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History of Europe, 1000 to 1800
Purpose of Course showclose
This course will introduce you to the history of Europe from the medieval period to the Age of Revolutions in the eighteenth century. You will learn about the major political, economic, and social changes that took place in Europe during this 800-year period. The course will be structured chronologically. Each unit will include representative primary-source documents that illustrate important overarching political, economic, and social themes, such as the Renaissance, the Protestant Reformation, European expansion overseas, and the French Revolution. By the end of the course, you will understand how Europe had transformed from a fragmented and volatile network of medieval polities into a series of independent nation-states by 1800.
Course Information showclose
Course Designer: Christa Dierksheide
Primary Resources: This course is comprised of a range of different, free online resources. However, the course makes primary use of the following materials:
- University of Calgary: The Applied History Research Group’s The European Voyages of Exploration
- Dr. Steven Kreis’s The History Guide: Lectures on Ancient and Medieval History
This course contains articles by a variety of authors as part of The Gilder Lehrman Institute’s History Now. Editor of the online publication, Carol Berkin, is Presidential Distinguished Professor of History at Baruch College (CUNY). Applied History Research Group provides several tutorials on European history and exploration. Note that Dr. Kreis’s online text was developed by Dr. Steven Kreis as an open educational resource for use in undergraduate history courses. Dr. Steven Kreis teaches history at American Public University.
Requirements for Completion: In order to complete this course, you will need to work through each unit and all of its assigned materials. After working through each unit of the course, students must take the Final Exam. Note that you will only receive an official grade on your final exam. However, in order to adequately prepare for this exam, you will need to work through the materials for each unit.
In order to “pass” this course, you will need to earn a 70% or higher on the Final Exam. Your score on the exam will be tabulated as soon as you complete it. If you do not pass the exam, you may take it again.
Time Commitment:This course will take you about 90.25 hours to complete. Each unit includes a “time advisory” that lists the amount of time you are expected to spend on each subunit. These should help you plan your time accordingly. It may be useful to take a look at these time advisories and to determine how much time you have over the next few weeks to complete each unit, and then to set goals for yourself. For example, Unit 1 should take you 9 hours. Perhaps you can sit down with your calendar and decide to complete subunit 1.1 (a total of 3 hours) over the course of Monday through Wednesday; subunit 1.2 onThursday; etc.
Tips/Suggestions: Pay careful attention to major names and events in each reading and/or lecture. Taking detailed notes as you work through the materials in each unit and remembering these terms will help you prepare for the Final Exam.
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This course features a number of Khan Academy™ videos. Khan Academy™ has a library of over 3,000 videos covering a range of topics (math, physics, chemistry, finance, history and more), plus over 300 practice exercises. All Khan Academy™ materials are available for free at www.khanacademy.org.
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Learning Outcomes showclose
- Think critically and analytically about European history in the medieval and early modern eras.
- Identify and describe the religious, intellectual, social, and political components of the European Middle Ages.
- Identify the origins and characteristics of the Italian and Northern European Renaissance, as well as describe new developments in art, philosophy, religion, architecture, and science during the era of “rebirth.”
- Identify and describe the causes and effects of the European Age of Discovery. Students will also be able to analyze the impact of overseas expansion on European monarchies, the world economy, and indigenous peoples.
- Describe and analyze the Protestant Reformation. Students will be able to identify the origins of the movement, the various inflections of the Reformation across Europe, and the Catholic Counter Reformation.
- Identify the era of religious warfare that plagued Europe after the Protestant Reformation. Students will analyze causes and effects of the religious conflicts that erupted in France, England, the Netherlands, and the Holy Roman Empire.
- Identify and explain why and how “absolute” monarchs gained power in western Europe in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Students will also be able to identify and describe why two nations—England and the Netherlands—embraced constitutionalism rather than absolutism.
- Assess how and why absolutism characterized the monarchies of Prussia and Austria in the 1600s. Students will also be able to identify and describe the development of Russia and the reign of Peter the Great.
- Identify the origins and characteristics of the Scientific Revolution, as well as describe its impact on European civilization as a whole.
- Identify the origins of the European Enlightenment and assess how this movement altered the social, political, and religious fabric of Europe.
- Identify and describe the social and economic changes that swept across Europe during the eighteenth century. Students will be able to assess the origin and impact of the “agricultural revolution,” the marked increase in Europe’s population, the development of “cottage industries,” the rise of the Atlantic economy, and the changes in domestic and religious practices.
- Identify and describe the origins and impact of the French Revolution. Students will also be able to analyze the rise of Napoleon Bonaparte.
- Analyze and interpret primary source documents from the Middle Ages to the eighteenth century, using historical research methods.
Course Requirements showclose
√ Have access to a computer
√ Have continuous broadband internet access
√ Have the ability/permission to install plug-ins (e.g. Adobe Reader or Flash) and software
√ Have the ability to download and save files and documents to a computer
√ Have the ability to open Microsoft Office files and documents (.doc, .ppt, .xls, etc.)
√ Have competency in the English language
√ Have read the Saylor Student Handbook.
Unit Outline show close
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Unit 1: The Middle Ages
By the tenth century, Germanic monarchs had established and consolidated kingdoms across Europe. The Catholic Church also extended its power during this period; church reforms and the threat of Islamic expansion renewed the Church’s authority in European politics and society. The Crusades—a series of religious wars launched by the Holy Roman Empire to restore Christian control of the Holy Land—which began in 1096, were the most conspicuous sign of the rise and expansion of Christian Europe.
Unit 1 Time Advisory show close
But by the fourteenth century, warfare, the arrival of the bubonic plague, and conflicts within the Catholic Church laid the foundation for the eventual collapse of medieval society. In this unit, we will see how the consolidated power of the Church and various monarchies during the High Middle Ages gave way to deep religious and political divisions within Europe by 1300.
Unit 1 Learning Outcomes show close
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation’s “The Legacy of the Roman Empire and the Middle Ages in the West”
Link: The Saylor Foundation’s “The Legacy of the Roman Empire and the Middle Ages in the West” (PDF)
Instructions: Please read “The Legacy of the Roman Empire and the Middle Ages in the West.” This reading will provide you with an overview of the European medieval period.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation’s “The Legacy of the Roman Empire and the Middle Ages in the West”
- 1.1 Medieval Kingdoms and Peoples
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1.1.1 The Frankish Kingdom
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation’s “The Frankish Empire”
Link: The Saylor Foundations “The Frankish Empire” (PDF).
Instructions: Please read “The Frankish Empire.” This reading will help provide you with a sense of the expansion of the Frankish kingdom from the Merovingians to the Carolingians.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation’s “The Frankish Empire”
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1.1.2 Charlemagne and the Carolingian Renaissance
- Reading: Dr. Steven Kreis’s The History Guide: Lectures on Ancient and Medieval European History: “Lecture 20: Charlemagne and the Carolingian Renaissance”
Link: Dr. Steven Kreis’s The History Guide: Lectures on Ancient and Medieval European History: “Lecture 20: Charlemagne and the Carolingian Renaissance”(HTML)
Instructions: Please read the entire lecture linked here.Dr. Kreis’s lecture will provide you with an overview of the reign of Charlemagne and the “renaissance” of Frankish culture.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Dr. Steven Kreis’s The History Guide: Lectures on Early Modern European Intellectual History: “Lecture 15: Europe and the Superior Being: Napoleon”; HistoryDoctor.net: Dr. Larry D. Gates’s (ed.) “The Era of Napoleon Bonaparte”
Links: Dr. Steven Kreis’s The History Guide: Lectures on Early Modern European Intellectual History: “Lecture 15: Europe and the Superior Being: Napoleon” (HTML); HistoryDoctor.net: Dr. Larry D. Gates’s (ed.) “The Era of Napoleon Bonaparte” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read the entire lecture 15 linked above. Then, read “The Era of Napoleon Bonaparte” in its entirety.
Note on the Text: Lecture 15 will discuss the reign of Napoleon Bonaparte, who established himself as dictator of France in 1799.
This online text was developed by Dr. Steven Kreis as an open educational resource for use in undergraduate history courses. Dr. Steven Kreis teaches history at American Public University. The second reading, “The Era of Napoleon Bonaparte” will give you a sense of Napoleon’s reign and his conquest of Europe.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Dr. Steven Kreis’s The History Guide: Lectures on Ancient and Medieval European History: “Lecture 20: Charlemagne and the Carolingian Renaissance”
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1.1.3 Medieval France: The Fall of the Carolingian Empire
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation’s “The Fall of the Carolingian Empire.”
Link: The Saylor Foundation’s “The Fall of the Carolingian Empire” (PDF).
Instructions: Please read “The Fall of the Carolingian Empire.” This reading will discuss the state of French society in the late Carolingian period.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation’s “The Fall of the Carolingian Empire.”
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1.1.4 Medieval England
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation’s “The Lives of Medieval Peasants”
Link: The Saylor Foundation’s “The Lives of Medieval Peasants” (PDF).
Instructions: Please read “The Lives of Medieval Peasants.” This reading will give you an idea of daily life in Medieval England.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation’s “The Lives of Medieval Peasants”
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1.1.5 The Peoples of the Middle Ages and Their Languages
- Reading: Western Michigan University’s The Medieval Institute: Peter S. Barker’s Introduction to Old English: “The Anglo-Saxons and Their Language”
Link: Western Michigan University’s The Medieval Institute: Peter S. Barker’s Introduction to Old English: “The Anglo-Saxons and Their Language “(HTML)
Instructions: Please read the entire article linked above. From this reading you’ll get a sense of the language groups of Northern Europe and how they relate to Indo-European languages in general.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Western Michigan University’s The Medieval Institute: Peter S. Barker’s Introduction to Old English: “The Anglo-Saxons and Their Language”
- 1.2 Medieval Thought
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1.2.1 The Medieval World View
- Reading: Dr. Steven Kreis’s The History Guide: Lectures on Ancient and Medieval European History: “Lecture 3: The Medieval World View (2)”
Link: Dr. Steven Kreis’s The History Guide: Lecture on Ancient and Medieval European History: “Lecture 3: The Medieval World View (2)”
Instructions: Please read the entire webpage. This lecture will provide you with an overview of the major intellectual trends of the European medieval period.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Dr. Steven Kreis’s The History Guide: Lectures on Ancient and Medieval European History: “Lecture 3: The Medieval World View (2)”
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1.2.2 The 12th Century Renaissance
- Reading: Dr. Steven Kreis’s The History Guide: Lectures on Ancient and Medieval European History: “Lecture 26: The 12th Century Renaissance”
Link: Dr. Steven Kreis’s The History Guide: Lectures on Ancient and Medieval European History: “Lecture 26: The 12th Century Renaissance” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read the entire webpage linked here. This reading will help give you a sense of the major developments of the 1100s—the dissemination of knowledge and the emergence of universities.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Dr. Steven Kreis’s The History Guide: Lectures on Ancient and Medieval European History: “Lecture 26: The 12th Century Renaissance”
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1.2.3 Aquinas and Dante
- Reading: Dr. Steven Kreis’s The History Guide: Lectures on Ancient and Medieval European History: “Lecture 28: Aquinas and Dante”
Link: Dr. Steven Kreis’s The History Guide: Lectures on Ancient and Medieval European History: “Lecture 28: Aquinas and Dante” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read the entire webpage. This lecture discusses two influential medieval thinkers—St. Thomas Aquinas and Dante Alighieri.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Dr. Steven Kreis’s The History Guide: Lectures on Ancient and Medieval European History: “Lecture 28: Aquinas and Dante”
- 1.3 Medieval Society and Culture
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1.3.1 The Three Orders
- Reading: Dr. Steven Kreis’s The History Guide: Lectures on Ancient and Medieval European History: “Lecture 23: Medieval Society: The Three Orders”
Link: Dr. Steven Kreis’s The History Guide: Lectures on Ancient and Medieval European History: “Lecture 23: Medieval Society: The Three Orders” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read the entire webpage. This lecture gives an overview of the emergence of the classes of peasants, nobles, and clergy.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Dr. Steven Kreis’s The History Guide: Lectures on Ancient and Medieval European History: “Lecture 23: Medieval Society: The Three Orders”
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1.3.2 Feudalism
- Reading: Dr. Steven Kreis’s The History Guide: Lectures on Ancient and Medieval European History: “Lecture 21: Feudalism and the Feudal Relationship”
Link: Dr. Steven Kreis’s The History Guide: Lectures on Ancient and Medieval European History: “Lecture 21: Feudalism and the Feudal Relationship” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read the entire webpage. This reading will provide an overview of the feudal system, which emerged during the Carolingian era.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Dr. Steven Kreis’s The History Guide: Lectures on Ancient and Medieval European History: “Lecture 21: Feudalism and the Feudal Relationship”
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1.3.3 Manorialism
- Reading: Dr. Steven Kreis’s The History Guide: Lectures on Ancient and Medieval European History: “Lecture 22: European Agrarian Society: Manorialism”
Link: Dr. Steven Kreis’s The History Guide: Lectures on Ancient and Medieval European History: “Lecture 22: European Agrarian Society: Manorialism” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read the entire webpage. This lecture gives an overview of the development of serfdom, a system that dominated the agricultural society of the Middle Ages.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Dr. Steven Kreis’s The History Guide: Lectures on Ancient and Medieval European History: “Lecture 22: European Agrarian Society: Manorialism”
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1.3.4 The Black Death
- Reading: Dr. Steven Kreis’s The History Guide: Lectures on Ancient and Medieval European History: “Lecture 29: Satan Triumphant: The Black Death”
Link: Dr. Steven Kreis’s The History Guide: Lectures on Ancient and Medieval European History: “Lecture 29: Satan Triumphant: The Black Death” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read the entire webpage. This lecture describes the death and destruction that were unleashed by the bubonic plague in medieval Europe.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Fordham University’s Internet Medieval Source Book: Paul Halsall’s version of M. Rigg’s translation of Giovanni Boccaccio’s The Decameron: “Introduction”
Link: Fordham University’s Internet Medieval Source Book: Paul Halsall’s version of M. Rigg’s translation of Giovanni Boccaccio’s The Decameron: “Introduction” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read this entire webpage, which describes the onset of the bubonic plague in Italy. A merchant ship returning to Italy from the Crimea in 1347 carried a deadly disease that would devastate Europe—the bubonic plague. The plague reduced the European population by one third by 1400. In this text, Boccaccio describes the social and psychological effects of the plague in Florence, Italy.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Dr. Steven Kreis’s The History Guide: Lectures on Ancient and Medieval European History: “Lecture 29: Satan Triumphant: The Black Death”
- 1.4 The Medieval Church
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1.4.1 Early Medieval Monasticism
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation’s “Early Medieval Monasticism”
Link: The Saylor Foundation’s “Early Medieval Monasticism” (PDF)
Instructions: Please read “Early Medieval Monasticism.” This reading discusses how the monastic movement shaped medieval civilization.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation’s “Early Medieval Monasticism”
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1.4.2 Holy Crusades
- Reading: Dr. Steven Kreis’s The History Guide: Lectures on Ancient and Medieval European History: “Lecture 25: The Holy Crusades”
Link: Dr. Steven Kreis’s The History Guide: Lectures on Ancient and Medieval European History: “Lecture 25: The Holy Crusades” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read the entire webpage. This lecture discusses how and why Western Christendom tried to free the Holy Lands from Islamic influence during the Middle Ages.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Dr. Steven Kreis’s The History Guide: Lectures on Ancient and Medieval European History: “Lecture 25: The Holy Crusades”
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1.4.3 Heretics and Heresies
- Reading: Dr. Steven Kreis’s The History Guide: Lectures on Ancient and Medieval European History: “Lecture 27: Heretics, Heresies, and the Church”
Link: Dr. Steven Kreis’s The History Guide: Lectures on Ancient and Medieval European History: “Lecture 27: Heretics, Heresies, and the Church” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read the entire lecture linked here. In this lecture, Dr. Kreis addresses the creation of Church dogma and the expansion of heresy during the medieval period.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Dr. Steven Kreis’s The History Guide: Lectures on Ancient and Medieval European History: “Lecture 27: Heretics, Heresies, and the Church”
- 1.5 The Calamitous Century
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1.5.1 Consequences of the Black Death
- Reading: Dr. Steven Kreis’s The History Guide: Lectures on Ancient and Medieval European History: “Lecture 30: In the Wake of the Black Death”
Link: Dr. Steven Kreis’s The History Guide: Lectures on Ancient and Medieval European History: “Lecture 30: In the Wake of the Black Death” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read the entire lecture on this webpage. This lecture will provide you with a sense of the economic and cultural impact of the Black Death as well as the outbreak of the Hundred Years’ War.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Dr. Steven Kreis’s The History Guide: Lectures on Ancient and Medieval European History: “Lecture 30: In the Wake of the Black Death”
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1.5.2 The Hundred Years’ War
- Reading: University of Kansas: Professor Lynn Harry Nelson’s “Lectures in Medieval History:” “The Hundred Years’ War, 1336-1453”
Link: University of Kansas: Professor Lynn Harry Nelson’s “Lectures in Medieval History:” “The Hundred Years’ War, 1336-1453” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read the entire lecture and review the maps on the webpage. This reading gives a good overview of a war that encapsulated medieval England and France.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: University of Kansas: Professor Lynn Harry Nelson’s “Lectures in Medieval History:” “The Hundred Years’ War, 1336-1453”
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Unit 2: Renaissance
In Italy during the late Middle Ages, the contours of a new cultural movement—the Renaissance—began to emerge in urban centers such as Rome, Venice, Florence, and Milan. Meaning “rebirth” in French, “the Renaissance” refers to a revival of classical Greek and Roman sources, an emphasis on realism in art, and educational reform. Renaissance thinkers emphasized humanism—a moral philosophy that considers humans to be of primary importance—in art, philosophy, politics, science, and religion. This new interest in humanism represented a drastic shift away from the focus on the divine that had dominated medieval European thought for centuries. By the sixteenth century, Renaissance culture had spread to other regions of Europe.
Unit 2 Time Advisory show close
In this unit, we will study the profound impact that Renaissance ideas had on European society, religion, and politics. We will also compare and contrast the Italian Renaissance with Renaissances in other parts of Europe.
Unit 2 Learning Outcomes show close
- 2.1 The Idea of the Renaissance
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2.1.1 Origins of the Renaissance
- Reading: University of Kansas: Carrie Library: Professor William Gilbert’s Renaissance and Reformation: “The Italian City States of the Renaissance” and “The Meaning of the Italian Renaissance: Interpretation and Synthesis”
Link: University of Kansas: Carrie Library: Professor William Gilbert’s Renaissance and Reformation: “The Italian City States of the Renaissance” and “The Italian Renaissance: Interpretation and Synthesis” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read the entirety of both webpages. These readings will give you an idea of the background of the Renaissance as well as how historians have interpreted it.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpages above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: University of Kansas: Carrie Library: Professor William Gilbert’s Renaissance and Reformation: “The Italian City States of the Renaissance” and “The Meaning of the Italian Renaissance: Interpretation and Synthesis”
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2.1.2 From Medieval to Renaissance
- Reading: Dr. Steven Kreis’s The History Guide: Lectures on Modern European Intellectual History: “Lecture 4: The Medieval Synthesis and the Discovery of Man: the Renaissance”
Link: Dr. Steven Kreis’s The History Guide: Lectures on Modern European Intellectual History: “Lecture 4: The Medieval Synthesis and the Discovery of Man: the Renaissance” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read the entire lecture linked above. This lecture is about how and why the medieval period paved the way for the emergence of the Renaissance.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Dr. Steven Kreis’s The History Guide: Lectures on Modern European Intellectual History: “Lecture 4: The Medieval Synthesis and the Discovery of Man: the Renaissance”
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2.1.3 Portraits of the Renaissance
- Reading: Dr. Steven Kreis’s The History Guide: Lectures on Early Modern European History: “Lecture 1: Renaissance Portraits”
Link: Dr. Steven Kreis’s The History Guide: Lectures on Early Modern European History: “Lecture 1: Renaissance Portraits” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read the entire lecture linked above. This reading discusses how Renaissance thinkers and modern-day scholars interpret the period known as the age of “rebirth.”
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Dr. Steven Kreis’s The History Guide: Lectures on Early Modern European History: “Lecture 1: Renaissance Portraits”
- 2.2 Renaissance Thought and Thinkers
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2.2.1 Humanism
- Reading: University of Kansas: Carrie Library: Professor William Gilbert’s Renaissance and Reformation: “Italian Humanism;” Peter Sadlon’s version of A.S. Kline’s translation of Francesco Petrarch’s Il Canzoniere, “Sonnet 264;” Peter Sadlon’s version of Holly Barbaciia’s “I Go Thinking: I’vo Pensando and Petrarch’s Paths of Desire”
Links: University of Kansas: Carrie Library: Professor William Gilbert’s Renaissance and Reformation: “Italian Humanism”(HTML); Peter Sadlon’s version of A.S. Kline’s translation of Francesco Petrarch’s Il Canzoniere, “Sonnet 264”(HTML); Peter Sadlon’s version of Holly Barbaciia’s “I Go Thinking: I’vo Pensando and Petrarch’s Paths of Desire” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read the entirety of the “Italian Humanism” webpage. Also, read the entire poem linked above. Then, please read Holly Barbaccia’s analysis of the poem “Sonnet 264.”
The first reading will help you to better understand one of the defining characteristics of Renaissance thought—humanism. Humanism emphasized the centrality of human beings—rather than God—in the world.
Known as the “Father of Humanism,” Petrarch’s poetry revolutionized literature during the early Renaissance period. He invented the Petrarchan sonnet—a 14-line poem about unattainable love with a set rhyme scheme of abba abba cdc dcd. In this text, Petrarch writes about his unrequited love for a woman known only as “Laura.”
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: University of Kansas: Carrie Library: Professor William Gilbert’s Renaissance and Reformation: “Italian Humanism;” Peter Sadlon’s version of A.S. Kline’s translation of Francesco Petrarch’s Il Canzoniere, “Sonnet 264;” Peter Sadlon’s version of Holly Barbaciia’s “I Go Thinking: I’vo Pensando and Petrarch’s Paths of Desire”
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2.2.2 Renaissance Neo-Platonism
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation’s “Neoplatonism”
Link: The Saylor Foundation’s “Neoplatonism” (PDF).
Instructions: Please read “Neoplatonism.” This reading provides a working definition of “Platonism” and discusses how Renaissance philosophers asserted Platonic principles to develop their own ideas.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation’s “Neoplatonism”
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2.2.3 Pico della Mirandola
- Reading: Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy: Brian Copenhaver’s “Giovanni Pico dell Mirandola”
Link: Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy: Brian Copenhaver’s “Giovanni Pico dell Mirandola” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read the whole webpage linked above. This reading will provide you with a sense of Pico della Mirandola’s philosophy, which synthesized classical, medieval, and Renaissance ideas.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy: Brian Copenhaver’s “Giovanni Pico dell Mirandola”
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2.2.4 Niccoló Machiavelli
- Reading: Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy: Cary Nederman’s “Niccolò Machiavelli” and Columbia University: The Institute for Learning Technologies’ version of W.K. Marriott’s translation of Niccolò Machiavelli’s The Prince
Links: Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy: Cary Nederman’s “Niccolò Machiavelli" (HTML) and Columbia University: The Institute for Learning Technologies’ version of W.K. Marriott’s translation of Niccolò Machiavelli’s The Prince (HTML)
Also available in:
ePub format on Google Books
PDF
Instructions: First, please read the background on Machiavelli on the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy webpage linked here. Then, read chapters I, XIV, XV, XVII, and XIX of The Prince, paying special attention to the manner in which Machiavelli separates ethics from political pragmatism. To access each chapter, click on the hyperlink for each chapter in the “Table of Contents” and/or then use the “Next Chapter” link on each webpage to move through the text.
This political treatise was written by Niccolò Machiavelli, a Florentine political theorist, in the sixteenth century. In an era of constant conflict among Italian city-states, Machiavelli asserts that the greatest moral good is a virtuous and stable state. Even if actions taken to preserve the state are immoral, Machiavelli argues, they remain justified. The text, with its “end justifies the means” pragmatism, had a deep impact on Western philosophy.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy: Cary Nederman’s “Niccolò Machiavelli” and Columbia University: The Institute for Learning Technologies’ version of W.K. Marriott’s translation of Niccolò Machiavelli’s The Prince
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2.2.5 Leonardo da Vinci
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation’s “Leonardo da Vinci”
Link: The Saylor Foundation’s “Leonardo da Vinci” (PDF).
Instructions: Please read “Leonardo da Vinci.” This reading broadly discusses Leonardo da Vinci, the famed Renaissance thinker, artist, inventor, writer, and scientist.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation’s “Leonardo da Vinci”
- 2.3 The Northern Renaissance
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2.3.1 Renaissance Art in Northern Europe
- Reading: The Virtual Library: Bill Gilbert’s “Chapter 22: Renaissance Art in Northern Europe”
Link: The Virtual Library: Bill Gilbert’s “Chapter 22: Renaissance Art in Northern Europe” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read the entirety of the chapter linked above. This reading describes the artistic innovation that emerged in northern Europe, particularly in Germany and the Low Countries. This information is hosted on the Virtual Library's CARRIE website, originally developed by Lynn H. Nelson, Emeritus Professor of History at the University of Kansas.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The Virtual Library: Bill Gilbert’s “Chapter 22: Renaissance Art in Northern Europe”
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2.3.2 Christian Humanism
- Reading: The Virtual Library: Bill Gilbert’s “Chapter 9: The Northern Renaissance and the Background of the Reformation”
Link: The Virtual Library: Bill Gilbert’s “Chapter 9: The Northern Renaissance and the Background of the Reformation” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read the entirety of the chapter linked above. This chapter provides information on how the ideas of the Renaissance were modified differently in the northern European countries. This information is hosted on the Virtual Library's CARRIE website, originally developed by Lynn H. Nelson, Emeritus Professor of History at the University of Kansas.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The Virtual Library: Bill Gilbert’s “Chapter 9: The Northern Renaissance and the Background of the Reformation”
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Unit 3: The European Age of Discovery
The Renaissance set the stage for European state consolidation and expansion overseas between 1450 and 1650. In the fifteenth century, powerful monarchs launched the first stage of global imperialism. New developments in maritime technology and a desire to expand the influence of Christianity motivated European rulers to sponsor exploration and conquest in the New World. In this unit, we will see how the creation of new commercial and political networks caused profound change: they introduced new peoples, ideas, and cultures to Europeans, while also wreaking havoc on indigenous cultures of the New World.
Unit 3 Time Advisory show close
Unit 3 Learning Outcomes show close
- Lecture: Middlesex Community College: Dr. David Kalivas’s “World History:” “Age of Discovery” Podcast
Link: Middlesex Community College: Dr. David Kalivas’s “World History:” “Age of Discovery” Podcast (iTunes)
Instructions: Please listen to Parts 1 and 2 of this lecture, which are numbered 11 and 12 respectively on the linked page.
Dr. Kalivas’s lecture offers an engaging overview of European exploration and settlement overseas.
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- Lecture: Middlesex Community College: Dr. David Kalivas’s “World History:” “Age of Discovery” Podcast
- 3.1 Origins
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3.1.1 Reasons and Motivations
- Reading: Dr. Steven Kreis’s The History Guide: Lectures on Early Modern European History: “Lecture 2: The Age of Discovery”
Link: Dr. Steven Kreis’s The History Guide: Lectures on Early Modern European History: “Lecture 2: The Age of Discovery” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read the entirety of Dr. Kreis’s lecture linked above. This lecture addresses why European explorers took to the high seas in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries.
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- Reading: The Saylor Foundation’s “The European Voyages of Exploration: Introduction”
Link: The Saylor Foundation’s “The European Voyages of Exploration: Introduction” (PDF).
Instructions: Please read “The European Voyages of Exploration: Introduction.” This reading will give you a sense of the origins Iberian exploration.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Dr. Steven Kreis’s The History Guide: Lectures on Early Modern European History: “Lecture 2: The Age of Discovery”
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3.1.2 The Portuguese
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation’s “The European Voyages of Exploration: Portugal”
Link: The Saylor Foundation’s “The European Voyages of Exploration: Portugal” (PDF).
Instructions: Please read “The European Voyages of Exploration: Portugal” This reading will give you a sense of the emergence of a powerful and influential Portuguese trading empire.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation’s “The European Voyages of Exploration: Portugal”
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3.1.3 The Spanish
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation’s “Latin America and the Conquistadors”
Link: The Saylor Foundation’s “Latin America and the Conquistadors” (PDF).
Instructions: Please read “Latin America and the Conquistadors.” This reading talks about Latin America and the people who conquered it.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation’s “Imperial Spain: Castile and Aragon”
Link: The Saylor Foundation’s “Imperial Spain: Castile and Aragon” (PDF).
Please read “Imperial Spain: Castile and Aragon.” This reading discusses how and why Spain began to create an empire of conquest overseas.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation’s “Latin America and the Conquistadors”
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3.1.4 The Problem of Christopher Columbus
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation’s “European Voyages of Exploration: Christopher Columbus and the Spanish Empire”
Link: The Saylor Foundation’s “European Voyages of Exploration: Christopher Columbus and the Spanish Empire”(PDF).
Instructions: Please read “European Voyages of Exploration: Christopher Columbus and the Spanish Empire”This reading will help you to understand the impact of Columbus’s voyage to what he thought was the East Indies, but turned out to be the Americas.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation’s “European Voyages of Exploration: Christopher Columbus and the Spanish Empire”
- 3.2 Early Explorers and the New World
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3.2.1 The Spanish in the Caribbean
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation’s “The European Voyages of Exploration: The Caribbean: First Contact”
Link: The Saylor Foundation’s “The European Voyages of Exploration: The Caribbean: First Contact” (PDF).
Instuctions: Please read “The European Voyages of Exploration: The Caribbean: First Contact.” This reading will provide you with an understanding of the origins and impact of Spanish exploration and colonization in the Caribbean.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation’s “The European Voyages of Exploration: The Caribbean: First Contact”
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3.2.2 Magellan and the “Western Isles”
- Reading: The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History: Laurence Bergreen’s “Magellan: Missing in Action”
Link: The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History: Laurence Bergreen’s “Magellan: Missing in Action” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read the entire article linked above. This reading will provide you with a sense of the circumnavigation of the globe by the Spanish explorer Ferdinand Magellan. This article is written by famous historian and biographer, Laurence Bergreen, who has published several award-winning books.
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- Reading: The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History: Laurence Bergreen’s “Magellan: Missing in Action”
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3.2.3 Cortez and New Spain
- Reading: MexConnect: Dale Hoyt Palfrey’s “The Spanish Conquest (1519-1521)” and Canadian Libraries Internet Archive’s version of Bernal Diaz del Castillo’s True History of the Conquest of Mexico
Links: MexConnect: Dale Hoyt Palfrey’s “The Spanish Conquest (1519-1521)” (HTML) and Canadian Libraries Internet Archive’s version of Bernal Diaz del Castillo’s True History of the Conquest of Mexico (HTML)
Also available in:
ePub format on Google Books
Instructions: Please read Palfrey’s article in its entirety. Then, please read the Preface and Chapter VIII of the Diaz del Castillo selection, paying special attention to Diaz del Castillo’s perceptions and observations of the Aztec Empire. You may view this text online, or you may choose to download the PDF version, by clicking on the links on the left side of the page.
The first reading will discuss Spanish conquistadores’ defeat of the Aztec Empire. This second text is an account, written around 1568, which describes the invasion of Mexico by Don Hernando Cortes and his 600 Spanish conquistadors in 1519. Despite their advanced society, the Aztecs were no match for European disease and warfare; three years later, in 1521, the Aztec capital surrendered to Cortes. Written from the perspective of the European conquerors, this document is one of only a few texts that elucidate the collision of Spanish and Aztec cultures in the New World.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: MexConnect: Dale Hoyt Palfrey’s “The Spanish Conquest (1519-1521)” and Canadian Libraries Internet Archive’s version of Bernal Diaz del Castillo’s True History of the Conquest of Mexico
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3.2.4 Pizarro and the Incas
- Reading: U.S. Country Studies: Rex A. Hudson, ed., Peru: A Country Study: “Pizarro and the Conquistadors”
Link: U.S. Country Studies: Rex A. Hudson, ed. Peru: A Country Study: “Pizarro and the Conquistadors” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read the entire webpage linked above. This reading provides an overview of Pizarro’s victory over the Incas in Peru. This website contains electronic texts of previous publications printed by the Library of Congress and sponsored by the U.S. Department of the Army from 1986-1998.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: U.S. Country Studies: Rex A. Hudson, ed., Peru: A Country Study: “Pizarro and the Conquistadors”
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3.2.5 The Dutch in North America
- Reading: The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History: Simon Middleton’s “Conflict and Commerce: the Rise and Fall of New Netherland”
Link: The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History: Simon Middleton’s “Conflict and Commerce: the Rise and Fall of New Netherland” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read the entire article linked above. This reading will give you a sense of the role and influence of Holland’s New World colony, New Netherland. The author of this text, Simon Middleton, lectures at the University of Sheffield.
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- Reading: The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History: Simon Middleton’s “Conflict and Commerce: the Rise and Fall of New Netherland”
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3.2.6 French and English Exploration
- Reading: The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History: James Horn’s “Jamestown and the Founding of English America”
Link: The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History: James Horn’s “Jamestown and the Founding of English America” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read the entire article linked above. This reading addresses the significance of the Jamestown settlement as well as its historical context. The author of this text, James Horn, is the Vice President of Research at the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation.
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- Web Media: Champlaign2004.org’s “New France, New Horizons: On French Soil in America”
Link: Champlaign2004.org’s “New France, New Horizons: On French Soil in America” (HTML)
Instructions: Please view this excellent online exhibition of New France, which combines historical context with relevant primary sources. To do this, please click on each of the following 12 section headings: “Departure,” “Navigation,” “Discovery,” “Encounter,” “Settlement,” “Foundation,” “Daily Life,” “Administration,” “Trade,” “Worship,” “Warfare,” and “Survival.” Then, read the broad overview and click on each of the links listed beneath it.
This online exhibition was developed jointly by the Direction des Archives de France, Library and Archives Canada, and the Canadian Embassy in Paris to mark the 400th anniversary of the founding of New France.
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- Reading: The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History: James Horn’s “Jamestown and the Founding of English America”
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3.2.7 The Portuguese in Brazil
- Reading: U.S. Country Studies: Rex A. Hudson’s (ed.) Brazil: A Country Study: “Frontier Expansion that Shaped Brazil” and “Early Colonization”
Link: U.S. Country Studies: Rex A. Hudson’s (ed.) Brazil: A Country Study: “Frontier Expansion that Shaped Brazil” (HTML) and “Early Colonization” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read both of Rex A. Hudson’s articles in their entirety. The first reading will help you to learn about Portugal’s early exploration of Brazil. The second will give you a sense of early contact between indigenous peoples and the Portuguese settlers. This website contains electronic texts of previous publications printed by the Library of Congress and sponsored by the U.S. Department of the Army from 1986-1998.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: U.S. Country Studies: Rex A. Hudson’s (ed.) Brazil: A Country Study: “Frontier Expansion that Shaped Brazil” and “Early Colonization”
- 3.3 Effects of the Age of Discovery
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3.3.1 Indigenous Peoples
- Reading: The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History: Daniel Richter’s “Native American Discoveries of Europe”
Link: The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History: Daniel Richter’s “Native American Discoveries of Europe” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read the entire article linked above. This reading discusses Native Americans’ perceptions of and reactions to European settlers and explorers. The author of this text, Daniel Richter, teaches history at the University of Pennsylvania.
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- Reading: The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History: Daniel Richter’s “Native American Discoveries of Europe”
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3.3.2 The Columbian Exchange
- Reading: The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History: Alfred Crosby’s “The Columbian Exchange”
Link: The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History: Alfred Crosby’s “The Columbian Exchange” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read the entire article linked above. This reading will provide you with a sense of what happened, ecologically speaking, when Old World met New World. The author of this article, Alfred Crosby, is Professor Emeritus at the University of Texas, Austin.
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- Reading: The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History: Alfred Crosby’s “The Columbian Exchange”
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3.3.3 Trade
- Reading: University of Minnesota’s James Ford Bell Library: “Trade Products in Early Modern History”
Link: University of Minnesota’s James Ford Bell Library: “Trade Products in Early Modern History” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read the brief intro to trade products, and then click on each of the links on the webpage to learn more about specific trade products. Read each linked webpage in its entirety.
Each of these short articles by various authors offers an excellent overview of specific trade goods that became centrally important in linking Europe to the Americas, Asia, and the Far East. Goods, such as brazilwood, cod, tobacco, and tea, became valuable trading products that rapidly transformed the world economy.
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- Reading: University of Minnesota’s James Ford Bell Library: “Trade Products in Early Modern History”
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Unit 4: The Era of Reformation
The Protestant Reformation began in 1517, when a little-known German priest, Martin Luther, nailed his ninety-five theses protesting the sale of indulgences—the full or partial remission of punishment for sins—to a church door. The weaknesses of the Catholic Church during the late Middle Ages, including corrupt popes, schisms, and unresolved doctrinal issues, made Europeans receptive to Luther’s protests and calls for reform. Although the Reformation began in Germany, it spread throughout Europe during the sixteenth century. Protestant reformers, such as John Calvin, substituted their own scriptural beliefs for those held in Rome. The Catholic Church, however, launched a powerful Counter-Reformation by calling a major church council at Trent and by encouraging the formation of new Catholic religious orders.
Unit 4 Time Advisory show close
In this unit, we will see how the religious upheaval of the Reformation caused fundamental changes in European society, including religious life, marriage, education, and the status of women.
Unit 4 Learning Outcomes show close
- 4.1 The Protestant Reformation
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4.1.1 The Spirit of Reform
- Reading: Dr. Steven Kreis’s The History Guide: Lectures on Early Modern European History: “Lecture 3: The Protestant Reformation”
Link: Dr. Steven Kreis’s The History Guide: Lectures on Early Modern European History: “Lecture 3: The Protestant Reformation” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read the entire lecture on the Protestant Reformation—one of the most pivotal events in European history.
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- Reading: Dr. Steven Kreis’s The History Guide: Lectures on Early Modern European History: “Lecture 3: The Protestant Reformation”
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4.1.2 The Impact of Martin Luther
- Lecture: iTunes U: Dr. Frank A. James III’s “Martin Luther” Lecture
Link: iTunes U: Dr. Frank A. James III’s “Martin Luther” Lecture (iTunes U)
Instructions: Scroll down to lecture 6 “Martin Luther,” and select “View in iTunes.” Once redirected to iTunes, click on play for lecture 6, and listen to the entire discussion on who Martin Luther was and how he led the movement to reform the Catholic Church (run time 58:20 minutes).
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- Lecture: iTunes U: Dr. Frank A. James III’s “Martin Luther” Lecture
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4.1.3 The Radical Reformation
- Reading: Dr. Steven Kreis’s The History Guide: Lectures on Early Modern European History: “Lecture 4: The Impact of Luther and the Radical Reformation” and The Virtual Library: Bill Gilbert’s “Chapter 15: The Radicals of the Reformation”
Links: Dr. Steven Kreis’s The History Guide: Lectures on Early Modern European History: “Lecture 4: The Impact of Luther and the Radical Reformation” (HTML) and The Virtual Library: Bill Gilbert’s “Chapter 15: The Radicals of the Reformation” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read Dr. Kreis’s whole lecture linked above. Then, please read the entirety of Gilbert’s “Chapter 15.” Dr. Kreis’s lecture outlines the struggles between Luther (and his followers) and other radical groups during the Reformation. The second reading provides information about the groups of Christian reformers—Anabaptists, Spiritualists, and Evangelical Rationalists—that rejected both Roman Catholicism and Protestantism in the 1500s.
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- Reading: Dr. Steven Kreis’s The History Guide: Lectures on Early Modern European History: “Lecture 4: The Impact of Luther and the Radical Reformation” and The Virtual Library: Bill Gilbert’s “Chapter 15: The Radicals of the Reformation”
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4.1.4 The Reformation in Germany and Scandinavia
- Reading: The Virtual Library: Bill Gilbert’s “Chapter 12: The Reformation in Germany and Scandinavia”
Link: The Virtual Library: Bill Gilbert’s “Chapter 12: The Reformation in Germany and Scandinavia” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read the entirety of the chapter linked above. This reading discusses the unique manner in which Protestantism influenced northern Germany and the Scandinavian countries.
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- Reading: The Virtual Library: Bill Gilbert’s “Chapter 12: The Reformation in Germany and Scandinavia”
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4.1.5 The Reformation in Southern Germany and Switzerland
- Reading: The Virtual Library: Bill Gilbert’s “Chapter 13: The Reformation in Southern Germany and Switzerland”
Link: The Virtual Library: Bill Gilbert’s “Chapter 13: The Reformation in Southern Germany and Switzerland” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read the entirety of the chapter linked above. This reading will help you to understand the impact of the beliefs of Ulrich Zwingli and Martin Bucer on Germany and Switzerland.
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- Reading: The Virtual Library: Bill Gilbert’s “Chapter 13: The Reformation in Southern Germany and Switzerland”
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4.1.6 The Reformation in England
- Reading: Boise State University: Skip Knox’s Europe in the Age of Reformation: “The Reformation in England”
Link: Boise State University: Skip Knox’s “The Reformation in England” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read the entire article (2 pages). Make sure to click on the hyperlink to page 2. This reading provides a good overview of how and why Protestantism was adopted in England.
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- Reading: Boise State University: Skip Knox’s Europe in the Age of Reformation: “The Reformation in England”
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4.1.7 Calvinism
- Reading: The Virtual Library: Bill Gilbert’s “Chapter 14: Calvin and Geneva”
Link: The Virtual Library: Bill Gilbert’s “Chapter 14: Calvin and Geneva” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read the entirety of the chapter linked above. This chapter will help give you a sense of the tremendous influence of John Calvin’s beliefs in Geneva, Switzerland during the Reformation.
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- Reading: The Virtual Library: Bill Gilbert’s “Chapter 14: Calvin and Geneva”
- 4.2 The Catholic Reformation
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4.2.1 Church Reforms
- Reading: The Virtual Library: Bill Gilbert’s “Chapter 19: The Counter Reformation” and Dr. Steven Kreis’s The History Guide: Lectures on Early Modern European History: “Lecture 5: The Catholic Reformation”
Links: The Virtual Library: Bill Gilbert’s “Chapter 19: The Counter Reformation” (HTML) and Dr. Steven Kreis’s The History Guide: Lectures on Early Modern European History: “Lecture 5: The Catholic Reformation” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read Gilbert’s “Chapter 19” in its entirety. “Chapter 19” will give you a sense of why the Catholic Church tried to reform itself during the sixteenth century. Then, read Dr. Kreis’s entire lecture, which outlines the contours of the Catholic response to the Protestant Reformation. These readings cover the topics outlined in subunits 4.2.1 and 4.2.2.
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- Reading: The Virtual Library: Bill Gilbert’s “Chapter 19: The Counter Reformation” and Dr. Steven Kreis’s The History Guide: Lectures on Early Modern European History: “Lecture 5: The Catholic Reformation”
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4.2.2 New Religious Orders
Note: This topic is covered by the readings beneath sub-subunit 4.2.1.
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Unit 5: The Age of Religious Wars, 1546-1648
From Martin Luther’s death in 1546 to the middle of the seventeenth century, religiously- and politically-inspired violence dominated Europe. France endured nearly fifty years of civil war and strife—mainly due to conflicts between Calvinists and Catholics. Catholic Spain struggled against Protestant England and the Netherlands. The Thirty Years’ War, a conflict between Catholics and Protestants within the Holy Roman Empire, devastated central Europe. In this unit, we will see how the religious conflicts unleashed by the Reformation caused war, devastation, and political divisions throughout Europe.
Unit 5 Time Advisory show close
Unit 5 Learning Outcomes show close
- Reading: Dr. Steven Kreis’s The History Guide: Lectures on Early Modern European History: “Lecture 6: Europe in the Age of Religious Wars, 1560-1715” and West Chester University: Jim Jones’ World History Timeline: “European Wars (16th-17th Centuries)
Links: Dr. Steven Kreis’s The History Guide: Lectures on Early Modern European History: “Lecture 6: Europe in the Age of Religious Wars, 1560-1715” (HTML) and West Chester University: Jim Jones’ World History Timeline: “European Wars (16th-17th Centuries)” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read Dr. Kreis’s whole lecture linked above. Then, read the “European Wars” timeline in its entirety. The first reading offers a broad overview of the religious, military, and economic upheavals that characterized Europe in the decades following the Protestant Revolution. The second reading, “European Wars,” outlines the major events of the post-Reformation period—the French wars of religion, the Dutch revolt, the Spanish Armada, and the Thirty Years’ War.
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- Reading: Dr. Steven Kreis’s The History Guide: Lectures on Early Modern European History: “Lecture 6: Europe in the Age of Religious Wars, 1560-1715” and West Chester University: Jim Jones’ World History Timeline: “European Wars (16th-17th Centuries)
- 5.1 European Conflicts
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5.1.1 The French Religious Wars
- Reading: Le Poulet Gauche: C.T. Iannuzzo’s “The Wars of Religion: Part I” and “The Wars of Religion: Part II;” Hanover College: Hanover Historical Texts Project’s version of J.H. Robinson’s (ed.) “The Massacre of St. Bartholomew’s Day”
Links: Le Poulet Gauche: C.T. Iannuzzo’s “The Wars of Religion: Part I” (HTML) and “The Wars of Religion: Part II” (HTML); Hanover College: Hanover Historical Texts Project’s version of J.H. Robinson’s (ed.) “The Massacre of St. Bartholomew’s Day” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read both of the Le Poulet Gauche webpages linked above. Then, read the excerpt “The Massacre of St. Bartholomew’s Day” in its entirety. “The Wars of Religion” discusses the political, religious, and military components of the civil wars that erupted in France between Huguenots and Catholics. Described by the historian De Thou, the massacre of St. Bartholomew’s Day was a series of assassinations followed by mob violence unleashed by the Roman Catholics against the Protestant Huguenots in 1572. De Thou’s account illustrates the gruesome nature of the French Wars of Religion, which involved the monarchy, the aristocracy, and the common people.
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- Reading: Le Poulet Gauche: C.T. Iannuzzo’s “The Wars of Religion: Part I” and “The Wars of Religion: Part II;” Hanover College: Hanover Historical Texts Project’s version of J.H. Robinson’s (ed.) “The Massacre of St. Bartholomew’s Day”
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5.1.2 The Revolt of the Netherlands
- Reading: Boise State University’s “Europe in the Age of the Reformation”: “The Revolt of the Netherlands”
Link: Boise State University’s “Europe in the Age of the Reformation”: “The Revolt of the Netherlands” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read the entire webpage linked above. This reading provides a good overview of the Dutch revolt against Charles V.
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- Reading: Boise State University’s “Europe in the Age of the Reformation”: “The Revolt of the Netherlands”
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5.1.3 Phillip II and the Spanish Armada
- Reading: Luminarium Encyclopedia Project’s Entry on “The Spanish Armada, 1588” and Fordham University’s Modern History Sourcebook: Paul Halsall’s version of “Queen Elizabeth I: Against the Spanish Armada, 1588” Speech
Links: Luminarium Encyclopedia Project’s Entry on “The Spanish Armada, 1588” (HTML) and Fordham University’s Modern History Sourcebook: Paul Halsall’s version of “Queen Elizabeth I: Against the Spanish Armada, 1588” Speech (HTML)
Instructions: Please read the entire encyclopedia entry linked above. Then, read the Queen Elizabeth I speech on Fordham University’s website. The encyclopedia entry provides an overview of the Spanish Armada of 1588—a naval contest between England and Spain. The second reading will give you a sense of the principles at stake in the conflict between Protestant England and Catholic Spain that came erupted during the Spanish Armada. In this speech, Queen Elizabeth I of England tries to rouse support among her troops for an ensuing naval battle against Catholic Spain.
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- Reading: Luminarium Encyclopedia Project’s Entry on “The Spanish Armada, 1588” and Fordham University’s Modern History Sourcebook: Paul Halsall’s version of “Queen Elizabeth I: Against the Spanish Armada, 1588” Speech
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5.1.4 Queen Mary and Continuing Religious Conflicts in England
- Reading: Tudorhistory.org: “Mary I: Queen of England”
Link: Tudorhistory.org: “Mary I: Queen of England”
Instructions: Please read the entire article linked above. Make sure to click on the “Continue to Mary Biography Part 2” link at the bottom of the webpage to read both pages of the article. This reading describes the religious turmoil that plagued England and Scotland in the post-Reformation era.
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- Reading: Tudorhistory.org: “Mary I: Queen of England”
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5.1.5 The Thirty Years’ War
- Reading: Western New England College: Professor Gerhard Rempel’s “The Thirty Years’ War”
Link: New England College: Professor Gerhard Rempel’s “The Thirty Years’ War” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read the entire webpage linked here. This reading discusses the protracted religious conflict that plagued the Holy Roman Empire between 1618 and 1648.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.The Saylor Foundation does not yet have materials for this portion of the course. If you are interested in contributing your content to fill this gap or aware of a resource that could be used here, please submit it here.
- Reading: Western New England College: Professor Gerhard Rempel’s “The Thirty Years’ War”
- 5.2 Effects of Religious Wars and Expansion
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5.2.1 Post-Reformation Political Philosophy
- Reading: The Virtual Library: Bill Gilbert’s “Chapter 21: Political Thought in the Sixteenth Century”
Link: The Virtual Library: Bill Gilbert’s “Chapter 21: Political Thought in the Sixteenth Century” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read the entirety of “Chapter 21” linked here. This reading describes the political philosophies that surfaced during the European age of religious wars.
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- Reading: The Virtual Library: Bill Gilbert’s “Chapter 21: Political Thought in the Sixteenth Century”
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5.2.2 Intellectual Currents of the 1600s
- Reading: Dr. Steven Kreis’s The History Guide: Lectures on Early Modern European Intellectual History: “Lecture 8: The New Intellectual Order: Man, Nature and Society;” Luminarium’s Michel de Montaigne, Essays, Book I: Chapter XXX, “Of the Caniballes,” and Book II: Chapter XIX, “Of the Liberty of Conscience”
Links: Dr. Steven Kreis’s The History Guide: Lectures on Early Modern European Intellectual History: “Lecture 8: The New Intellectual Order: Man, Nature and Society” (HTML); Luminarium.org’s version of Michel de Montaigne, Essays, Book I: “Chapter XXX: Of the Caniballes” (HTML)and Book II: “Chapter XIX: Of the Liberty of Conscience” (HTML)
Also available in:
PDF
Instructions: Please read Dr. Kreis’s entire lecture linked above. Then, read both “Chapter XXX” and “Chapter XIX” of Montaigne’s Essays linked above.
Dr. Kreis’s lecture discusses how European philosophers and thinkers, such as René Descartes, John Locke, and Thomas Hobbes began to view man’s role in the world differently as a result of European religious conflicts and exploration abroad.
Montaigne examines the world through the lens of his own judgment in this series of essays, a literary genre that he popularized in the sixteenth century. His goal in these essays is to describe man—and himself— with utter frankness. “Of the Caniballes” will give you a sense of how overseas exploration influenced Montaigne’s criticism of European society, while “Liberty of Conscience” will give you a sense of how the French religious wars influenced Montaigne’s view of Christianity. In Montaigne’s Essays, the French writer Michel de Montaigne adopts a skeptical tone when depicting Renaissance society.
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- Reading: Dr. Steven Kreis’s The History Guide: Lectures on Early Modern European Intellectual History: “Lecture 8: The New Intellectual Order: Man, Nature and Society;” Luminarium’s Michel de Montaigne, Essays, Book I: Chapter XXX, “Of the Caniballes,” and Book II: Chapter XIX, “Of the Liberty of Conscience”
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Unit 6: Absolutism and Constitutionalism in Western Europe
In the wake of the religious wars of the seventeenth century, monarchs in western Europe attempted to consolidate and increase their power. Many sought to fashion themselves as “absolute” monarchs—sole leaders whose power exceeded that of the people, the government, and/or the Church. However, these efforts were met with varied results. In France, Louis XIV (known as the “Sun King”) successfully established himself as an absolutist ruler. But the Netherlands, on the other hand, expulsed Catholic absolutist Spain in 1572 and created a Dutch Republic that supported religious toleration and republican government. In England, a constitutional crisis centered on the question of whether sovereignty was vested in the king or Parliament resulted in the beheading of Charles I, a civil war, and the Glorious Revolution of 1688.
Unit 6 Time Advisory show close
In this unit, we will examine why absolutism was successfully implemented in France and why it was challenged or defeated in the Dutch Republic and in England.
Unit 6 Learning Outcomes show close
- Reading: University of Idaho: Professor Tom Drake’s Literature of Western Civilization Homepage: “Pre-Enlightenment Europe”
Link: University of Idaho: Professor Tom Drake’s Literature of Western Civilization Homepage: “Pre-Enlightenment Europe” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read the entirety of “Pre-Enlightenment Europe.” This reading provides an overview of European society and thought just before the Enlightenment.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: University of Idaho: Professor Tom Drake’s Literature of Western Civilization Homepage: “Pre-Enlightenment Europe”
- 6.1 Absolutism
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6.1.1 Absolutism Defined
- Lecture: Yale University: Professor John Merriman’s “Lecture 2: Absolutism and the State”
Link: Yale University: Professor John Merriman’s “Lecture 2: Absolutism and the State” (YouTube)
Also available in:
HTML, Adobe Flash, Mp3 or QuickTime
iTunes U
Instructions: Please watch the entire 45-minute video lecture linked above. This video will help you to understand that absolutism emerged in Europe as a result of the protracted religious conflicts of the late 1500s and early 1600s.
Terms of Use: This video is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License. It is attributed to Yale University, and the original can be found here.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Gulf Coast Community College: Professor Richard Baldwin’s “Age of Absolutism” and Salem State College: Professor Thomas Page’s “Age of Absolutism”
Links: Gulf Coast Community College: Professor Richard Baldwin’s “Age of Absolutism” (HTML) and Salem State College: Professor Thomas Page’s “Age of Absolutism”
Instructions: Please read both articles about the Age of Absolutism in their entirety. Professor Baldwin’s reading on the “Age of Absolutism” will give you a sense of the origins of “absolute” monarchy in Europe. Professor Page’s webpage provides an overview of the emergence of absolute monarchies in western Europe during the early modern period.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.The Saylor Foundation does not yet have materials for this portion of the course. If you are interested in contributing your content to fill this gap or aware of a resource that could be used here, please submit it here.
- Lecture: Yale University: Professor John Merriman’s “Lecture 2: Absolutism and the State”
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6.1.2 Foundations of French Absolutism
- Reading: Library of Congress’s “Creating French Culture: Treasures from the Bibliothéque Nationale de France:” “The Path to Royal Absolutism” and University of Wisconsin: J.P. Sommerville’s “Absolutism and the Divine Right of Kings”
Links: Library of Congress’s “Creating French Culture: Treasures from the Bibliothéque Nationale de France:” “The Path to Royal Absolutism” (HTML) and University of Wisconsin: J.P. Sommerville’s “Absolutism and the Divine Right of Kings” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read the entire Library of Congress webpage, and click on the images. Then, please read all of “Absolutism and the Divine Right of Kings” linked above.
The images in “The Path to Royal Absolutism” will help illustrate the consolidation of power of the French monarchy in the 1600s. The second reading will give you a sense of the Jacques-Benigne Bossuet’s theory that monarchs were chosen by, and acted according to, God.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Library of Congress’s “Creating French Culture: Treasures from the Bibliothéque Nationale de France:” “The Path to Royal Absolutism” and University of Wisconsin: J.P. Sommerville’s “Absolutism and the Divine Right of Kings”
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6.1.3 The Absolute Monarchy
- Reading: Library of Congress’s “Creating French Culture: Treasures from the Bibliothéque Nationale de France:” “The Rise and Fall of the Absolute Monarchy”
Link: Library of Congress’s “Creating French Culture: Treasures from the Bibliothéque Nationale de France:” “The Rise and Fall of the Absolute Monarchy” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read the entire webpage, and click on the images, which illustrate the reigns of the “absolute” monarchs Louis XIV, Louis, XV, and Louis XVI.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Library of Congress’s “Creating French Culture: Treasures from the Bibliothéque Nationale de France:” “The Rise and Fall of the Absolute Monarchy”
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6.1.4 Louis XIV
- Reading: Western New England College: Professor Gerhard Rempel’s “Louis XIV”
Link: Western New England College: Professor Gerhard Rempel’s “Louis XIV” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read the entire webpage linked above. This reading will provide a good overview of the reign of Louis XIV, the “Sun King.”
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.The Saylor Foundation does not yet have materials for this portion of the course. If you are interested in contributing your content to fill this gap or aware of a resource that could be used here, please submit it here.
- Reading: Western New England College: Professor Gerhard Rempel’s “Louis XIV”
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6.1.5 The Wars of Louis XIV
- Reading: Nipissing University: Professor Steve Muhlberger’s “The Wars of Louis XIV”
Link: Nipissing University: Professor Steve Muhlberger’s “The Wars of Louis XIV” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read the entire webpage linked above. This reading discusses Louis XIV’s ambitious plan of military conquest.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Nipissing University: Professor Steve Muhlberger’s “The Wars of Louis XIV”
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6.1.6 The Decline of Absolutist Spain
- Reading: University of Wisconsin: Professor J.P. Sommerville’s “The Decline of Spain”
Link: University of Wisconsin: Professor J.P. Sommerville’s “The Decline of Spain”
Instructions: Please read the entire article linked above. This reading addresses the factors that contributed to the decline of Spain during the seventeenth century.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: University of Wisconsin: Professor J.P. Sommerville’s “The Decline of Spain”
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6.2 Constitutionalism in England
- Lecture: Yale University: Professor John Merriman’s “Lecture 3: Dutch and British Exceptionalism”
Link: Yale University: Professor John Merriman’s “Lecture 3: Dutch and British Exceptionalism” (YouTube)
Also available in:
HTML, Adobe Flash, Mp3 or QuickTime
iTunes U
Instructions: Please watch the entire 45-minute video lecture linked above. This video lecture will discuss how and why both England and Holland rejected absolutist rule.
Terms of Use: This video is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License. It is attributed to Yale University, and the original can be found here.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Lecture: Yale University: Professor John Merriman’s “Lecture 3: Dutch and British Exceptionalism”
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6.2.1 Constitutionalism Defined
Note: This topic is covered by the resource below sub-subunit 6.2.3.
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6.2.2 The Decline of Royal Absolutism in England
Note: This topic is covered by the resource below subunit 6.2.3.
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6.2.3 Religious Issues
- Reading: Union County College: Dr. Harold Damerow’s “England in the 17th Century”
Link: Union County College: Dr. Harold Damerow’s “England in the 17th Century”
Instructions: Please read the entire article, which discusses how constitutionalism—defined as the limitation of government through the rule of law—was embraced in England. This reading covers the topics outlined in sub-subunits 6.2.1-6.2.3.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Union County College: Dr. Harold Damerow’s “England in the 17th Century”
- 6.3 The English Civil War
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6.3.1 Sovereignty in the King or Parliament?
- Reading: Dr. Steven Kreis’s The History Guide: Lectures on Early Modern European History: “Lecture 7: The English Civil War”
Link: Dr. Steven Kreis’s The History Guide: Lectures on Early Modern European History: “Lecture 7: The English Civil War” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read the entire lecture linked above. This reading discusses the origins of the English civil war, the abolition of the English monarchy, and the inauguration of the English republic.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Dr. Steven Kreis’s The History Guide: Lectures on Early Modern European History: “Lecture 7: The English Civil War”
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6.3.2 Cromwell and the Protectorate
- Reading: Western New England College: Professor Gerhard Rempel’s “Oliver Cromwell: Constitutional Crisis in England”
Link: Western New England College: Professor Gerhard Rempel’s “Oliver Cromwell: Constitutional Crisis in England” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read the entire webpage linked above. This reading will give you a sense of the “Puritan Revolution” and the English republic headed by Oliver Cromwell.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.The Saylor Foundation does not yet have materials for this portion of the course. If you are interested in contributing your content to fill this gap or aware of a resource that could be used here, please submit it here.
- Reading: Western New England College: Professor Gerhard Rempel’s “Oliver Cromwell: Constitutional Crisis in England”
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6.3.3 The Interregnum, the Restoration, and the Glorious Revolution
- Reading: BBC’s British History In-depth: Dr. Edward Vallance’s “The Glorious Revolution” and Nipissing University: Steve Muhlberger’s “The Glorious Revolution”
Links: BBC’s British History In-depth: Dr. Edward Vallance’s “The Glorious Revolution” (HTML) and Nipissing University: Steve Muhlberger’s “The Glorious Revolution” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read both articles titled “The Glorious Revolution” linked above. The BBC reading, “The Glorious Revolution,” offers a good overview of the causes and effects of a revolution that established England as a constitutional monarchy. Finally, Steve Muhlberger’s reading offers a good overview of the revolution of 1688, while also clearly articulating the reasons for the triumph of Parliament over king.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: BBC’s British History In-depth: Dr. Edward Vallance’s “The Glorious Revolution” and Nipissing University: Steve Muhlberger’s “The Glorious Revolution”
- 6.4 The Dutch Republic
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6.4.1 Independence from Spain
Note: This topic is covered by the readings in sub-subunit 6.4.4.
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6.4.2 A Republic and Confederation
Note: This topic is covered by the readings in sub-subunit 6.4.4.
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6.4.3 Trade in the West and East Indies
Note: This topic is covered by the readings in sub-subunit 6.4.4.
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6.4.4 War with France and England
- Reading: University of Wisconsin: J.P. Sommerville’s “The Dutch in the 17th Century” and Authorama.com’s version of George Edmundson’s History of Holland: “Chapter VI: The Beginnings of the Dutch Republic”; Fordham University’s Internet Modern History Sourcebook: Paul Halsall’s version of “Dutch Declaration of Independence”
Links: University of Wisconsin: J.P. Sommerville’s “The Dutch in the 17th Century” and Authorama.com’s version of George Edmundson’s History of Holland: “Chapter VI: The Beginnings of the Dutch Republic” (HTML); Fordham University’s Internet Modern History Sourcebook: Paul Halsall’s version of “The Dutch Declaration of Independence, 1581” (HTML)
Also available in:
ePub format
Instructions: Please note that these readings cover topics outlined in sub-subunits 6.4.1-6.4.4. Please read the entire article, “The Dutch in the 17th Century,” linked above. Then, read George Edmundson’s “Chapter VI” linked above. Finally, read the Dutch Declaration of Independence linked above.
The first reading will give you a sense of the socio-economic landscape of the newly created Dutch Republic. George Edmundson’s “Chapter VI” discusses the political, religious, and military turmoil from which an independent Dutch Republic emerged.
The Act of Abjuration, signed into law in 1581, formally declared the Dutch Low Countries independent of Phillip II of Spain. The Dutch had endured religious persecution, war and the tyrannical rule of Catholic Spain before they finally rebelled. The Dutch Declaration of Independence (1581) asserts the Dutch’s people’s right to secede from an oppressive monarchy; it later inspired the American Declaration of Independence.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: University of Wisconsin: J.P. Sommerville’s “The Dutch in the 17th Century” and Authorama.com’s version of George Edmundson’s History of Holland: “Chapter VI: The Beginnings of the Dutch Republic”; Fordham University’s Internet Modern History Sourcebook: Paul Halsall’s version of “Dutch Declaration of Independence”
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Unit 7: Absolutism in Eastern Europe
The Thirty Years’ War left Central and Eastern Europe far less economically advanced than their counterparts in western Europe. In the wake of the war, monarchs in Prussia, Austria, and Russia attempted to centralize their authority and strengthen their respective states. The Austrian Habsburgs recognized the weaknesses of the Holy Roman Empire and began to consolidate their power outside of Germany. In Russia, Peter the Great attempted to implement political reform, forge alliances with Western Europe, and deflect attacks from the powerful Ottoman Empire. In addition, serfdom revived in Eastern Europe, giving rulers more power over land and peasants.
Unit 7 Time Advisory show close
In this unit, we will see how absolutist rule in Prussia, Austria, and Russia united fragmented kingdoms and safeguarded them against internal division and foreign invasion.
Unit 7 Learning Outcomes show close
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7.1 Lords and Peasants in Eastern Europe
- Reading: Yale: Maxime Kovalesky’s “The Origin, Growth and Abolition of Personal Servitude in Russia”
Link: Yale: Maxime Kovalesky’s “The Origin, Growth and Abolition of Personal Servitude in Russia" (HTML)
Instructions: Please read the entire article linked above. This reading will provide you with a sense of the widespread—and oppressive—system of serfdom in Eastern Europe. The topics in sub-subunits 7.1.1-7.1.3 are covered in this reading.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Yale: Maxime Kovalesky’s “The Origin, Growth and Abolition of Personal Servitude in Russia”
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7.1.1 Restricting Peasants’ Rights
Note: This topic is covered by the reading in subunit 7.1.
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7.1.2 Consolidation of Serfdom
Note: This topic is covered by the reading in subunit 7.1.
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7.1.3 Growth of Estate Agriculture
Note: This topic is covered by the reading in subunit 7.1.
- 7.2 Absolutism in Prussia and Austria
- 7.2.1 Austria
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7.2.2 Prussia
- Reading: Library of Congress: Eric Solsten (ed.)’s Austria: A Country Study: “The Reforms of Maria Theresa and Josef II” and Nipissing University: Steve Muhlberger’s “Absolutist Government in the Eighteenth Century: The Case of Prussia”
Links: Library of Congress: Eric Solsten (ed.)’s Austria: A Country Study: “The Reforms of Maria Theresa and Josef II" (HTML) and Nipissing University: Steve Muhlberger’s “Absolutist Government in the Eighteenth Century: The Case of Prussia” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read the entirety of the “Absolute Monarchy and Enlightened Absolutism” article linked above for an overview of absolutism in Austria. Then, read Steve Muhlberger’s entire article, which discusses how and why absolutist monarchs garnered power in Prussia.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Library of Congress: Eric Solsten (ed.)’s Austria: A Country Study: “The Reforms of Maria Theresa and Josef II” and Nipissing University: Steve Muhlberger’s “Absolutist Government in the Eighteenth Century: The Case of Prussia”
- 7.3 The Development of Russia
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7.3.1 Mongol Invasions and the Rise of Moscow
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation’s “The Russian State”
Link: The Saylor Foundation’s “The Russian State” (PDF).
Instructions: Please read “The Russian State.” This reading discusses the effects of the Mongol invasions and the rise of the princes of Moscow.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation’s “The Russian State”
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7.3.2 Peter the Great
- Lecture: Yale University: Professor John Merriman’s “Lecture 4: Peter the Great”
Link: Yale University: Professor John Merriman’s “Lecture 4: Peter the Great” (YouTube)
Also available in:
HTML, Adobe Flash, Mp3 or QuickTime
iTunes U
Instructions: Please watch the entire 45-minute video lecture linked here. This video lecture talks about Peter the Great’s reform initiative in Russia—military expansion, territorial expansion, as well as the introduction of Western customs and culture into Russia.
Terms of Use: This video is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License. It is attributed to Yale University, and the original can be found here.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Western New England College: Professor Gerhard Rempel’s “Peter’s Russia”
Links: Western New England College: Professor Gerhard Rempel’s “Peter’s Russia” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read Professor Rempel’s article on the Western New England College webpage. The reading discusses Europeanization of Russia under Peter the Great.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.The Saylor Foundation does not yet have materials for this portion of the course. If you are interested in contributing your content to fill this gap or aware of a resource that could be used here, please submit it here.
- Lecture: Yale University: Professor John Merriman’s “Lecture 4: Peter the Great”
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Unit 8: New Directions in Thought and Culture
The Renaissance paved the way for the emergence of a rational and secular worldview in Europe in the late 1600s. The Scientific Revolution and the Enlightenment represented the culmination of the shift from the medieval era to the modern world. Scientific revolutionaries overturned the authority of medieval and classical sources, such as Aristotle and Ptolemy, in an attempt to understand and explain man in the natural world according to mathematical reasoning. For example, the Polish astronomer Nicholas Copernicus asserted that we live in a heliocentric cosmos and Isaac Newton proposed a set of universal laws and claimed that we live in a mechanical universe (a cosmos governed by the same mathematical laws of gravity on Earth). Meanwhile, political philosophers of the Enlightenment emphasized reason as the primary source of legitimacy and authority. Studies examining the origin of political authority and the progress of society had a fundamental impact upon the political development of Europe.
Unit 8 Time Advisory show close
In this unit, we will study how and why “enlightenment” manifested itself throughout Europe—in philosophy, science, art, and even in absolutist monarchies.
Unit 8 Learning Outcomes show close
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8.1 The Scientific Revolution
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation’s “The Scientific Revolution”
Link: The Saylor Foundation’s “The Scientific Revolution” (PDF).
Instructions: Please read “The Scientific Revolution.” This reading gives a good overview of the Scientific Revolution.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation’s “The Scientific Revolution”
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8.1.1 Aristotle to Copernicus
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation’s “The New Astronomy and Cosmology of the Scientific Revolution: Nicolaus Copernicus, Tycho Brahe, and Johannes Kepler”
Link: The Saylor Foundation’s “The New Astronomy and Cosmology of the Scientific Revolution: Nicolaus Copernicus, Tycho Brahe, and Johannes Kepler” (PDF).
Instructions: Please read “The New Astronomy and Cosmology of the Scientific Revolution: Nicolaus Copernicus, Tycho Brahe, and Johannes Kepler.” This reading describes the classical and medieval origins of the Scientific Revolution as well as the works and theories of Copernicus, Brahe and KeplerSee a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Dr. Steven Kreis’s The History Guide: Lectures on Early Modern European History: “Lecture 10: The Scientific Revolution: 1543-1600”
Link: Dr. Steven Kreis’s The History Guide: Lectures on Early Modern European History: “Lecture 10: The Scientific Revolution: 1543-1600” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read the article linked above in its entirety.
“Lecture 10” describes the major figures of the early Scientific Revolution. This online text was developed by Dr. Steven Kreis as an open educational resource for use in undergraduate history courses. Dr. Steven Kreis teaches history at American Public University.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation’s “The New Astronomy and Cosmology of the Scientific Revolution: Nicolaus Copernicus, Tycho Brahe, and Johannes Kepler”
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8.1.2 From Brahe to Galileo
- Reading: Dr. Steven Kreis’s The History Guide: Lectures on Early Modern European History: “Lecture 11: The Scientific Revolution: 1600-1642”
Link: Dr. Steven Kreis’s The History Guide: Lectures on Early Modern European History: “Lecture 11: The Scientific Revolution: 1600-1642” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read Dr. Kreis’s lecture 11 in its entirety. This reading will give you a sense of the Galileo’s life and works.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation’s “Galileo Galilei”
Link: The Saylor Foundation’s “Galileo Galilei” (PDF).
Instructions: Please read “Galileo Galilei.” This reading discusses the theories of Galileo.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Dr. Steven Kreis’s The History Guide: Lectures on Early Modern European History: “Lecture 11: The Scientific Revolution: 1600-1642”
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8.1.3 Newton and Descartes
- Reading: Dr. Steven Kreis’s The History Guide: Lectures on Early Modern European History: “Lecture 12: The Scientific Revolution: 1642-1730”
Link: Dr. Steven Kreis’s The History Guide: Lectures on Early Modern European History: “Lecture 12: The Scientific Revolution: 1642-1730” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read Dr. Kreis’s lecture 12 in its entirety. Dr. Kreis’s discusses the changes wrought in the 1600s and early 1700s by the Scientific Revolution.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation’s “Other Scientific Advances”
Link: The Saylor Foundation’s “Other Scientific Advances” (PDF).
Instructions: Please read “Other Scientific Advances.” This reading describes Descartes’ assertion that mathematics was the foundation of science and Newton’s synthesis of scientific principles.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Dr. Steven Kreis’s The History Guide: Lectures on Early Modern European History: “Lecture 12: The Scientific Revolution: 1642-1730”
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8.1.4 Science and Humanism
- Reading: University of California eScholarship: Steven Varvis’s “Humanism and the Scientific Revolution: Bacon’s Rejection of Aristotle”
Link: University of California eScholarship: Steven Varvis’s “Humanism and the Scientific Revolution: Bacon’s Rejection of Aristotle” (HTML)
Also available in:
PDF
Instructions: Please read this entire 21-page article linked above. This article argues that Francis Bacon should be viewed as a philosopher of the scientific movement.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: University of California eScholarship: Steven Varvis’s “Humanism and the Scientific Revolution: Bacon’s Rejection of Aristotle”
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8.1.5 Politics and Science
- Reading: George Mason University: Professor R. Cherubin’s “The Scientific Revolution of the 17th Century and the Political Revolutions of the 18th Century”
Link: George Mason University: Professor R. Cherubin’s “The Scientific Revolution of the 17th Century and the Political Revolutions of the 18th Century” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read the entire webpage linked above. This article outlines the connection between new scientific philosophies and political revolutions in Europe.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: George Mason University: Professor R. Cherubin’s “The Scientific Revolution of the 17th Century and the Political Revolutions of the 18th Century”
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8.2 The Enlightenment
- Lecture: Yale University: Professor John Merriman’s “Lecture 5: The Enlightenment and the Public Sphere”
Link: Yale University: Professor John Merriman’s “Lecture 5: The Enlightenment and the Public Sphere” (YouTube)
Also available in:
HTML, Adobe Flash, Mp3 or QuickTime
iTunes U
Instructions: Please watch the entire 45-minute lecture linked above. In this video lecture, Merriman argues that the Enlightenment was not simply the “age of reason,” but was also the age of the public sphere and the declining power of the monarchy.
Terms of Use: The above video is reposted from Yale University Yale Courses YouTube channel. The original version can be found here. This video is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 Unported License.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Washington State University: Professor Paul Brians’ “The Enlightenment”
Link: Washington State University: Professor Paul Brians’ “The Enlightenment” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read the entire webpage linked above. This reading outlines the major characteristics of the Enlightenment and gives a broad overview of the social, religious, and cultural milieu of the period.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Lecture: Yale University: Professor John Merriman’s “Lecture 5: The Enlightenment and the Public Sphere”
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8.2.1 The Early Enlightenment and the Philosophes
- Reading: Dr. Steven Kreis’s The History Guide: Lectures on Early Modern European Intellectual History: “Lecture 9: Écrasez l'infâme!: The Triumph of Science and the Heavenly City of the 18th Century Philosophe”
Link: Dr. Steven Kreis’s The History Guide: Lectures on Early Modern European Intellectual History: “Lecture 9: Écrasez l’infâme!: The Triumph of Science and the Heavenly City of the 18th Century Philosophe” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read Dr. Kreis’s lecture 9 in its entirety. Dr. Kreis’s lecture provides a good overview of the European philosophes.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation’s “Philosophy of Science and the Scientific Method”
Link: Foundation’s “Philosophy of Science and the Scientific Method” (PDF).
Instructions: Please read “Philosophy of Science and the Scientific Method.” This reading discusses the origins of the Enlightenment and the emergence of philosophers like Francis Bacon and Decartes.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Dr. Steven Kreis’s The History Guide: Lectures on Early Modern European Intellectual History: “Lecture 9: Écrasez l'infâme!: The Triumph of Science and the Heavenly City of the 18th Century Philosophe”
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8.2.2 The High Enlightenment
- Reading: Dr. Steven Kreis’s The History Guide: Lectures on Early Modern European Intellectual History: “Lecture 10: The Vision of Human Progress: Vico, Gibbon, and Condorcet” and Fordham University’s Modern History Sourcebook: Paul Halsall’s version of “Condorcet: The Future Progress of the Human Mind”
Links: Dr. Steven Kreis’s The History Guide: Lectures on Early Modern European Intellectual History: “Lecture 10: The Vision of Human Progress: Vico, Gibbon, and Condorcet” (HTML) and Fordham University’s Modern History Sourcebook: Paul Halsall’s version of “Condorcet: The Future Progress of the Human Mind” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read Dr. Kreis’s lecture in its entirety. Finally, read the entire Modern History Sourcebook webpage linked here. Dr. Kreis’s lecture provides an overview of the Enlightenment emphasis on history and the progress of mankind. The Future Progress of the Human Mind, written by the French scientific philosopher Marquis de Condorcet, asserts that an increase in knowledge—particularly scientific knowledge—will guarantee the progress of peoples, thus ensuring the enlightenment of mankind in future time.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Dr. Steven Kreis’s The History Guide: Lectures on Early Modern European Intellectual History: “Lecture 10: The Vision of Human Progress: Vico, Gibbon, and Condorcet” and Fordham University’s Modern History Sourcebook: Paul Halsall’s version of “Condorcet: The Future Progress of the Human Mind”
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8.2.3 Women and the Enlightenment
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation’s “Women from the Renaissance to the Enlightenment”
Link: The Saylor Foundation’s “Women from the Renaissance to the Enlightenment” (PDF).
Instructions: Please read “Women from the Renaissance to the Enlightenment.” This reading will give you will give you a sense of the impact of the European Enlightenment upon women.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation’s “Women from the Renaissance to the Enlightenment”
- 8.3 The Enlightenment and Absolutism
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8.3.1 “Enlightened Monarchs”
Note: This topic is covered by the readings in sub-subunit 8.3.2.
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8.3.2 Benevolent Absolutism
- Reading: Fordham University’s Modern History Sourcebook: “Catherine the Great” and Frederick II’s “Essay on Forms of Government”
Links: Fordham University’s Modern History Sourcebook: “Catherine the Great” (HTML) and Frederick II’s “Essay on Forms of Government” (HTML)
Instructions: These readings cover topics outlined in sub-subunits 8.3.1 and 8.3.2. Please read the Catherine the Great article in its entirety, and then read Frederick the Great’s “Essay on Forms of Government.” The first reading provides an overview on Catherine the Great’s theories of enlightened absolutism. The second reading is Frederick the Great’s theory on what makes an enlightened monarch.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Fordham University’s Modern History Sourcebook: “Catherine the Great” and Frederick II’s “Essay on Forms of Government”
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Unit 9: Social and Economic Change in the Eighteenth Century
The end of the bubonic plague and the absence of devastating wars opened the door to significant changes in society and economy during the 1700s. Population growth skyrocketed and created an unprecedented demand for food. This in turn spurred an agricultural revolution in which land was improved and transformed into viable farmland. Meanwhile, the rise of the cottage industry—the production of goods in the home rather than in the factory—fueled the growth of manufacturing and urbanization. At the same time, European nations created an Atlantic economy that centered upon the African slave trade, New World plantation produce, and European textiles and manufactured goods.
Unit 9 Time Advisory show close
In addition, many changes were wrought in the domestic sphere. New developments in the structure of European society and economy in the eighteenth century had a significant impact upon marriage, family, medicine, nutrition, and religious beliefs. With the rise of manufacturing, many European women began to work, and this altered patterns of marriage and childbearing. Improved diet and better medicine translated into a longer lifespan for many Europeans. Also, as nation-states became increasingly consolidated throughout Europe, the “vernacular”—the regional or national language or dialect—was increasingly emphasized in schools and churches.
In this unit, we will consider how and why European population growth, agricultural transformations, new developments in manufacturing, and the rise of an Atlantic economy were so interconnected. We will also see how manufacturing and the agricultural revolution influenced Europeans’ daily lives and belief systems.
Unit 9 Learning Outcomes show close
- 9.1 The Agricultural Revolution
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9.1.1 The Open Field System
- Reading: University of Kansas: Lynn Harry Nelson’s Medieval History Lectures: “The Peasants: Advances in Agricultural Technology, 800-1000”
Link: University of Kansas: Lynn Harry Nelson’s Medieval History Lectures: “The Peasants: Advances in Agricultural Technology: 800-1000” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read the entire webpage to learn about medieval farming. This text was created by Lynn Harry Nelson, Emeritus Professor of Medieval History at the University of Kansas.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: University of Kansas: Lynn Harry Nelson’s Medieval History Lectures: “The Peasants: Advances in Agricultural Technology, 800-1000”
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9.1.2 An Agricultural Revolution
Note: This topic is covered by the readings below sub-subunit 9.1.3.
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9.1.3 Agricultural Improvement in England and the Netherlands
- Reading: BBC’s British History In-depth: Professor Mark Overton’s “Agricultural Revolution in England, 1500-1800” and Fordham University: Paul Halsall’s “Causes of the Industrial Revolution”
Links: BBC’s British History In-depth: Professor Mark Overton’s “Agricultural Revolution in England, 1500-1800” (HTML) and Fordham University: Paul Halsall’s “Causes of the Industrial Revolution” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read both articles linked above in their entirety. The first reading will give you a sense of the scope and impact of the agrarian revolution in England. The second reading describes how the agricultural revolution was one of many factors setting the stage for the Industrial Revolution. These readings also cover the topic outlined in sub-subunit 9.1.2.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: BBC’s British History In-depth: Professor Mark Overton’s “Agricultural Revolution in England, 1500-1800” and Fordham University: Paul Halsall’s “Causes of the Industrial Revolution”
- 9.2 Population Explosion and the Growth of the Cottage Industry
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9.2.1 Population Growth
- Lecture: Yale University: Professor Robert Wyman’s “Lecture 7: Demographic Transition in Europe; Mortality Decline”
Link: Yale University: Professor Robert Wyman’s “Lecture 7: Demographic Transition in Europe; Mortality Decline” (YouTube)
Also available in:
HTML, Adobe Flash, Mp3 or Quicktime
iTunes U
Instructions: Please watch the entire 1-hour lecture by Yale biologist Robert Wyman. From watching this video lecture, you will get a sense of the reasons why Europe experienced a population explosion in the 1700s and why some political economists, such as Thomas Malthus, worried that the population might exceed the food supply.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Lecture: Yale University: Professor Robert Wyman’s “Lecture 7: Demographic Transition in Europe; Mortality Decline”
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9.2.2 Cottage Industry or Proto-Industrialization
- Reading: University of Nevada, Las Vegas: Dr. Gregory Brown’s “Proto-Industrialization”
Link: University of Nevada, Las Vegas: Dr. Gregory Brown’s “Proto-Industrialization”
Instructions: Please read the entire article linked above. This reading demonstrates the important of cottage industry or “proto-industrialization” in the beginning of the Industrial Revolution.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.The Saylor Foundation does not yet have materials for this portion of the course. If you are interested in contributing your content to fill this gap or aware of a resource that could be used here, please submit it here.
- Reading: University of Nevada, Las Vegas: Dr. Gregory Brown’s “Proto-Industrialization”
- 9.3 Building an Atlantic Economy
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9.3.1 Mercantilism and Colonial Wars
Note: This topic is covered by the resources beneath sub-subunit 9.3.2.
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9.3.2 The Growth of Foreign Trade
- Reading: Dr. Joseph E. Inikori’s “The Atlantic World Slave Economy and the Development Process in England, 1650-1850” and Western New England College: Professor Gerhard Rempel’s “Mercantilism”
Links: Dr. Joseph E. Inikori’s The Atlantic World Slave Economy and the Development Process in England, 1650-1850 (HTML) and Western New England College: Professor Gerhard Rempel’s “Mercantilism” (HTML)
Instructions: These readings cover the topics outlined in sub-subunits 9.3.1 and 9.3.2. Please read the entire article, “The Atlantic World Slave Economy and the Development Process in England” linked above. Then, please read the “Mercantilism” essay in its entirety. The first article will provide a good overview on the rise of Europe in the world economy during the eighteenth century. The second reading outlines the major components of the mercantilist trade policy in Europe.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.The Saylor Foundation does not yet have materials for this portion of the course. If you are interested in contributing your content to fill this gap or aware of a resource that could be used here, please submit it here.
- Reading: Dr. Joseph E. Inikori’s “The Atlantic World Slave Economy and the Development Process in England, 1650-1850” and Western New England College: Professor Gerhard Rempel’s “Mercantilism”
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9.3.3 Adam Smith and Economic Liberalism
- Reading: Liberty Fund’s Concise Encyclopedia of Economics Entry on “Adam Smith;” Columbia University’s version of Adam Smith’s The Wealth of Nation: “The Case for Free Trade and Lower Taxes;” Fordham University: The Modern History Sourcebook: Excerpts from Adam Smith’s “The Wealth of Nations”
Links: Liberty Fund’s Concise Encyclopedia of Economics Entry on “Adam Smith” (HTML); Columbia University’s version of Adam Smith’s The Wealth of Nations: “The Case for Free Trade and Lower Taxes” (HTML); Fordham University: The Modern History Sourcebook: Excerpts from Adam Smith’s “The Wealth of Nations" (HTML)
Instructions: First, please read the encyclopedia article on “Adam Smith” for some background. Then, read Washington State University and the Modern History Sourcebook’s excerpts from the Wealth of Nations.
Perhaps the most influential book of the eighteenth century, Adam Smith’s Wealth of Nations, sharply criticizes the mercantilism—protective trade policies—that European imperial powers had embraced for over a century. Smith, a Scottish moral philosopher, advocates free trade as the most progressive and beneficial commercial policy of the modern era. In the first excerpt, he argues that if capital is allowed to travel freely, rather than being controlled by government or state-supported monopolies, then it will naturally travel to the most productive outlets; Smith calls this phenomenon the “invisible hand” of a free market economy. In the second excerpt, Smith describes how modern capitalism should work ideally and why this is good for society overall.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Liberty Fund’s Concise Encyclopedia of Economics Entry on “Adam Smith;” Columbia University’s version of Adam Smith’s The Wealth of Nation: “The Case for Free Trade and Lower Taxes;” Fordham University: The Modern History Sourcebook: Excerpts from Adam Smith’s “The Wealth of Nations”
- 9.4 Domestic Life in the Eighteenth Century
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9.4.1 Women and Family Life
- Reading: LisaHistory.net: Lisa M. Lane’s “18th Century Society and Economy: Marriage and Family Life”
Link: LisaHistory.net: Lisa M. Lane’s “18th Century Society and Economy: Marriage and Family Life” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read the entire article linked above. This article provides a good overview of family life in the eighteenth century. Lisa M. Lane teaches history at MiraCosta College.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: LisaHistory.net: Lisa M. Lane’s “18th Century Society and Economy: Marriage and Family Life”
-
9.4.2 European Medicine in the Eighteenth Century
- Reading: Institute of History Research: Anne Hardy’s “The Medical Response to Epidemic Disease in the Long Eighteenth Century”
Link: Institute of Historical Research: Anne Hardy’s “The Medical Response to Epidemic Disease in the Long Eighteenth Century” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read the entire article linked above. This reading will give you a sense of Europeans’ medical knowledge in the eighteenth century.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Institute of History Research: Anne Hardy’s “The Medical Response to Epidemic Disease in the Long Eighteenth Century”
-
9.4.3 Towns
- Reading: Western New England College: Professor Gerhard Rempel’s “The 18th Century Town and Its Inhabitants”
Link: Western New England College: Professor Gerhard Rempel’s “The 18th Century Town and Its Inhabitants” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read the entire webpage linked above. This reading offers a good comparative overview of European towns in the 1700s.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.The Saylor Foundation does not yet have materials for this portion of the course. If you are interested in contributing your content to fill this gap or aware of a resource that could be used here, please submit it here.
- Reading: Western New England College: Professor Gerhard Rempel’s “The 18th Century Town and Its Inhabitants”
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Unit 10: The Age of Revolutions, 1775-1815
The Enlightenment’s emphasis on political legitimacy and authority—as well as the perceived corruption of absolute monarchs—inspired several revolutions in the latter eighteenth century. In France and in America, many citizens began to question why the majority of a nation’s people were denied equal rights or liberty. In 1776 and 1789, respectively, the Americans and French revolted against the tyrannical and illegitimate authority of aristocrats in order to protect the sovereign rule of the people. In America, patriots replaced the British monarchy with a confederated republic. In France, revolutionaries abolished the constitutional monarchy in favor of a new republic. However, the French republic was short-lived—Napoleon proclaimed himself dictator of France in 1799.
Unit 10 Time Advisory show close
In this unit, we will examine the emerging contest between the rule of the people and the rule of a few in the Euro-American world. This contest manifested itself in two different but related revolutions that had a lasting impact upon Europe.
Unit 10 Learning Outcomes show close
- 10.1 Origins of the French Revolution
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10.1.1 Atlantic Revolutions
- Reading: Western New England College: Professor Gerhard Rempel’s “Revolution in America and France”
Link: Western New England College: Professor Gerhard Rempel’s “Revolution in America and France” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read the entire webpage linked above. In this reading, Professor Rempel argues that the French Revolution could not have occurred without the precedent of the American Revolution and its emphasis on equality of rights.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.The Saylor Foundation does not yet have materials for this portion of the course. If you are interested in contributing your content to fill this gap or aware of a resource that could be used here, please submit it here.
- Reading: Western New England College: Professor Gerhard Rempel’s “Revolution in America and France”
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10.1.2 The Demise of the Ancient Regime
- Reading: Fordham University: Paul Halsall’s “Structure of Everyday Life in the Ancien Regime” and Dr. Steven Kreis’s The History Guide: Lectures on Early Modern European Intellectual History: “Lecture 11: The Origins of the French Revolution”
Links: Fordham University: Paul Halsall’s “Structure of Everyday Life in the Ancien Regime” (HTML) and Dr. Steven Kreis’s The History Guide: Lectures on Early Modern European Intellectual History: “Lecture 11: The Origins of the French Revolution” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read the entire article "Structure of Everyday Life in the Ancien Regime” linked above. Then, read Dr. Kreis’s lecture 11 in its entirety. The first reading, “Structure of Everyday Life in the Ancien Regime,” offers an overview of the conditions of life in the Ancien Regime and the reasons for the outbreak of revolution in 1789. Lecture 11 will give you a sense of the origins of the revolution in France.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Fordham University: Paul Halsall’s “Structure of Everyday Life in the Ancien Regime” and Dr. Steven Kreis’s The History Guide: Lectures on Early Modern European Intellectual History: “Lecture 11: The Origins of the French Revolution”
- 10.2 The Revolution of 1789
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10.2.1 Breakdown of the Old Order
- Web Media: Khan Academy’s “French Revolution (Part I)”
Link: Khan Academy’s “French Revolution (Part I)” (YouTube)
Instructions: Please watch the above video (approx. 17 minutes). The French Revolution began in May 1789 with the meeting of the Estates-General—a general assembly representing the three French estates of the realm: the nobility, the church, and the common people. Summoned by King Louis XVI to propose solutions to his government’s financial problems, the Estates-General sat for several weeks in May and June 1789 but came to an impasse as the three estates clashed over their respective powers. It was brought to an end when many members of the Third Estate formed themselves into a National Assembly, signaling the outbreak of the Revolution. On July 14 of that same year, the Bastille—amedieval fortress and prison which represented royal authority in the center of Paris—was stormed by a mob that demanded the arms and ammunition stored there.
This web media should take 15 minutes to complete.
Terms of Use: This video is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 United States License. It is attributed to the Khan Academy.
Note: This topic is covered by the resources below sub-subunit 10.2.4.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Web Media: Khan Academy’s “French Revolution (Part I)”
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10.2.2 Fall of the Bastille
Note: This topic is covered by the web media below sub-subunit 10.2.1.
Note: This topic is covered by the resources below sub-subunit 10.2.4. -
10.2.3 Formation of the National Assembly
Note: This topic is covered by the web media below sub-subunit 10.2.1.
Note: This topic is covered by the resources below sub-subunit 10.2.4. -
10.2.4 Reforms
- Lecture: Academic Earth: University of California at Los Angeles: Professor Lynn Hunt’s “The French Revolution”
Link: Academic Earth: University of California at Los Angeles: Professor Lynn Hunt’s “The French Revolution” (Adobe Flash)
Also available in:
YouTube
Instructions: Please listen to the entire video lecture (1:01:12 minutes). This video lecture provides a good overview of the origins and major phases of the French Revolution. This video lecture covers topics outlined in sub-subunits 10.2.1-10.2.4.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.
See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Web Media: Khan Academy’s “French Revolution (Part 2)”
Link: Khan Academy’s “French Revolution (Part 2)” (YouTube)
Instructions: Please watch the above video (approx. 15 minutes), which discusses the second stage of the French Revolution. After Louis XV and his wife tried to escape Paris in 1791, the French revolutionary wars began soon thereafter; however, fighting soon went badly and prices rose sky-high. In August 1792, a mob assaulted the Royal Palace in Paris and arrested the King. In September, the Assembly abolished the monarchy and declared a republic.
This web media should take 15 minutes to complete.
Terms of Use: This video is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 United States License. It is attributed to the Khan Academy.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Dr. Steven Kreis’s The History Guide: Lectures on Early Modern European Intellectual History: “Lecture 12: The French Revolution: The Moderate Stage: 1789-1792” and Yale Law School: The Avalon Project’s version of Marquis de Lafayette’s “Declaration of the Rights of Man, 1789”
Links: Dr. Steven Kreis’s The History Guide: Lectures on Early Modern European Intellectual History: “Lecture 12: The French Revolution: The Moderate Stage: 1789-1792” (HTML) and Yale Law School: The Avalon Project’s version of Marquis de Lafayette’s “Declaration of the Rights of Man, 1789” (HTML)
Also available in: (de Lafayette)
eText format on the Kindle ($1.29)
Instructions: These readings cover the topics outlined in sub-subunits 10.2.1-10.2.4. Please read Dr. Kreis’s entire lecture linked above. Then, read Marquis de Lafayette’s “Declaration of the Rights of Man” from 1789 in its entirety.
Lecture 12 discusses the reasons for the collapse of the aristocracy and monarchy and the outbreak of revolution. Presented before the French National Assembly in 1789, the Declaration of the Rights of Man was prepared and proposed by the Marquis de Lafayette, a French statesman and friend of Thomas Jefferson. The document, inspired by Enlightenment ideals, defines a single set of individual and collective rights for all men. In advocating universal equality and freedom, this treatise also calls for the destruction of the aristocracy in France.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Lecture: Academic Earth: University of California at Los Angeles: Professor Lynn Hunt’s “The French Revolution”
- 10.3 The Terror
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10.3.1 Killing the King
- Web Media: Khan Academy’s “French Revolution (Part 3)—Reign of Terror”
Link: Khan Academy’s “French Revolution (Part 3)—Reign of Terror” (YouTube)
Instructions: Please watch the above video (approx. 23 minutes) on the “Reign of Terror,” a period of violence that occurred after the onset of the French Revolution, incited by conflict between rival political factions, and marked by mass executions of “enemies of the revolution.” The death toll ranged in the tens of thousands, with 16,594 executed by guillotine and another 25,000 in summary executions across France.
This web media should take 30 minutes to complete.
Terms of Use: This video is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 United States License. It is attributed to the Khan Academy.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Web Media: Khan Academy’s “French Revolution (Part 3)—Reign of Terror”
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10.3.2 The National Convention
Note: This topic is covered by the web media below sub-subunit 10.3.1.
Note: This topic is covered by the resources below sub-subunit 10.3.4. -
10.3.3 The Rise of the Jacobins
Note: This topic is covered by the web media below sub-subunit 10.3.1.
Note: This topic is covered by the resources below sub-subunit 10.3.4. -
10.3.4 The Thermidorian Reaction and the Directory
- Lecture: Yale University: Professor John Merriman’s “Lecture 6: Maximilien Robespierre and the French Revolution”
Link: Yale University: Professor John Merriman’s “Lecture 6: Maximilien Robespierre and the French Revolution” (YouTube)
Also available in:
HTML, Adobe Flash, Mp3 or QuickTime
iTunes U
Instructions: Please watch the entire 45-minute video lecture linked above. In this video lecture, Merriman talks about the French revolutionary leader Maximilien Robespierre, who instituted the Reign of Terror in France in 1793. Please note that this video covers topics outlined in sub-subunits 10.3.1-10.3.4.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Dr. Steven Kreis’s The History Guide: Lectures on Early Modern European Intellectual History: “Lecture 13: The French Revolution: The Radical Stage: 1792-1794” and Fordham University: Paul Halsall’s “The Radical Revolution”
Links: Dr. Steven Kreis’s The History Guide: Lectures on Early Modern European Intellectual History: “Lecture 13: The French Revolution: The Radical Stage: 1792-1794” (HTML) and Fordham University: Paul Halsall’s “The Radical Revolution” (HTML)
Instructions: Please note that these readings cover topics outlined in sub-subunits 10.3.1-10.3.4. Please read Dr. Kreis’s entire lecture linked above. Then, please read “The Radical Revolution” article linked above. Lecture 13 describes the outbreak of the radical phase of the French Revolution, which included the Terror. “The Radical Revolution” will provide you with a sense of the second, more violent phase of the French Revolution.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.
Note: This topic is covered by the web media below sub-subunit 10.3.1.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Lecture: Yale University: Professor John Merriman’s “Lecture 6: Maximilien Robespierre and the French Revolution”
-
10.3.5 England’s Reaction to the Revolution
- Reading: Dr. Steven Kreis’s The History Guide: Lectures on Early Modern European Intellectual History: “Lecture 14: The Language of Politics: England and the French Revolution” and Fordham University’s Modern History Sourcebook: Paul Halsall’s version of Edmund Burke, Reflections on the Revolution in France, 1791
Links: Dr. Steven Kreis’s The History Guide: Lectures on Early Modern European Intellectual History: “Lecture 14: The Language of Politics: England and the French Revolution” (HTML) and Fordham University’s Modern History Sourcebook: Paul Halsall’s version of Edmund Burke, Reflections on the Revolution in France (HTML), 1791
Also available in: (Edmund Burke)
eText format on the Kindle ($8.89)
ePub format on Google Books
PDF (Scroll down alphabetical title list)
Instructions: Please read the entire lecture 14 linked above. Then, read the entire Modern History Sourcebook webpage, which is an excerpt of Burke’s Reflections.
Dr. Kreis’s lecture talks about England’s reaction to the French Revolution—which ranged from Edmund Burke’s conservatism to Thomas Paine’s radicalism.
The second reading linked here, Reflections, written by the British conservative MP Edmund Burke, is one of the most famous political treatises in European history. Burke offers a sharp critique of the French Revolution—for its violence and its abolition of the monarchy and aristocratic institutions. Burke fears that the radicalism of the French conflict constitutes a withdrawal from the European state system and a rejection of history. In contrast, Burke supports the American Revolution, because it does not involve the execution of a king, senseless bloodshed, or the destruction of long-standing political institutions.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Dr. Steven Kreis’s The History Guide: Lectures on Early Modern European Intellectual History: “Lecture 14: The Language of Politics: England and the French Revolution” and Fordham University’s Modern History Sourcebook: Paul Halsall’s version of Edmund Burke, Reflections on the Revolution in France, 1791
- 10.4 The Rise of Napoleon
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10.4.1 The 18th Brumaire
- Web Media: Khan Academy’s “French Revolution (Part 4)—The Rise of Napoleon Bonaparte”
Link: Khan Academy’s “French Revolution (Part 4)—The Rise of Napoleon Bonaparte” (YouTube)
Instructions: Please watch the above video (approx. 17 minutes), which discusses the last stages of the French Revolution and how Napoleon Bonaparte overthrew the French Directory, replacing it with the French Consulate. Napoleon rose to power under the French First Republic, which formed at the end of the French Revolution, proclaimed himself dictator, and eventually, emperor, under the First French Empire in 1804.
This web media should take 15 minutes to complete.
Terms of Use: This video is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 United States License. It is attributed to the Khan Academy.
Note: This topic is covered by the resources below sub-subunit 10.4.3.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Web Media: Khan Academy’s “French Revolution (Part 4)—The Rise of Napoleon Bonaparte”
-
10.4.2 Emperor Napoleon
Note: This topic is covered by the web media below sub-subunit 10.4.1.
Note: This topic is covered by the resources below sub-subunit 10.4.3. -
10.4.3 Wars and the Continental System
- Web Media: Khan Academy’s “Napoleon and the Wars of the First and Second Coalitions”
Link: Khan Academy’s “Napoleon and the Wars of the First and Second Coalitions” (YouTube)
Instructions: Please watch the above video (approx. 13 minutes), which discusses Napoleon’s early military campaigns. The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon’s French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution, they revolutionized European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly owing to the application of modern mass conscription.
This web media should take 15 minutes to complete.
Terms of Use: This video is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 United States License. It is attributed to the Khan Academy.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Web Media: Khan Academy’s “Napoleon and the War of the Third Coalition”
Link: Khan Academy’s “Napoleon and the War of the Third Coalition” (YouTube)
Instructions: Please watch the above video (approx. 22 minutes). The War of the Third Coalition spanned from 1803 to 1806. Under Napoleon I, it saw the defeat of an alliance of Austria, Portugal, Russia, and others by France and its client states.
This web media should take 30 minutes to complete.
Terms of Use: This video is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 United States License. It is attributed to the Khan Academy.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Web Media: Khan Academy’s “Napoleon and the War of the Fourth Coalition”
Link: Khan Academy’s “Napoleon and the War of the Fourth Coalition” (YouTube)
Instructions: Please watch the above video (approx. 16 minutes). The Fourth Coalition against Napoleon’s French Empire was defeated in a war spanning 1806–1807. Coalition partners included Prussia, Russia, Saxony, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.
This web media should take 15 minutes to complete.
Terms of Use: This video is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 United States License. It is attributed to the Khan Academy.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Web Media: Khan Academy’s “Napoleon’s Peninsular Campaigns”
Link: Khan Academy’s “Napoleon’s Peninsular Campaigns” (YouTube)
Instructions: Please watch the above video (approx. 20 minutes). The Peninsular War occurred between France and the allied powers of Spain, the United Kingdom, and Portugal for control of the Iberian Peninsula.
This web media and note-taking should take 30 minutes to complete.
Terms of Use: This video is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 United States License. It is attributed to the Khan Academy.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Web Media: Khan Academy’s “French Invasion of Russia”
Link: Khan Academy’s “French Invasion of Russia” (YouTube)
Instructions: Please watch the above video (approx. 17 minutes). The French invasion of Russia in 1812 was a turning point in the Napoleonic Wars. It reduced the French invasion forces to a tiny fraction of their initial strength and triggered a major shift in European politics as it dramatically weakened French hegemony in Europe. As a result, the reputation of Napoleon as an undefeated military genius was severely shaken.
This web media should take 15 minutes to complete.
Terms of Use: This video is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 United States License. It is attributed to the Khan Academy.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Web Media: Khan Academy’s “Napoleon Forced to Abdicate”
Link: Khan Academy’s “Napoleon Forced to Abdicate” (YouTube)
Instructions: Please watch the above video (approx. 16 minutes). In the War of the Sixth Coalition (1812–1814), a coalition of Austria, Prussia, Russia, the United Kingdom, Portugal, Sweden, Spain, and a number of German States finally defeated France and drove Napoleon Bonaparte into exile, thereby restoring the French monarchy under Louis XVIII.
This web media should take 15 minutes to complete.
Terms of Use: This video is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 United States License. It is attributed to the Khan Academy.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Lecture: Yale University: Professor John Merriman’s “Lecture 7: Napoleon”
Link: Yale University: Professor John Merriman’s “Lecture 7: Napoleon” (YouTube)
Also available in:
HTML, Adobe Flash, Mp3 or QuickTime
iTunes U
Instructions: Please watch the entire 45-minute video lecture linked above. This video lecture will help to give you a sense of reign of Napoleon—his impact upon France and Europe as a whole. This video lecture covers the topics in sub-subunits 10.3.1-10.3.3.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Dr. Steven Kreis’s The History Guide: Lectures on Early Modern European Intellectual History: “Lecture 15: Europe and the Superior Being: Napoleon” and Fordham University: Paul Halsall’s “Napoleon and Romanticism”
Links: Dr. Steven Kreis’s The History Guide: Lectures on Early Modern European Intellectual History: “Lecture 15: Europe and the Superior Being: Napoleon” (HTML) and Fordham University: Paul Halsall’s “Napoleon and Romanticism” (HTML)
Instructions: These readings cover the topics outlined in sub-subunits 10.3.1-10.3.3. Please read the entire lecture 15 linked above. Then, read “Napoleon and Romanticism” in its entirety. Lecture 15 will discuss the reign of Napoleon Bonaparte, who established himself as dictator of France in 1799. The second reading, “Napoleon and Romanticism” will give you a sense of Napoleon’s reign and his conquest of Europe.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Web Media: University of Washington: University Libraries Digital Collections’ “Napoleonic Period Collection”
Link: University of Washington: University Libraries Digital Collections’ “Napoleonic Period Collection” (HTML)
Instructions: Please browse through the five webpages of digital images of political cartoons from the Napoleonic era. Click on the image in order to enlarge it. These cartoons offer an excellent window into French and English perceptions of Napoleon.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Web Media: Khan Academy’s “Napoleon and the Wars of the First and Second Coalitions”
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Final Exam
- Final Exam: The Saylor Foundation's "HIST201 Final Exam"
Link: The Saylor Foundation's "HIST201 Final Exam"
Instructions: You must be logged into your Saylor Foundation School account in order to access this exam. If you do not yet have an account, you will be able to create one, free of charge, after clicking the link.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Final Exam: The Saylor Foundation's "HIST201 Final Exam"
