Fall 2003
HIS 309K • Western Civ in Medieval Times
| Unique | Days | Time | Location | Instructor |
| 36220 to 36225 | Multiple Sections |
|
MCFARLAND | |
Course Description
This course will provide an introduction to the political, social, cultural, and economic development and history of Europe from the fall of the Western Roman Empire to the discovery of the New World. The course will establish a framework of how Europe and the Mediterranean developed over one thousand years. We will discuss the loss and reappearance of public life over these centuries, the maintenance of knowledge, and the rise and fall of socio/political groups. It is important to recognize that the "West" as defined in the course includes at different times parts of Europe, North Africa, and the much of the Middle East as well because all these diverse regions were part of integrated system of relationships that had profound effects upon one another.
Some of the prominent themes will be: the fall of the Roman world, the feudal world, the formation of what became the modern European states, the role of the Catholic Church, and the Renaissance and discovery of the New World. The goal of the course, however, is not simply to transmit the who, what, where and when of the past, but to provide an understanding of WHY these events developed as they did. Through this approach, hopefully, you will gain a greater appreciation of both history and your own experiences.
Grading Policy
Mid-Term: 30% 2 map quizzes: 15% each Final: 40% The mid-term will be one large essay question and several identification questions, the final will be the same with a second comprehensive essay as well. In the essays, you will be expected to identify the main developments and aspects of some element of European history in the course of an argument on the topic. The ID questions will require you to identify the events surrounding a date, event, or person and explain its larger significance.
Texts
Warren Hollister, MEDIEVAL EUROPE: A SHORT HISTORY. Eighth Edition. Alfred Andrea, MEDIEVAL READER Machiavelli, THE PRINCE. POEM OF THE CID De Gies, LIFE IN A MEDIEVAL VILLAGE
