Meets the following requirements: HS HY

This class is an introductory exploration of the transformations wrought on a global scale from 1400 to the twentieth century by the changing mental, political, and social geography of the human experience.  Taking as its point of departure the transformation of European society from 1400 onwards it then explores how those changes forged a new social order and propelled the nascent colonial powers out into the world.  By looking at the implications for European society and polities, and by extension the underpinnings of the colonial enterprises they engaged in, the course tracks how ideas, institutions and world views that emerged in Europe at this time defined and were defined by the wider world.  The idea that the world around them heavily influenced the nature and direction of Europeans' intellectual and social development in the period is a fundamental concept for the course.  The "modern" world is forged by precisely European developments in a global dialogue.

Level: Introductory.  *HS*  *HY*