Module Information

This module concentrates on the period between the Methodist Revival and the Treachery of the Blue Books, two significant developments in the history of Wales and the formation of modern Welsh identity. It has been suggested that part of the response to the Blue Books was the creation of an image of Wales as `the land of white gloves' untainted by lawlessness and immorality. Yet historians have also identified riotous and violent elements which co-existed side by side with the moralizing influence of the Revival and the growth of Nonconformity. The aim of this module is to investigate these conflicting sides of Welsh society and to explore the attitudes of the population in general to crime and immorality, along with some of the causes of riot and unrest in the period. Students will be introduced to some of the ongoing historical debates relating to these themes, such as the discussion of whether or not eighteenth-century society was inherently violent and the extent to which protests such as food riots arose out of notions of social justice and the moral economy of the crowd.

This module gives students the opportunity to explore the themes of crime, riot and unrest in Wales in this period within the context of the rich secondary literature available in this field. It introduces students to some of the debates, issues and problems which arise for historians researching in these areas. This module is already available through the medium of Welsh so providing an English-medium version will broaden the range of choice available to English-medium students of Welsh history and to those studying on the medieval and early modern degree scheme as well as other history students.