300-400 level courses are on special topics and are more advanced. They often presuppose some basic knowledge in the field and should be more difficult courses than courses at the 1-199 levels. The department is trying to insure that some 400 level courses, although substantially more difficult, are also small in size; they thus may be suitable for graduate students.
HIST 310 Europe in the Age of Baroque
Taught as schedule allows (consult the Course Directory)
PRE-1800
The baroque earns its name from a style of art and architecture, developed in Europe between 1550 and 1700 and typified by elaborate ornamentation and color. The term can be applied well to the history of the period, which was characterized by conflict and complexity. In religion, the Catholic Church summoned its resources to roll back the tide of Protestantism that gathered strength in the early 1500s. In politics, emergent nations states tapped new resources to alter not only the balance of power but also the manner of its application. In society, hierarchies based on status contended with the pressures of class and mobility. In economics, the continent became the center of a vast, global network of markets and marketplaces. In culture, new learning collided with established tradition. The period 1550 to 1700 is, in fact, one of the most colorful in all of European history. This course will examine its many facets through a series of lectures supplemented by the discussion of sources.
Course Syllabus (PDF)
