HIST 301 Modern Europe, Part I (18th Century)
Course Objectives
History 301 is a survey of eighteenth-century Europe. The course is roughly
divided into three parts. In the first third of the course we will survey
the social, political, and economic structures of the "Old Regime";
in the second third of the class we will look at some of the trends undermining
these institutions; and in the last third of the quarter we will turn
our attention to the French Revolution and its impact both in France and
in Europe.
This course assumes little or no familiarity with European history. There
are no prerequisites, though expectations are higher here than in the
intro-level courses (History 101, 102, 103, for instance). It is the first
quarter of a year-long survey of modern European history. And while I
hope that those who take this course will consider taking the following
quarter as well, History 301 is designed to stand on its own.
Course Requirements
Due to its size this is primarily a lecture course. Lectures are designed
to complement the readings, but not everything in the lectures are in
the readings and vice versa. Please take the hint: only those who attend
class regularly and do the readings should expect to do well.
Final grades will be compiled on the basis of one or two papers (see
below), a midterm, and a final exam. The grades will compiled as follows:
Two papers: 20% each (due in class October 21 and November 25)
Midterm: 25% - October 28
Final: 35% - Wednesday, December 10, 8:00 (A.M.!)
Required Texts (available in university bookstore
and on reserve at Knight)
Isser Woloch, Eighteenth-century Europe.
Jack R. Censer and Lynn Hunt, Liberty, Equality, Fraternity: Exploring
the French Revolution.
Voltaire, Candide. Ed. Robert M. Adams. 2nd ed.. New York: Norton, 1991.
Course packet
Course Schedule (readings from Freedman
listed by document number and topic/author)
| Week 1 |
Reading |
|
September 30: Introduction: the social structure of 18th-century
Europe
October 2: Eighteenth-century monarchies
|
October 2 Reading: Woloch, 1-35; Bossuet, Politics
Derived from the Very Words of Holy Scripture (doc. #1, in course
packet); Domat, Public Law, and Succession of Civil Laws in their
Natural Order (doc. #1b); A Royal Tongue-Lashing (doc. #2).
Also: Act of Settlement (doc. #3); Blackstone on the constitution
(#4); misc. documents on royal prerogative (doc. #5, from "The
king's power …" to "Appointment of ministers: views
of 1812")
|
| Week 2 |
Reading |
|
October 7: Rural society, lords and peasants, and the manor
system
October 9: Urban society
|
October 7 Reading: Woloch, 60-91
October 9 Reading: Woloch 90-102
|
| Week 3 |
Reading |
|
October 14: Manufacture, commerce, and trade
October 16: The plantation system, colonies and the slave-trade
|
October 14 Reading: Woloch 102-35; Selections from
Daniel Defoe, The Complete English Tradesman in Familiar Letters
(document #6, paginated 142-8 and 197-9; and Addison, "The
Royal Exchange," (document #7)
October 16 Reading: Woloch 135-45; letters from David Morton
(document #8); and Letters of a West African trader, Edward Grace,
1767-70 (document #9); Report of Committees of the House of
Commons on Enclosure (document #10)
|
| Week 4 |
Reading |
|
October 21: Problems of poverty and social control
>>>>>>> First paper due
October 23: The church and religious belief
|
October 21 Reading: Woloch, 146-82
October 23 Reading: Woloch 271-300
|
| Week 5 |
Reading |
|
October 28: Midterm exam
October 30: Culture: the example of the baroque
|
October 30 Reading: Woloch, 183-230
|
| Week 6 |
Reading |
|
November 4: The Enlightenment
November 6: An example of Enlightenment though: Voltaire
and Candide
|
November 4 Reading: Voltaire, Candide, 1-39
(chapters 1-19)
November 6 Reading: Voltaire, Candide, 39-126,
144-167, 181-186
|
| Week 7 |
Reading |
|
November 11: Voltaire continued
November 13: The state and military power in the 18th century
|
November 11 Reading: Voltaire, Candide, 39-126,
144-167, 181-186
November 13 Reading: Woloch, 36-59
|
| Week 8 |
Reading |
|
November 18: The outbreak of revolution in France
November 20: The course of the Revolution
|
November 18 Reading: Woloch, 301-22; Censer/Hunt,
1-47
November 20 Reading: Censer/Hunt, 49-115
|
| Week 9 |
Reading |
|
November 25: Revolution in the colonies
>>>>> second paper due
November 27: No class (Thanksgiving break)
|
November 25 Reading: Censer/Hunt 116-38
|
| Week 10 |
Reading |
|
Dececmber 2: Napoleon's Empire
Dececmber 4: The legacy of the French Revolution and general
conclusions
|
Dececmber 2 Reading: Censer/Hunt, 140-169
Dececmber 4 Reading: Censer/Hunt, 171-178, 186-196
(history majors and anyone interested in how the writing of history
intersects with politics are also advised to read pages 178-86)
|
| Week 11 (Finals Week) |
|
Final Exam: Wednesday, December 10, 8:00
|
|
|
