HIS102Y1

Empires, Encounters and Exchanges

Can we speak of “international relations” before the modern concept of nation-states was established? What forms did globalization take in the pre-modern era? How did early global exchange shape our world today? Students in this course study interactions among peoples, empires, and cultures, in multiple regions of the world (specific areas and time periods will change depending on the professors teaching in any given year). Topics include the impact of new goods and technologies; dissemination of ideas and religions; voyages of migration and exploration; and episodes of conquest and colonization. Analysis of primary sources and intensive focus on becoming strong writers.