History 101-60 WEB CT: World History Pre-1500
Lewis-Clark State College, Fall 2008

Prof. Eric Martin
310 Spalding Hall (Office Hours: TBA.)
Phone: (208) 792-2281
Email: elmartin@lcsc.edu Website: www.lcsc.edu/elmartin
For Web Courses: please use the Blackboard course mail function and website.

Course Description

This course will offer a global perspective on the past by introducing students to the study of societies and cultures from ancient until early modern times. The underlying assumption of this course is that world history is a necessary conceptual tool for understanding the complexities of our interdependent world. Therefore, we will study a variety of issues that have shaped the development of societies around the globe over the past several millennia. These topics will consider the nature of the earliest human communities, the development of the first civilizations and other issues relevant to the connections and relationships that have shaped civilizations as a result of migration, war, and commerce. This course will also offer a world historical context for understanding the various cultural expressions of self, society and the cosmos in societies before 1500 CE. Additionally, this course will emphasize the development of an understanding of how history as a discipline is produced by considering conceptual/theoretical issues and practicing some of the analytical and critical thinking skills utilized by historians. These issues include investigating the meanings/implications of terms, determining what is significant enough to be ‘history,' and working with primary and secondary sources.

This course is based on the assumption that you have access to a computer that is connected to the internet and that you are already familiar with basic web browsing software. Although a 56k telephone modem will work, this course will be much more enjoyable through a faster connection.

Purpose/Goals
 By the end of the course, you should have a demonstrable understanding of the World History to 1500. More generally, as a Social Science course, History 101-60 should help you to do at least some of the following:

Required Readings

Grading and Evaluation

Course Requirements

Weekly Assigned Material Quizzes (1/3 of overall grade)
Almost every week you will be required to take at least one quiz over the assigned materials for the week from Bridging World History and Worlds of History. You will not be able to enter the class discussion boards for the week until you have taken the weekly quiz(zes).

Class Discussion Board Participation (1/3 of overall grade)
This course is heavily based on discussion and depends upon your active participation. 33.33% of your overall grade will be based on your daily participation in our various classroom discussions over the week's assigned presentations, readings and topics. There is not a "magic number" of postings that you should strive for, just keep in mind that the only tool I have to measure your understanding of the material besides our formal essays are your postings. I expect to see something posted from you each week. Our discussion boards close for the first half of the semester when your first formal essay is due, and for the second half of the semester when your second essay is due.

Two Formal Essays (1/6 of overall grade each, 1/3 of overall grade)
You will write two, four-six page (typed, double spaced) essays. Each will be worth 16.665% of your overall grade. You will receive a choice of topics for each essay and you will be be expected to integrate the class readings, discussions and your own thoughts into a formal piece of writing on one of the topics. More details below. .

Optional Book Analysis (Up to 5% each): Demonstrate that you are a true seeker of historical knowledge, as well as a student deserving an evaluation of "excellent" at the end of the term, by writing a 4 page book analysis (not a report) on an agreed upon book from the bibliography of Traditions and Encounters. [Contact me if you would like a book suggestion.]

First Half of Semester, Due by Oct. 7
Second Half of Semester, Due by Dec. 2

Each Analytical essay will be factored into your grade as a maximum of 5% extra credit depending on the quality of your work. Doing the optional assignments give you one more source to use in your formal essays and an option to focus your formal essays on your optional readings.

Academic Honesty: You are on your honor at all times and my presumption is that each of you is honest. However, the College does not tolerate academic dishonesty of any sort. All written work that you hand in -- discussion board postings, essays and examinations -- must be exclusively your work. In addition to receiving a failing grade in this course, expect expulsion proceedings to begin if I have to waste my time gathering the evidence to prove you submitted work that was not yours. Contact me if you are not clear on this point.

FERPA Statement: The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a federal law designed to protect the privacy of student education records and is enforced by the U.S. Department of Education. In essence, the act states that 1) students must be permitted to inspect their own "education records" and 2) "school officials" may not disclose personally identifiable information about a student without written permission from the student. For further information on FERPA and LCSC's directory information policy, visit www.lcsc.edu/registrar or call 208-792-2223.

Schedule

Explanation of terms

Discussion Topic(s): Gives you an idea of what to expect on our discussion boards.

Primary and Secondary Sources: These are the documents you are expected to be able to intelligently describe, explain, analyze, compare and otherwise discuss in all aspects of this course. The documents can all be found in Worlds of History Vol. I. Our course is centered on these documents. Some of these documents are easier to read than others. Many documents you will need to read at least twice and I strongly suggest you take notes in your book. Give the assigned chapter a quick look and get a sense of what kinds of documents you are being asked to discuss. Then start learning something about the historical context of the documents.

Online Presentation(s): These are the episodes from the series Bridging World History that you are expected to use in all aspects of this course. You should pay attention to them for anything that might help you understand the documents from Worlds of History Vol. I and issues from Worlds of History. Bridging World History often provides direct and obvious context for the documents. However, Bridging World History also often introduces new, but related material. You are going to need to connect the dots. I suggest you take notes while viewing the episodes. Additionally, I want you to be on the lookout for anything that gives you insight into the nature of the discipline of history and/or the production of history. Finally, we will have some discussion focused on evaluating Bridging World History as a tool for learning history. So keeps some notes.

Background Readings: These are the chapters in Traditions and Encounters that contain material relevant to understanding the assigned documents from Worlds of History. If you read a document form Worlds of History and did not understand there is a high probability that you don't know enough about the society that created that document. You will dramatically increase you ability to understand the world around you if you take the time to read each of these chapters carefully. However, Traditions and Encounters reads like ... an encyclopedic textbook. Which it is, and it is a good one. At the very least, skim each chapter so you have a sense of the material covered -- doing a good job of this will help you return to the material more easily later. And look up the relevant sections for your assigned documents from Worlds of History. Don't forget about the table of contents and the index. When you have Worlds of History out you should have Traditions and Encounters out as well.

Websites: Assigned websites will appear here

Additional Resources: These resources are additional and purely optional. I took the materials directly from the teaching guides for Worlds of History Vol. I and Bridging World History. There are other sources you might be interested in on my world history links web page.


 

 

Part One: From the Beginning of Time to 500 ad
Weeks One - Seven

Week One Begins 8/25

Part 1 of 2: Clarifying/Defining Our Approach(s) to (World) History
Discussion Topic(s): Introductions, What is History?, "Maps, Time and World History" and "History and Memory"

Primary and Secondary Sources: None
Online Presentation(s): Bridging World History UNIT 1: Maps, Time and World History ; Bridging World History UNIT 2: History and Memory

QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER from "Maps, Time and World History"
Question 1: What kinds of geographical and chronological frameworks do world historians use?
Question 2: What are the units of analysis used by world historians, and how do these differ from those used in other fields of history?
Question 3: Why are so many historians interested in studying world history at this particular moment in our own history?
Question 4: What is the purpose of studying world history?

QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER from "History and Memory"
Question 1: What are some of the different ways individuals and groups remember and represent the past?
Question 2: What are some of the causes that prompt professional historians to reinterpret and ask new questions of the past?
Question 3: What are some of the ways twentieth-century world historians have helped to shape collective memories of the past?
Question 4: Why is commemoration of the past a source of conflict, and how do individuals and groups challenge the collective memories of other individuals and groups?

Background Readings: Traditions and Encounters: Preface
Websites: None

 

Part 2 of 2: Human Origins and Early Human Migrations
Discussion Topic(s): Becoming Human,"Human Migrations", Early Human Caves

 

Week Two Begins 9/1

Part 1 of 1: Human Prehistory and the Development of Agricultural Societies
Discussion Topic(s): "Prehistory and the Origins of Patriarchy", "Agricultural and Urban Revolutions"

 

Week Three Begins 9/8

Part 1 of 1: Urbanization and the Development of "Civilization" ( Comparing Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia )
Discussion Topic(s): "The Urban Revolution and 'Civilization'"

Primary and Secondary Sources: Worlds of History 2. The Urban Revolution and "Civilization" (Read one secondary source, one written primary source, and all images)

QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER for "The Urban Revolution and 'Civilization'"
- Which of the documents in this chapter is a primary source and which is a secondary? What are the pros/cons of each type of historical source?
- How did the Urban Revolution transform both Mesopotamian and Egyptian societies?
- What are the major differences between Mesopotamian and Egyptian civilizations?
- What is "civilization" and what issues must we keep in mind when comparing one civilization to another?

Background Readings: Traditions and Encounters: 2. Early Societies in Southwest Asia and the Indo-European Migrations, 3. Early African Societies and the Bantu Migrations, 4. Early Societies in South Asia, 5. Early Society in East Asia, 6. Early Societies in the Americas and Oceania
Websites: Indus River Valley Civilization, Ancient Egypt and the Nile Valley on the BBC World Service; Mesopotamia at the British Museum; Ancient Egypt at the British Museum;

Additional Resources


Week Four Begins 9/15

Part 1 of 1: Creating Social Order (Comparing Greek, Indian, Chinese, Mayan, and Igbo-Ukwu Societies)
Discussion Topic(s): "Order and Early Societies", "Identity in Caste and Territorial Societies"

Primary and Secondary Sources: Worlds of History 3. Identity in Caste and Territorial Societies (Read McNeil "Greek and Indian Civilization", one Indian primary source, and one Greek primary source.)

QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER for "Identity in Caste and Territorial Societies"
- According to the McNeil, Indians choose to organize themselves socially based on a Caste system and Greeks choose to organize themselves socially based on Territorial Sovereignty. McNeil further argues that these two distinct social models help explain why Indians develop transcendental religious ideas and Greek develop the idea of natural law. What is Caste? What is Territorial Sovereignty? And how does a societies form of social organization influence it's cultural development according to McNeil?
- How do the primary sources help us to understand what McNeil means?

Online Presentation(s): Bridging World History UNIT 6: Order and Early Societies (Early Chinese Empire, Mayan Kingdoms, Igbo-Ukwu. 1000 BCE - 1000 CE)

QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER from "Order and Early Societies"
Question 1: Why did social complexity often lead to the centralization of power?
Question 2: What is the relationship between social complexity and inequality?
Question 3: What were some of the different ways societies created order around the world before 1000 CE?
Question 4: How and why do some types of political and social organizations evolve into large-scale polities such as empires, while others persist as small, decentralized polities?

Background Readings: Traditions and Encounters : 9. State Society, and the Quest for Salvation in India; 10. Mediterranean Society: The Greek Phase
Websites:

Additional Resources

  • For Worlds of History 3. Identity in Caste and Territorial Societies
  • Readings to accompany Bridging World History UNIT 6: Order and Early Societies in PDF form
    • Candice Goucher, Charles LeGuin, and Linda Walton, In the Balance: Themes in World History (Boston: McGraw-Hill, 1998). Selections from chapter 3, "Settled Societies: The Emergence of Cities."
    • Candice Goucher, Charles LeGuin, and Linda Walton, In the Balance: Themes in Global History (Boston: McGraw-Hill, 1998). Selections from chapter 3, "Settled Societies: The Emergence of Cities," pp. 88–109.
    • Richard Smith, "What Happened to the Ancient Libyans? Chasing Sources across the Sahara from Herodotus to Ibn Khaldun," Journal of World History 14, no. 4 (December 2003): 459–500


Week Five Begins 9/22

Part 1 of 1: Classical Civilizations (Comparing Classical China and Rome)
Discussion Topic(s): "Classical Civilization and Empires", "Women in Classical Societies"

Primary and Secondary Sources: Worlds of History: 4 Classical Civilization and Empires (Read Adshead, Lolyd, one Chinese primary source, and one Roman primary source); Worlds of History Ch. 5: Women in Classical Societies (Read Hughs, two primary sources, and all images)

QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER for "Classical Civilization and Empires"
- In what ways were Classical China and Classical Rome Similar? Different? Which do you think are more important, the similarities or differences?
- Which of Adshead's comparisons did you find most important, interesting or memorable? Explain.
- How does Lolyd's comparative approach differ from Adshead's?
- Briefly compare the two primary sources you selected?

QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER for "Women in Classical Societies"
- What was it like for men and women living in Classical China and Rome?
- How did patriarchy work in Classical China and Rome?
- What kinds of freedom or status did the patriarchies of Classical China and Rome allow women?
- In what ways are Classical China and Rome different?
- Do these sources suggest that patriarchy increased or diminished with the rise of the ancient cities?
- Each primary source in this chapter reflects a historical moment. Place that historical moment in the context of a larger historical process through the Hughes and Hughes reading.

Online Presentation(s): None
Background Readings: Traditions and Encounters: 8. The Unification of China, 9. State Society, and the Quest for Salvation in India, 10. Mediterranean Society: The Greek Phase, 11. Mediterranean Society: The Roman Phase.
Websites: None

Additional Resources

  • For Worlds of History: 4 Classical Civilization and Empires
  • For Worlds of History Ch. 5: Women in Classical Societies
    • None

 

Week Six Begins 9/29

Part 1 of 2: Religion and Philosophy (Comparing Hindu-Buddhist, Judeo-Christian, Zoroastrianism, Shinto, Early Greek and Early Chinese Beliefs)
Discussion Topic(s): "Early Belief Systems", "Tribal to Universal Religion"

Primary and Secondary Sources: Worlds of History 6. Tribal to Universal Religion (Read at least two Hindu-Buddhist sources and at least two Judeo-Christian sources)

QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER for "Tribal to Universal Religion"
- In Reilly Chapter 6 we are presented with several primary sources as evidence of religions that transformed from "Tribal" to "Universal" Religions. Select two documents representing the Hindu-Buddhist tradition and two documents representing the Judeo-Christian tradition and explain where you see evidence of such a transformation in the documents.

Online Presentation(s): Bridging World History UNIT 5: Early Belief Systems (Shinto, Early Greece and China, Judaism and Zoroastrianism and Hinduism. 600 BCE - 600 CE)

QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER from "Early Belief Systems"
Question 1: How did people across the globe begin to understand themselves in relation to the natural world and to the unseen realms beyond?
Question 2: What accounts for the emergence of early philosophical and ethical traditions?
Question 3: How did Hinduism, Judaism, and Zoroastrianism influence the religious philosophies of Buddhism (ca 500 BCE), Christianity (ca 100 CE), and Islam (ca 600 CE)?
Question 4: How did Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam (discussed in Unit 7) differ from earlier beliefs and practices rooted in local communities and cultures?

Background Readings: Traditions and Encounters 7. The Empires of Persia, 8. The Unification of China, 9. State Society, and the Quest for Salvation in India, 10. Mediterranean Society: The Greek Phase, 11. Mediterranean Society: The Roman Phase, 12. Cross-Cultural Exchanges on the Silk
Websites: None

Additional Resources

  • For Worlds of History 6. Tribal to Universal Religion
    • None

  • Readings to accompany Bridging World History UNIT 5: Early Belief Systems in PDF form
    • Candice Goucher, Charles LeGuin, and Linda Walton, In the Balance: Themes in World History (Boston: Mc-Graw-Hill, 1998). Selections from chapter 4, "Ideas and Power: Goddesses, God-Kings, and Sages," 126–45.
    • Candice Goucher, Charles LeGuin, and Linda Walton, In the Balance: Themes in World History (Boston: McGraw-Hill, 1998). Selections from chapter 4, "Ideas and Power: Goddesses, God-Kings, and Sages," 145–62.
    • Candice Goucher, Charles LeGuin, and Linda Walton, In the Balance: Themes in World History (Boston: McGraw-Hill, 1998). Selections from chapter 4, "Ideas and Power: Goddesses, God-Kings, and Sages," 162–74.

 

Part 2 of 2: The Spread of Religious Ideas (Comparing the Spread of Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam)
Discussion Topic(s): "The Spread of Religions", "Encounters and Conversions: Monks, Merchants, and Monarchs"

Primary and Secondary Sources: Worlds of History 7. Encounters and Conversions: Monks, Merchants, and Monarchs (Read Bentley, plus two primary sources)

QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER for "Encounters and Conversions: Monks, Merchants, and Monarchs"
- How are religious ideas affected by affected by political, social, and economic forces?
- How are political, social, and economic forces affected by religious ideas?
- How did cultures and religions spread throughout Eurasia between 400 bce and 400ce?
- Why did cultures and religions spread throughout Eurasia between 400 BCE and 400ce?
- What makes a people convert to a "foreign" religion?

Online Presentation(s): Bridging World History UNIT 7: The Spread of Religions (Buddhism, Christianity, Islam. 600BCE - 1200 CE)

QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER from "The Spread of Religions"
Question 1: How did Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam spread across the world, and why are they practiced so far from their origins?
Question 2: How did these three major world religions change and adapt to diverse cultural circumstances?
Question 3: Why did Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam emerge when and where they did?
Question 4: How did Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam interact with, provide justification for, and conflict with various states and empires in Afro-Eurasia?

Background Readings: Traditions and Encounters: 12. Cross-cultural Exchanges on the Silk, 13. The Commonwealth of Byzantium, 14. The Expansive Realm of Islam
Websites:

Additional Resources

  • For Worlds of History 7. Encounters and Conversions: Monks, Merchants, and Monarchs
    • From Jesus to Christ: " This FRONTLINE series is an intellectual and visual guide to the new and controversial historical evidence which challenges familiar assumptions about the life of Jesus and the epic rise of Christianity".
    • Islam: Empire of Faith: "This site addresses the history of different civilizations in the Islamic World."

  • Readings to accompany Bridging World History UNIT 7: The Spread of Religions in PDF form
    • Candice Goucher, Charles LeGuin, and Linda Walton, In the Balance: Themes in World History (Boston: McGraw-Hill, 1998). Selections from chapter 5, "Religion and State: Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam."
    • Liu Xinru, "Silks and Religions in Eurasia, c.a.d. 600–1200," Journal of World History 6, no. 1 (Spring 1995): 25–48.
    • Hugh R. Clark, "Muslims and Hindus in the Culture and Morphology of Quanzhou from the Tenth to the Thirteenth Century," Journal of World History 6, no. 1 (Spring 1995): 49–74.


Week Seven Begins 10/6 (NWWHA 10/12 - 10/13)) First Formal Essay Due 10/7;

 

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Part Two: From 500 ad to 1500 ad.
Weeks Eight - Fourteen

Week Eight Begins 10/13

CONTENT UNIT: 9 Introduction to the Medieval Period (Comparing the Politics, Economics, Culture and Society of Medieval European, Islamic, Chinese, Japanese and Inka Civilizations)
Discussion Topic(s) Characteristics of the Medieval Period

Primary and Secondary Sources: Worlds of History 8. Medieval Civilizations (Read at least two documents from two different civilizations. Four doc.'s total)

QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER for "Medieval Civilizations"
- What do your selected documents tell you about the political characteristics of the various civilizations?
- What do your selected documents tell you about the economic characteristics of the various civilizations?
- What do your selected documents tell you about the cultural characteristics of the various civilizations?
- What do your selected documents tell you about the social characteristics of the various civilizations?

Online Presentation(s): Bridging World History UNIT 8: Early Economies (Europe & Japan, China, Inka. 1000 - 1500); Bridging World History UNIT 9: Connections Across Land (Eurasian Silk Road, Trans-Sarahan Gold Road, Mesoamerican Turquoise Roads. 200 BCE - 1000 CE)

QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER from "Early Economies"
Question 1: How did early economies work to meet the basic needs of people?
Question 2: What kinds of circumstances caused economic growth and change in early economies?
Question 3: The term "political economy" refers to the relationship between political structures and the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. How did the early histories of England, Japan, China, and the Andean highlands shape the types of political economies that developed in each place?
Question 4: How did the differing political structures of early economies such as empires and feudal systems shape economic life?

QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER from "Connections Across Land"
Question 1: How did trade contribute to the integration of the world's regions?
Question 2: In what ways were trade and the spread of cultural traditions related?
Question 3: How did the rise and fall of empires and states affect the expansion and contraction of major trading networks such as the Silk Roads, the Gold Roads, and the Turquoise Roads?
Question 4: In addition to commodities, what else was transmitted across land trading routes?


Background Readings: Traditions and Encounters 13. The Commonwealth of Byzantium, 14. The Expansive Realm of Islam, 15. The Resurgence of Empire in East Asia, 16. India and the Indian Ocean Basin, 17. The Foundations of Christian Society in Western Europe
Websites:

Additional Resources

  • For Worlds of History 8. Medieval Civilizations
  • Readings to accompany Bridging World History UNIT 8: Early Economies in PDF form
    • Candice Goucher, Charles LeGuin, and Linda Walton, In the Balance: Themes in Global History (Boston: McGraw-Hill, 1998). Selections from chapter 6, "Trade, Transport, Temples, and Tribute: The Economics of Power."
    • Candice Goucher, Charles LeGuin, and Linda Walton, In the Balance: Themes in Global History (Boston: McGraw-Hill, 1998). Selections from chapter 7, "Ties that Bind: Lineage, Clientage, and Caste."
    • Candice Goucher, Charles LeGuin, and Linda Walton, In the Balance: Themes in Global History (Boston: McGraw-Hill, 1998). Selections from chapter 11, "Commerce and Change in Asia, Europe, and Africa."

  • Readings to accompany Bridging World History UNIT 9: Connections Across Land in PDF form
    • Candice Goucher, Charles LeGuin, and Linda Walton, In the Balance: Themes in Global History (Boston: McGraw-Hill, 1998). Selections from chapter 10, "Connections."
    • Candice Goucher, Charles LeGuin, and Linda Walton, In the Balance: Themes in Global History (Boston: McGraw-Hill, 1998). Selections from chapter 10, "Connections."
    • David Christian, "Silk Roads or Steppe Roads? The Silk Roads in World History." Journal of World History 2, no. 1 (2000): 1–26.


CONTENT UNIT: 10
Discussion Topic(s) Comparative Cultural History of Love, Marriage, Sex, and Family

Primary and Secondary Sources: Worlds of History 9. Love and Marriage (Read Reilly plus two primary sources)

QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER for "Love and Marriage"
- What are the main points in the essay by Reilly?
- What impressions of love do you get based on your selected primary sources? What about marriage?


Online Presentation(s): Bridging World History UNIT 13: Family and Household (The Confucian Family, The Early Islamic Family, The European Family. 500 BCE - 1750)

QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER from "Family and Household"
Question 1: How can we use the study of families and households to explore broad political, economic, or ideological themes in world history?
Question 2: What kinds of evidence do historians use to recover family and household histories?
Question 3: What are some of the ways that family and household structures have varied across cultures and changed over time?
Question 4: What is the relationship between family/household and political order? What is the relationship between family/household and religion?

Background Readings: Traditions and Encounters 13. The Commonwealth of Byzantium, 14. The Expansive Realm of Islam, 15. The Resurgence of Empire in East Asia, 16. India and the Indian Ocean Basin, 17. The Foundations of Christian Society in Western Europe
Websites:

Additional Resources

  • For Worlds of History 9. Love and Marriage
    • Debra Schwartz of California Polytechnic State University. Reilly says there is an explanation of Medieval European ideas of chivalry and courtly love on this page, but I couldn't find it. But there is a lot of neat stuff on the Medieval period of European History in general.

  • Reading to Accompany Bridging World History UNIT 13: Family and Household in PDF form.
    • Candice Goucher, Charles LeGuin, and Linda Walton, "Ordering the World: Family and Household," in In the Balance: Themes in Global History (Boston: McGraw-Hill, 1998), 301–5.
    • Candice Goucher, Charles LeGuin, and Linda Walton, "Ordering the World: Family and Household," in In the Balance: Themes in Global History (Boston: McGraw-Hill, 1998), 332–39.
    • Candice Goucher, Charles LeGuin, and Linda Walton, "The Crossroads of History: Culture, Identity, and Global Community," in In the Balance: Themes in Global History (Boston: McGraw-Hill, 1998), 922–29.

Week Nine Begins 10/20

CONTENT UNIT 11
Discussion Topic(s) Conflicting Stories of the First Crusade

Primary and Secondary Sources: Worlds of History10. The First Crusade (Select at least two documents)

QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER for "The First Crusade"
- What kind of story does each of your documents tell about the first crusade?
- How is the story itself told in each of your documents?

Online Presentation(s): None
Background Readings: Traditions and Encounters 18. Nomadic Empires and Eurasian Integration, 19. States and Societies in Sub-Saharan Africa, 20. Western Europe in the High Middle Ages
Websites:

Additional Resources

 

CONTENT UNIT 12
Discussion Topic(s) The Role of "Barbarians" in World History

Primary and Secondary Sources: Worlds of History 11. "Raiders of Steppe and Sea: Vikings and Mongols" (Read Guzman, Cunliffe, a Viking primary source, and a Mongol primary source)

QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER for "Raiders of Steppe and Sea: Vikings and Mongols"
- What are the main points of the Guzman document?
- Does the Cunliffe's document support Guzman's main points?
- Do the primary sources in the chapter support Guzman's argument?

Online Presentation(s): Bridging World History UNIT 10: Connections Across Water (The Indian Ocean World, The Vikings, The Mississippians. 200 BCE- 1500); Bridging World History UNIT 11: Early Empires (The Mongol Empire, The Mali Empire, The Inka Empire. 1200 - 1500)

QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER from "Connections Across Water"
Question 1: What role did water-based trade play in the development of connections between the world's peoples?
Question 2: What kinds of evidence do historians use to follow the transmission of religion, disease, commodities, and the movements of peoples across sea routes or by riverine networks?
Question 3: Why have water-based trade routes that developed prior to 1500 tended to receive less historical attention than land-based trade routes of the same period?
Question 4: How were water-based trade routes and land-based trade routes connected?

QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER from "Early Empires"
Question 1: What historical and environmental conditions enabled the creation of centralized empires?
Question 2: How were early empires administered and maintained — politically, economically, and ideologically?
Question 3: How did early empires connect the peoples of Eurasia, South America, and West Africa in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries?
Question 4: What was the legacy of early empires in Eurasia, Africa, and the Americas?

Background Readings: Traditions and Encounters 18. Nomadic Empires and Eurasian Integration, 19. States and Societies in Sub-Saharan Africa, 20. Western Europe in the High Middle Ages
Websites: Silk Roads Seattle

Additional Resources

  • For Worlds of History 11. "Raiders of Steppe and Sea: Vikings and Mongols"
  • Readings to accompany Bridging World History UNIT 10: Connections Across Water in PDF form.
    • Candice Goucher, Charles LeGuin, and Linda Walton, In the Balance: Themes in Global History (Boston: McGraw-Hill, 1998). Selections from chapter 6, "Trade, Transport, Temples, and Tribute: The Economics of Power," pp. 216–29.
    • Candice Goucher, Charles LeGuin, and Linda Walton, In the Balance: Themes in Global History (Boston: McGraw-Hill, 1998). "The invisible exchanges in the Ancient World," pp.254–5
    • R. J. Barendse, "Trade and State in the Arabian Seas: A Survey from the Fifteenth to the Eighteenth Century," Journal of World History

       

  • Readings to accompany Bridging World History UNIT 11: Early Empires in PDF form.
    • Candice Goucher, Charles LeGuin, and Linda Walton, "Trade, Transport, Temples, and Tribute: The Economics of Power," in In the Balance: Themes in Global History (Boston: McGraw-Hill, 1998), 231–45.
    • Liu Xinru, "Migration and Settlement of the Yuezhi-Kushan: Interaction and Interdependence of Nomadic and Sedentary Societies," Journal of World History 12, no. 2 (Fall 2001): 261–92.
    • Nicola Di Cosmo, "State Formation and Periodization in Inner Asian History," Journal of World History 10, no. 1 (Spring 1999): 1–40.


Week Ten Begins 10/27


CONTENT UNIT 13
Discussion Topic(s) "The Black Death"

Primary and Secondary Sources: Worlds of History12. "The Black Death" (Read Wheelis, McNeill, one primary source, and all images.)

QUESTIONS FOR CONSIDERATION FOR "The Black Death"
- What appears to be the cause(s) of the Black Death?
- What appear to be the effect(s) of the Black Death?

Online Presentation(s): None
Background Readings: Traditions and Encounters 18. Nomadic Empires and Eurasian Integration, 19. States and Societies in Sub-Saharan Africa, 20. Western Europe in the High Middle Ages
Websites:

Additional Resources

 


Week Eleven Begins 11/3

CONTENT UNIT 14
Discussion Topic(s) "On Cities", "Transmission of Traditions"

Primary and Secondary Sources: Worlds of History 13. On Cities (Read Braudel and Goitein, and either Polo or Diaz, and either Henry I or Dati)

QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER for "On Cities"
- What are the main points of Braudel's argument? Do the other documents in this chapter support Braudel's argument?
- What did increasing urbanization from 1000 to 1500 mean for those who lived in cities? For those who did not?
- Do the cities examined in this chapter seem to be more alike or different? Does it matter?
- What does each document tell us about this time period of increasing urbanization?

Online Presentation(s): Bridging World History UNIT 12: Transmission of Traditions (Islamic Spain, Confucian Korea, Oral Traditions in West Africa. 500 - 1500) Same Time Frame

QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER from "Transmission of Traditions"
Question 1: What are the means by which cultures preserve and transmit traditions?
Question 2: In what ways can technology aid the transmission of tradition?
Question 3: What kinds of historical forces propelled Islamic, Chinese, and Mande cultures to spread across Eurasia and Africa?
Question 4: How do traditions interact with cultures into which they are introduced?

Background Readings: Traditions and Encounters 18. Nomadic Empires and Eurasian Integration, 19. States and Societies in Sub-Saharan Africa, 20. Western Europe in the High Middle Ages, 21. Worlds Apart: The Americas and Oceania
Websites:

Additional Resources

  • For Worlds of History 13. On Cities
  • Readings to accompany Bridging World History UNIT 12: Transmission of Traditions in PDF form
    • Candice Goucher, Charles LeGuin, and Linda Walton, "Traditions and their Transformations," in In the Balance: Themes in Global History (Boston: McGraw-Hill, 1998), 555–75.
    • Jessica A. Coope, "Religious and Cultural Conversion to Islam in Ninth-Century Umayyad Cordoba," Journal of World History 4, no. 1 (Spring 1993): 47–68.
    • Colin A. Palmer, "From Africa to the Americas: Ethnicity in the Early Black Communities of the Americas," Journal of World History 6, no. 2 (Fall 1995): 223–36.
    • Frances Karttunen, "After the Conquest: The Survival of Indigenous Patters of Life and Belief,"Journal of World History 3, no. 2 (Fall 1992): 239–56.

 

Week Twelve Begins 11/10

CONTENT UNIT 15
Discussion Topic(s) Ecology, Technology, and Science
Primary and Secondary Sources: Worlds of History 14. Ecology, Technology, and Science (Read: White, and either Schaefer or Diamond, and "Life of Bonifice", and all images
QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER for Ecology, Technology, and Science
- What are the main points of White's document? What historical theory is he postulating?
- What are the main points of Schaeffer''s document? What historical theory is she postulating?
- What are the main points of Diamond's document? What historical theory is he postulating?
- What type of historical debate do you see as possible between the White and ______ (Schaefeer or Diamond).
- Do the rest of the documents in the chapter support any position over another?
Online Presentation(s): None
Background Readings: Traditions and Encounters 22. Reaching Out: Cross-cultural Interactions
Websites:
Additional Resources
  • For Worlds of History 14. Ecology, Technology, and Science
    • None

 

WeekThirteen Begins 11/17
CONTENT UNIT 16
Discussion Topic(s) "Land and Labor"
Primary and Secondary Sources: None
Online Presentation(s): Bridging World History: Unit 14" Land and Labor"
QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER from "Land and Labor"
Question 1: What are some ways that different cultures and times have used land and labor?
Question 2: How did conquest affect systems of land and labor?
Question 3: How and why did labor systems change on a global scale after 1500?
Question 4: How did massive forced labor migrations between the sixteenth and nineteenth centuries contribute to globalization?
Background Readings: None
Websites: None

Additional Resources

  • Readings to accompany Bridging World History Unit 14" Land and Labor" in PDF form
    • Candice Goucher, Charles LeGuin, and Linda Walton, "Commerce and Change: The Creation of a Global Economy and the Expansion of Europe," in In the Balance: Themes in Global History (Boston: McGraw-Hill, 1998), 491–508.
    • Markus Vink, "The World's Oldest Trade": Dutch Slavery and Slave Trade in the Indian Ocean in the Seventeenth Century," Journal of World History 14, no. 2 (2003):131–77.
    • Anand Yang, "Indian Convict Workers in Southeast Asia in the Late Eighteenth and Early Nineteenth Centuries," Journal of World History 14, no. 2 (2003): 179–208.

 

 

Thanksgiving Break 11/24- 11/28

 


Week Fourteen Begins 12/1 Second Formal Essay Due 12/2

 

Week Fifteen TBA