Newton Key--Historical Foundations of Civilization--1300-1800

EIU, His 1591.098-C

Newton Key, CH 326 (T & Th 12:30-13:45)

Historical Foundations of Civilizations: Early Modern World, 1300-1800

Before Modern Civilization, 1200-1450 (What is the relation between nomads and civilization?)

Week 1: Early modern history

Aug. 26. Introduction
Aug. 28. Polo "Travels"; "How to Read a Document" (Kishlansky, Sources, pp. xv-xxii)

Week 2: Nomadic civilizations?: Islam and Mongol

Sept. 2. Kishlansky, Societies, chs. 11 (pp. 326-32), 15 (pp. 441-50)
Sept. 4. Polo "Travels" (Kishlansky, Sources, pp. xvi-xvii); Chinggis Khan, William of Rubruck, Polo (Andrea, Human, docs. 91-91); Taoist (handout) Paper 1 due.

Europe and the Gunpowder Empires, 1450-1700 (What is the relation between arms and politics? What is the relation between Church and State?)

Week 3: European Societies, States and Churches recast

Sept. 9. Kishlansky, Societies, ch. 12
Sept. 11. Kishlansky, Societies, ch. 13

Week 4: New Monarchies and Wars of Religion

Sept. 16. Kishlansky, Societies, ch. 16
Sept. 18. James I, Duplessis-Mornay, Putney Debates (Kishlansky, Sources, pp. 4-18); Bossuet, Filmer, Judgement and Decree (handout) Paper 2 due.

Week 5: Islamic Empires

Sept. 23. Kishlansky, Societies, ch. 15 (pp. 451-71)
Sept. 25. MID-TERM EXAM 1

Columbian Exchange and Its Impact, 1492-1763 (How did Europe and Africa fit into Amerindian culture? How did the New World fit into European and Islamic culture?)

Week 6: Aztec Central America; Iberian expansion

Sept. 30. Kishlansky, Societies, ch. 14
Oct. 2. de Sahagun, de Espinosa, de Sepúlveda, de las Casas (Andrea, Human, docs. 101-104)

Week 7: Cargo and slave trade in the Old and New Worlds.

Oct. 7. Kishlansky, Societies, ch. 19
Oct. 9. King Afonso, Barbot (Andrea, Human, docs. 105-106); Equiano (Kishlansky, Sources, pp. 140-144); Equiano (handout) Paper 3 due.

From Wars of Religion to Wars of Trade, 1555-1763 (Did early modern wars in Europe make sense? Why did Europe expand?)

Week 8: Absolutism and its discontents

Oct. 14. Kishlansky, Societies, ch. 17
Oct. 16. Galilei (Andrea, Human, doc. 113); Galilei (Kishlansky, Sources, pp. 26-29)

Week 9: Capitalism and colonialism

Oct. 21. Kishlansky, Societies, ch. 18
Oct. 23. "Empire of Goods" (Kishlansky, Sources, pp. 35-47); Hakluyt (handout) Paper 4 due.

Week 10: World systems, world hegemony

Oct. 28. Kishlansky, Societies, ch. 19
Oct. 30. MID-TERM EXAM II.

Week 11: European empires, world empires

Nov. 4. Kishlansky, Societies, ch. 20
Nov. 6. REVOLUTIONARIES SIGN-UP

Liberty and Terror at the Advent of Modernity, 1763-1799 (What is the relation between revolution and civilization?)

Week 12: Revolutionary ideas

Nov. 11. Kishlansky, Societies, ch. 21
Nov. 13. Jefferson, Voltaire, Condorcet, Montesquieu (Kishlansky, Sources, pp. 57-60, 86-90, 97- 103)

Week 13: The French Revolution in Europe

Nov. 18. Kishlansky, Societies, ch. 22
Nov. 20. "The French Revolution" (Kishlansky, Sources, pp. 106-119); Levée en Masse, Law of Suspects, Robespierre (handout)

Week 14: The French Revolution in the Americas

Dec. 2. REVOLUTIONARIES DISCUSSION. Paper 5 due.
Dec. 4. Bolivar (Kishlansky, Sources, pp. 200-203) Paper 6 due.

Conclusion: An Early Modern Culture?

Week 15: Birth of the modern

Dec. 9. Kishlansky, Societies, ch. 23
Dec. 11. Conclusion

Books available at Textbook Rental:

Andrea and Overfield, eds., The Human Record, Sources, vol. I, to 1700
Kishlansky, et. al., Societies and Cultures in World History, vol. B
Kishlansky, ed., Sources of World History, vol. II

His 1591-C introduces you to the narrative and broad themes of world history, to the functioning and interactions of distinct early modern civilizations, and to "doing" history as an academic discipline. You will read, discuss, and write about primary sources (from the period) as well as read a general secondary text written by historians. Generally, I will lecture on Tuesday and we will discuss original sources on Thursday (for the latter bring assigned readings to class). Assigned chapters and documents should be read before the class date.

Evaluation for His 1591-C