History@Portsmouth

University of Portsmouth's History Blog

Tag Archives | education

Football kingston 1846 cropped

Urban football as a nineteenth-century blood sport

By on May 21, 2021 in Learning in Focus

Second-year UoP student Mandy Wrenn discusses a 1846 engraving showing a large group of men playing football in the centre of the town of Kingston in Surrey, and the contemporary concerns over the control of urban spaces and popular leisure activities it reflects. This piece was originally written for the Fear and Fun module, taught by Dr Rob James and Dr Karl Bell. The primary source is set in 1846, at a time of continued transition in Victorian Britain from the past to modernity. The depiction of the game, with a large crowd of men playing a game of football in the centre of a town, will have been received […]

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new recruits cropped

The Fitzroy Report, 1904: How the poor physical condition of Boer War army recruits prompted social change

By on April 30, 2021 in Learning in Focus

Following the end of the second Boer War in 1902, the government appointed an Inter-Departmental Committee to investigate why so many would-be recruits had been in poor physical condition. The Committee, chaired by civil servant Almeric FitzRoy, has become known as the Fitzroy Report.  Second-year UoP history student Ben Hessey discusses the report, what it tells us about contemporary ideas about parenting, gender, eugenics and social provision, and its longer-term significance.  This piece was originally written for the second-year Danger! module, which investigates issues of censorship and state control between 1850 and 2000 and is taught by Dr Rob James and Dr Mike Esbester. During the early twentieth century the […]

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Nia with Dissertation

‘There are ways to make your last year your best year’: How to succeed in your final year as a History student

By on September 19, 2019 in Learning in Focus

Ever wondered how to succeed in your final year and still stay sane? In this blog Nia Picton-Phillips reflects back on her final year of studying History and offers tips on how to get the most out of it. Nia graduated in July 2019 with a first class degree and is just about to start a MRes in Humanities & Social Sciences with us. Photo by courtesy of Nia Picton-Phillips It is often assumed that your third and final year of university will be the toughest. Don’t get me wrong, it was by no means easy but there are ways to make your last year your best year – academically […]

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Students relaxing

‘Take the time to explore new opportunities’: How to get the most out of your Second Year at Uni

By on September 18, 2019 in Learning in Focus

If you are about to start your second year studying History, then Amelia Boddice can give you some great advice on how to get the most out of the year. Amelia is in her final year; for her BA Dissertation she will be working on a fascinating project on Elizabethan England. I found the Second Year tough but ultimately rewarding. In particular I enjoyed the chance to select optional modules on topics which I like to study. There is plenty of choice so I could explore new topics and see whether I liked them or not. This also allowed me to work with people I had not previously worked with. […]

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Students next to HMS Warrior

Welcome to the Journey! Starting as a First Year History student

By on September 16, 2019 in Learning in Focus

Are you just about to start your first year as a History student? In this case, Welcome to Portsmouth University! You will probably wonder what it will be like and what to expect. Then why not read this blog written by one of last year’s ‘freshers’, James Farrar. In his blog James, who is just about to start his second year, looks back at his experience of starting the exciting journey as a History student. University is not an unknown, unexplored frontier. It is a fantastic place of opportunity and learning. You are not the first to land at its shores. Neither was I or the millions that went before. […]

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