History 3880: Renaissance and Reformation Europe
T Th 9:40-11:05, Crouch 219, Spring 2011
Elizabeth Dachowski
413-D Crouch
615-963-5507
edachowski@tnstate.edu
faculty.tnstate.edu/edachowski
Office Hours: M 8:30-10:30, Tu and Th 9:00-9:30 and 11:15-2:45
COURSE MATERIALS
Sandra Sider, Handbook to Life in Renaissance Europe
James D. Tracy, Europe’s Reformations, 1450-1650
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course will cover developments in European history from the Renaissance until the
Industrial Revolution, roughly from 1300 until 1500, a period sometimes referred to as the
"Early Modern Period." This was a period of incredible social, political, and religious change.
In addition to providing background about this time and place in history, this course will
help you develop basic skills for studying history (as laid out in the “Overview of Standards of
Historical Thinking” of the National Center for History in the Schools at
http://www.sscnet.ucla.edu/nchs/standards/thinking5-12.html):
1. Chronological Thinking
2. Historical Comprehension
3. Historical Analysis and Interpretation
4. Historical Research Capabilities
5. Historical Issues-Analysis and Decision-Making
In addition, you will improve your skills in reading, writing, note-taking, and critical thinking.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
Midterm Exam
15%
Final Exam
15%
Participation
10%
Pre-writing assignments
10%
Book review
15%
Document analysis
10%
Final Paper
25%
100%
Exams will consist of essays, terms, and a map. You will be given a list of essays a week
in advance; two will appear on the exam; you will write on one of them. On the final exam, you
will also write one essay on the entire course (given in advance).
Attendance and participation will depend on active participation, including being
prepared to discuss primary source readings, engaging in discussion, as well as regular
attendance (being present for the whole class, not coming late or leaving early).
Written assignments include a book review, an analysis of a primary source
document for European history during this period, and a final paper. You may rewrite any
paper for a higher grade. Paper rewrites will be due one week from the date papers are handed
back (whether you are there or not).
Deadlines and missed classes: Students are expected to attend all class meetings, to
participate in all in-class activities, and to hand in out-of-class written work in class according to
the schedule below. Students who miss a paper deadline without an adequate excuse may be
given permission to submit a late paper at the instructor's discretion but will lose days available
for rewriting. Students handing in paper rewrites without having first handed in the
corresponding paper will receive a 10% penalty and will have forfeited all opportunity to rewrite.
No late paper rewrites will be accepted. No assignments may be submitted after the final exam
date. Students who miss an examination must contact the instructor immediately (as soon as
they know they will miss) to determine if the exam can be made up and under what conditions.
In order for late penalties to be waived, legitimate requests for extensions must be submitted
before the due date. Let the instructor know immediately if you must miss a deadline or an
exam.
Academic Integrity: Cheating on exams and papers is unacceptable. If you cheat,
expect a grade of F on the assignment and/or failure of the course. Plagiarism is a form
of cheating in which someone passes off someone else's work as his or her own. If you use
someone's exact words, use quotation marks and cite the author's name. If you summarize
someone's ideas, cite the author and title of the work. If you plagiarize, expect a grade of F
on the assignment and/or failure of the course.
SCHEDULE OF DISCUSSIONS, LECTURES, READINGS
Th Jan 13
Introduction
Tu Jan 18
European States
Readings: Sider, chapter 1; Jean Froissart, “How Philip Van Artevelde was made governor of
Ghent” (http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/1386ghent.html)
Th Jan 20
Warfare in Europe
Readings: Sider, chapter 7; Tracy, chapter 8
Prewriting assignment due: Quotation Quiz, Primary Source Quiz
Tu Jan 25
Religion: Medieval Background
Readings: Tracy, chapter 3; “Tales of the Devil” (http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/talesdevil.html)
Th Jan 27
Religion: Medieval Background
Readings: Sider, chapter (pp. 29-47 and 54-58 only) and chapter 11 (pp. 269-279 only)
Paper due: Primary Source Analysis
Tu Feb 1
Economy and Society
Readings: Sider, chapter 8; Tracy, chapter 12; “Business Partnership . . . “
(http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/1242barcelonabusagreement.html)
Th Feb 3
Economy and Society
Readings: Sider, chapter 11 (pp. 279-285 only) and chapter 12
Prewriting assignment due: Database Activity
Tu Feb 8
Village and Town
Readings: George Huppert, After the Black Death, chapters I-III (TSU e-reserve)
Th Feb 10
Renaissance: Writing
Readings: Sider, chapter 5
Paper Rewrite due: Primary Source Analysis
Tu Feb 15
Renaissance: Performing Arts
Readings: Sider, chapter 6; Petrarch, “On the Scarcity of Copyists”
(http://history.hanover.edu/texts/petrarch/pet14.html)
Th Feb 17
Renaissance: Visual Arts
Readings: Sider, chapter 3
Paper due: Book Review
Tu Feb 22
Renaissance: Visual Arts
Readings: Sider, chapter 4; Giorgio Vasari, “Michel Angelo”
(http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/basis/vasari/vasari26.htm)
Th Feb 24
Europe and the World
Readings: Sider, chapter 9
Pre-writing assignment due: Preliminary Annotated Bibliography
Tu Mar 1
Europe and the World
Readings: Vasco da Gama, “Round Africa to India”
(http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1497degama.html)
Th Mar 3
Mid-term Exam
Mar 7-11
Spring Break
Tu Mar 15
Reformation: Background
Readings: Tracy, chapters 1-3 (note that chapter 3 is a review); council of Constance, decrees
on Jan Hus (in Session 15, following decrees on Wycliff,
http://www.ewtn.com/library/COUNCILS/CONSTANC.HTM)
Th Mar 17
Reformation: Luther’s beginnings
Readings: Tracy, chapter 4
Paper rewrite due: Book Review
Tu Mar 22
Reformation: Early Evolution of Protestantism
Readings: Tracy, chapter 5; Martin Luther, “95 Theses”
(http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/luther95.txt)
Th Mar 24
Reformation: Calvin
Readings: Tracy, chapter 6
Pre-writing assignment due: Thesis Statement
Tu Mar 29
Radical Reformation
Readings: Tracy, chapter 6 (review with an eye to this topic); “conversion of Menno Simons”
(http://www.mennosimons.net/ft002-renunciation.html)
Pre-writing assignment due: Outline
Th Mar 31
Catholic Revival
Readings: Tracy, chapter 7
Pre-writing assignment due: Sample Paragraphs
Tu Apr 5
English Reformation
Readings: Tracy, chapter 11; Queen Elizabeth I, “Proclamation Forbidding Preaching”
(http://history.hanover.edu/texts/engref/er77.html)
Th Apr 7
Wars of Religion
Readings: Tracy, chapter 9
Paper due: Research Paper
Tu Apr 12
Politics of Reformation
Readings: Tracy, chapter 10; Dutch Declaration of Independence
(http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1581dutch.html)
Th Apr 14
Superstition and Religion
Readings: Brian Levack, “The Great Witch Hunt” (on TSU e-reserve); “Witch Persecution at
Trier” (http://history.hanover.edu/texts/trier.html)
Tu Apr 19
Science and Alchemy
Readings: Sider, chapter 10; “the Secret Book of Artephius,” paragraphs 1-5
(http://www.levity.com/alchemy/artephiu.html); Bernardino Telesio, “On the Nature of Things”
(http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/telesio1565.html)
Th Apr 21
Town and Country
Readings: George Huppert, After the Black Death, chapter IV (TSU e-reserve)
Paper rewrite due: Research Paper
Tu Apr 26
Church, State, and Society
Readings: Tracy, chapters 13-14; Geneva, ordinances
(http://history.hanover.edu/texts/calord.html)
Th Apr 28
Church, State, and Society
Readings: Tracy, chapter 15
Apr 29-May 6
Final Exams (our exam will be on the date on TSU’s official exam schedule, probably Tuesday,
May 3, 8:10am)