HIST129

Description

What lies beyond the edge of a map? This was a pressing question for communities in Europe and America in the 1500s, 1600s, and 1700s-sometimes literal and sometimes metaphorical. As the people of two continents encountered each other for the first time, both Indigenous peoples and Europeans set out on journeys of exploration to learn about new lands and people. This class will investigate those explorers and the ways that their expeditions and knowledge reshaped two continents in fundamental ways. Ultimately, the material covered will disrupt the assumption that the only explorers were Europeans, instead centering the expertise and tradition of exploration among many Indigenous communities. Students will also learn about the perspectives of those who lived in places being "discovered," and how they navigated new arrivals. Topics explored include: early American history, science and technology of exploration, Indigenous exploration, settler colonialism, the history of cartography.