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Politics and Power in the 17th Century

Explore politics and power in the 17th Century through primary sources.

Library Search

These resources have been designed to help A-level History teachers introduce their students to working with primary source material. They were developed as part of a project we ran with A-Level History students and teachers in 2023. The project was funded by The National Archives and was designed and delivered in collaboration with academics from Newcastle University, the National Civil War Centre and oracy charity Voice 21.

The resources are made up of:

  • A short video
  • Printable source-based activities

Playing by the Rules: Parliamentary Practice Past and Present

 

Discover how MPs were expected to behave during debates in parliament during the Interregnum.

Source

Activity

A still of a video

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Paper Bullets: Debates in Print

Learn how a positive spin could be put on a humiliating defeat during the British Civil Wars.

Source

Activity

The Divine Right of Kings: Opposing Opinions

Discover how people, including John Locke, debated issues such as the Divine Right of Kings during the seventeenth century.

Sources

Activities