Today's Frame- The Scientific Revolution

How does science challenge a society’s understanding of the world as well as its values and convictions?  ... And how does Galileo's story epitomize this phenomenon?

Today's Frame- English Constitutionalism

English events, including the English Civil War, The Restoration, and the Glorious Revolution contributed to the world's first constitutional monarchy and limitation placed upon monarchs in Europe.  How did these disparate events ultimately lead England down the path of constitutionalism?

Today's Frame- Tsarist Russia

Why did Peter The Great seek to "westernize" Russia- and what was the overall impact?

Today's Frame- The Nation-State

What conditions led to the development of the nation-state in Western Europe? And why is Westphalia credited with the ultimate creation of the modern state as we know it?

Here's a link to the "Nation Table" document we will beusing for the remainder of the semester.

Today's Frame- Spain's Rise and Fall

How and why did Spain rise to a dominant position in Europe, only to crash down rapidly- all within a century or so?

Today's Frame- transatlantic slave trade

How were the transatlantic slave trade and the triangular trade inextricably linked to the colonization of the "New World" by the Europeans?

Today's Frame- Columbian Exchange

Why did the Columbian Exchange represent a profoundly heightened level of global integration of the world after the turn of the 16th century?  

The World's Columbian Exposition, Chicago, 1893.  This World's Fair celebrated the 400th anniversary of Columbus' maiden voyage.  NOTE: it has nothing to do with the Columbian Exchange itself per se.

Today's Frame- Spanish Conquest

What do the stories of Cortes' conquest of the Aztecs and Pizarro's conquest of the Inca tell us about Spanish motives in the "New World"?  Whose voices do we hear- and what connections can be made to Jared Diamond's central thesis in Guns, Germs, and Steel?

Today's Frame- Iberian Exploration.... and Memes!

Today's Frame: How were Iberian explorers motivated by “God, Gold, and Glory” during the Age of Exploration?

And a "meme" below:

Today's Frame- West Africa

In West Africa, civilization flowered in the sahel, ultimately growing into the Ghana, Mali, and Songhai empires.  What were the dominant cultural characteristics of these empires?

Today's Frame: Ancient Civilizations of Latin America

How did the unique geography of the Maya, Aztec, and Inca affect the development of each civilization?