History of the Atlantic World

Catalog description

This course examines the development of the Atlantic World from the 15th century to the end of the 19th century. In this course students investigate the connections forged among the major components of the Atlantic World: North America, Latin America, the Caribbean, Africa and Europe. The course examines not only interactions between the “Old” World and “New” World and between the European core and the American and African periphery, but also intra-regional connections between local cultures. Focus is on the development of both trans-Atlantic and intra-regional economies, the Atlantic slave trade and its eventual abolition, the impact of colonization on indigenous communities in the Americas and the Caribbean, the creation of creole societies in the Western hemisphere, and the effect of colonization on gender roles. This course ends with an analysis of trans-Atlantic intellectual movements such as the Enlightenment and the Atlantic Revolutions that brought independence to most of the countries of the Western hemisphere by the mid-19th century. Prerequisite(s): ENG1020 or ENG1024 or English placement. Offered at Providence 3 Semester Credits