It is not every country that can claim a national religion based simply on the fact that its king wanted to rid himself of a wife. The intrigue that went on during the reign of King Henry VIII led to religious strife and persecution that eventually erupted in the establishment of an entirely new country that came be known as the United States. A term paper on this episode of British history can choose as its focus the pursuit of an annulment from the Catholic Church by Henry, the establishment of the Anglican Church or the eventual murder of Mary, Queen of Scots.
The spark that ignited the Industrial Revolution began in England. A term paper could take as its focus the effect of the creation of the Bank of England and the easing of gaining credit on the spread of the industrialization. Another effective term paper idea would be to examine how industrialization created a fertile climate for inventors like James Watt.
The Victorian Era in British history provides ample opportunity for a persuasive term paper. The Victorian period is often viewed as being quite conservative, but much about England in the 1800s gives lie to this viewpoint. The Victorian period saw the birth of Darwinian evolution, more progressive policies toward child labor, the swelling of the middle class and massive voter reform.
Following the end of World War II, England led the way in creating a liberally progressive state. Opponents and detractors refer to this as the creation of a welfare state. This era lasted effectively until the election of Margaret Thatcher and the neoconservative dismantling of much of the post-war socialist infrastructure. A term paper could focus on the successes or failures of the socialist experiment in England or on whether the neoconservative rejection was itself a success or failure.
British Invasions have been a recurring them in the pop music industry. A term paper could be fashioned around how the 1960s version popularized by the Beatles and Rolling Stones, the Punk Rock era that spans from the Sex Pistols to Gang of Four or the New Wave video bands of the 1980s like Duran Duran and A Flock of Seagulls. Topics for a term paper could explore how the social milieu of the history of these time period contributed to the creation of vibrant music scenes in locations like Liverpool in the 1960s or Manchester in the 1970s. Another angle for a term paper could reverse the situation by exploring how British history was affected by the international popularity of its musical exports.