World History: The Fundamentals of the Modern World, Part 1 FLEX

This flex class will cover world history from 1837 through 1920. A flex class is completed completely asynchronously and has no live meetings. I will post videos with content as well as discussion questions in the classroom for students to respond to. Students will gain an in-depth understanding of the world at this time, particularly related to how forces of capitalism and imperialism affected different nation's actions. This class will give an in-depth understanding of what the world was like prior to and during World War I.

Students who have worked with my in the past will be familiar with my tone, which is often quick to point out the inequality in nation's actions. This is a history that actively works to understand colonization, rather than perpetuate colonial inaccuracies. Students will be encouraged to take stances on issues and to deconstruct certain myths, especially in relation to racism. 

1-2 times a month, I will post discussion questions and other materials, such as video maps or brief articles, that relate to class. Students are encouraged to respond to these in any way they like, including writing or video recording. 

There will be 2 optional assessments; a midterm after class 7 and a final after class 14. These will be multiple choice. 

Class Schedule:

Week 1: Geography of the 19th Century World
-What is Imperialism?
Week 2: Queen Victoria's Britain
-Social classes and norms in Victorian Britain
Week 3: German & Italian Unification
-The beak down of the Holy Roman Empire and the rise of Germany and Italy
Week 4: The Opium Wars
-The fall of Imperial China
Week 5: The Great Exhibition
-Britain's "world domination" and how they presented it to their people
Week 6: The Berlin Conference
-German peace keeping and the carving up of Africa
Week 7: Colonial Africa
-Life under colonial rule in Africa, emphasis on the British and French models, and African resistance
Week 8: American Imperialism
-The Spanish American War and the Opening of Japan, and how the US poised itself as a future world power after the American Civil War
Week 9: the Boer Wars
-British humiliation in Africa and how it influenced their culture and world view.
Week 10: Social Unrest Leading to WWI
-Economic struggles, geopolitics, and the rise in technology
Week 11: Outbreak of WWI 
-Global reactions and experiences
Week 12: A New Kind of War
-Comparing the expectation vs. reality 
Week 13: Colonial Experiences During WWI
Week 14: How the War Ended
-The complex legacy of the war
-The Weimar Republic

Be sure to take Part 2 to complete the course with history from the interwar period through the modern day!