HIST 391 Birth of Modernity in Europe: The Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries (3 SH)

The origins of many modern realities are found in this period of European history: imperialism, liberalism, conservatism, representative government, skepticism, religious tolerance, standing armies, laissez-faire capitalism, and a faith in science, reason and technology to bring about progress. This course uncovers these origins through a survey of political, social, economic, gender and cultural history from 1550 to 1815. Major themes include religious warfare, the witchcraft craze, overseas expansion, Rembrandt's Amsterdam, the Scientific Revolution, absolutism and constitutionalism, the Enlightenment, and the French Revolution, culminating in Napoleon's empire. Students will try to grasp the mentality of the era through philosophy and literature from the times and through historical film. (Fall 2020)

Offered in alternate years