British Empire
Classical Curriculum

Classical Curriculum CD

The British Empire collection covers the history of the British Empire, from the earliest days of the Hanoverian dynasty to the turmoil of the First World War. It covers both the dramatic developments of the 18th and 19th within Europe, such as the industrial revolution and the Napoleonic wars, and also histories of the regions under British colonial control.

The Collection features stories of the rise of British rule in Indian and Asia, the conflict with the French in America, the exploration and colonization of Africa, the opening of trade with China and Japan, and the discovery and settlement of Austrialia and New Zealand. Most regional histories cover pre-colonial history as well as history under British rule, so this collection provides a good overview of world history with an emphasis on the colonial era.

View video to learn more about the British Empire Classical Curriculum.

The aggressive colonial policies of Great Britain did an enormous amount to open the whole world to modern ideas and the histories of many non-Western peoples was first revealed to westerners through the lens of British explorers, translators, and scholars. Studying regional history through the prism of British history sheds great light on both positive and harmful aspects of colonialism, and dramatically depicts the clash of cultures between ancient and modern civilizations.

In addition to the complete illustrated text of over fifty classical children's histories, the British Empire Classical Curriculum contains hundreds of pages of study aids. These resources can be used when following our recommended reading-based program or used to supplement other curriculums. Study aids associated with the curriculum package include timelines, historical maps, geography terms, battle dictionaries, and many other resources of interest to students of all ages.

The complete illustrated text of 57 books, over 50 maps, timelines, battle dictionaries, reading recommmendations, geography terms, short biographies, historical era summaries, and a ready-to-print Study Guide for one low price.

British Empire Curriculum CD: $24.99

While emphasizing the regional histories of British colonies, the British Empire collection also tells the story of the dramatic developments in British society. Britain was the birthplace of parliamentary democracy, the industrial and scientific revolutions, and modern capitalism. During the 18th and 19th centuries Britain dominated the fields of exploration, industry, science, literature, and invention. It revolutionized the world of international economics, trade, and banking, and—for good or evil—was a worldwide juggernaut of modernization. The modern world is simply incomprehensible without a solid grounding in British history.

For more information about how the British Empire curriculum CD is organized, see the Classical Curriculum information page.

British Empire Study Guide

The British Empire curriculum CD includes a PDF version of the British Empire Study Guide, so customers who have purchased the curriculum CD do not need to purchase a Study Guide seperately. However, for the convenience of families that don't have access to a low cost color printer, Heritage History offers a pre-printed, ready-to-use Study Guide.

The pre-printed version of the Study Guide includes color maps and charts, timelines, recommended core reading for beginner, intermediate, and advanced readers, geography terms, outline maps, binder covers, historical era summaries, lists of prominant characters, and accountability records. It is useful for memorization and review, and will help students understand the historical framework of the civilization they are studying.

A downloadable version of the British Empire Study Guide can also be purchased without the complete Curriculum CD. This is an appropriate option for families that would like to follow the Heritage Classical Curriculum study program, but perfer to purchase their books one-at-a-time or read the text directly from the Heritage website.

Whether one buys a printed Study Guide, prints portions of it from the Curriculum CD, or buys a downloadable version, we recommend that all students who are using the Heritage Classical Curriculum keep a history notebook on hand for tracking progress and reviewing lessons. Even if most reading is done electronically, keeping a Study Guide on hand, with its instructive collection of reference material, is likely to reinforce a student's understanding of the material he reads, and help him see the events he reads about in their historical perspective.