World Civ II Honors Syllabus

HIS 102H: World Civilization II Honors

Spring 2015
MWF 9-9:50a, LAB 455
Professor Andrew Ross
Department of History
LAB 454
E-mail: andrew.ross@usm.edu
Phone: 601-266-5858
Office Hours: Monday, 1-3, Tuesday 9-11, and by appointment
Course Description: This course introduces students to major themes in world history since
1500. While the course makes no claims to full coverage, students will finish the semester with
an understanding of how both short and long term processes have shaped the modern world.
Emphasis will be placed on drawing connections between the histories of different locations and
peoples through primary source readings. Topics will include the development of the Islamic
world, shifting relations between Asia and Europe, religious conflict, imperialism and the slave
trade, social movements and revolution, and the global conflicts of the twentieth century.
While we will discuss a variety of themes in the field of global history, the major focus of the
course will be the significance of European imperialism in the Americas, Asia, and Africa. We
will seek to understand the motivations for European expansion and its effect on the peoples of
the world, while asking why and how those peoples cooperated and/or resisted the power of the
West.
Course Objectives: By the end of the semester, students will be able to:

Identify and understand key themes and concepts in world history

Relate the political, social, and cultural histories of different peoples and places to one
another

Critically read both secondary and primary source texts

Express a clearly articulated argument in writing

Required Texts:

Upshur, Jiu-Hwa L, et. Al. World History. Fifth Edition. Boston: Wadsworth Cengage,
2012.
Envisioning World Civilizations: A Primary Source Workbook. Third Edition. Mason:
Cengage Learning, 2012.

World Civ II Honors Syllabus

Len-Portilla, Miguel, ed. The Broken Spears: The Aztec Account of the Conquest of
Mexico. Translated by Angel Maria Garibay K. Boston: Beacon Press, 1962.
Achebe, Chinua. Things Fall Apart. New York: Anchor Books, 1994.
Kluger, Ruth. Still Alive: A Holocaust Girlhood Remembered. New York: The Feminist
Press, 2001.

Course Format: Class will meet three times a week. Format will be a mix of lecture and
discussion.
Course Requirements: Students are required to complete all assignments in order to pass this
course.
1. Attendance and Participation: Active participation in class is a requirement in order to
pass this course. More than three unexcused absences will automatically lower your
participation grade. More than six unexcused absences will result in automatically failing
the course.
2. Readings: Complete all readings for the day they are listed on the syllabus. Primary
source readings listed in the syllabus, but not included in our class texts will be available
on blackboard or online.
3. Exams: Three exams will be given the dates listed below. Format for all exams will be a
mix of identification (ID) questions and essay. The IDs will be drawn from any part of
the course, including lecture, readings, and discussion. Essay questions will be drawn
from the longer sources we will read through the course of the semester. A handout on
how to answer an identification question will be provided before the first exam. The final
exam will include a second essay that asks students to address a theme drawn through the
entire course.
4. Papers: Two primary source papers (4-5 pages) in response to a prompt provided by me
are due through the course of the semester. All papers must use a proper citation format,
include a clear argument, and refer to course texts. Outside research is not permitted for
these papers. Papers will be submitted using turnitin.com via Blackboard.
Grade Breakdown:
Attendance and Participation: 15%
Exams:
Exam 1: 15%
Exam 2: 20%
Exam 3: 20%
Papers: 30%

World Civ II Honors Syllabus

Grade Rubric:

A: 90 - 100%
B: 80 - 89%
C: 70 - 79%
D: 60 - 69%
F: 59% and below

Resources for HIS 102:

History Lab: As a student in HIS 101 or HIS 102, there is a special place you can go to
get help while studying for exams or writing History papers, or simply to chat about class
material or your assignments. Your course fees pay for the History Lab, a support center
staffed by advanced History graduate students. The History Lab is located on the fourth
floor of the LAB in room 458 and is open Monday through Thursday, 9-5 beginning on
Wednesday, January 14. You can make an appointment by stopping by or emailing
HistoryLab@usm.edu. The Lab also accepts walk-ins. For more information, check out
the History Lab on the History Departments website
http://www.usm.edu/history/history-lab-his-101-and-102.

Student Success Center: The First Year Initiative offers tutoring services for students
enrolled in HIS 101 and HIS 102. In addition, First Year Initiative offers academic
coaching services on time management, note taking, study skills, goal setting, and
learning skills for first year. For more information or to schedule a tutoring session, see
their website: http://www.usm.edu/success/tutoring-services or call 601-266-6405.
Late Assignments: Late assignments will be deducted one grade for each day late. If I have not
received your essay after four days you will automatically fail the assignment.
Contacting Me: The best way to get in touch with me is through e-mail. Please allow 24 hours
for a response; if you have not heard from me in that time, do not hesitate to send another note.
My office hours are at the top of this syllabus; if those times are not convenient for you I am
happy to make other arrangements. Please do not hesitate to contact me should you have any
questions regarding the course material or any other concerns. Do not contact me with a question
that can be answered by reading the syllabus.
Technology in the Classroom:

Phones: All phones must be on silent (not vibrate) or turned off during class. Texting is
not allowed in class.

Recording devices: No recording of a class lecture is permitted without my explicit

written permission.

World Civ II Honors Syllabus

Computers and tablets: Feel free to use your laptop or tablet computer to take notes if that
suits you, but refrain from using such devices for tasks unrelated to the class. Note that
research consistently demonstrates that students retain information more readily by
taking notes by hand. Please do not abuse this privilege by using technology for nonclass related activites.
PowerPoint Slides: All PowerPoint slides will be posted on Blackboard following each
class meeting.

Academic Honesty: Scholastic dishonesty will not be condoned under any circumstance in this
course. See the current Undergraduate Bulletin (http://www.usm.edu/registrar/bulletins) or the
Student Handbook (http://www.usm.edu/sites/default/files/groups/division-studentaffairs/pdf/67251_nobleed.pdf) for a definition of such behavior. Demonstrated plagiarism on
a paper or cheating on an exam or quiz will automatically lead to a grade of F for the
course and can result in dismissal from the university. The course will use the Turnitin.com
service to detect plagiarism. If you have questions or concerns about this policyplease see the
instructor during office hours. Ignorance of this police or of the definition of plagiarism will not
excuse instances of academic dishonesty.
ADA Syllabus Statement: If a student has a disability that qualifies under the Americans with
Disabilities Act (ADA) and requires accommodations, he/she should contact the Office for
Disability Accommodations (ODA) for information on appropriate policies and procedures.
Disabilities covered by ADA may include learning, psychiatric, physical disabilities, or chronic
health disorders. Students can contact ODA if they are not certain whether a medical
condition/disability qualifies.
Address:
The University of Southern Mississippi
Office for Disability Accommodations
118 College Drive # 8586
Hattiesburg, MS 39406-0001
Voice Telephone: 601.266.5024 or 228.214.3232 Fax: 601.266.6035
Individuals with hearing impairments can contact ODA using the Mississippi Relay Service at
1.800.582.2233 (TTY) or email Suzy Hebert at Suzanne.Hebert@usm.edu.
Web: http://www.usm.edu/oda
Course Schedule:
Week 1: January 12 - January 16: The World in 1500

World Civ II Honors Syllabus

Monday: Introductions
Wednesday: What is World History?
Reading: Pomeranz, Kenneth. Histories for a Less National Age. American Historical
Review 118.1 (2014): 1-22; EWC 15-21. (Blackboard)
Friday: The World in 1500
Reading: EWC 8.12; Ibn Battuta, The Travels (Blackboard); Giovanni Bocaccio, The
Decameron (Blackboard)
Week 2: January 19 - January 23: (Re)building States in Africa and Asia
Monday: No Class: Martin Luther King Holiday
Tuesday: Last day to drop full-semester classes and receive 100% financial credit; Last
day to add/drop full-term classes without instructor permission
Wednesday: The Islamic Dynasties
Reading: WH 449-463; EWC 8.13-8.15
Friday: Ming China
Reading: WH 437-450; EWC 10.1; Galeota Pereira, A Portuguese Voyage to China
(1561) (Blackboard)
Week 3: January 26 - January 30: (Re)building States in Europe
Monday: The Renaissance
Reading: WH 463-478; EWC 9.1, 9.2
Wednesday: The Reformation
Reading: WH 478-490; EWC 9.3-9.5, 9.8
Friday: The Indian Ocean Trade
Reading: WH 513-525; Broken Spears, Prefatory Material and Chs 1-2
Week 4: February 2 - February 6: Contacts and Colonization
Monday: The Inca and Aztec Empires
Reading: Broken Spears, chs. 3-6

World Civ II Honors Syllabus

Wednesday: Spanish Colonization

Reading: WH 496-501; EWC 9.12, 9.16; Broken Spears, chs. 7-10
Friday: The Slave Trade
Reading: WH 491-496; EWC 9.17, 11.19; Broken Spears, chs. 11-13
Week 5: February 9 - February 13: The Broken Spears
Monday: Discussion
Reading: Broken Spears (Finish)
Wednesday: Review
Friday: Exam 1 (Weeks 1-4)
Week 6: February 16 - February 20: The Age of Revolution (I)
Monday: No Class (Mardi Gras)
Wednesday: The Enlightenment
Reading: WH 596-605; EWC 11.6, 11.12-11.13
Friday: The American Revolution
Reading: WH 618-629; EWC 11.16-11.17
Week 7: February 23 - February 27: The Age of Revolution (II)
Monday: The French Revolution
Reading: WH 645-665; EWC 12.2-12.3, 12.5; Maximilien Robespierre: Justification of
the Use of Terror (http://legacy.fordham.edu/Halsall/mod/robespierre-terror.asp)
Wednesday: The Haitian Revolution
Reading: The Code Noir, 1685 (Blackboard); Free Citizens of Color, Address to the
National Assembly (BlackBoard); National Convention, The Abolition of Slavery
(Blackboard); Thomas Jefferson, Letters, 1797-1802 (Blackboard)
Friday: The Industrial Revolution

World Civ II Honors Syllabus

Reading: WH 576-579, 629-641; Andrew Ure, The Philosophy of Manufactures
(Blackboard); Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, Manifesto of the Communist Party
(Blackboard)
Week 8: March 2 - March 6: Nations and Empires
Monday: The Latin American Revolutions
Reading: WH 611-618; 642-644; 669-672; EWC 12.8
Wednesday: The Unification of Germany
Reading: WH 672-682; EWC 12.15
Friday: The Scramble for Africa
Reading: WH 719-731; EWC 13.1-13.3
First Essay Prompt Handed Out
Week 9: March 9 - March 23: Spring Break
Read Things Fall Apart over break.
Week 10: March 16 - March 20: World War I
Monday: Discussion
Reading: Things Fall Apart
Wednesday: The Origins of World War I
Reading: WH 750-758
Friday: World War I
Reading: WH 758-767; Wilfred Owen, Dulce et Decorum Est
(http://www.warpoetry.co.uk/owen1.html); Ver Brittain, Testament of Youth
(Blackboard)
First Essay Due by 5:00p by Blackboard
Week 11: March 23 - March 27: The Interwar Period
Monday: The Russia Revolution

World Civ II Honors Syllabus

Reading: WH 815-826; EWC 14.7; 15.2
Wednesday: The Rise of Fascism
Reading: Still Alive, Part 1
Friday: Exam 2 (Weeks 6-10)
Week 12: March 30 - April 3: World War II
Monday: World War II
Reading: Still Alive, Part 2 (first half)
Wednesday: The Holocaust
Reading: Still Alive, Part 2 (finish)
Last day to withdraw from the University and receive a grade of W
(After this date students will earn a letter grade for all enrolled courses)
Friday: No Class (Good Friday)
Reading: Still Alive, Part 3
Week 13: April 6 - April 10: The Aftermath of World War II
Monday: Discussion
Reading: Still Alive (finish)
Wednesday: The Origins of the Cold War
Reading: WH 893-905; 15.13, 15.15
Friday: Decolonization 1: China
Reading: WH 809-815; EWC 16.1-16.2; 16.5
Week 14: April 13 - April 17: Decolonization
Monday: Decolonization 2: India
Reading: WH 909-916; EWC 14.5; Gandhi, The Essential Writings (Blackboard)
Wednesday: Decolonization 3: Algeria

World Civ II Honors Syllabus

Reading: WH 916-923; Proclamation of the Algerian National Front, Liberation Front,

(FLN) November, 1954
(http://historicaltextarchive.com/sections.php?action=read&artid=10); Frantz Fanon, The
Wretched of the Earth (Blackboard)
Essay Prompt 2 Handed Out
Friday: No Class
Week 15: April 20 - April 24: Post-War Movements
Monday: Three Worlds
Reading: EWC 16.7; Jawaharlal Nehru, Marxism, Capitalism and Non-Alignment
(http://legacy.fordham.edu/Halsall/mod/1941nehru.asp)
Wednesday: 1968
Reading: Port Huron Statement,
(http://history.hanover.edu/courses/excerpts/111hur.html); May 1968: A Graphic
Uprising (http://www.creativereview.co.uk/cr-blog/2008/april/may-1968-a-graphicuprising)
Friday: Feminism and Civil Rights
Reading: EWC 16.11; The Black Panther Party Platform (October 1966)
(http://history.hanover.edu/courses/excerpts/111bppp.html); Simone de Beauvoir, The
Second Sex (Blackboard)
Week 16: April 27 - May 1: Globalization
Monday: The End of the Cold War
Reading: WH 966-977; EWC 17.1-17.3
Wednesday: The New Global Order
Reading: WH 923-928; 977-1015; EWC 16.4; 17.4-17.5; 17.7
Friday: Catch-Up and Review
Essay Prompt 2 Due by 5:00p via Blackboard
Final Exam: Wednesday, May 6 at 8:00a