COURS DE CIVILISATION / HISTOIRE DES PAYS ANGLOPHONES
2026-2027
PREMIERE ANNÉE (L1) FONDAMENTAUX
SEMESTRE 1
L1 S1 - LLC-5E1FANMO5 – Introduction aux civilisations britanniques et américaine / Introduction to British and American History
1. Groupes étudiants LLCER
Suggested reading : Sarah Pickard, Civilisation britannique, Pocket.
This course provides an introductory overview to the history of the United Kingdom and Ireland through an exploration of some of the major events that shaped both modern nations. It covers the waves of invasion and settlement that led to the cultural makeup of these islands, as well as some of the landmark movements in religion and politics that would leave an indelible imprint on their history. It also looks at the history of the modern institutions and examines how the current political landscape was established. Through this broad study, students will gain an essential background knowledge for the more specialised modules in the second and third year of the degree.
Important : This course is taught in tandem with EC “Comprendre les sociétés anglophones : outils et méthodes”.
Major topics covered :
- The geopolitical history of the UK and Ireland
- The historical legacy of religious conflict
- The history of state institutions (e.g. government and parliament, or the common law)
- The origin and role of the major political parties
- The human and cultural composition of modern Britain and Ireland
2. Groupe étudiants Double Licence Histoire/Anglais
Important : contrary to the single honours course, this is a stand-alone module with its own evaluation.
SEMESTRE 2
L1 S2 - LLC-5E2FANMO5 – Introduction aux civilisations britanniques et américaine / Introduction to British and American History
Descriptif à venir / Details upcoming
DEUXIEME ANNÉE (L2) FONDAMENTAUX
SEMESTRE 3
L2 S3 - LLC-5E3FANMO2 – Histoire des pays Anglophones 1 / History of Anglophone countries 1
Course overview : General U.S. History from the Declaration of Independence to the Gilded Age
In this course, students will study the fundamental principles and moral values of American democracy as expressed in the U.S. Constitution and other essential documents of American democracy. A great deal of focus will be placed on the social, political, and economic changes that have shaped the country.
The course will be taught chronologically with an emphasis placed on major themes as they unfold throughout the nation’s history. Topics will begin with the US Revolution and continue through the American experience to the Gilded Age. The course will emphasize themes in United States history including cultural diversity, cultural development and identity, immigration, religion, slavery, demographic transformations, economic transformations, politics and citizenship, sectionalism, war and diplomacy, and reform.
Major Topics to be Included
· The American Revolutionary Era
· The Confederation, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights
· The Early Republic : Forging the New Nation
· Jacksonian Democracy
· Westward Expansion and Manifest Destiny
· Slavery and the Rise of Sectionalism
· The Civil War, Reconstruction and the Era of Jim Crow
· The Gilded Age
Course goals
· Familiarity with key events, dates, and figures that have shaped American history from the Revolution to the end of the nineteenth century.
· Use historical evidence to defend and support basic arguments and positions.
· Produce written analyses of key primary sources.
SEMESTRE 4
L2 S4 - LLC5E4FANMO2 – Histoire des Pays Anglophones 2 / History of Anglophone countries 2
This module explores key moments in the 19th-century history of Britain, Ireland, and the Empire, covering industrialisation, democratic reform, and imperial expansion. It traces the transformation of the United Kingdom from a largely agrarian society into a global industrial power, alongside the development of modern parliamentary democracy. The course also considers how and why Britain became the dominant global empire at this time, and how the political, economic, and environmental effects of this period continue to shape the world today.
Students will strengthen their ability to analyse historical texts through a wide range of primary sources. Building on their first-year training, they will further develop their capacity to produce formal historical analysis. The module also provides a foundation for advanced study in British and Irish history in the third year, while equipping students with the skills they will need for Master’s-level studies.
TROISIÉME ANNÉE (L3) FONDAMENTAUX
SEMESTRE 5
L3 S5 - LLC-5E5FANMO2 – Histoire des pays anglophones 3 / History of Anglophone countries 3
Enseignante Groupes 1 et 2 : Juliette Bourdin
General U.S. History : from the Age of Imperialism to the present day
This course is intended as a general survey of the social, cultural, economic, and political currents that have shaped American history from the Reconstruction era and the age of imperialism in the late 19th century up to the present day. Taught chronologically, the course will emphasize certain key themes, such as progressivism, America’s response to wars abroad, the Great Depression, cultural diversity, race and race relations, American Imperialism, and economic growth and political development. By the end of the semester, students will understand how the United States grew from a relatively weak and divided agricultural nation into a cohesive military and industrial superpower by the beginning of the twenty-first century.
Modalités d’évaluation : Classes are built around brochures, wherein the student will study, examine, and interrogate 20th-century documents. Students are expected to master the methodology of the commentary by the end of this L3 course and will be given both in-class exams and homework.
Recommended textbook :
- Norton, et al., A People and a Nation, Boston, New York, Houghton Mifflin (various editions). - L’ouvrage existe en deux volumes (jusqu’à 1865, et de 1865 à nos jours), ou un seul volume. Diverses éditions sont disponibles, et la bibliothèque dispose de plusieurs exemplaires, à consulter sur place ou à emprunter. - Les étudiants devront lire avant chaque cours le(s) chapitre(s) correspondant aux périodes étudiées en classe.
Enseignante Groupe 3 (orienté CAPES) : Ana Artiaga
American Society in the 1920s
This course explores the major social, cultural, and political transformations that shaped the United States during the 1920s, from the enactment of Prohibition to the 1929 stock market crash. Through the study of various sources, students will examine key developments such as the rise of mass consumer culture, nativism and immigration restriction, the Harlem Renaissance, shifting gender and sexual norms, and the growing urban/rural divide. Special attention will be given to developing skills required for passing the CAPES Bac+3 competitive exam : the course is designed primarily (but not exclusively) for the students who want to take the new concours.
Bibliography
- Miller, Nathan. New World Coming : The 1920s and the Making of Modern America (2003).
- Chollier, Christine, et Gérard Préher. CAPES Anglais 2026 - Bac + 3 - "The Great Gatsby" de Francis Scott Fitzgerald (1925) et la société des années 1920 aux États-Unis. Paris : Editions Ellipses, 2025.
SEMESTRE 6
L3 S6 - 5E6FANMO2 – Histoire des pays Anglophones 4 / History of anglophone countries 4
Descriptif à venir / Details upcoming