HIS563: Humans and the Environment

What drives human history? Do the pivotal factors such as climate, geography, ecosystems, and microbes lie beyond human control? This course examines the interactions between people and the natural world over time. In struggling to master an often-hostile environment, human societies have had an ever-increasing impact on the planet, and apparent success has often ended in failure. The course begins with the emergence of humans in the Paleolithic Period and then explores the invention of agriculture, the emergence of global trade and migration networks, colonialism, and the Industrial Revolution. Students examine in depth one instance of humans managing - or mismanaging - a natural resource, and conclude the course with a close look at 20th-century trends and the future we collectively face.