World History I

Catalog description

World History I is the first in a two-course sequence tracing the rise of world civilizations. It will examine the social, political, intellectual, and economic development of civilizations in Eurasia, Africa, and the Americas from the beginning until 1550CE. Main themes are the Neolithic revolution, urbanization, early empires, conflicts, and interconnections through trade, culture, and religions. More broadly the course will expose students to the use of primary and secondary sources and to the identification of change over time, causality, and contingency in historical knowledge.