History 102 BA Essay Questions 2014
MWH= Merry E. Wiesner-Hanks, Early Modern Europe, 1450-1789 (Cambridge, 2013 or
2006).
Kumin= Beat Kumin (ed.), The European world, 1500-1800 (London, 2009).
Articles listed are available on JSTOR.
1. Was the printing press the most important technological development of the early modern
period? Why or why not?
Suggested readings: MWH, ‘Introduction’, pages 7-12; also Ch 5 pages 166-69 (print
and the reformation); Mark Knights and Angela McShane, ‘From pen to print--a revolution in
communications?’ in Kumin; Elizabeth Eisenstein, ‘An unacknowledged revolution
revisited’, American Historical Review, 107:1 (2002), 87-105; Adrian Johns, ‘How to
acknowledge a revolution’, American Historical Review, 107:1 (2002), 106-125.
2. In early modern Europe was it better to make love or war? In other words: was
diplomacy and marriage a better strategy for consolidating power than armed conflict?
Answer with reference to one or more specific examples.
Suggested readings: MWH Ch 3 ‘Politics and power, 1450-1600’ pages 88-99 and
then pages on specific countries follow; MWH Ch 9 ‘Politics and power, 1600-1789’ pages
316-324; also look to pages on countries for material before 1715; Humfrey Butters and
Henry Cohn, ‘Dynastic politics, religious conflict and reason of state’, in Kümin, 292-302;
Stephen J. Lee, Aspects of European History, 1494-1798 (London, 1984), (SPD e-book, the
chapters are misnumbered on the contents page see ‘The political development of Spain’,
‘The Italian Wars and the Habsburg-Valois struggle’, ‘Foreign policy of Philip II’); M.S.
Anderson, The origins of the modern European state system 1494-1618 (Harlow, 1998), Ch
3-5.
3. Older histories of European exploration supposed that the superiority of European culture
and technology were the most important reasons why Europeans often got the better of
encounters with non-Europeans. More recent histories have revised our understanding of
these encounters, toning down the triumphalism and suggesting the importance of additional
factors such as disease. Identify which factors affected European encounters with the
Americas and evaluate their relative importance to the eventual conquest.
Suggested readings: MWH Ch 7 ‘Europe in the world, 1450-1600’, pages 238-275
(2013 edn) or pages 217-251 (2006 edn); Alfred Crosby, The Columbian voyages, the
Columbian exchange and their historians (Washington, DC, 1987) (ACLS Humanities ebook).
4. Was the Italian Renaissance a significant break with the past? Explain why or why not
with reference to specific examples of change or continuity from one area of cultural activity
(for example politics, art, architecture, literature, medicine or science).
Suggested readings: MWH Ch 4 ‘Cultural and intellectual life, 1450-1600’; E. H.
Gombrich, ‘The Renaissance--period or movement?’, in R. Black (ed.), Renaissance thought:
a reader (London, 2001), 23-46; John Jeffries Martin, ‘The Renaissance--between myth and
history’ in J. J. Martin (ed.), The Renaissance: Italy and beyond (London, 2003), 1-24; Jerry
Brotton, ‘Introduction’ in The Renaissance: a very short introduction, (Oxford, 2006) (SPD
e-book); Peter Burke, The Italian Renaissance: culture and society in Italy (Cambridge,
1988) (Ch. 1 particularly helpful).
5. Why was the Reformation the result when Martin Luther made his protest but not when
earlier reformers (such as John Wyclif or Jan Hus) advocated radical changes to the Catholic
Church? Argue for the importance of one or more specific factors.
Suggested readings: MWH Ch 5 ‘Religious reform and consolidation, 1450-1600’;
H. J. Cohn ‘The Long Reformation: Lutheran’, in Kumin; Stephen J. Lee, Aspects of
European history, 1494-1789 (London, 1984), Ch. 2 and 3 (SPD e-book); Andrew
Cunningham and Ole Peter Grell, The four horsemen of the apocalypse (Cambridge, 2003)
(extracts on Moodle); Anne Laurence ‘Renaissance and reform’ in Peter Elmer (ed.), The
Renaissance in Europe (London, 2000), 1-54 (Moodle).
6. Historians no longer depict the ‘Galileo Affair’ as an example of conflict between science
and religion, but the episode continues to attract new research and new interpretations.
Explain what political and social circumstance contributed to the condemnation of Galileo’s
work on the heliocentric universe. Which were the most important factors and why?
Suggested readings: MWH Ch 10 ‘Cultural and intellectual life, 1600-1789’ pages
367-8 and 373-81 (2013 edn); Mario Biagioli, ‘Galileo, the emblem maker’, Isis, 81:2 (1990),
230-58; Maurice A. Finnocchiaro, ‘Science, religion and the historiography of the Galileo
affair: on the undesirability of oversimplification’, Osiris, 16 (2nd series, 2001), 114-132;
Steven Shapin, The Scientific Revolution (1996), "Introduction" and Ch. 1; J. H. Brooke,
Science and religion: some historical perspectives (Cambridge, 1991), Ch. 2; C. Stein "The
Scientific Revolution" in Kumin.
7. The ‘long’ seventeenth century (c. 1559-1715) is often referred to as an age of religious
wars, in which Catholic and Protestant rulers sought to impose their religious authority. Yet
dynastic concerns and age-old rivalries also directed warfare. Choosing any conflict during
the period, evaluate its causes and argue whether it might accurately be described as a war of
religion.
Suggested readings: MWH Ch 3 ‘Politics and power, 1450-1600’ and Ch 9 ‘Politics
and power, 1600-1789’; Humfrey Butters and Henry Cohn, ‘Dynastic politics, religious
conflict and reason of state’, in Kümin, 292-302; Jeremy Black, ‘Warfare, crisis and
absolutism’ and Steven Gunn, ‘War, religion and state’ in Euan Cameron (ed.), Early modern
Europe: an Oxford History (Oxford, 1999); Diarmaid MacCulloch, ‘Central Europe: religion
contested’ in Reformation: Europe’s house divided, 1490-1700 (London, 2004) (Moodle).
8. Religion permeated many aspects of daily life in early modern Europe, marking the major
life events from birth to death. From our secular age, early modern Europeans certainly
appear more faithful to religion but were they more pious than Europeans today? How strong
is the evidence allowing historians to reconstruct religious belief and practice?
Suggested readings: MWH Ch. 5 ‘Religious reform and consolidation, 1450-1600’
and parts of Ch. 11 ‘Religious consolidation and renewal); David Wootton,’Unbelief in early
modern Europe’, History Workshop, 20 (1985) 82-100; Henry Kamen, Early modern
European society (London, 1999), Ch. 3; Peter Burke, Popular culture in early modern
Europe (Aldershot, 2009) (extract on Moodle; John Bossy, ‘The Counter-reformation and the
people of Catholic Europe’, Past and Present, 47 (1970), 51-70.
9. Why is the history of ordinary people important for helping us to understand the past?
Does this type of history have any potential pitfalls or drawbacks? Support your answer with
examples from early modern Europe (for example, you could use the story of Martin Guerre,
or you could look more generally at the history of daily life, of religious practice or
disease/medicine).
Suggested readings: MWH Ch 2 ‘Individuals in society, 1450-1600’ and Ch 8
‘Individuals in society, 1600-1789’ pages on letters and diaries as sources, 288-292; pages on
medicine, 295-300; pages on women and sexuality, 302-310; Natalie Z. Davis, The return of
Martin Guerre, (Cambridge, Mass, 1983) (extracts on Moodle), read in conjunction with
Robert Finlay,’The refashioning of Martin Guerre’, American Historical Review, 93 (1988),
460-471 (JSTOR) and Natalie Z. Davis., ‘On the lame’, American Historical Review, 93
(1988), 472-603; Steven Ozment, The burgermeister’s daughter: scandal in a sixteenthcentury German town (New York, 1996) (extract on Moodle).
10. How were outsiders, that is people who did not conform to expected social or cultural
norms, treated by early modern European society? Did particular social, economic or
political circumstances affect their treatment? (Answer with reference to specific examples.
You may choose to look at a single locale/state or to compare several. And yes, you can use
this question to look at witches and witchcraft.)
Suggested readings: Penny Roberts, ‘Marginals and deviants’ in Kumin; Henry
Kamen, Early modern European society (London, 2000), Ch. 8; Henry Kamen, The Spanish
Inquisition: an historical revision (London, 1997).
Witches: Brian P. Levack, The witch-hunt in early modern Europe (Harlow, 2006, 3rd
edn), see ‘Introduction’ and ‘Intellectual foundations’ (SPD e-book); MWH on witches: Ch
11 ‘Religious consolidation and renewal, 1600-1789’ pages 433-39; Alison Rowlands,
‘Witchcraft and old women in early modern Germany’, Past and Present, 173 (2001), 50-89
(JSTOR).
Jews/Muslims: MWH, Ch 11 pages 439-448; Henry J. Cohn, ‘Jews and Muslims’ in
Kumin (Moodle); Jonathan Israel, European Jewry in the age of mercantilism (London,
1997) (extract on Moodle);
11. Compare and contrast the idea of absolute power as communicated by writers such as
Jacques Bossuet with the reality of rule in early modern Europe. In other words: was there
such a thing as absolute rule? Make use of one or more specific examples in your answer.
Suggested readings: MWH, Ch. 9, ‘Politics and power, 1600-1789’; Geoffrey
Treasure, The making of modern Europe, 1648-1780, (London, 2003) Ch. 5, SPD e-book;
Jeremy Black, ‘Warfare, crisis and absolutism’ in Euan Cameron (ed.), Early modern
Europe: an Oxford History (Oxford, 1999); Geoffrey Treasure, The making of modern
Europe, 1648-1780 (London, 2003), Ch 5. ‘Questions of Authority’ (SPD e-book).
Some instructions
Sources:
Essays must refer to at least THREE different sources that are either scholarly books,
chapters in scholarly books or journal articles. Students may use websites IN ADDITION
TO THE THREE REQUIRED SOURCES as long as they have determined them to be
reliable and have cited them correctly. Please make reference to the reading list distributed in
class and made available on Moodle. Three sources is the absolute minimum: students
seeking first-class honours should use more.
Questions:
Students are permitted to pose a different question or suggest a modification of the essay
question as long as they discuss this with their tutor at least two weeks in advance of the
deadline.
Content:
Essays must have an argument. Evidence provided should support the argument (or should
demonstrate awareness of counter arguments). Please DO NOT include extensive
biographical information or summaries of events unless they are absolutely pertinent to your
argument.
Referencing:
Please follow the format outlined in the history handbook. Always footnote ideas that are not
your own, direct quotations and factual information that is not common knowledge.
Quoting:
DO NOT QUOTE FROM SECONDARY SOURCES. Write the essay in your own words.
Extra bonus brownie points:
Extra credit will be given to answers that engage with historiography in any way. If you
indicate an understanding that historians have changed their minds and disagreed over the
interpretation of the past your tutor will read your essay with a smile on their face.