HS 121 - World History since 1500 CE

1. Analyze scholarly sources and primary sources dating from 1500 CE to the present in order to understand the world from multiple different cultural, political, social, environmental, and economic perspectives. (GELO3)
2. Articulate and understand the commonalities and differences among human beings from different continents, ecosystems, and nations during world history since 1500 CE through the analysis of primary and secondary sources. (GELO3)
3. Articulate and understand the ways in which various categories of human scholarship and creativity both shape and reflect cultural values and perceptions, such as those related to race, gender, ethnicity, religion, and social class in World History, using case studies drawn from the Atlantic World, early modern Asia, the era of revolutions, the industrial revolutions, and the clash of ideologies that characterized the 20th century. (GELO3)
4. Through the discipline of history, students will learn how past generations have labored to explain the world, explore the causation for diverse cultural traditions, and appreciate the diversity and complexities of the global community. (GELO3)
5. Through learning historical methods of analysis, students will be able to conduct primary and secondary research, analyze data, craft academic arguments about historical causation and social significance, and effectively present their findings. (GELO2)
6. Through selected readings, lectures, group discussions, and documentary films, students will comprehend how the changing historic context and social, cultural, political, and economic conditions affect the behavior of individuals and communities, the operation of societal institutions and/or cultural perceptions of social phenomena, such as trade, exploration, migration, and conflict. (GELO3)
7. Through detailed analysis and comparison of primary and secondary sources, students will explore questions and hypotheses related to the causation and significance of global historical phenomena (such as social stratification, gender inequality, revolutions, and shifting value systems), as well as develop the capacity to gauge historical debates and their relevance to the present. (GELO3)
8. Students will analyze the complex relationship between the social construction of illness, biological disease, perceptions of race, and gender politics, evaluating their impact on common people, governments, and cultures. (GELO3)
9. Articulate and understand the commonalities and differences among human beings from different continents, ecosystems, and nations during world history since 1500 CE through the analysis of primary and secondary sources. (GELO2)
10. Students will analyze primary sources, both individually and in groups, to better understand historical patterns in migration, religious diffusion, conflict, trade, and technological development. (GELO3)
11. Students will effectively express and exchange ideas through listening, speaking, reading, writing, and other modes of interpersonal expression. (GELO3)
12. Students will be able to gather and synthesize relevant information, evaluate alternatives, and implement creative and effective solutions. (GELO3)

I. Africa and the World (1400-1800)

   a. Down Africa’s West Coast

   b. Slavery and Forced Migration

II. Toward a New World View in the West

   a. The Columbian Exchange

   b. Global Population and Growth

   c. Europe Transformed

   d. The Enlightenment

   e. Revolution

III. West and South Asia (The Islamic World Powers, 1400-1800)

   a. The Ottoman Empire

   b. Persia

   c. Mughals

IV. East Asia (1400-1800)

   a. Ming Dynasty

   b. Japan

   c. Southeast Asia

V. The Industrial Revolution and consequences for the non-western world

   a. British Industrial Growth

   b. Industrialization (Stages)

   c. Labor

   d. Urban Life

VI. Africa, West Africa, and Western Imperialism

   a. Sierra Leone and Liberia

   b. South Africa

   c. The Berlin Conference

   d. Labor in Africa and Trade in Europe

VII. Asia and Western Imperialism

   a. British India

   b. Singapore, Malaya and Burma

   c. The Opium Wars

   d. The Boxer Rebellion

   e. Dutch Indonesia

   f. French Southeast Asia

VIII. The Great War and the Non-Western World

   a. Background

   b. Trench Warfare

   c. Culture

   d. Post-War Europe and Africa

   e. America on the World Stage

   f. Russian Revolution

IX. Nationalism in Asia (1914-1939)

   a. The Meiji Restoration

   b. Korea

   c. One Asia

X. World War II and the Non-Western World

   a. The Rise of Facism

   b. Descent into War

   c. War in Asia

   d. War in Europe

   e. American and the War

XI. Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America in the Contemporary World

   a. The Long March

   b. Ghandi and India

   c. Islam, Secularism, and Christianity

   d. Latin America

XII. Changing Lives in the Developing World

   a. The DNA Code

   b. Diseases

   c. Urbanization and Population Growth

   d. The Environment

   e. Unification of Europe

   f. Rise of Radical Islam

   g. American Neo-Imperialism

XIII. Globalization and the Non-Western World: “One tiny planet”

   a. The Internet

   b. Hazards in the Global era

   c. Gender and Identity

   d. Nationalism

   e. Apartheid

Discussion based on secondary resources and primary sources: 20-50%
Mandatory Course Components:
Course components can be modified as long as the student learning outcomes are being met for humanities and social sciences, and as long as they fall within the ranges listed below. Any major deviations from the suggested material will have to be vetted through the department.    

Papers: 30-40%

Exams: 40-50%

Presentation and Participation: 10-20%

Quizzes and Written Assessments: 10-20%
Equivalent Courses:
None