Course Outline for History 2
History of Western Civilization Since 1600

Effective: Spring 2019
SLO Rev: 03/20/2018
Catalog Description:

HIS 2 - History of Western Civilization Since 1600

3.00 Units

History of the Modern Western World from the end of the medieval period to the present. The course develops the western world, (Europe and the Americas), as these societies develop modern ways of thinking and producing, and tracks the rise of the modern nation-state. Interaction with other civilizations, and globalization will be studied.
2205.00 - History
Letter Grade Only
Type Units Inside of Class Hours Outside of Class Hours Total Student Learning Hours
Lecture 3.00 54.00 108.00 162.00
Total 3.00 54.00 108.00 162.00
Measurable Objectives:
Upon completion of this course, the student should be able to:
  1. Demonstrate the ability to interpret primary and secondary sources and to compose an argument which uses them, as appropriate, for support;
  2. Analyze the concept of the West;
  3. Demonstrate an understanding of Western Civilization through multiple analytical categories such as race, class, gender and ethnicity;
  4. Explain the historical significance of developments in science, and new discoveries and inventions;
  5. Show the historical significance of developments in cultural areas such as art, music, architecture and religion;
  6. Analyze social organization, economic organization, and political ideological trends in the western world, and explain their historical significance;
  7. Analyze the relevance of history in today's world.
Course Content:
 
  1. The Enlightenment
    1. Scientific discoveries concerning the nature of man and the universe: Copernicus, Newton, Kepler and Harvey.
    2. The age of discovery: The Vikings, DeGama, Columbus, Magellan.  The conquest of the East and the West by Europe.
    3. Political development; Natural Law - the Social Contract; Locke, Rousseau, Montesquieu.
  2. Absolutism, Constitutionalism, and Social Contract Theory
    1. Strengthened monarchical systems
    2. Developing citizenship concepts through Locke, Hobbes and Grotius
  4. Revolutionary Era
    1. The American Revolution
    2. The French Revolution
    3. Napoleon
  5. Romanticism, Nationalism and the Industrial Revolution
    1. Reactions to Enlightenment rationality
    2. Growing ethnic/cultural identity in the nation-state
    3. Technological innovation and explosiong of manufacturing and production.
  6. Cultural Trends
    1. Science: Darwin and Freud
    2. Government: Liberalism, Rise of Democracy, Socialism and Marx
    3. Music, Literature and Art
  7. European Colonialism - conflicts of expansion
    1. Colonization and conquest of the Americas
    2. Trade imperialism in Asia
    3. The "Scramble for Africa"
  8. The Twentieth Century
    1. World War I and the Russian Revolution
    2. Interwar Crises
    3. World War II
    4. Cold War and the Fall of Communism
    5. Science and Automation
    6. The Space Age
    7. Globalization and Contemporary Institutions
Methods of Instruction:
  1. Appropriate audio-visual materials
  2. Lecture/Discussion
  3. Distance Education
  4. Student reports
Assignments and Methods of Evaluating Student Progress:
  1. Assigned reading and class discussion
  2. Three or four essay examinations of 1500-2000 words each
  1. Papers
  2. Exams/Tests
  3. Final Examination
  4. Critical thinking exercises
Upon the completion of this course, the student should be able to:
  1. Analyze the causes and consequences of political, economic and social change.
  2. Synthesize factual information and historical evidence from a variety of sources and identify the connections between them.
  3. Demonstrate a body of knowledge about and critical understanding of historical eras, their key events and ideas, and the process of change over time.
Textbooks (Typical):
  1. Perry, Marvin et al. (2016). Western Civilization: Ideas, Politics, and Society, Volume II, from the 1600’s (11th ed.). Houghton Mifflin.
  2. Hunt, Lynn, et al (2016). The Making of the West: Peoples and Cultures, Volume 2, from 1600 (5th). Bedford/St. Martin’s.
Abbreviated Class Schedule Description:
History of the Modern Western World; Romanticism and the Industrial Revolution to the present.
Discipline:
History*