Introduction to Modern World History HIST 1100

This course surveys developments in world history since c. 1500 – when the discovery of the Americas by European explorers seeking new trade routes to Asia initiated global economic, political, and cultural interactions that have culminated in the highly interconnected and interdependent world of today. Introductory lectures will be devoted to the early modern period (1500-1750), but the course will focus more on trans-regional and transcultural developments after roughly 1750. The mid- to late eighteenth century has been widely viewed as the start of the modern era, a period distinguished by broad and constantly accelerating patterns of political, economic, and technological change. The shifts in international balances of power, and the global social and cultural upheavals that resulted from those changes, continue to influence the contemporary world. Beyond satisfying the intellectual curiosity many students have in world history (a worthy objective in itself), this introductory survey also serves an important practical purpose. World history exposes students to new perspectives, challenging them to think beyond the specific regional and cultural contexts they are most familiar with. This experience is increasingly recognized, by both public and private sector employers, as important for preparing graduates for a multicultural and highly globalized environment.