personal all-time favorite. Started in 1971, it's choclate covered caramel.

Flake
A crumbly milk chocolate bar. Has an odd mouth-feel at first, but quite addictive.

Wispa (Cadbury) and Aero (Nestle)
Crunchy aerated chocolate.

Crunchie
Going back to 1929, this a honey-combed crunchy chocolate bar.

Yorkies
Named for York, England where it began in 1976, this is a large chocolate bar.

Smarties
A slightly larger version of American M&Ms.

Chomp
Chewy chocolate bar.

Dairy Milk
The classic English chocolate bar.

Jelly Babies
The classic English candy. Basically Gummi Bears.

Happy Birthday, London Underground

2010-01-10T18:05:00.000-08:00

Just read that today, 10 January 2010 is the birthday of the world's oldest subway --- the London Underground (known by most as simply, The Tube.) Here is a link with more information:
http://www.smittenbybritain.com/2010/01/london-underground-today-in-history.html

Cultural Matters: English Television

2010-01-10T14:22:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the lack of recent updates…

To me, one of the most enjoyable aspects of travel is to immerse oneself into the culture before arriving at your destination. And for England, there are so many ways to do this – through books, magazines, radio (all BBC Radio programs are free on the web for Americans), films, and especially television. Much of British TV is available on DVD, Netflix, BBC America, or Youtube. The following are a few of the more popular shows currently enjoyed throughout Great Britain.

Gavin and Stacey
This is a show about the romance between a young man (Gavin, played by Matthew Horne) from a middle class family in Essex (near London) and a working class girl (Stacey, played by Joana Page ) from Barry Island, Wales. Both sweet and darkly humorous, the show deals not only with their growing relationship, but the inevitable cultural clashes between their families and friends. Not only has this been a smash hit, but several Welsh slang terms (“Tidy”, Cracking,” and “What’s occurring?”) have become hip catch phrases in England. Rob Brydon (as Stacey's Welsh uncle Bryn), James Corden (as Gavin’s best friend Smithy) and Ruth Jones (as Stacey’s best friend Nessa) have become cult heroes, complete with a number 1 hit song last Spring. The show just completed its third (and final) season in early January. (In England, a season is called a series, and usually run from 6 to 13 shows). The first two seasons have been released in the U.S. on DVD.

Doctor Who
While the U.S. may have Star Trek and Star Wars, the British have Doctor Who, which in terms of longevity and fandom (if not always in budget or special effects) has us Yanks beat in spades. The cult show originally ran on the BBC (Britain’s premiere television channel) from 1963 to 1989, it was then revived in 2005 (and still going strong) with better effects, larger budgets, and has become even more popular. The basic premise is the The Doctor (the title is in fact a question, as no one knows his real name) is a Time Lord, and pops around the universe in different time periods in his Tardis (disguised as a old English Police Call Box) to “fix” things. Along the way, he picks up companions and fights off enemies such as the Cybermen or the Daleks. And if mortally wounded, can regenerate into someone else (a nifty way whenever thye need to change actors.) The most revent performer to play The Doctor was David Tennant, who just ended his run on New Years Day. Any American hoping to fit in with England’s pop culture should know their Doctor Who.

Clip 1: His Name is the Doctor

Clip 2: The Lonely Angel (Doctor Who tribute video)

Clip 3: The very first opening theme (1963)

Life on Mars (followed by sequel Ashes to Ashes)
Named after a David Bowie song (as was its sequel), this police drama is about a police officer, Sam Tyler, (played by John Simm) who gets hit by a car in 2006 then wakes ups in 1973. In a world without cell phones, computers, DNA or the internet, he has to maneuver his way around Manchester’s police station while pleasing his boss, the wonderfully political incorrect Gene Hunt (played by Philip Glenister). A fun show, with a sequel that takes place in the eighties. The series will end this summer while we are in London.

Clip 1: Opening titles of show

Clip 2: Sam Tyler meets Gene Hunt in 1973

Clip 3: Ashes to Ashes intro

Cultural Matters: English versus American culture (the comedian's viewpoint)

2009-10-25T06:08:00.000-07:00

Two funny videos about American and British culture. The first, by British comedian Ricky Gervais, from the David Letterman Show, is about American stereotypes of the English:
Video 1

The second is John Cleese (of Monty Python) on the differences between American and English football:
Video 2

Cultural Matters: Blogs About Americans in England

2009-10-24T18:20:00.000-07:00

For anyone in the US visiting England, there are no shortage of blogs about what to expect, enjoy, experience in England. Below are some of the more common and effective ones:

Anglo Addict
http://www.angloaddict.com/

The Anglo File
http://theanglofile.wordpress.com/

Smitten By Britain
http://www.smittenbybritain.com/

Anglotopia
http://www.anglotopia.net/

Brit Fancy
http://britfancy.blogspot.com/

Britannia in Brief
http://britanniainbrief.blogspot.com/

Postcards From Across the Pond
http://postcardsfromacrossthepond.blogspot.com/

What to Expect -- Week 5 (Monday 19 July -- Friday 23 July)

2009-09-13T19:52:00.000-07:00

The British Museum, near Astor College

The final week! We will have one last class on Monday, 19 July during which we will discuss the American Civil War. As the war rages, we will also look at foreign relaitons and diplomacy. We will see how England's decision not to intervene for the CSA sealed the fate of the rebelling states and ensured the survival of the United States

Then the following day, Tuesday 20 July, we will take our final exam. The next two days will be free days -- to be spent packing and trying to cram in all the places you hadn't visited yet. Places that may include shops, bookstores, plays, and nearby attractions such as the British Library, the British Museum, the Victoria and Albert Musuem, Shakespeare's Globe, Regent's Park, or the London zoo. On Friday, 23 July, we leave London for Atlanta.

Interior of the British Museum

The British Library, which includes many originals such as Beatle lyrics, Jane Austen manuscripts, Shaespeare's folios and...

The Magna Carta (1215)

Regent's Park, located near the college

The West End -- theatre district

What to Expect -- Week 4 (Monday 12 July -- Sunday 18 July)

2009-09-13T19:23:00.000-07:00

Greenwich, London

This week, we will discuss the American Revolution and the institution of slavery. On Monday, 12 July, we will look at the American Revolution and the early years of the new nation. We will also briefly discuss the effect of the war on England and relations between the two nations.

For class on Wednesday, 14 July, we look at how England and its colonies, and then later the United States, became dependent upon slave labor, how the slave trade worked, and the growing opposition to it in the 1800s in both England and the U.S.

For our final field trip, we will visit two places in South-East London. First in the morning, we will arrive at the Canary Wharf Underground Station to visit the new slavery exhibit at the Musuem of London Docklands. Following lunch, we will travel to the Cutty Sark station to visit the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, the site of the Greenwich Mean Time clock, from which all time zones derive. We will discuss the maritime history of London, and its role in slavery and with relations to the U.S. in the 1800s.

Musuem of London Docklands

The Docklands area of London

The National Maritime Museum in Greenwich

The Royal Observatory in Greenwich

The Official Greenwich Mean Time clock

What to Expect -- Week 3 (Monday 5 July -- Sunday 11 July)

2009-09-13T17:41:00.000-07:00

After a night of celebrating the Fourth of July, we will get the English to North American in class. On Monday, 5 July, we will discuss the first permanent English colonies of Jamestown and Plymouth, and how they eventually led to the original 13 colonies.

Statue of colonist and Jamestown founder Capt. John Smith

Wednesday, 7 July, we will invetigate the road to the American Revolution. How did England allow itself to lose the crown jewels of its expanding British Empire? We will look at the social, political, and cultural conflicts -- but emphasize the English perspective.

For this week's field trip, on Thrusday 8 July, we will take a walking tour of some of the major historical sites related to the American Revolution, including Ben Franklin's home in London and 9 Grosvenor Square, the London residence of diplomat (and later U.S. President) John Adams during the Revolution. In addition, we will visit Parliament in the afternoon
.

Benjamin Franklin's London residence

Another view of Franklin's home

9 Grosvenor Square, home to diplomat John Adams

What to Expect -- Week 2 (Monday 28 June -- Sunday 4 July)

2009-09-13T14:54:00.000-07:00

This week we will bring together Europe, Africa and the Americas. On Monday, the class will look at North America, Europe and Africa in the year 1500 -- just before Contact. We will engage in a brief historical overview of the cultures, governments, and economics trends of Africa and Europe in the years leading up to 1500. Much of the European focus will be upon England. We will then discuss European contact with the "New World" from Christopher Columbus through the early English colonial attempts. A large theme here will be the national competitions between Spain, France and England over the newly discovered continent.

Wednesday's class will look at the Origins of American Liberty in England. So much of what we think as American (democracy, civil rights, liberty, taxation only with representation) is indeed English. We will discuss the English Civil War, the Restoration, Great Plague and Fire of 1665-6, the Glorious Revolution and John Locke.

Our field trip for the week, on Thursday, 1 July, will be the National Portrait Gallery in the morning and the Tower of London in the afternoon.

The Tower dates back to the original Normans in 1078, and has housed everyone from Anne Boleyn, Queen Elizabeth, and Guy Fawkes to Thomas More, Walter Raleigh, and Rudolf Hess. One can also choose to walk over the famous Tower Bridge.

Aerial view of Tower of London

Historic drawing of the Tower

The Traitor's Gate

One of the Tower guards

The White Tower

King Henry VIII from the National Portrait Gallery

Henry's daughter, Queen Elizabeth I (National Portrait Gallery)

Henry's ill-fated second wife, Anne Boleyn (National Portrait Gallery)

What to Expect -- Week 1 (Thursday 17 June -- Sunday 27 June)

2009-09-03T12:21:00.000-07:00

We leave Atlanta for London on 17 June to arrive at Heathrow, the world's busiest airport. Students we be assigned private rooms at the University College of London (UCL). Students will be staying at Astor College (UCL), pictured here. May not be the most fashionable dorm, but you can't beat the location, in the heart of Central London. There are kitchen, bathroom and laundry facilities, plus each room has a bed, closet, desk, and sink, plus internet hookup. More images of Astor can be found here.

That first weekend, students will have an on site orientation and neighborhood tour. Dinner will be served in Ramsey Hall at UCL, as will breakfast the following morning. There will then be a Photo Frenzy contest. Lunch will be on your on, an go a free field trip to Hampton Court, the world's largest inhabited castle.

The class begins on Monday, 21 June from between 1:00 and 3:30. The first lecture will be First Britons, First Americans: Indians, Celts, Romans and Saxons. For this class, we will look at the development of the humans, and the peopling of both North America and the British Isles.

The next class will be Wednesday, 23 June (1:00 -- 3:30) with a lecture entitled The Origins of American Culture: England in the Middle Ages. We will look at the development of English and how it later influence America. Topics will include the the Norman Conquest, Magna Charter, the Forest Charter, the development of Parliament, the Black Death, and the War of the Roses.

For this week's required field trip, on Thursday, 24 June, we will visit the British Museum in the morning to look at exhibits on early American and English peoples. Then after lunch, we take a walking tour The City, the oldest part of London. Arriving by subway to the Mansion House stop, we will learn that the City's origins go back to the Romans and it still remains the economic center of London. Highlights of the walking tour may include visiting the remains of a Roman amphitheater, seeing Roman mosaics at England's oldest church, All Hallows By the Tower, visiting the Museum of London (free admission), St. Paul's Cathedral and ending at the infamous Tower of London (which we will visit next week.)

The tower bridge today

An optional field trip may be offered during the weekend to Bath (site of the mot extensive Romans ruins in England) Stonehenge & Avebury (two world-known pre-Norman Celtic sites), and Old Sarum, the remains of the Norman castle -- what many consider the true start of England.

Introduction

2009-08-30T14:56:00.001-07:00

Greetings! This is a blog for those students taking U.S. and England Before 1865 course (HIST 2111) in London Summer 2010 (June 17 through July 23 2010) through the University System of Georgia's European Council . This blog will serve as an introduction to the course. Over the next few weeks, I will post images, links, and other information about the course.

First, some basic information...

The course runs five-weeks and is a three-credit course. For Georgia students, the course can be used as either a HIST course or as a STAB (Study Abroad) course, which can be substituted for COMM 1100: Human Communications. Students stay at the University College of London (UCL, pictured above) in the heart of London. The cost of the trip is $5,350, and includes round-trip airfare from Atlanta to London, transportation from the airport to UCL campus, lodging at UCL, a pre-paid Tesco grocery store card (£25 a week), a four-day Britrail pass, an excursion to Hampton Court the first weekend of the program, a health insurance policy providing coverage for medical expenses, and an Oyster card pass for unlimited travel on the London Underground and bus systems.

For more information, contact Dr. Dave Nelson at david.nelson@bainbridge.edu