HIS 101
Outline for regular 15 week semester
This course covers the period from the Big
Bang that started the Universe through the end of the Wars of Religion in 1648
C.E. or A.D.
C.E. stands for Common Era, the time that is common to Jews
and Christians.
A.D. stands for Anno Domino, the Year of the Lord.
B.C. stands for Before Christ.
B.C.E. stands for Before the Common Era.
Older Western Civilization books usually use the designations
B.C. and A.D. More recent historians tend to use B.C.E. and C.E. The
year one in either designation refers to the traditional birth year of Jesus.
The course is divided into three segments.
At the end of each, you are given an hourly exam. The final is
comprehensive.
The first segment covers the period from
the Big Bang through the formation of the Roman Empire under Augustus in 27
B.C.E.
This segment is the longest in terms of the time covered, but most of this time
period predates humanity. Within this segment, we cover the following
material:
1. Four definitions of history
2. The Periods of history
3. Ten characteristics of Civilizations
4. Evolution of religion
5. Ancient History
a. Mesopotamia
b. Egypt
6. The History of the Hebrews
7. Classical history
a. Greeks
b. Romans
The history of Ancient
Greece (Hellenic Period) and the history of Rome are the most important
components of this segment.
Most of the test will deal with those topics.
The second segment covers the period from
Augustus through the end of the Middle Ages. It covers:
1. The Roman Empire
2. The
development of Christianity
3. The collapse of the Roman Empire during the period
of the Germanic Invasions
4. The three successor states that followed the
Roman Empire
a. The Byzantine Empire
a. The development of Islam and
the Formation of the Caliphate
c. The Frankish Kingdom
i. Merovingian Dynasty
ii. Carolingian Dynasty
5. The Ninth Century Invasions and the Development of
Feudalism
6. Feudal Monarchies
7. The High Middle Ages
The third segment focuses on the Early
Modern Period. It covers the following:
1. The Late Middle Ages
a. Black Death
b. Hundred Years War
c. Avignon Papacy
2. The Renaissance
3. The Voyages of Discovery
4. The Reformation
The Renaissance and the Reformation are the key topics.
First Segment
I. The History of
the Universe from the Big Bang to the Extinction of the Dinosaurs:
~ 13.7 Billion
Years Ago to 64 Million Years Ago
II. The Evolution
of Mammals and Humanity
~ 64
Million Years Ago to 2 Million Years Ago
III. Prehistory
A. Paleolithic: From 2,000,000 years ago to 12,000 Years Ago
B. Neolithic -- ~ 10,000 B.C.E. to ~ 4000 B.C.E.
IV. Ancient Civilization -- 4000 B.C.E - 1200 B.C.E
A. Mesopotamia
B. Egypt
V. Classical
Civilizations -- 1200 B.C.E. to 500 C.E.
A. Hebrews
B. Greek
C. Roman
1. Roman Republic
2. Roman Empire
3. Christianity
4. Germanic Invasions
Second Segment
VI. The Middle
Ages -- 500 A.D. - 1500 A.D.
A. Transition Period, 500 - 700 A.D.
B. Carolingian Empire, 700 - 900 A.D.
C. Feudalism, 900 - 1100 A.D.
D. High Middle Ages, 1100 - 1300 A.D.
E. Late Middle Ages, 1300 - 1500 A.D.
Third Segment
VII. Early Modern
Period -- 1350 A.D. - 1648
A. Renaissance, 1348 - 1600
B. Voyages of Discovery, 1450- 1700
C. Capitalism and Global Economy 1450 - 1648
D. Absolute Monarchy, 1450 - 1648
E. Reformation, 1517 - 1648
F. Modern European State System, 1648
G. Scientific Revolution, 1500 - 1700
Older Material
An earlier outline that still has some utility
I:
When
Does History Begin?
1. Origins of the Universe
Big Bang, Evolution, Solar System, Life
2. Origins of Mankind
Australopithecenes
Homo habilis
Homo erectus
Homo sapiens,
Homo sapiens neanderthalensis-Neanderthal man
Homo sapiens sapiens
Cro Magnon
Modern Man
3. Ages of Mankind
Classification by:
1. Tool Use
Paleolithic
Age (Old Stone Age)
Mesolithic
Age
Neolithic
Age (New Stone Age)
Bronze Age
Iron Age
2.
Primary Mode of Survival
Hunter-Gatherer Way of Life
Food Gatherers
Scavengers
Hunters
The Agricultural Revolution
Pastoralist--Herding
Farmers
Extensive
Intensive
Civilization--Irrigation Agriculture
3. Classification by Culture
Preliterate Societies
Literate Societies
4. Origins of Civilization
II: Characteristics
of Civilization
a. Urbanization:
Rise of
City-State, Kingdoms, Empires
b. Irrigation Agriculture
c. Organized Temple Worship
d. Bureaucratic Kingship
e. Writing system
f. Organized Warfare
g. Social Stratification:
Social Classes
h. Extensive System of Commerce
i. Metallurgy
j. Colossal Architecture
III:
Ancient Civilization--4000 BC - 1200 BC
1. Mesopotamia
Sumer, Akkad, Amorites, Babylon, Kassites, Hittites
2. Egypt
Old Kingdom, Middle Kingdom, Hyksos, New Kingdom
IV:
Classical Civilization
3. The Hebrews
Abraham
Isaac
Jacob or Israel
Joseph
Moses
Judges, Kings, Saul, David, Solomon
Kingdom of Israel, Kingdom of Judah
Destruction of the First Temple by the Chaldaeans
Persian rule, Alexander, Hellenistic rule
Maccabaeans
Roman rule, Destruction of the Second Temple
4. Assyria through Persia
V:
Greek Civilization
1. Overview
2. Minoans
3. Myceneans
VI:
Classical Greek Civilization
1. Hellenic Civilization to
500 B.C.
2. Sparta
3. Athens
4. Athenian Democracy
5. The Persian Wars
VII:
The Golden Fifth Century
1. Delian League
2. Pericles
3. Peloponnesian Wars
VIII:
The Twilight of the City-States
1. Hegemony of Sparta
2. Hegemony of Thebes
3. The Second Athenian
Empire
4. The Macedonian Conquest
IX:
Hellenic Culture
1. The Greek Ideal
2. Drama
3. Historians
4. Philosophy
X:
Alexander the Great and the Hellenistic Kingdoms
1. Alexander the Great
2. Hellenistic Kingdoms
3. Hellenistic Culture
XI:
The Roman Republic
1. Prehistoric Italy
2. Etruscan Rome
3. Royal Rome
4. Early Republic
5. Imperial Republic
a. Punic Wars
b. Conquest of the East
6. Late Republic
XII:
Principate
1. Augustus
2. Julio-Claudian Emperors
3. The Flavian Emperors
4. The Good Emperors
5. Roman Culture
XIII:
The Ending of the Classical Period
1. Third Century Decline
2. The Rise of Christianity
3. Diocletian
4. Constantine
5. The Autocracy
6. Germanic Invasions
XIV:
Centuries of Transformation
1. The Fall of the Roman
Empire of the West
2. The Eastern Roman Empire
Becomes the Byzantine Empire
3. Ostrogoths, Visigoths,
Vandals, and Franks
4. Justinian
5. The Rise of Islam
6. Rise of the Papacy
7. Monasticism
8. The Frankish Kingdom
a. Merovingians
b. Carolingians
9. Ninth Century Invasions
of Europe
10. Feudalism and
Manorialism
XV:
Feudal Monarchies
1. Holy Roman Empire
2. Norman England
3. Capetian France
4. Papal Monarchy
5. The Crusades
XVI:
The Culture of the High Middle Ages
1. Nobility and Clergy
2. The Rise of Town Culture
3. From Romanesque Basilicas
to Gothic Churches
4. The Rise of Universities
5. Scholasticism
XVII:
The Late Middle Ages
1. Black Death
2. Hundred Years War
3. Avignon Papacy
XVIII:
Renaissance and Voyages of Discovery
1. The City State Culture of
Northern Italy
2. Renaissance Painting
3. Humanism
4. The Renaissance of
Science
5. Machiavelli's The Prince
6. Prince Henry the
Navigator of Portugal
7. Ferdinand and Isabella of
Spain
8. Voyages of Discovery
9. The Northern Renaissance
Across the Alps
XIX:
The Reformation
1. Preconditions for the
Reformation
2. Martin Luther and the
Lutherans
3. John Calvin and the
Calvinists
4. Anabaptists
5. Henry VIII and the
Anglican Church
6. The Catholic Counter
Reformation
XX:
The Wars of Religion
1. Charles V:
Holy Roman Emperor and King of Spain,
2. Philip II of Spain
3. Revolt in the Netherlands
4. Tudors and Stuarts
5. Bourbons of France
6. Thirty Years War in the
Holy Roman Empire
This page was visited
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Updated
January 3, 2007
Modified May 22, 2009
Copyright Dr. Harold Damerow
Senior Professor of Government and History
Union County College
Cranford, NJ 07016
