HIS-314 explores the social and intellectual impact of the discovery of the American continents on European civilization, examining how the encounter with the New World reshaped European thought, society, and ambition, alongside its consequences for the peoples of the Americas. The course sits within SNHU's global and comparative history electives, building on the foundational surveys covered in HIS-109 and HIS-117.
Impact examined on both sides of the encounter
The course frames the European conquest as a genuine two-sided historical event, examining both its intellectual and social impact on Europe itself and its consequences for the Americas, rather than treating it as a one-directional story of European expansion alone.
Building on foundational survey courses
HIS-314 assumes and builds on the broad chronological foundation established in courses like HIS-109 and HIS-117, allowing it to explore this specific historical episode in genuine depth rather than re-establishing basic historical context.
Key topics in HIS314
- The European discovery of the Americas
- Social impact of the conquest on Europe
- Intellectual impact of the New World encounter
- Consequences for indigenous peoples of the Americas
- The Age of Exploration
- Global and comparative historical electives
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Worked example: a genuinely two-sided historical impact
- One-sided narrative: Studying the conquest only as a story of European expansion and achievement
- HIS-314's approach: Examining the conquest's genuine intellectual and social impact on Europe alongside its consequences for the Americas
- Lesson: HIS-314 teaches that major historical encounters like this one require this two-sided examination to be understood accurately, not a narrative centered on only one side
Related courses
Frequently asked questions
The encounter with the Americas genuinely transformed European thought — reshaping ideas about geography, human nature, religion, and economic ambition — in ways that are historically significant in their own right, not merely a backdrop to the conquest's effects on the Americas. HIS-314 examines this European-side impact because a complete historical understanding of the conquest requires recognizing that it reshaped both sides of the encounter, not just one.
Building HIS-314's own basic historical background into the course would leave little room for the genuine depth the topic deserves, while students who've already taken foundational surveys arrive with the chronological and geographic context needed to engage with this specific historical episode more substantively. HIS-314's assumption of this prior foundation lets it dedicate its time to deeper analysis of the conquest itself, rather than re-teaching material better covered in introductory courses.