The End of Empire? The American Revolution and the British Empire

The End of Empire? The American Revolution and the British Empire

Richard Bell
Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2024, 9:30 AM – 11:00 AM (PT)
Repeats every Tuesday until Tuesday, Mar. 5, 2024
Price: $155.00
35 slots available
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Seen through American eyes, July 4, 1776 marked a triumphant moment: the birth of a bold new nation committed to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Through British eyes, the American Revolution looked quite different. Was it a crisis? A reckoning? Or an opportunity? Did it mark the beginning of the end of Britain’s grand empire? Or was it the catalyst for a bigger, broader effort to tamp down dissent and assert British dominance across the globe?

This new 8-part course investigates the transatlantic forces that shaped the American Revolution and the imperial consequences of this nation’s break with Britain. It asks how the familiar story of the American Revolution—its causes, course, and consequences—changes when we place the Revolution in the context of Britain’s global empire. Answering these big questions requires us to cast aside worn-out notions of American exceptionalism and to embrace a broader and vastly more dynamic narrative that recognizes the impact wrought by the free movement of goods, ideas, and people around Britain’s imperial system.

Faculty Bio

Richard Bell is Professor of History at the University of Maryland and author of the book Stolen: Five Free Boys Kidnapped into Slavery and their Astonishing Odyssey Home which was a finalist for the George Washington Prize and the Harriet Tubman Prize.

This is a Livestreamed + Recorded Course

  • Classes will stream live on the scheduled day and time
  • Classes will also be video recorded
  • You must be a current OLLI @Berkeley member to register. Learn about membership, including our fee assistance program.

Schedule Highlights

  • Course starts on Tuesday, Jan. 16, and ends on Tuesday, March 5
  • Classes meet for eight weeks, 1.5 hours per session (9:30–11 AM)
  • Videos will post on Fridays in Member Dashboards
  • All course materials, including videos, will be available to view and enjoy through March 31

Member Praise for Richard Bell

What a wonderful class and brilliant instructor! I loved Rick’s style of presentation = intense and dramatic. I’m so impressed with my fellow OLLIians = smart, informed, engaged. Everything worked for me.

​​Amazing content. Amazing delivery.

After the first ten minutes of the first class, I turned to my husband, who had also signed up for the class, and said, "He is terrific!"

Faculty Q&A