Historical enquiries: GCSE & A level
Was the French Revolution true to its principles of ‘Liberte, Egalite, Fraternite? How did people resist slavery and fight for its abolition? And was there really a medical revolution in the Age of Revolution?
Our revolutionary collection brings together a rich array of historical sources from museums and galleries across the UK to help students find out about the extraordinary people, events and ideas of the Age of Revolution.
Each of our enquiries focuses on a key question, and guides students through using historical sources to formulate their own answers, with opportunities to:
- Frame and answer historically valid questions
- Explore different types of sources and evidence and assess their reliability
- Explore historical concepts such as similarity and difference, continuity and change, and historical significance
- Explore historical concepts such as continuity and change, cause and consequence, similarity, difference and significance
- Make historical connections and draw contrasts
- Develop historical vocabulary
Use our historical enquiries with your students, adapt them, or create your own. Try our Guides, Activities and Creative and digital making projects for more ways to use the collection in the classroom.
All of our learning resources are authored by education specialists and historians.
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Why did workers protest?
Interrogate banners, posters, songs and more to find out how and why workers of the past protested, and whether their demands were met.
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Abolition of the transatlantic slave trade
From the men, women and children who resisted their enslavement, to the campaigners who fought for its abolition, use a range of sources to find out who fought for the abolition of slavery and some of the tactics they used.
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A medical revolution?
It has been said that there was a medical revolution between 1775 and 1848. Do students agree? Explore the evidence and make the case.
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Innovations and the spread of ideas
How did innovations like the printing press, the penny post and the steam engine impact on the spread of ideas in the 1800s?
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Liberte, Egalite, Fraternite and the French Revolution
Was the French Revolution true to its principles of ‘Liberte, Egalite, Fraternite? Students examine the sources and evidence their answers.
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Videos: Medicine in the Age of Revolution – Part one
Use our videos, quizzes and enquiries to explore the factors which drove change in medical practice during the Age of Revolution.
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Videos: Medicine in the Age of Revolution – Part two
Use our videos, quizzes and enquiries to explore whether change in medical practice was revolutionary or evolutionary during the Age of Revolution.
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Carrying out historical enquiries
What are the five steps to carrying out a successful enquiry? Tips and ideas for students of all ages, from asking useful and relevant historical questions - that students will really want to know the answers to, to using historical sources to evidence their own conclusions.