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Ronnie Hanna, BA, MA

Fee £100.00 (concession rate £80.00) - fee will amend when you select the appropriate fee rate below.

Autumn 2026

10 weekly sessions on Wednesdays, 11.00 am to 1.00 pm, starting 30 September

Marking the 250th anniversary of the signing of the American Declaration of Independence in 1776, this course will explain why hostilities broke out between the American colonies and Great Britain in 1775, and consider the course of the war that would only officially end in 1783. Particular attention will be paid to the circumstances that led to the crafting of the Declaration of Independence. But will then explore two lines of antecedence that had a profound influence on the spirit and content of that document. One of these influences was the mass migration of Presbyterians, mainly from Ulster, to the American colonies in the eighteenth century – and the mindset and belief system they carried with them across the Atlantic. The second factor to be considered is the influence of English Puritanism, predating the Presbyterian presence in America by about one hundred years. These two sources gave the American patriots their democratic focus and their prioritisation of the rights of the individual, as embedded in the famous declaration.

This class will take place on QUB campus

Support Requirements

If as a result of your disability you have support requirements, please complete a support needs form and return it 3 weeks before your class commences. The form is available to download here under the Facilities and Support for Disabled Students section or contact the office on 90 973323.

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