HI 111: Europe from Late Antiquity to 1618

Larissa Taylor

249 Miller Library, x3267
Office Hrs:
M 11:30-1; T 10:45-12:30
and by appointment

This course provides an introduction to medieval history from late antiquity to the period of Renaissance, Reformation and religious war. We will explore major themes in political, religious, cultural and social history in Western and Central Europe, focusing especially on periods of major change - the end of the Roman Empire, rise of Christianity and Islam, evolution of kingship, agricultural and technological achievements, the growth of cities, the twelfth-century renaissance, plague and crisis, exploration and "discovery" and religious upheaval and reform. In order to understand as fully as possible the people of the past, students will be encouraged to engage the medieval mind before stepping back and interpreting the evidence

Throughout the course, emphasis will be placed on the "hows" and "whys" of history more than on the "whats" and "whens." While content is essential, students will learn how to interpret and analyze the past through study of original sources, placing them in the context gained from textbook readings, lectures, discussion and audiovisual aids.

Note on Plagiarism
I expect all my students to follow a personal honor code. Unfortunately because of recent cases of plagiarism (standard and internet), the following should clarify what is and is not plagiarism.

To plagiarize is
1) to steal and use the writings and ideas of another as one's own;
2) to appropriate passages or ideas from another and use them as one's own (American Heritage Dictionary).
It includes:
- quoting directly without acknowledging the source
- paraphrasing without acknowledging the source
- constructing a paraphrase that closely resembles the original in language and syntax
(Mark Hellstern, et al., The History Student Writer's Manual [Saddle River, NJ, 1988], p. 121.) The Chicago Manual of Style will be used for footnotes and bibliographies in all papers unless otherwise stated in the assignment.

You might find it worth while to download the Colby provided EndNote application and attend one of the library's tutorials. The CBB Plagiarism Resource Site has many helpful links or view this Bowdoin site for EndNote information.

(A few readings are on reserve and some are from the Fordham medieval history website. Source chapters for the text on which I am working on will be distributed by email and/or print at no cost.)