This final assignment asks you to formulate your own opinion about the big picture of world history since 1800.
It requires you to think about what we have learned and connect ideas in order to make broader arguments about history.
The final comes in two parts, one asking you to reflect on the origins of the modern world and the other on political developments from the twentieth century until the present.
COMPOSE SEPARATE RESPONSES TO THE TWO (2) following questions, being sure to use evidence from what we’ve learned about (textbook, readings, videos, lectures, etc.) so far.
Give your responses a title, one that reflects your main argument. YOU WILL UPLOAD BOTH RESPONSES SIMULTANEOUSLY. (as part of the same submission).
The Origins of Modernity (~500 words)
After 1800, societies were transformed by the twin revolutions of modernity (constitutionalism and industrialization). What were the origins of these revolutions?
Describe how they combined to create new, modern conditions in one of the world regions we have studied in the second half of the semester.
From Three Modernities to One (~500 words)
In the twentieth century, three major political solutions to the new modern circumstances emerged and competed with one another.
Explain how world history since 1900 can be understood as a struggle between these visions of modernity. In the conclusion, give your opinion on where this struggle stands in the present.
