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?