HISTORY OF THE ATLANTIC WORLD
- Overview
- Assessment methods
- Learning objectives
- Contents
- Bibliography
- Delivery method
- Teaching methods
- Contacts/Info
None.
The final examination comprises two parts:
1) a two-hour written examination (to be taken without the help of readings or notes), aimed at assessing the knowledge of the readings suggested for the “General” and “Monographic” parts of the course. The test is structured as follows:
• 20 T/F and/or multiple-choice questions, worth 1 point each;
• Two open questions, worth maximum 5 points each.
To be admitted to the second part of the examination, a pass mark is required (at least 18/30) in the first part.
2) An oral examination (two questions) concerning the readings suggested for the “Monographic part” of the course and the other materials uploaded on the e-learning platform by the lecturer.
The mark of the oral examination (expressed on a scale of 30) will take into account the accuracy of the answers (worth 60% of the mark), as well as students’ analytical and presentation skills (worth 40% of the mark).
The final mark is the average of the two marks awarded in the written and oral examinations, both of which must be taken in the same exam session. The pass mark is 18/30.
The course provides an in-depth knowledge of the early modern Atlantic World, from the age of discoveries to the 19th century.
Among the learning objectives we find:
• the knowledge of the main processess and dynamics that characterized the early-moder history of the Atlantic World in a global perspective;
• the knowledge of the different interpretations of the main historical events;
• the ability to interpret, discuss and present the acquired information under the lens of the historical processes.
The course aims to explore the dynamics that characterized the European expansion in the Atlantic World through the analysis of the relations interwoven among Europe, Africa, and the Americas from the 16th to the 19th century.
The course is structured in two parts:
1) a "general part" outlines the main socio-economic and institutional features of early-modern Europe;
2) a "monographic part" focuses on the economic and cultural exchanges that marked the history of the Atlantic World in the shadow of the establishment of colonial empires. Particular attention is devoted to the issue of the slave trade, and the active role of African states in the establishment of trans-Atlantic exchanges.
The "general part" (of about 30 hours) explores in particular the following topics:
- Society in the ancien regime: orders, social groups and forms of political representation
- The European political systems
- The great religious conflicts
- The pre-industrial economy
- The European wars
The "monographic part" (of about 34 hours) analyses the following topics:
- Europe and the Atlantic World: conquest and domination systems
- The formation of the Atlantic empires
- American plantations, the slave trade and the role of Africa
- Crisis and dissolution of colonial empires.
General part:
- Francesco Benigno, L'età moderna. Dalla scoperta dell'America alla Restaurazione, Bari, Laterza, 2005
Monographic part:
- John Elliott, Imperi dell’Atlantico. America britannica e America spagnola 1492-1830, Torino, Einaudi, 2010
- John Thornton, L’Africa e gli africani nella formazione del mondo atlantico, 1400-1800, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2010
The learning objectives will be achieved through 64 lecture hours. Students are expected to participate in the discussions and analysis of additional materials (documents and texts) provided by the lecturer.
Students are required to previously schedule a meeting by sending an e-mail to the lecturer.