The Atlantic World, 1450-1750: Exchange, Conquest, and Empire
HIST 3710
3 hours
The Atlantic World, 1450-1750: Exchange, Conquest, and Empire
Analytical Thinking
Communication
Critical Thinking
Course Description
Examination of the shared history of Europe, Africa, and the
Americas during the period of colonization and globalization.
Between the era of exploration and the age of revolutions, these
civilizations interacted through conquest, trade, emigration,
and cultural exchange, giving rise to a distinctly Atlantic
world.
Athena Title
The Atlantic World I
Prerequisite
Any HIST course or ENGL 1101 or ENGL 1101E or ENGL 1101S or ENGL 1102 or ENGL 1102E or ENGL 1102S or POLS 1101 or POLS 1101E or POLS 1101H or POLS 1101S
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Student learning Outcomes
By the end of this course, students will be able to arrive at conclusions about the early modern Atlantic world by gathering and weighing evidence, logical argument, and listening to counter argument.
By the end of this course, students will be able to write stylistically appropriate papers and essays. Students will be able to analyze ideas and evidence, organize their thoughts, and revise and edit their finished essays.
By the end of this course, students will be able to identify how the history of the early modern Atlantic World shaped diverse social and cultural attitudes toward race and ethnicity, economic exchange, and agriculture and environment, encouraging them to understand diverse worldviews and experiences.
By the end of this course, students will be able to apply appropriate methodological approaches to their analysis of primary sources and to organize their evidence to show historical continuities and discontinuities.
Topical Outline
Section One examines the state of the Atlantic World on the eve of contact, comparing Renaissance Europe to pre-Columbian America and Africa before 1500. Readings include The Broken Spears and selections from John Thornton, Africa and Africans in the Making of the Atlantic World, 1400-1800.
Section Two turns to the European colonial powers of the early modern period, from Spain and Portugal to England, France, and the Dutch Republic. Readings include Colin Calloway, New Worlds for All: Indians, Europeans, and the Remaking of Early America.
Section Three addresses topics that span the era, such as slavery, Atlantic exchanges, the counter-plantation zone, and religion. Readings include Philip Curtin, The Rise and Fall of the Plantation Complex: Essays in Atlantic History.
Institutional Competencies Learning Outcomes
Analytical Thinking
The ability to reason, interpret, analyze, and solve problems from a wide array of authentic contexts.
Communication
The ability to effectively develop, express, and exchange ideas in written, oral, interpersonal, or visual form.
Critical Thinking
The ability to pursue and comprehensively evaluate information before accepting or establishing a conclusion, decision, or action.
