Overview of Course

World history from 1500 is often taught from a Western perspective. History is told as a story of the Renaissance, the Enlightenment, the Age of Exploration, colonialism and beyond. Light shines on the perspective of the West — how the West impacted the rest of the world and how the world reacted. This course will not neglect these world-historical developments and dynamics, but it will focus on examining history from the points of view of places we visit — the civilizations, cultures and peoples in the world that in one way or another were profoundly affected by the rise of the West. We will learn about cultures and empires that flourished before westerners ever arrived. We will focus on examining colonialism and the post-colonial experiences from the standpoint of the people and cultures that were colonized and later molded into sovereign nations. In keeping with the mission of Semester at Sea, there will be much emphasize on comparing histories and experiences from place to place, and in finding the imprints and living embodiments of history in everyday life in the places we visit.