Prerequisite
English 100/101 and History 234
Course Description
The world has changed remarkably since 1500. In this course we will explore some of the more important transformations. They include the colonial expansion of Europe from 1500 to 1750; the transformation of Europe and the Atlantic world from 1500 to 1770 under the impact of the slave trade and the later triangular trade; the rise and fall of Islamic empires of South and Southwest Asia; the emergence of new regional powers in Eurasia (Russia and Japan); the political and social revolutions in the Atlantic world from 1770 to 1825; the industrial revolution and the creation of a new imperial order around the globe after 1825; political and social revolutions in Eurasia and Latin America from 1900 to 1949; global wars and their political, social and economic consequences; national liberation movements and the decolonization of Africa and Asia; the rise and fall of a bi-polar world; and the crises and realignments of the post-Cold War world. The course will highlight questions of race, class, and gender in these transformations and it will emphasize the integration of primary sources into an interpretive framework created by students.