This course concentrates on the on the 'age of exploration' and its impact on the Early Modern World, 1453-1715. It provides students interested in the history of Early Modern Europe, the Atlantic world, the history of Africa and colonial Latin America a general understanding of the ideologies and institutions that enabled Europe to colonize parts of Africa and the Americas during this important period in world history. Specific topics include: medieval precedents of early modern imperialism; theories of monarchy and empire; ideologies of conquest and colonization; the continuity of Native cultures and beliefs; the relevance of race and slavery in understanding European influence in Africa and the Americas; and the creation of an Atlantic economy.
