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HISTORY 1B3: GLOBAL ENCOUNTERS BEFORE 1900
Fall 2012
Instructor: John Weaver (jweaver@mcmaster.ca)
Office: 630 Chester New Hall
COURSE OBJECTIVES
This course emphases the importance of diligent and active reading practices, and
the development of good writing. These foundation skills, essential for rewarding
experiences at university and beyond, are stressed in the course assignments. In terms of
content, the course aspires to build knowledge and promote curiosity about various
civilizations, the forces that brought them into contact, the consequences of those
contacts, the flows of biota [plants and animals] and information that contributed to the
world we now inhabit, and the events that led to finance capitalism and industrialization.
In sum, the course covers imperialism, capitalism, the pursuit of resources, the
organization and transmission of information, and the industrial revolution. It sweeps
across seven hundred years. To manage the scale of this course, particular narratives
have been selected to avoid a mere list of facts and dates; students are not expected to
have a fine-grained knowledge of dynasties, wars, inventions, and so forth. Rather they
are encouraged to see patterns and to think about connections between past and present.
The lectures and the required readings suggest how a modern global economy and global
environmental situations originated. To organize a range of significant topics, the course
will look at particular locales (often cities) that were settings for important developments
or that epitomized certain developments.
COURSE STRUCTURE
There will be two lectures a week and normally one tutorial a week. Please read
the agenda and lecture topics section near the end of this syllabus. Each student will be
assigned to a tutorial group and will be expected to remain in that group. Although
students will not be marked on participation in these tutorials, they will be required at the
start of several tutorials to submit written assignments. Students will be also responsible
for all readings on the final examination; thus attendance at tutorials will be helpful.
DETERMINATION OF FINAL MARK
Longer reports – 15% each (total 45%)
Report on Crosby- 15%
Report on Brook - 15%
Report on Weaver - 15%
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Short reports - 5% each (total 15%)
“AHR Conversation: On Transnational History” (article from December 2006 American
Historical Review);
Jared Diamond, “Collision at Cajamarca” and “Hemispheres Colliding” (book chapters
from Guns, Germs, and Steel);
Richard Drayton, “The Collaboration of Labour: Slaves, Empires, and Globalizations in
the Atlantic World, 1600-1850” (book chapter from Globalization in World History) –
15% (5% for each). Each item is in the courseware package.
Final exam - 40%
All written work, except the final examination, will be graded on the basis of 50%
for ideas and analysis and 50% for style and organization. Only printed copies of the
reports and assignments will be accepted; no e-mail attachments will be read. Along with
name and student number students must state the tutorial number on the cover of each
written assignment. Thank you.
Assignments submitted late will receive a mark of zero (see FAQ # 7).
REQUIRED READINGS
For final exam purposes, you will be responsible for the articles and chapters of
books collected in the custom courseware package, and for the contents of the following
books:
Alfred Crosby, Ecological Imperialism.
Timothy Brook, Vermeer’s Hat.
John Weaver, The Great Land Rush.
Courseware readings for 1B3 (2012).
BOOK ASSIGNMENTS:
MANDATORY QUESTIONS, INSTRUCTIONS, AND WHEN TO SUBMIT
In all cases cite page references in footnotes or endnotes. Use full citation information in
the first citation and the author and page number only thereafter. Eg. in first citation state
Alfred Crosby, Ecological Imperialism (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1986);
in subsequent ones, Crosby, 145. See FAQ # 11.
Crosby (700 words) Due in the tutorial of the second week.
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1. Students with student numbers ending in 1, 2, and 3: How significant is chance or
accident in Crosby’s account of the spread of biota (people, plants, and animals)? Cite
examples from across the book.
2. Students with student numbers ending in 4, 5, and 6: What examples does Crosby use
to make the point that Eurasian plants and animals have not always and everywhere
totally overwhelmed indigenous plants and animals?
3. Students with student numbers ending in 7, 8, 9, and 0: In what ways does Crosby’s
history of the Portuguese invasion and exploitation of the Canary Islands prepare the way
for his account of the spread of European empires and biota?
Brook (700 words) Due in the tutorial of the sixth week.
1. For students with student numbers ending in 1, 2, 3: Explain why Timothy Brook
considers the seventeenth century “the dawn of the global world.”
2. For students with student numbers ending in 4, 5, 6, 7: Explain the importance of
China for Timothy Brook’s portrayal of global integration.
For students with student numbers ending in 8, 9, and 0: How do luxury articles
consumed in Europe help explain “the dawn of the global world?”
Weaver (700 words) Due in the tutorial of the ninth week.
1. Students with student numbers ending in 1, 2, and 3: Summarize the diversity of
encounters between first peoples and colonizers. Cite examples.
2. Students with student numbers ending in 4, 5, and 6: Were individuals as at least as
important as governments in the history of imperial expansion? Cite examples to support
your case.
3. Students with student numbers ending in 7, 8, 9, and 0: Identify and describe the types
of conflicts (who clashed with whom?) on the world’s settlement frontiers? Cite
examples.
COURSEWARE ASSIGNMENTS:
MANDATORY QUESTIONS AND WHEN TO SUBMIT
(In all cases cite page references in footnotes or endnotes. Use full citation information
in the first citation and the author and page number only thereafter. See FAQ # 11.)
1. (200 words) For all students: What seems to be the agreed-upon focus for world
history according to the historians interviewed for this article in the American Historical
Review? Must be submitted in the tutorial of the third week.
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2. (200 words) For all students: In the clash between the Inca empire and the Spanish
warrior-adventurers, what enabled the latter to conquer with few losses? Consider
“proximate” and “ultimate” causes. Must be submitted in the tutorial of the fifth week.
3. (200 words) For all students: According to Richard Drayton in what ways does the
production and consumption of sugar resemble today’s global economy? Must be
submitted in the tutorial of the eighth week.
TUTORIAL MEETINGS AND READINGS
1. Tutorials will meet on the following weeks only (see also the agenda at the end of the
syllabus) to discuss the following material: week 2 (Crosby’s book), week 3 (AHR article
in courseware), week 5 (Diamond’s chapter in courseware), week 6 (Brook’s book),
week 8 (Drayton’s chapter in courseware), week 9 (Weaver’s book), week 10 (Hobson
and Allen’s chapters from courseware), week 12 (review of the course).
FAQs
1. What are the terms and conditions of the McMaster Student Absence Form? The
MSAF is a self-reporting tool for students to report absences due to minor medical
situations.
The MSAF lasts up to 5 days and provides an opportunity to request
accommodation for missed academic work; it cannot be used retroactively to cover
missed work. If you miss a deadline without prior permission, you will be subject to a
penalty of zero for work submitted after the deadline. With respect to the MSAF, it is
up to the TA’s discretion to grant an extension and to set the terms of an extension. You
may submit a maximum of one request per term. It is your responsibility to follow up
with your instructor (TA) immediately (normally within two days) regarding the nature of
the accommodation that will be negotiated.
2. Is there a textbook for this course? No. The course’s themes and content are
conveyed best in lectures, assigned books, and courseware. This course is custom
designed.
3. Does this course use Avenue to Learn? No. This course accents formal writing
exercises and reading books. Time and effort are best spent focusing on reading, note
taking, and polishing prose. Well-reasoned and well-documented writings are assigned
in this course, and well-reasoned and well-documented submissions are expected.
4. Will the Power Point slides be available for review? Yes. At end of the term it will
be possible to access the slides though the History Department web page (left hand panel,
undergraduate courses, locate 1B03).
5. Is there a participation mark for the tutorials? No. Good writing is a vital measure
of performance in this course; attendance at tutorials is necessary, however, because
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assignments must be submitted in the tutorials by the student and the final exam will have
questions that pertain to the readings as they have been discussed in the tutorials.
6. Can assignments be submitted electronically? No. See 5.
7. Is there a penalty for overdue assignments? Yes. They must be submitted in the
tutorial in which the subject will be discussed; late assignments will not be marked and
the grade for the assignment will be zero. The only exception is the one-time MSAF.
See FAQ #1.
8. Are there opportunities to ask for a clarification of the course material? Yes. Questions
on the content of the lectures during the lectures are welcomed.
9. Can students write on a question or topic different from the ones assigned by
student number? No. The questions and the method of distributing them have been
prepared to achieve a variety of insights in each tutorial section and to encourage students
to read thoroughly the assigned books, chapters, and articles. The questions assigned
must be answered and general statements resembling a book review will not suffice.
10. Is there a mid-term? No. A final exam will cover themes and factual information
presented in the lectures and readings from throughout this course.
11. Is there a preferred method for citing sources in the assignments? Yes. You may
use either endnotes or footnotes; in History we do not use the Social Sciences practices of
citation.
When you cite a book for the first time in a set of footnotes or endnotes, you must
provide complete information: author’s name, full title of the book, publication
information, and pages [eg. Alfred M. Crosby, Ecological Imperialism: The Biological
Expansion of Europe, 900-1900 (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1986), 2958.]. In subsequent citations, you may use a shortened form [eg. Crosby, Ecological
Imperialism, 305.]
For articles, cite the author, the title of the article, the title of the journal, the
volume number, the date, and the pages [Paul A. Kramer, “Power and Connection:
Imperial Histories of the United States in the World,” The American Historical Review,
vol.116, number 5 (December 2011), 1361-3]. In subsequent citations, you may use a
shortened form. [eg. Kramer, “Power and Connection,” 1375.
Exam Date
If for a medical reason or another compelling personal reason, you miss a final
examination, you must petition for a deferred exam. The authority to grant a deferral
rests with the Faculty of Humanities office and is not automatic. Please consult the
undergraduate calendar for details.
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Extensions and Accommodations
Extensions or other accommodations will be determined by the instructor (TA)
and will only be considered if supported by appropriate documentation. Absences of less
than 5 days may be reported using the McMaster Student Absence Form (MSAF) at
www.mcmaster.ca/msaf/ . If you are unable to use the MSAF, you should document the
absence with your faculty office. In all cases, it is YOUR responsibility to follow up with
the instructor immediately to see if an extension or other accommodation will be granted,
and what form it will take. There are NO automatic extensions or accommodations. In
this course, please note that there are penalties for overdue work without a prior formal
extension or accommodation.
Academic Dishonesty
Academic dishonesty consists of misrepresentation by deception or by other
fraudulent means and can result in serious consequences, e.g. the grade of zero on an
assignment, loss of credit with a notation on the transcript (notation reads: “Grade of F
assigned for academic dishonesty”), and/or suspension or expulsion from the university.
It is your responsibility to understand what constitutes academic dishonesty. For
information on the various kinds of academic dishonesty please refer to the Academic
Integrity Policy, specifically Appendix 3, located at:
http://www.mcmaster.ca/univsec/policy/AcademicIntegrity.pdf
AGENDA AND LECTURE TOPICS
First class 7 September: Tips for success at university. Unifying course objective:
making sense of the world by understanding the history that made it.
1. Week of September 10-14. Wealth and power: The example of Byzantium and longrange trade. No tutorial.
2. Week of September 17-21. Eurasian encounters: The Mongols, the Black Death, and
Europe’s Frontiers. In your tutorial for this week, submit your assignment on Crosby.
Discussion of Crosby.
3. Week of September 24-28. Long-range trade and China’s centrality: Asia, the Indian
Ocean, and the Swahili coast of Africa. In your tutorial for this week, submit your
assignment on the AHR article in the courseware. Discussion of the same.
4. Week of October 1-5. Recovery and Growth at the Mediterranean Crossroads: Venice,
Genoa, Sicily, and the Islamic World and Ottoman Empire. No tutorial.
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5. Week of October 8 (Monday Holiday) – October 12. Warfare and the Spanish Empire:
Granada, Tenochtitlan, and Cajamarca. There is a tutorial to discuss your writing based
on the first two assignments. Submission of assignment on Diamond’s chapters.
Discussion of the same.
6. Week of October 15-19 The Industrious Revolution: Amsterdam, Batavia, and
Capitalism. In your tutorial for this week, submit your assignment on Brook. Discussion
of Brook.
7. Week of October 22-26. The British Empire: London, Calcutta, the Emergent State,
and Bureaucracy. No tutorial.
8. Week of October 29-November 2. Accidental and Deliberate Diffusion: Sugar and
Rubber; Pigs and Weeds. The tutorial this week includes a discussion of your writing
based on Brook; discussion of chapter on sugar and slavery, and chapter from Timothy
Parsons, The Rule of Empires.
9. Week of November 5-9. Raw Materials from North America and Australasia: Settler
Colonies, Cotton, Wool, Labour, and Property Rights. In your tutorial for this week,
submit your assignment on Weaver. Discussion of Weaver.
10. Week of November 12-16. China, England, and the Global Industrial Revolution.
Discussion in the tutorial of Hobson and Allen.
11. Week of November 19-23. The First Information Revolution: Packaging and
Transmitting Information. No tutorial.
12. November 26-December 3. The Unending Frontier: the Louisiana Territory, Rupert’s
Land, Central Asia, and Siberia. In the tutorial there is a review of course themes.
Return of Weaver assignment.
CONTENTS OF COURSEWARE
“Conversation on Transnational History,” The American Historical Review, vol. 111,
no.5, December 2006, pp.1441-1464.
Jared Diamond, Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies (New York:
W.W. Norton, 1999 and other editions), pp.67-81; 354-375.
Richard Drayton, “The Collaboration of Labour: Slaves, Empires and Globalization in
the Atlantic World,” in Globalization in World History edited by A. G. Hopkins (London:
Pimlico, 2002), pp.98-114.
John Hobson, The Eastern Origins of Western Civilization (Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press, 2004), pp.243-280.
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Robert Allen, The British Industrial Revolution in Global Perspective (Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press, 2009), pp. 238-275.
SAMPLE OF GRADE SHEET FOR ASSIGNMENTS
(It will be attached to your assignments by the marker.)
Student last name and number: _________________________________
Areas for Improvement
1. Ideas and analysis (Mark out of 100% = _____ )
a. Answer the assigned question and avoid vague generalizations: ____
b. Provide more illustrations drawn from across the assigned article or book: ____
c. By good summary statements, show that you understand the article or book: _____
2. Style, grammar, and organization: (Mark out of 100% = _____)
a. Prepare a better introduction by indicating what you will argue: _____
b. Prepare a first sentence that catches the reader’s attention: _____
c. Write in full sentences, not in sentence fragments or run-on sentences: _____
d. Use the apostrophe correctly: _____
e. Avoid the passive voice. It evades assigning responsibility. Use active verbs: ____
f. Avoid using “this” as a pronoun since it may create ambiguity: ____
g. Avoid using “clearly,” “clear”, and “definitely.” Good arguments are enough: ____
h. Make sure nouns and pronouns agree in number, and subjects and verbs too: ____
i. If you are writing about events spread over time, pay attention to chronology: ____
j. If you are mentioning someone for the first time, provide the full name and title: ____
k. Keep prose “economical.” Avoid “filler phrases” without value (eg. “as such;” ”;
“there can be seen to be”) ____
l. In History, actions in the past normally are described in the past tense: ____
m. Cite books and articles correctly: ____
n. Make sure you have used the correct words. Be careful of homonyms (eg. led is not
lead; there is not their. Spell checkers will not catch them.):
3. Grade out of 100% (Average of two marks) =_______