History 1112-25H
Survey of World History/Civilization II
Spring Semester, 2005
T/TR 9:30-10:45 am
Dr. Elaine MacKinnon
Office: TLC 3222
Telephone: 678-839-6048/e-mail emcclarn@westga.edu
Required Texts:
Richard W. Bulliet, et al., The Earth and Its Peoples: A Global History, Vol. II, Since 1500, Brief Second Edition (Houghton Mifflin Company, 2003). Abbreviated in syllabus as Text.
Alfred J. Andrea and James H. Overfield, The Human Record: Sources of Global History, Vol. II, Since 1500, Fifth Edition (Houghton Mifflin Company, 2005).
Olaudah Equiano, The Interesting Narrative and Other Writings (Penguin Classics, 2003).
Erich Maria Remarque, All Quiet on the Western Front, trans. by A.W. Wheen (Fawcett Crest, 1958)
Art Spiegelman, Maus I: A Survivor’s Tale (Pantheon, 1991).
Note: You are expected to bring your assigned readings to every class.
Note: You should buy all of the books as soon as possible. Do not wait until later in the semester because the book store will return books not sold after a certain date, usually halfway through the semester.
Purpose of the Course:
The course is designed to introduce students to the history and heritage of World Civilizations and to the profession of history. It will survey major political, economic, social, and intellectual developments in world history from 1500 to the present. Students will gain a chronological sense of major historical events and movements as well as an understanding of why and how they took place. We will examine the histories of specific civilizations, cultures, and world regions, but also study the interactions of these peoples and societies over time, wherein lie the roots of today's global interdependence. We will compare ways of life, cultural expression, and forms of basic institutions in separate cultures, and try to understand the factors which have produced both commonalities and differences in human societies. There will be an emphasis on the achievements and impact of Western civilization, from which our own American society is derived, but we will be examining it in a global context, seeking interconnections and mutual influences between the West and the rest of the world. Due to the enormous expanse of time and events to be covered, the course represents only a selection of topics, cultures, and regions.
Class discussions and textbook readings will give you a general chronological framework. The documents within your text, along with the assigned outside readings, will provide deeper insight into particular problems and periods. They will also introduce you to the process of historical study and the variety of ways in which historians attempt to understand and depict the past. We want to be able to identify different sources of historical knowledge and understanding. In addition to studying history, you will develop critical thinking and communication skills, and learn to effectively interpret, compare, criticize, and question important issues of both past and present. You will improve basic verbal and written skills by taking part in class discussions and by writing essays. You will be learning how to read comprehensively, take notes, and derive meaning from texts. The idea is not just to memorize the "facts" of history, but to be able to think about them, synthesize them, and formulate your own interpretations. These are skills that will be invaluable to you in other courses as well as in your future career path.
Format: The course format is designed to be a combination of lecture and discussion, organized around specific themes. It is absolutely essential that you READ, READ, READ. Students are expected to fulfill reading assignments in order to take part in the discussion, ask questions, contribute commentary, and complete written assignments. The purpose of class is to help you to understand the movement of history and the factors which shape it, not simply to give out facts. Lectures and discussions are intended as a supplement to, not a replacement for the textbook; they will cover material contained in the readings but will also provide additional information and insight.
Please note:
This syllabus is provisional and subject to change by the instructor. Students are responsible for noting any changes made by the instructor and fulfilling their responsibilities on the dates the instructor indicates.
Grading:
Midterm Exam: 30%
Final Exam: 35%
Supplemental Readings In-class Exams/Writing Assignments: 15%
Document Paper /Quizzes: 10%
In-class Debates: 10%
Your final grade will be determined by your scores on a mid-semester exam and a final exam, in-class writing exercises/quizzes over the three supplemental readings, a document analysis paper, unannounced quizzes on assigned documents, and participation in three in-class debates.
1) Students will take a mid-term and final exam on the dates and times assigned in the syllabus. Exams will consist of a combination of the following types of questions: identification, short answer, essay, and map location. The questions will be drawn from lectures, the textbook, assigned readings, class discussions, and videos. The final will not be cumulative.
2) On the dates noted below, students will take an in-class writing assignment/quiz based on the three supplemental readings, The Interesting Narrative, All Quiet on the Western Front, and Maus I. These may consist of identification, short answer, and discussion questions. These are designed both to test your reading knowledge of the works as well as to encourage analysis of the historical significance and meaning of the texts.
3) Students must write an analytical document review paper based on a minimum of three documents selected from the reader. See last page of the syllabus for details and due date.
Students must read and analyze the document readings assigned and be prepared to answer questions on unannounced quizzes based on excerpts from assigned documents.
4) Students must write up (1-2 pages double-spaced 10 or 12-point font, one-inch margins) and present in the classes noted below a debate position based on assigned readings. Those who are not assigned to take part in the debate will serve as the judges and will write up an evaluation. Each student must present a position in at least one debate.
Debate Topics:
1. The conflict between science and religion during the Scientific Revolution and Enlightenment: is science or religion the true source of knowledge about the universe? Can one be both a scientist and a believer?
2. The legacy of the Industrial Revolution for world society: negative or positive?
3. The origins of the Cold War: who is to blame, the United States or the Soviet Union?
Make-up Exams:
Under no circumstances will you be allowed to make up a missed exam without notifying me in advance and without bringing a note from a physician or an approved excuse from the Dean's office. All make-ups will be given at a special time at the end of the semester after the last class meeting. There will be no other make-up exams. Students missing an exam who do not have a valid, verifiable, documented health matter or who did not contact me in advance will receive a zero, no makeup allowed. There will be no make-ups given for quizzes or in-class writing assignments.
Assignments:
Students are expected to have completed the assigned readings prior to each session and be able to discuss them. Remember--Class participation enhances your learning experience and does factor into your final grade. Some of the readings are lengthy, so plan ahead and budget your time accordingly. Try not to fall behind! All written assignments are due on the specified date; unexcused late work will lower the grade, usually by one grade level for each late day.
Cheating Policy and Plagiarism:
Anyone caught cheating or helping someone to cheat will be asked to leave the class and will receive a course grade of "F." Plagiarism, or claiming someone else's work as your own, will result in failure. This rule is in effect for all assignments, examinations, quizzes, and extra credit work.
Attendance:
Make every effort to be in class and on time. Students are responsible for coming to every class and should not schedule anything that may conflict with this responsibility. You are responsible for all materials and announcements presented in class. If you must be absent, be sure to get the notes from a classmate. More than two unexcused absences will lower your final grade. More than four may lead to a W/F. Absences due to illness or school business will be excused only if you have a written note. Being late to class or leaving class early will also lower your grade. Two tardies will count as one unexcused absence, and the same for leaving early. If you are tardy, it is your responsibility to inform me of your presence at the end of class. Be aware: besides helping you to learn more, regular attendance and punctuality can work in your favor in borderline grading situations and conversely, poor records in either can work against you.
Note: Please show courtesy to your fellow students. Disruptive behavior (read: eating and drinking, smoking, carrying on conversations, reading the newspaper, etc.) will not be tolerated and will count as an unexcused absence.
Office Hours:
My office is Room 3222 in the Technology Learning Center (TLC). I will hold office hours Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11:00 to 2:00 pm, or by appointment.
Tentative Course Outline and Readings Assignments
Jan. 11-13:
1) Introduction to World History and the World in 1500
2) Working with Primary Sources/European Transoceanic Expansion
Readings: Text, Introduction, pp. xxix-xxxvi; The Human Record, pp. P-1--P-18
Jan 18-20:
1) Europe’s Encounters with the World--Readings: Text, Ch. 15; The Human Record, pp. 86-95, 129-133
2) Europe’s Religious, Political, and Social Transformation
Readings: Text, Ch. 16, pp. 364-376; The Human Record, pp. 69-85, 100-106
Jan. 25-27:
1) The Scientific Revolution and Enlightenment/ DEBATE 1
Readings: Text, Ch. 16, pp. 376-381; The Human Record, pp. 106-112, 154-158
2) The Atlantic System of Trade
Readings: Text, Ch. 17, pp. 382-391; The Human Record, pp. 136-146
Feb. 1-3:
1) Atlantic Slave Trade/Columbian Exchange
Text: Ch.17, pp. 391-404; The Human Record, pp. 212-216
2) The Human Experience of Slavery/IN-CLASS WRITING ASSIGNMENT AND DISCUSSION
Readings: Olaudah Equiano, The Interesting Narrative and Other Writings, all
Feb. 8–10:
1) The Muslim Empires --Readings: Text, Ch. 18; The Human Record, pp. 40-56, 64-68
Feb. 15-17:
1)Eastern Eurasia: The Russian Empire and Westernization
Readings: Text, Ch. 19, pp. 424-431; The Human Record, pp. 173-181
2) Ming and Qing China--Readings: Text, Ch. 19, pp. 431-437; The Human Record, pp. 8-14, 33-36, 236-247
Feb 22-24:
1) Tokugawa Japan
Readings: Text, Ch. 19, pp. 437-439; The Human Record, pp. 15-18, 27-29, 31-32, 247-255
March 1: MIDTERM EXAMINATION
March 3-8:
1) The Atlantic Revolutions and their Impact
Readings: Text, Ch. 20; The Human Record, pp. 184-194, 200-203
March 10-15:
1) The Revolution of Industrialization
2) The Impact and Legacy of Industrialization/DEBATE #2
Readings: Text, Ch. 21;The Human Record, pp. 265-281
March 17:
1) The New Power Balance, 1850-1900
Readings: Text, Ch. 23; The Human Record, pp. 285-292, 349-361
March 22-24: NO CLASSES! SPRING BREAK
March 29-31:
1) New Imperialism
Readings: Text, Ch. 24, pp. 523-534 and 537-539; The Human Record, pp. 301-308, 310-319
2) World War I–The Great War
Readings: Text, Ch. 25, pp. 541-553; The Human Record, pp. 372-381
April 5-7:
1) The Experience of War and its Impact/IN-CLASS ASSIGNMENT AND DISCUSSION
Readings: Remarque, All Quiet on the Western Front, all
2) The Failed Peace/Revolutions in Russia and China
Readings: Text, Ch. 25, 548-549, 553-562; The Human Record, pp. 345-349, 381-389
April 12-14:
1) Legacy of war: Anti-colonialism and Nationalism in Africa and Asia
Readings: Text, Ch. 27, pp. 584-594; The Human Record, pp. 419-447
2) The Soviet Union under Lenin and Stalin/The Great Depression
Readings: Text, Ch. 26, pp. 563-567; The Human Record, pp. 389-393
DOCUMENT REVIEW PAPER DUE ON APRIL 19, 2005
April 19-21:
1) The Rise of Fascism and the Road to Another World War
Readings: Text, Ch. 26, pp. 567-573; The Human Record, pp. 394-402
2) World War II
Readings: Text, Ch. 26, pp. 573-582; The Human Record, pp. 403-418
April 26-28:
1) Surviving the Holocaust/IN-CLASS ASSIGNMENT AND DISCUSSION
Readings: Spiegelman, Maus I, all
2) The Origins of the Cold War/DEBATE #3
Readings: Text, Ch. 28, pp. 604-617; The Human Record, pp. 466-477
Thursday May 5: FINAL EXAMINATION 8:00--10:00 am
History 1112 Document Paper
Due Date: April 19, 2005
You will write a three-to-five page paper analyzing a minimum of three documents selected from your reader, The Human Record. The documents should be linked by a common theme (colonialism, the Reformation, The French Revolution, etc.) or by a region or country (Qing China, Tokugawa Japan, India under British rule, the Soviet Union, etc.). The paper must be typed with one-inch margins and either 10 point or 12 point type. WRITE THIS PAPER IN YOUR OWN WORDS. Do not use any quotations from the texts.
Please choose the documents well in advance of the due dates for the papers and get my approval before beginning to write.
The report must be written in clear, concise English with correct grammar, syntax, and spelling. Do not use contractions.
The purpose of the paper is to analyze the meaning and significance of the documents you read, and draw connections between documents dealing with a common theme. You are to discuss how the set of documents can help us understand particular events and/or developments in history. You must put yourself into the role of historian and explain how you would use these documents to illuminate a given theme or region. Of what use are the documents to historians and to students of history such as yourselves? Compare and contrast the documents, and explain how each relates to the specific theme or time period covered by the documents. What do you learn from the documents? Are there any reasons to question the authenticity of the information contained in the documents? If so, what and why?
You may choose either written or visual sources.
BE SURE TO READ THE APPROPRIATE CHAPTER IN THE TEXTBOOK AND THE INTRODUCTORY MATERIALS IN YOUR READER TO HELP YOU UNDERSTAND THE HISTORICAL CONTEXT FOR THE DOCUMENTS. YOU SHOULD ALSO RE-READ THE INTRODUCTION TO THE DOCUMENT READER, PP. P-1 THROUGH P-18.
EACH PAPER SHOULD INCLUDE DISCUSSION OF THE FOLLOWING :
1. For each document: what is it (letter, decree, diary, etc.)? Who wrote it and why?
2. When was each document written? What are the historical circumstances in which each was written? Explain the historical time period and setting for each of the assigned documents.
3. What is the significance of each document relative to the specific historical theme covered in class and in the textbook? What do you learn from the documents? Of what use are they to historians and to students of history such as yourselves?
4. Compare and contrast the documents. Do they present a different point of view or perspective, or do they complement each other? Do they give you two different or similar pictures of an event, issue, etc.? Do they illuminated different facets of a single historical phenomenon or movement? What connections can you make between the documents? Why did the book’s editor choose to group these particular documents together?
5. Are there any reasons to question the authenticity of the information contained in the documents? If so, what and why?
YOUR PAPER SHOULD HAVE THREE PARTS: INTRODUCTION, BODY, AND CONCLUSION. Use the following guidelines for writing the reports.
Introduction:
This should be one paragraph in length. Begin the paper by introducing the documents being analyzed. Explain each one separately.
What type of document is it? (Letter, official decree, memoir, essay, etc.)
Who wrote or issued the document?
When was the document written or issued?
What is the purpose of the document?
For whom or what audience was the document written?
With what historical movement, period, event, etc. is the document connected? Relate the document to the historical period being studied in the textbook and in class.
Body:
In your body you should develop your argument concerning the historical meaning and significance of the documents. Compare them and discuss how each relates to the other as well as to the topics covered in class and in the textbook. You may consult the questions given in the documents reader for help in formulating your discussion. DO NOT QUOTE FROM THE DOCUMENT. EXPLAIN IN YOUR OWN WORDS. When you make a specific reference to a document, you must either use a footnote or put in parentheses (within the text) the number of the document, its title, and the page number to which you are referring.
Conclusion:
Discuss the historical meaning of the documents: what you learn about a particular historical period or person from reading these documents? How can you relate the documents to contemporary issues or concerns? Discuss here as well the possible biases found in the documents. How might the biases affect the value of each as an historical document? As an historian, what story could you tell based on these documents? What conclusions can you draw from them regarding a specific theme, region, or time period? What are the limitations of these sources?