Human Legacy

Course Syllabus

Purpose

This course provides students with a thorough survey of the significant political, socio-
economic, and cultural features of human history from the beginnings of civilization to the
contemporary period. Using both primary and secondary sources and document-based
investigation, students trace the emergence of the interdependence between world regions-an
interaction stimulated by European invasions and colonizations and sustained by the
contributions of the non-western regions.

In Part I, students will learn about early urbanization and empire, the origin and spread
of world religious traditions, the diffusion of technology and scientific knowledge, the
development of democratic-republican governments, and the origins and outcomes of major
political revolutions.

In Part II, students will explore the causes of war, the impact of religion, science, and
technology on human communities, the development of global systems of slavery, colonialism,
and labor migration, the historic origins of contemporary economic systems, the growth of
empires, and the rise of nationalisms and their connection to imperialism and reform.

Course Outline

I. The Dawn of Civilization

A. The Beginnings of Civilization
1. The First People
2. The Beginning of Agriculture
3. Foundations of Civilization
B. The Ancient Near East
1. Mesopotamia & Sumer
2. Fertile Crescent Empires
3. The Hebrews & Judaism
4. The Persian Empire
C. Nile Civilizations
1. The Kingdom of Egypt
2. Egyptian Culture
3. The Nubian Kingdoms
D. Ancient India & China
1. Early India
2. Hinduism
3. Buddhism
4. China's First Dynasties
II. The Growth of Civilizations
A. Classical Greece
1. Early Greece
2. The Classical Age
3. Greek Achievements
4. Alexander The Great & His Legacy
 B. Rome & Early Christianity
1. The Foundations of Rome
2. From Republic To Empire
3. Roman Society & Culture
4. The Rise of Christianity
5. The Fall of Rome
C. The Americas
1. North America
2. Mesoamerica
3. South America
D. Empires of China & India
1. The Growth of China
2. Chinese Society & Culture
3. Early Indian Dynasties
4. Indian Society & Culture
III. Cultures In Contact
A. Muslim Civilization
1. The Origins of Islam
2. The Spread of Islam
3. Society & Culture
B. African Kingdoms
1. Early Civilizations In Africa
2. Trading States of East Africa
3. Kingdoms of West Africa
C. Cultures of East Asia
1. Chinese Empires
2. The Mongol Empire
3. Japan & Korea
4. Civilizations of Southeast Asia
IV. Medieval Europe
A. Kingdoms & Christianity
1. The Byzantine Empire
2. The Rise of Russia
3. Christianity In Western Europe
B. The Early Middle Ages
1. Charlemagne's Empire
2. New Invaders
3. The Feudal & Manorial Systems
4. The Growth of Monarchies...
5. Power of the Church
C. The High Middle Ages
1. The Crusades
2. Trade & Towns
3. Art & Culture of the Middle Ages
4. Challenges of the Late Middle Ages
V. New Ideas, New Empires
A. Renaissance & Reformation
1. The Italian Renaissance
2. The Northern Renaissance
 3. The Protestant Reformation
4. The Counter-Reformation
B. Exploration & Expansion
1. Voyages of Discovery
2. Conquest & Colonies
3. New Patterns of Trade
4. The Atlantic Slave Trade
C. New Asian Empires
1. The Ottoman & Safavid Empires
2. The Mughal Empire
3. The Ming & Qing Dynasties
4. Medieval Japan & Korea
VI. Changes In European Society
A. The Monarchs of Europe
1. The Power of Spain
2. Absolute Monarchy & France
3. Monarchy in England
4. Rulers of Russia & Central Europe
B. Enlightenment & Revolution
1. The Scientific Revolution
2. The Enlightenment
3. The American Revolution
C. The French Revolution & Napoleon
1. The Revolution Begins
2. The Republic
3. Napoleon's Europe
4. Napoleon's Fall & Europe's Reaction
VII. Industrialization & Nationalism
A. The Industrial Revolution
1. A New Kind of Revolution
2. Factories & Workers
3. New Ideas In A New Society
B. Life In The Industrial Age
1. Advances In Technology
2. Scientific & Medical Achievements
3. Daily Life In The Late 1800s
C. Reforms, Revolutions, & War
1. Reforms In The British Empire
2. Revolution & Change In France
3. Independence In Latin America
4. Expansion & War In The United States
D. Nationalism In Europe
1. Italian Unification
2. German Unification
3. Austria-Hungary & The Ottoman Empire
4. Unrest In Russia
E. The Age of Imperialism
1. The British In India
2. East Asia & The West
 3. The Scramble For Africa
4. Imperialism In Latin America
VIII. The World At War
A. World War I
1. The Great War Begins
2. A New Kind of War
3. Revolution In Russia
4. The War Ends
B. The Interwar Years
1. Unrest In Asia & Africa
2. The Great Depression
3. Japanese Imperialism
4. Dictators In Europe
C. World War II
1. Axis Aggression
2. The Allied Response
3. The Holocaust
4. The End of the War
IX. The Contemporary World
A. Europe & North America
1. Beginnings of the Cold War
2. Superpower Rivalries
3. Changing Societies
4. After The Cold War
B. Asia
1. South Asia After Empire
2. Independence Struggles In Southeast Asia
3. Communist China
4. The Rise of Pacific Rim Economies
C. Africa & The Middle East
1. African Nations Gain Independence
2. Post-Colonial Africa
3. Nationalism In North Africa & The Middle East
4. Conflicts In The Middle East
D. Latin America
1. Revolution & Intervention
2. The Rise of Dictatorships
3. Democratic & Economic Reforms
E. Today's World
1. Trade & Globalization
2. Social Challenges
3. Threats To World Security
4. Environment & Technology