LET-GESB106-CEH
Early Modern History 2
Course infoSchedule
Course moduleLET-GESB106-CEH
Credits (ECTS)5
CategoryB1 (First year bachelor)
Language of instructionEnglish
Offered byRadboud University; Faculty of Arts; History;
Lecturer(s)
Coordinator
E.J. Baakman
Other course modules lecturer
Examiner
E.J. Baakman
Other course modules lecturer
Lecturer
E.J. Baakman
Other course modules lecturer
Contactperson for the course
E.J. Baakman
Other course modules lecturer
Lecturer
dr. D.D.R. Raeymaekers
Other course modules lecturer
Academic year2021
Period
PER 2  (08/11/2021 to 30/01/2022)
Starting block
PER 2
Course mode
full-time
Remarks-
Registration using OSIRISYes
Course open to students from other facultiesNo
Pre-registrationNo
Waiting listNo
Placement procedure-
Aims

Upon completion of this course, you will be able to:

  • Describe the main debates and key concepts of the political, religious, cultural, and socio-economic history of the early modern period, and identify connections between them.
  • Apply your knowledge and understanding of this period when completing assignments.
  • Independently apply and reflect on the basic competences of a historian, in particular:
    • Searching, selecting, and critically evaluating relevant literature, sources, and bibliographic tools.
    • Summarising and analysing (academic) literature and sources.
    • Writing an academic text in correct English.
    • Expressing acquired knowledge and insights both verbally and in writing, in correct English
Content
This course offers an introduction to the early modern period (1500–1800), the three centuries sandwiched between the Renaissance and the French Revolution. This period witnessed fundamental changes that still shape our modern world. The Reformation of the sixteenth century shattered the unity of medieval Christendom, creating rival Catholic and Protestant churches that clashed in civil war. The invention of the printing press revolutionized communication, facilitating the exchange of new ideas about politics, faith, and science. Politically, rulers and states greatly extended their control over the territories and people they ruled, but by the 1780s this rise in state power would be fiercely contested by American, French, and Dutch revolutionaries. The early modern period also witnessed the rise of a global economy, which brought great wealth to Europe but also inflicted slavery, colonial domination, and economic inequality on non-Europeans populations. As the legacy of these developments can still be felt today, this module in early modern history will be essential to understanding the challenges that face our modern world.
Level

Presumed foreknowledge

Test information

Specifics

Required materials
Book
In Early Modern History we use the textbook John McKay et al., A History of Western Society Since 1300 (12th edition, 2017). This edition is most widely available at the moment. Recently, a new edition of this textbook has been published Merry Wiesner-Hanks et al., A History of Western Society Since 1300 (13th edition, 2020). You are allowed to use this new edition, but it is likely very expensive and may not be easily available. It is also permitted to use John McKay et al., A History of Western Society, Combined Volume (12th edition, 2017).
ISBN:9781319031015
Title:A History of Western Society Since 1300
Author:John McKay et al.
Edition:12
Book
ISBN:9789462986398
Title:Writing History! A Companion for Historians
Author:Jeanette Kamp et al.
Publisher:Amsterdam University Press 2018
Edition:1

Instructional modes
Seminar
Attendance MandatoryYes

Tests
Written Exam
Test weight100
Test typeWritten exam
OpportunitiesBlock PER 2, Block PER 3

Minimum grade
5,5