This course is intended as an introduction to English history of the 16th and 17th centuries. It focuses on the major political, religious, economic and cultural transformations at work in England and its budding empire. We will discuss the emergence of Anglicanism, the political struggle between supporters of an absolutist model and proponents of a strong Parliament, and the nexus between politics and religion at the core of the Puritan and the Glorious Revolution. We will also analyze agricultural change and the consequences of urbanization, as rural society was shifting, and cities, specifically London, were expanding in size. Overseas exploration and exploitation, as well as colonial settlement in Ireland and across the Atlantic, resulted in the development of new markets and broadened horizons. Printing and Renaissance humanism revolutionized learning, poetry and architecture, while communication was accelerated by the spread of literacy. The period also witnessed fundamental changes in people’s attitudes toward the natural world, often referred to as the Scientific Revolution. Various sources and types of documents will be studied, classical historical sources as well as literature, visual arts and material culture. A good understanding of written and spoken English is required.