Edinburgh 1780-1833, Politics, Corruption and Reform

Pre-requisites for enrolment

No prior knowledge of the subject is required.

Content of Course

1. Course Introduction.

2. Edinburgh in the Late Eighteenth and Early Nineteenth Centuries.

3. The Town Council of Edinburgh.

4. The Growth of 'Public Opinion': the Newspaper Press, Clubs and Societies.

5. The Structure of Politics and the Changing Political Scene, 1760-1780

6. The Fall of Sir Lawrence Dundas and the emergence of the movement for political reform.

7. The Impact of the French Revolution in Edinburgh.

8. Two Strands of Reform: the Edinburgh Police Commission and the 'Burgh Reform' movement.

9. The Collapse of the Old Regime, 1815-1833.

10. Course Review.

Teaching method(s)

Lecture based with discussion.

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course, students will:

• Gain an insight into how patronage and corruption were used to exercise political control, and how this was challenged by new ideas and institutions.

Sources

Core Readings

Essential:

• Cosh, M., 2003. Edinburgh: the Golden Age. Edinburgh: John Donald

• Meikle, H., 1912. Scotland and the French Revolution. Reprinted by Frank Cass, 1969.

• O'Gorman, Frank, 1997. The Long Eighteenth Century. British Social and Political History, 1688-1832: Arnold.

Class Handouts

Detailed handouts will be provided for all classes.

Queries

If you have questions regarding the course or enrolment, please contact COL Reception at Paterson's Land by email COL@ed.ac.uk or by phone 0131 650 4400.

Student support

If you have a disability, learning difficulty or health condition which may affect your studies, please let us know by ticking the 'specific support needs' box on your course application form. This will allow us to make appropriate adjustments in advance and in accordance with your rights under the Equality Act 2010. For more information please visit the Student Support section of our website.