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HIST1205 Europe and the Atlantic World, c. 1450-1750

First Year Course

Offered By School of History
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. 

 

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 History, American Studies, and Development Studies
Academic Contact Dr Dawson

The information published on the Study at ANU 2010 website applies to the 2010 academic year only. All information provided on this website replaces the information contained in the Study at ANU 2009 website.

Updated:   13 Nov 2015 / Responsible Officer:   The Registrar / Page Contact:   Student Business Solutions