HISTORY 101: History of Western Civilization, to 1648 (Dual credit with the College of Southern Idaho)

Curriculum

Instructor: Mike Turnlund School: Clark Fork Jr./Sr. High School Clark Fork, Idaho Semester: Fall, 2010

Text: Required: The Making of the West – Peoples and Cultures. Volume 1: To 1740. 2nd edition Author: Lynn Hunt, et.al. Bedford/St. Martins. ISBN: 0-312-43945-8

Suggested: Sources of Making the West – Peoples and Culture. Volume 1: To 1740 Author: Katharine J. Lualdi Bedford/St. Martins. ISBN: 0-312-46517-3

Course description: History is the study of ourselves. As each of us is born into a culture, it behooves us to understand that culture and its origins. In doing so we come to better understand ourselves. To quote the Roman statesman Cicero:

To be ignorant of what occurred before you were born is to remain always a child. For what is the worth of human life, unless it is woven into the life of our ancestors by the records of history?

This course is the study of Western Civilization, its origins and how each previous generation influenced those that followed. We are truly the children of the past. We will explore the origins of Western Civilization by witnessing its beginning in Mesopotamia and following its development through the influence of the Greeks, the Romans, Christianity, and a plethora of other important sources, up until the mid-seventeenth century. This study may appear daunting, but you will find it understandable and fascinating. Keep in mind the “big picture”-- the larger concepts that make the study of history discernible and enjoyable. Dates are important, but primarily serve as anchors to tie the various linear narratives together. Remember, history is dynamic and many important events occurred simultaneously. While we'll tease each of these events and significant persons out of the fabric of time to better understand them, we must remember that they belong together within the context of their time. Dates and names help us to keep things organized in our mind.

Course layout: We will be following, but not limited to, the primary text in outline. Please note that essay questions are subject to change, depending on developments in the classroom. We may decide, as a group, to pursue a topic of special interest. Listed below are each lesson, topics, and chapter essay. Lesson 1: Foundations of Western Civilization  Making Civilization, to 1000 BCE  Early Civilization of Egypt, the Levant, and Anatolia  Shifting Empires in Ancient Near East, to 500 BCE  Greek Civilization, to 750 BCE  Remaking Greek Civilization, c.750-500 BCE Essay question: “How did trade routes influence early states' culture and boundaries?”

Lesson 2: The Greek Golden Age, c.500-400BCE  The Persian Wars, 499-479 BCE  Athenian Confidence in the Golden Age, 479-431 BCE  Tradition and Innovation in Athen's Golden Age  The End of the Golden Age, 431-403 BCE Essay question: “How did Pericles influence Athenian democracy? What might be some analogous examples today?”

Lesson 3: From the Classical to the Hellenistic World, c.400-30 BCE  Disunity in Classical Greece, c.400-350 BCE  The Rise of Macedonia, 359-323 BCE  The Hellenistic Kingdoms, 323-30 BCE  Hellenistic Culture Essay question: “Compare life for people of all social classes in the Hellenistic Kingdoms with that of people living in the Classical Greek city-state.”

Lesson 4: The Rise of Rome, c. 753-44 BCE.  Social and Religious Traditions  From Monarch to Republic, c. 753-287 BCE  Consequences of Roman Imperialism, Fifth to Second Centuries BCE  The Destruction of the Republic, c. 133-44 BCE Essay question: “Compare the political and social values of the Roman republic with those of the Classical Greek city-state.”

Lesson 5: The Roman Empire, c. 44 BCE – 284 CE  Creating “Roman Peace”  Maintaining “Roman Peace”  The Emergence of Christianity  The Crisis of the Third Century Essay question: “Compare and contrast how a first-century Roman emperor would have responded to Christianity to a third-century emperor, and why.”

Lesson 6: The Transformation of the Roman Empire  Reorganizing the Empire  Christianizing the Empire  Non-Roman Kingdoms in the West  The Byzantine Empire in the East Essay question: “What similarities existed between traditional Roman religion and Christianity as official sate religions?”

Lesson 7: The Heirs of the Roman Empire, 600-750  Byzantium: A Christian Empire under Siege  Islam: A New Religion and a New Empire  The Western Kingdoms Essay question: “Which of the three heirs of the Roman Empire seemed best poised for economic, political, and cultural success around the year 750, and why?”

Lesson 8: Unity and Diversity in Three Societies, 750-1050  Byzantium: Renewed Strength and Influence  From Unity to Fragmentation in the Islamic World  The Creation and Division of the New Western Empire Essay question: “Compare the effects of the barbarian invasions into the Roman Empire with the effects of the Viking, Muslim, and Magyar invasions of the Carolingian Empire.”

Lesson 9: Renewal and Reform, 1050-1200  The Commercial Revolution  Church Reform and its Aftermath  The Revival of Monarchies  New Forms of Scholarship and Religious Experience Essay question: “Contrast the purposes and the institutions of the gift economy (discussed in chapter 8) with those of the new profit economy.”

Lesson 10: The Age of Confidence, 1300-1340  War, Conquest, and Settlement  Politics of Control  Religious and Cultural Life in an Age of Expansion Essay question: “Why was Innocent III more successful than Boniface VIII in carrying out his objectives?”

Lesson 11: Crisis and Renaissance, 1340-1500  A Multitude of Crises  New Forms of Thought and Expression: The Renaissance  On the Threshold of World History Essay question: “How did the impact of the Ottomans on Europe differ from the impacts of the Mongols?”

Lesson 12: Struggles over Beliefs, 1500-1648  The Protestant Reformation  State Power and Religious Conflict, 1500-1618  The Thirty Years' War and the Balance of Power, 1618-1648  From Growth to Recession  A Clash of Worldviews Essay question: “Explain Anglicanism as a product of religious, political, and cultural factors occurring in Europe at this time.”

Lesson 13: State Building and the Search for Order, 1648-1690  Louis XIV: Model of Absolutism  Absolutism in Central and Eastern Europe  Constitutionalism in England  Other outposts of Constitutionalism  The Search for Order in Elite and Popular Culture Essay question: “Why was the search for order a major theme in science, politics, and the arts during the second half of the seventeenth century?”

Lesson 14: The Atlantic System and its Consequences, 1690-1740  The Atlantic System and the World Economy  New Social and Cultural Paradigms  Consolidation of the European State System  The Birth of the Enlightenment Essay question: “Why did the Enlightenment begin just at the moment that the Atlantic system took shape?”

Grading: Essays 42% (14 each at 3% each) Mid-term exam 25% Final exam 25% Notes 3% (classroom notes submitted day of final exam) Participation 5% (students are expected to participate in class discussions) 100% All essays are required. Each assignment contains important learning objectives, therefore by not completing an assignment a student will have a less-than- complete understanding of the subject material. Missing assignments will earn a final course grade of 'I' (incomplete). Be sure to be prompt in submitting assignments when due.