Christopher
Columbus and the Great Age of Discovery
HIST 4391/5391: Spring 2005
Instructor: Ronald
Fritze
Credit: 3 hours.
Office hours: 3:15-6:00 and 8:45-9:30 MW;
12:00-1:00 and 2:00-4:00 F; or by appointment.
Office: 421 Irby
Telephone: 450-5616; email: fritzerh@uca.edu (Feel free to contact me either by phone or
email. Email will probably get you a
prompter response).
For Website
at Planet Clio, go to: www.corndancer.com/vox/cliolinker.html
This
site has the syllabus posted along with instructions for assignments.
Textbooks:
Alfred Crosby, The Columbian Exchange:
Biological and Cultural Consequences of 1492
Ronald Fritze, New
Worlds
Jerry Brotton, The
Renaissance Bazaar
Mathew Restall, Seven
Myths of the Spanish Conquest
Course Description: This class will survey the era of European
expansion from 1400-1600 with a focus on the career of Christopher
Columbus. It will also study the
ancient and medieval background of the early modern expansion of Europe and the
biological, cultural, social and economic impact of the discovery of the
Americas and the sea-road to Asia.
Graduate Credit: Students signed up for 5391 credit should
see instructor for additional requirements.
Class Attendance: Coming to classes is an integral part of the
learning experience. Students need to
try to make every class meeting. If they cannot make it to class they need to
inform the instructor ahead of time, if possible. They definitely need to explain their absence, after the fact, if
they did not explain it beforehand.
Four absences, both excused and unexcused will result in the student
being dropped from the class.
Academic
Misconduct: For
definitions and procedures regarding academic dishonesty and plagiarism, see
pp. 29-31 of the 2001-2002 Student Handbook.
Important
University Policies:
Students should familiarize themselves with all policies listed in the Student
Handbook, especially those dealing with:
1)
Sexual Harassment (beginning on p. 109 of the 2004-2005 Student Handbooks)
2)
Academic policies (beginning of p. 34 of the 2004-2005 Student Handbook.
The University
of Central Arkansas adheres to the requirements of the Americans with
Disabilities Act. If you need an
accommodation under this Act due to a disability, contact the UCA Office of
Disability Services at 450-3135.
Examinations and
Quizzes: (midterm= 20%; take-home final=20%, and
quizzes= 25%) The tests in this class will consist of five reading quizzes on
the Brotton, Fritze, Crosby, and Restall books. The midterm exam on 4 April will be over the lectures and the
readings. The reading quizzes will be
objective and/or short answer questions.
The midterm will be essay and possibly some objective questions. The take-home exam will be due on 2 May and
if possible should be type-written and not longer than 8 pages. Late penalty will be a whole grade each day
the paper is not turned in by 4:30pm.
Grading: This
class will consist of 500 total points.
100
(20%) major project
100
(20%) midterm
75 (15%) take-home final on Columbus film
festival
50 (10%) book review of Columbus biography
175
(35%) quizzes (7 or each quiz equals approximately 5%)
_______________
500
(100%) total
450
and above= A
400-449= B
350-399= C
300-349= D
Class
Participation: Students are expected to come to class and
be prepared to discuss the various topics at the appropriate times.
Research Project: See separate handout or document on website.
Schedule:
Jan. 19 Introduction
of course readings and assignments. Rediscovering
America video.
24 Legendary and Pseudo-Discoverers of the
New World.
26 Video
comparison: Vikings in America and In Search of: Vikings.
31 Discussion
of documentaries
Quiz
One on Renaissance Bazaar
Feb.
2 Shape
of the World: Staking a Claim video and discussion.
7 Geographical Knowledge of Antiquity and Medieval Europe.
Quiz Two Fritze, chs. 1 and
2.
9 Geographical
Knowledge of Antiquity and Medieval Europe.
Pick topic for major research project and turn in title.
Quiz
Three Fritze, chs. 3 and 4.
14 Geographical Knowledge of Antiquity and
Medieval Europe
16 Lecture
on Spain, Portugal and the Mediterranean world in the Middle Ages
Turn
in reviews of Columbus biography.
21 Discussion groups on Columbus and his
biographers.
23 Lecture
on Spain, Portugal, and the Mediterranean World in the Middle Ages. Hand in bibliographies for research
projects.
28 Lecture
on Spain, Portugal, and the Mediterranean World in the Middle Ages
March
2 Early Portuguese
explorations
7 Early
Portuguese explorations
9 Early English and French Explorations of
the Americas.
Quiz Four
Fritze, chs. 5 and 6
21 Early
English and French Explorations of the Americas
23 Quiz
five on Crosby, chs. 1-3 and progress reports on research projects.
Intellectual and
Cultural Consequences of the Discovery of America.
28 Intellectual and Cultural Consequences
of the Discovery of America.
Quiz
six Crosby, chs. 4-6.
30 Seeds
of Change video
Apr.
4 Finish up lectures and quiz
seven on Seven Myths of the Conquest
6 MAJOR
EXAM
Apr. 11 Christopher
Columbus (Frederic March version, 1941)
13
18 1492
20 Research
papers and projects due.
25 Christopher
Columbus: The Discovery
27
May 2 Take
home final due; Project presentations.
May
6 Finals Day: Project
presentations.
Last day to drop
or withdraw without penalty: 1 April.
Last day to drop
or withdraw with WP or WF: 22 April.