Trade and culture in the Georgian period

This unit focuses on the Georgian period across the mid to late 18th century. It is during this period that Britain (rather than England) begins to consolidate the gains made by Tudor and Stuart explorers and traders. The seeds of the British Empire of the Victorian period are planted at this point by the merchant princes trading out of the great sea ports such as Bristol, Liverpool and London.

While the focus of this unit is on the capital city with reference to some particular industries and individuals a little research will yield local industries and entrepreneurs related to other parts of the country. It is always useful, where possible, to provide a local lens through which to investigate a period of British History.

While there are some cross curricular suggestions the focus is on developing historical understanding and thinking. Children are encouraged to develop chronological understanding by linking the events to the historical context. Underpinning much of the unit is the concept that there are reasons why people acted as they did and children should recognise the importance of causality. There is a strong emphasis on children investigating issues and solving valid historical questions recognising the nature of the evidence on which their judgments and knowledge are based.

Please note: While this unit contains resource suggestions, it is not a fully resourced scheme of work, and the resources it refers to may in some cases only be available to full members of the HA. The majority of the HA schemes of work were produced between 2014-2019 by members of the HA primary committee and its affiliates. These schemes of work are designed to support your planning and should be moulded and adapted to fit the context and needs of your own school.  To view a free sample scheme of work, please refer to our Anglo-Saxons unit. We regularly check the hyperlinks included in the schemes but unfortunately every now and again some links may go out of date. If you spot a broken link, please let us know on enquiries@history.org.uk.