Rise of the West

Problems in World History
Class Calendar

The Rise of the West and the First Global System

Problem: What explains the "Rise of the West" between 1492 and 1900? Through this problem we raise important historiographic issues and join a heated debate among today's historians. What internal changes (within Europe) supported the West's growth? Were external changes (outside Europe) important? How did the world system shift during these years?

Crisis in the 14th Century World SystemHow did the various regions of world interact? Where were the centers of interaction? What role did Africa, China, Dar-al Islam, Europe and the Americas play in these interactions? How did events such as the Mongol conquest or the Bubonic plague alter the system? Changes in the World System
How did the world system change from the mid-14th through mid-18th centuries? What characteristics define the emerging global network? What key or pivitol events established these changes?
Why Europe? Why not China? Or Dar-al Islam? Or Amerindia? As everyone knows, "In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue." Did other parts of the world have the technology, know how and motivation to cross the Atlantic? For example, what do the voyages of Admiral Cheng-he tell us about China's capabilities for ocean travel?

Changes within Europe
What changes within Europe prior to 1492 stimulated or allowed exploration? How did the changes in religion support or hinder exploration? Did changes in thinking support exploration? Or art? Or in economics? Or politics?
Columbian Exchange Which countries participated in the voyages of exploration? How did native peoples and newcomers interact? What did the peoples of the "new" and "old" world exchange? What flora, fauna, goods, diseases and ideas moved back and forth across the Atlantic? Your Interpretation
So, what do you think were the key elements in Europe's rise? Your turn to join the historiographic debate forming your own interpretation of the evidence and "taking on" the experts.

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Contact: Bob Bain at bbain@umich.edu

Crisis in the 14th Century World SystemHow did the various regions of world interact? Where were the centers of interaction? What role did Africa, China, Dar-al Islam, Europe and the Americas play in these interactions? How did events such as the Mongol conquest or the Bubonic plague alter the system?	Changes in the World System How did the world system change from the mid-14th through mid-18th centuries? What characteristics define the emerging global network? What key or pivitol events established these changes?	Why Europe? Why not China? Or Dar-al Islam? Or Amerindia? As everyone knows, "In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue." Did other parts of the world have the technology, know how and motivation to cross the Atlantic? For example, what do the voyages of Admiral Cheng-he tell us about China's capabilities for ocean travel?
Changes within Europe What changes within Europe prior to 1492 stimulated or allowed exploration? How did the changes in religion support or hinder exploration? Did changes in thinking support exploration? Or art? Or in economics? Or politics?	Columbian Exchange Which countries participated in the voyages of exploration? How did native peoples and newcomers interact? What did the peoples of the "new" and "old" world exchange? What flora, fauna, goods, diseases and ideas moved back and forth across the Atlantic?	Your Interpretation So, what do you think were the key elements in Europe's rise? Your turn to join the historiographic debate forming your own interpretation of the evidence and "taking on" the experts.