University of Cambridge, Faculty of History

King George I established the Regius Professorship of Modern History in 1724. At that time the only history studied in the University dealt with ancient Greece and Rome, so the holder did little to earn his £400 a year. When the examination (Tripos) system was established in the nineteenth century, History was for many years a branch of Moral Sciences. A fully autonomous Historical Tripos dates from 1875. Since then Cambridge has boasted a series of renowned historians such as Lord Acton, G.M. Trevelyan, Herbert Butterfield, Geoffrey Elton and J.H. Plumb.

The Faculty of History is one of the largest history departments in the world. The Faculty has consistently obtained the highest ratings in official evaluations for teaching and research. Its work spans three millennia, straddles the globe and exemplifies the rich variety of sub-disciplines that constitutes history today.