Social History of Early Modern Europe
Fall 2013
This course explores the ways in which Europeans formed communities and grappled with problems such as poverty, inequality, and social difference between 1500 and 1800. Throughout the semester, we ask how individuals, families, and communities made their way in a world of rapid change. We will explore this question through themes such as urban and rural life, trade, agriculture, and kinship. We shall pay particular attention to changing understandings of human rights, conceptions of gender and racial differences, and responses to economic inequality, from charity to rebellion. Through lectures, class discussions, and readings, we consider the experiences of peasants, merchants, nobles, beggars, and criminals, just to name a few. Written work includes papers and exams (midterm and final).
