HIST1205 Europe and the Atlantic World, c. 1450-1750
First Year Course
| Offered By | School of Social Sciences |
|---|---|
| Academic Career | Undergraduate |
| Course Subject | History |
| Offered in | First Semester, 2010 |
| Unit Value | 6 units |
| Course Description | An introduction to Atlantic history and the study of the various socio-cultural, political, economic and material relationships which came to link Europe, Africa, and the Americas; their formation, mutual influence and impact, and, in some instances, transformation or dissolution. Principal themes will be how historians study premodern American peoples; why, and to what extent, many of these peoples were ‘conquered' by Europeans; European interactions with (changing) Native American and African societies; the rise of slavery and racism; the varied consequences for early modern European societies of global expansion |
| Learning Outcomes |
Students will learn that History is not merely a narrative of past events; a question of knowing names and dates. Instead, they will begin to appreciate that History is about recovering and interpreting the past; that is, the evaluation of both primary sources (i.e. texts or documents surviving from a given period) and secondary sources (i.e. modern historians' diverse explanations of change over time). Students will engage in close reading of primary and secondary sources and practise formulating, orally and in writing, a critical analysis of these sources. More specifically, students will be introduced to early modern European and American historiography.
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| Indicative Assessment |
Candidates will complete two coursework essays: a 1,000-word document analysis (20%), which involves interpreting a specific primary source from the period as historical evidence; a 2,000-word essay on a particular question (30%), which considers the current state of knowledge, or historiography, on that question. Students will complete one essay in each half of the semester. All essays will be the subject of tutorial discussion and due for submission 1-2 weeks after their particular tutorials. Attendance and participation at these sessions is required; worth 10% of the final grade. Candidates who complete all coursework will be eligible for the final examination: closed book, two separate essay responses over 2.5 hours, worth (40%) of the final grade. |
| Workload |
On-campus. Lectures streamed via DLD audio, and Web video as available. Two one-hour lectures and one one-hour tutorial session per week. Students should expect to devote a similar period of time each week to private study |
| Areas of Interest | History |
| Prescribed Texts |
A Reading Brick will be compiled. |
| Preliminary Reading | A. Taylor, American Colonies. The Settling of North America (2002). |
| Indicative Reading List | Contact course convener for further details. |
| Technology Requirements | Recommend up-to-date browser and the following software: word-processing (for .doc, .rtf, or .pdf creation); Adobe Acrobat (reader for .pdfs); RealPlayer or iTunes (for listening to lecture audio); Quicktime or Windows MediaPlayer (for viewing lecture video). |
| Majors/Specialisations | American Studies and History |
| Academic Contact | Dr Dawson |
The information published on the Study at ANU 2009 website applies to the 2009 academic year only. All information provided on this website replaces the information contained in the Study at ANU 2008 website.
