First Day: Why Study History?

Why study history?

How will we study

history in this course?

How can you perform

well in this class?

Why study history?

“The struggle of man against power is the struggle of memory against forgetting”

-Milan Kundera,

Czech writer

Why Study History?

“Life must be lived forward but can only be understood looking backward”

-Soren Kierkegaard,

Existential philosopher

Why Study History?

“The purpose of history is to enable every person to judge for himself what will secure or endanger his or her freedom.”

Pax Romana Pax Britannica Pax Americana

40-500 CE 1700-1945 1945 to present

With power comes responsibilities….

“Since September 11, 2001, it has become imperative that Americans strive to be the most principled and well-informed global citizens we can be.” - Thomas Friedman, prize-winning journalist

Why Study History?

“History is the mother

of all disciplines.”

“SPICE FACTORS”• Society

• Politics & leadership

• Intellectual Innovations

• Culture: Art, music, creativity

• Economics and trade

How will we study history in this course?1. Identify the “3 I’s”: Individuals, Ideas, Innovations

of modern European history (1450 to present)

2. Interpret Big Ideas & Themes that explain Europe’s global significance

3. Engage in Civic Discourse: Effective Communication in Writing & Speaking

4. A.P. Exam Prep : DBQ, Free Response Essays, Multiple Choice

5. Use “History Habits of Mind” to arrive at deep meaning.

Six History Habits of Mind (the “6 C’s”):

Chronology: There is an order of events that narrates the past;

Complexity: Multiple factors explain why things happen in history ex., SPICE factors

Continuity & Change: Some things change, some endure or persist. Careful thinking will slowly reveal continuity and change.

Context: the surrounding circumstances and background; the “temper of the times” that must be understood to interpret an event, document, idea, motives;

Contingency: the different options people faced when making decisions in the past; often disproves “inevitability”

Causality: Events have long and short term causes and effects, and some causes are more important than others;

Course goals….• Sharpen your ability to interpret history, using

evidence from diverse sources of information and diverse points of view;

• Acquire a historic perspective on the lives of people both past and present;

• Develop an appreciation for the struggles of others to overcome hardship and create a better world.

How can you performHow can you perform well in this class? well in this class?

• Be nice.

• Work hard.

• Have fun.

How can you perform well in this class?

• Cultivate your mind by being curious and by seeking meaning. Ask, “well, how did we get here?”

• Effort creates achievement. Each day offers a chance for improvement. Persevere despite setbacks or challenges. Practice makes better.

• Practice civic discourse: engage in discussion

actively and courteously and work to improve your communication skills, in writing and in discussion

• Strive for excellence: expect the best from yourself daily, and exercise mental stamina and self-control.

Effort creates achievement. Your work ethic will determine your success in this course!

“Men are pretty much alike; it isLearning and practice that set

Them apart” - Confucius

“The Unexamined Life Is Not Worth Living”

Your curiosity aboutthe past is crucialto your success in

this class.

Sept. 11, 2001:

“America’s wake-up call”

Tonight and tomorrow:Why Study European History?

Homework:

1.Using the text book, identify the authors’ thesis about why it is important to study European history.

2. Identify and be prepared to discuss how the authors support their thesis :“the indexes of modernity”.

What is the thesis of this course?

Well, first of all, do you

remember what

IS a THESIS?

What is thesis?

A historian’s interpretation of the main causes, effects and significance of a historical event, based on an analysis of the evidence.

Some theses are more reasonable or plausible than others.

What is thesis? “The world of the historian, like the world of the scientist, is not a photographic copy of the real world, but rather a working model

which enables him more or less effectively to understand it and to master it. The

historian distils from the experience of the past rummaging through the ragbag of observed ‘facts’, selecting the relevant, rejecting the irrelevant, until what is sewn together is a logical and rational quilt of ‘knowledge’ …”

E.H.Carr, What is History?

Second Lesson:Why study European

History?

Why study European History?

Recap from yesterday:

How will we study history in this course?

Why study European History?

Unit Essential Question:

Does Europe Still Matter?

The Six C’s of History: WWIChronology:

Complexity:

Causality:

Continuity & Change:

Context:

Contingency:

Expectations:• Read nightly from among several college level texts, both

secondary and primary sources.

• Improve your ability to engage in civic discourse by actively practicing public speaking skills and leadership in class;

• Cultivate your ability to research, analyze and interpret history;

• Strive to make meaning by consciously using the 6 “C”s of history

“Adolescents entering the adult world in the 21st century will read and write more than at any other time in human history. They will need advanced levels of literacy to perform their jobs, run their households, act as citizens , and conduct their personal lives”.

-Richard Vacca

The USA is currently the most powerful empire in the world. With empire comes responsibilities.

Are YOU up for the challenge ?

What is the thesis of this course?

Homework:

1.Using the text book, identify the authors’ thesis about why it is important to study European history.

2. Identify and be prepared to discuss how the authors support their thesis (“the indexes of modernity”)

What is the thesis of this course?

“To understand the modern world, it is necessary to begin by looking at Europe”

-Palmer & Colton,

A History of the

Modern World

What are the indexes of modernity?

• Pressures for increased democracy• Loosening of old customs• Questioning of ancestral religions; increased

secularization• Demands for individual liberation• Expectation of a higher standard of living• Drive for more equality (gender, race, class, religious,

nationalities)• Elaborate means of transportation and communication• Advanced science, medicine, hygiene, agriculture• Sophisticated means for fighting or negotiating peace• Complex networks of finance and trade

What are the indexes of modernity?

• Pressures for increased democracy• Loosening of old customs• Questioning of ancestral religions; increased

secularization• Demand for individual liberation• Expectation of a higher standard of living• Drive for more equality (gender, race, class, religious,

nationalities)• Elaborate means of transportation and communication• Advanced science, medicine, hygiene, agriculture• Sophisticated means for fighting or negotiating peace• Complex networks of finance and trade

What is the thesis of this course?

“To understand the modern world, it is necessary to begin by looking at Europe”

-Palmer & Colton,

A History of the

Modern World

PROBLEMATIC? CONTROVERSIAL?

NEW MONARCHS ABSOLUTE MONARCHS ENLIGHTENED NATION-STATESDESPOTS - DEMOCRACY

-CONSTITUTIONAL MONARCHY -TOTALITARIANISM

1450 1500 1600 1700 1800 1900

Great Chain of Being Deism “God is Dead”

REFORMATION WARS OF RELIGION ENLIGHTENMENT REALISM SCI. REV. ROMANTICISM

OPENING OF ATLANTIC COMMERCIAL REV/ INDUSTRIAL REV. MERCANTILISM IMPERIALISM

SMITH MARX KEYNES

1453: 1555: 1648: 1756: 1815: 1919: 1945:CONSTANTINOPLE AUGSBURG WESTPHALIA PARIS VIENNA VERSAILLES

YALTA

SPAIN – UNIVERSAL MONARCHY FRENCH HEGEMONY/BALANCE OF POWER PAX BRITANNICA SUPER POWERS

SPAIN V.PORTUGAL DUTCH GOLDEN AGE FRENCH DONMINANCE BRITISH DOMINANCE

German, USSR Italian Unification

Renaissance Reformation Louis XIV French Rev. Nationalism