HIST 1161: History of Europe 1500-1789
Students learn to evaluate and understand the complex processes involved in the development of early modern Europe from 1500‒1789. Students engage with a brief background to medieval institutions and then focus on the late Renaissance, the Reformation, European expansion, Absolutism, Enlightenment and the origins of the French Revolution. Students critically examine political, intellectual, cultural, and social aspects of European development. Students pay special attention to understanding the dynamics of first encounters between Europeans and Indigenous populations around the globe, as well as demonstrating the complexities of early modern European history in written format, particularly through the critical evaluation of primary and secondary sources.
Learning outcomes
- Evaluate and assess primary and secondary historical sources, critically.
- Develop critical thinking skills by communicating plausible, evidence-based arguments, in written format.
- Identify and describe major themes and events of Early Modern Europe.
- Critically assess first encounters between Europeans and Indigenous populations around the globe, during the age of European expansion.
- Critically articulate how ideas of the individual’s role within society changed over time, especially in relation to subject vs. citizen, as modern political and social structures developed.
- Disseminate information and knowledge, particularly in written format.
- Explain how ideas and knowledge about the world changed over time, particularly in relation to shifts in scientific and religious viewpoints.
Course topics
- Unit 1: Introduction
- Unit 2: Europe in the Age of Religious Upheaval
- Unit 3: Europe in the Age of Scientific Discovery
- Unit 4: Europe in the Age of Territorial Expansion
- Unit 5: Daily Life in Early Modern Europe
- Unit 6: Europe in the Age of Absolutism and Enlightenment
Required text and materials
Students are responsible for purchasing the required materials on their own:
- Morton, P. A. (Ed.). (2017). The Trial of Tempel Anneke: Records of a Witchcraft Trial in Brunswick, Germany, 1663. (2nd ed., B. Dähms, Trans.). University of Toronto Press.
Type: E-Textbook. ISBN: 9781442634893 / 9781442634879
Note: This item can be purchased directly from the following VitalSource link.
Assessments
Please be aware that should your course have a final exam, you are responsible for the fee to the online proctoring service, ProctorU, or to the in-person approved Testing Centre. Please contact exams@tru.ca with any questions about this.
To successfully complete this course, students must achieve a passing grade of 50% or higher on the overall course, and 50% or higher on the final mandatory exam.
| Assignment 1: Primary Source Analysis | 10% |
| Assignment 2: Reading Quizzes | 5% |
| Assignment 3: Secondary Source Analysis | 15% |
| Assignment 4: Reflective Journal | 10% |
| Assignment 5: Analytical Paper | 30% |
| Mandatory Final Exam | 30% |
| Total | 100% |
Open Learning Faculty Member Information
An Open Learning Faculty Member is available to assist students. Students will receive the necessary contact information at the start of the course.
