History 104: Introduction to the Modern World

Fall 2025 – 3 Credit Hours

Async-Online

Dr. Meredith Tuttle Stukey

 

COURSE OBJECTIVES

This course will introduce major events, themes, and developments in early modern and

modern European history: we begin in the 16th century, with the Age of Exploration and

the Enlightenment, and we will conclude with the Cold War and modern history in the

early 21st century. We cannot possibly cover everything in 500 years of Western History

and I certainly don’t want to try. Rather, this course examines key moments in these 500

years and emphasizes depth of understanding more so than breadth of material.

Using both our textbook and selected primary source readings, we will examine the

political and military clashes that shaped the modern world, but we will also devote

particular attention to the religious, economic, cultural, and psychological changes that

accompanied these conflicts. In other words, we will explore the most influential events

and developments seen during this time period as well as the everyday experiences and

responses of ordinary Europeans.

This class is intended to make you think about historical processes, the forces that shaped

the world we live in today, and our ongoing connections to the past. So, just as we

examine historical content, we will also discuss and practice historical thinking skills. In

your essays, you will learn to create an argument and support it using relevant,

appropriate, and accurate historical evidence. We will learn to analyze historical sources

and evidence (both primary and secondary sources), and we will make connections

between various developments, ideas, and societies. We will employ chronological

reasoning: we will identity, analyze, and evaluate the relationships among multiple

historical causes and effects. I expect you to think and articulate your thoughts in the

writing assignments.

Please note: As this is an online course, the textbook and primary source reader are

essential to the course. This course involves a significant amount of reading and self-motivated study. If you fall behind on the readings, you will not do well in the course. I

expect you to think and articulate your thoughts in the writing assignments, and you will

do so independently, there is no group work in this class. College is an investment, both

of time and money, and you should be prepared to play an active role in your

education and keep up with the work in the course.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

  1. Comprehend the turning points and changes in European History and interpret these

events and their lasting implications.

  1. Recognize the causes, major events, endings, and results of the historical events that

we will study.

  1. Identify the characteristics and accomplishments of the major figures of this period in

European History.

  1. Understand how historians, journalists, novelists, filmmakers, and readers have

studied European history from 1600-2010.

  1. Write effectively and ethically using proper syntax, applicable sources, and formal

citation styles.

COURSE TEXTS AND MATERIALS

Two textbooks are required for this class. They are available via Amazon, Barnes and

Noble, W.W. Norton, and at the Purdue Bookstore. I highly recommend renting the

textbooks or purchasing used copies. You will not need any online resources/access

codes included with new books so it is perfectly acceptable to purchase used copies or

rent the textbooks.

You may choose a print or eBook of the textbook based on your personal preference but

the source reader should be purchased in print. The eBooks are cheaper from the publisher

but print copies are cheaper new/used from Amazon or other booksellers. I recommend

shopping around for the best prices.

Textbook: The West: A New History (Volume 2)

Author: David A. Bell & Anthony Grafton

Publisher: W.W. Norton and Company

Edition/Year: 2018

ISBN: 9780393640861

Source Reader: Perspectives from the Past: Primary Sources in Western

Civilizations (Volume 2)

Author: James M. Brophy, Joshua Cole, John Robertson, Thomas Max Safley, Carol Symes

Publisher: W.W. Norton and Company

Edition/Year: 2nd Edition, 2020

ISBN: 978-0-393-41872-9

If needed, other required materials will be posted on the course Brightspace site.

COURSE DELIVERY

This is an online course delivered on Brightspace. With the exception of the textbooks, all

content and assignments will be available on Brightspace. Weekly content includes

PowerPoints, required readings in your textbook and reader, video clips on Brightspace,

and occasional outlines/key terms sheets. I will not be posting video lectures in this

course, however all of my lecture notes are included in each PowerPoint for you to

read at your own pace. My PowerPoints are copyrighted and can only be downloaded for

personal study, not for uploading or sharing. I will regularly post critical announcements

to Brightspace. It is your responsibility to keep up with these announcements daily.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS AND GRADING

Your grade in the course will be determined as follows:

Discussion Board Post: 25 points

Quizzes (on Brightspace): 25 points each (x15 quizzes) for a total of 375 points

Essay 1: 125 points

Final Essay: 125 points

Creative Project:

Topic: 100 points

Report Paper & Project: 250 points

= 1000 points possible in the course

Extra Credit: Up to 100 additional points

Grading Scale:

A 90-100%

B+ 88-89%

B 83-87%

B- 82-80%

C+ 78-79%

C 73-77%

C- 72-70%

D+ 67-69%

D 60-66%

F 0-59%

Essays

In two essays of 750-1500+ words, you will discuss specific primary source materials

from the readings alongside historical events examined in your textbook. Further, you may

be asked to watch a film, listen to music, or read a short additional text and connect it to

the course materials in a meaningful way. It is important to have a strong argument and set

of main ideas in each essay. This course has no exams, thus it is important that you

write well and adhere to the separate document “Writing Guidelines” in order to do

well in the course. The essays are your chance to show me what you know and

understand about the material.

Creative Project

In lieu of a third essay, I am trying a new type of assignment this semester. You can create

almost any project based on the course material. You can create a map, write a short story,

research and design a historical outfit, build a model, compose a song, recreate a journey,

or whatever interests you! If creative projects fill you with dread and you do not want to

do this, an alternative essay question will be posted in the Week 1 folder. Please select

your project by October 3 and upload a brief explanation of your project to

Brightspace. Please turn in a report of 750+ words on your creation, with photos if

applicable, by November 14. Also, you are welcome to turn in your project at any

time before November 14, I appreciate early submissions.

I absolutely do not want to see any AI in your assignments. I want to hear your own voice

and your own thoughts about the course material. You may not upload or use any of the

PowerPoints or course materials to websites or AI generators. These materials are

copyrighted and I do not give permission for their use other than personal study. Students

who use AI technology (including Grammarly) will fail the course.

Quizzes

Quizzes are simply intended to ensure you are reading and keeping up with the course

material. They are open book/open note, and can be taken more than once. Quizzes

will be posted each Monday and due by Friday at 5pm, each week. Your quiz grades

will be posted on Brightspace.

  • Quizzes will cover the weekly reading assignments. The best way to prepare for

them is simple: read the assigned materials for that week of class and regularly

review your class notes and other materials from previous class meetings.

  • Should you have technical/internet issues with a quiz, please contact me as soon as

possible. I know that internet connections can go out and glitches happen, so

please let me know if anything happens and I can reset the quiz for you. That

being said, you must contact me about issues with a quiz before 5pm on Friday

or your quiz grade for that week will be a 0.

  • There will be no make-ups for quizzes. You have 6 days to complete each quiz

(longer in the first three weeks of class) and if you fail to do so, you will not be

given a make-up and will earn a 0.

  • Quiz 1 is posted in the Week 1 folder and will be open until September 8. If you

miss the deadline, it will not be reopened.

Discussion Board

There will be a course discussion board available to you, for conversations with your

peers or questions for me. In lieu of a quiz the first week and to earn 25 points, please

introduce yourself in the discussion thread “Welcome to the Course.” After that, you

are not required to use the discussion board, nor will it be graded during the semester, but

it is available to you throughout the course as a resource.

Extra Credit

At any point in the semester, I encourage you to visit a historical site or museum, fully

engage with the exhibits/presentations there, and write a short reflection (500+ words)

about your experience. If possible, try to connect your experience in some way to the

course; however, I understand that depending on the site you choose, this may not be

possible.

COURSE SCHEDULE

August 25, 2025 - December 13, 2025

Week 1: Course Introduction – August 25-29

Syllabus / Course Overview

Textbook: Chapter 12

Source Reader: Chapter 12: de Gama, Machiavelli, More

Quiz 1 – Due September 12 at 11:59pm

Week 2: Age of Exploration – September 2-5

Textbook: Chapter 12-13

Source Reader: Chapter 12: de Gama, Machiavelli, More

Chapter 13: Luther & Calvin

Quiz 2 – Due September 12 at 11:59pm

Week 3: Stuart Era / English Civil War / Louis XIV – September 8-12

Textbook: Chapter 14

Source Reader: Chapter 15: Louis XIV, Hobbes, Locke, Catherine the Great

Quiz 3 – Due September 12 at 11:59pm

Week 4: The Enlightenment / The Scientific Revolution – September 15-19

Textbook: Chapter 15

Source Reader: Chapter 16: Copernicus, Galilei, Descartes, Newton

Quiz 4 – Due September 19 at 11:59pm

Week 5: The American Revolution / The French Revolution – September 22-26

Textbook: Chapter 16

Source Reader: Chapter 17: Rousseau, Equiano

Chapter 18: Sieyes, National Assembly, Burke & Paine

Creative Project Idea/Topic due September 26 at 11:59pm

Quiz 5 – Due September 26 at 11:59pm

Week 6: The Napoleonic Wars / The Congress of Vienna – September 29-October 3

Textbook: Chapter 17

Source Reader: Chapter 18: Al-Jabarti, Walter

Quiz 6 – Due October 3 at 11:59pm

Essay One due October 3 at 11:59pm

Week 7: The Industrial Revolution / European Imperialism – October 6-10

Textbook: Chapter 18

Source Reader: Chapter 19: Smith, Engels, Marx and Engels, Ellis

Chapter 20: Wollstonecraft, de Tocqueville, Mill

Quiz 7 – Due October 10 at 11:59pm

Week 8: Victorian Era / The Turn of the Century / The Edwardian Era – October 13-17

Fall Break

Textbook: Chapter 19

Source Reader: Chapter 21: Alexander II, von Bismark

Chapter 22: Lin Hsü, Livingstone, Kipling

Quiz 8 – Due October 24 at 11:59pm

Week 9: World War I – October 20-24

Textbook: Chapter 20-21

Source Reader: Chapter 23:Pankhurst

Chapter 24: All

Quiz 9 – Due October 24 at 11:59pm

Week 10: The Russian Revolution / 1920’s / The Great Depression – October 27-31

Textbook: Chapter 22

Source Reader: Chapter 23: Lenin

Chapter 25: Petrograd Soviet, Hitler, Mussolini

Quiz 10 – Due October 31 at 11:59pm

Week 11: World War II– November 3-7

Textbook: Chapter 23

Source Reader: Chapter 26: Atlantic Charter, Trials of War Criminals,

Kuribayashi

Quiz 11 – Due November 7 at 11:59pm

Week 12: The Cold War – November 10-14

Textbook: Chapter 24

Source Reader: Chapter 27: Churchill, Khrushchev

Quiz 12 – Due November 14 at 11:59pm

Creative Project due November 14 at 11:59pm

Week 13: The Fall of Communism – November 17-21

Textbook: Chapter 25

Source Reader: Chapter 27: Dubcek, Gorbachev

Quiz 13 – Due November 21 at 11:59pm

Week 14: No Class – Thanksgiving Break J

Week 15: Week 9/11 / The War on Terror – December 1-5

Textbook: Chapter 26

Source Reader: Chapter 28: Ghandi, Obama, Tillerson, Merkel

Quiz 14 – Due December 5 at 11:59pm

Week 16: Wrap Up – December 8-12

Watch film for Final Essay Assignment

Quiz 15 – Due December 12 at 11:59pm

Final Essay – Due December 12 at 11:59pm

ATTENDANCE POLICY

This course is online and designed to be completed remotely. University policies (see

Academic Regulations: Attendance and Office of the Dean of Students: Class Absences

posted in Brightspace under “University Policies and Statements.”) states that students

are expected to be present for every meeting of the classes in which they are enrolled. For

the purposes of this course, being “present” means participating remotely and completing

work assigned unless you are ill or need to be absent for reasons excused by University

regulations: grief/bereavement, military service, jury duty, parenting leave or emergent

medical care. Please contact me ASAP if something happens and you need extensions

with deadlines, I will try my best to work with you.

For cases that fall under excused absence regulations, you or your representative should

contact or go to the Office of the Dean of Students (ODOS) website to complete

appropriate forms for instructor notification. Under academic regulations, excused

absences may be granted by ODOS for cases of grief/bereavement, military service, jury

duty, parenting leave, or emergent medical care. The processes are detailed, so plan

ahead.

CLASS POLICIES

  • I expect you to keep up with the readings, turn in your assignments on time, and

engage fully with the course. If you fall behind on readings, you will find it

difficult to succeed with your quizzes and essays.

  • Please check the syllabus and Brightspace before emailing me with questions.
  • Outlines and Powerpoints are posted on Brightspace for every week and I may post

a list of key terms/events/people for you to focus upon. However, you cannot and

should not rely on these materials alone. Good reading and note-taking is essential

for your success with the essays and in this class overall.

  • Use a professional tone in all emails; this will be necessary in your future careers.

Always begin with “Dear Dr./Professor,” write in complete sentences, and end

with Sincerely/Best/Regards and your full name.

  • Be respectful of your peers in discussion posts and responses. Failure to do so may

result in a zero and/or dismissal from the course.

  • Should you have technical/internet issues, please contact me as soon as possible. I

know that internet connections can go out and glitches happen, so please let me

know if you have any issues. That being said, you must contact me about issues

with an assignment before 5pm on the day it is due. So don’t wait until the last

minute to complete your assignments.

  • Late work is accepted but points will be deducted.
  • In the event of a major campus emergency, course requirements, deadlines, and

grading percentages are subject to changes as necessitated by a revised semester

calendar or other circumstances. Any necessary changes will be announced via

email and/or the class Brightspace page. A link to Purdue’s Information on

Emergency Preparation and Planning is located on our Brightspace under

“University Policies and Statements.” This website covers topics such as Severe

Weather Guidance, Emergency Plans, and a place to sign up for the Emergency

Warning Notification System. I encourage you to download and review the

Emergency Preparedness for Classrooms document (PDF).

  • This class is intended to encourage open, informed discussions, and we are all

responsible for creating the kind of environment where everyone may contribute.

At the same time, students should not be afraid to raise critical ideas and

commentary. Respect, open-mindedness, and tolerance for dissenting opinions

and diverse perspectives should inform our discussions and our personal

interactions with one another.

  • During the last two weeks of the semester, you will be provided an opportunity to

evaluate this course and my teaching. You will receive an official email from

evaluation administrators with a link to the online evaluation site, and you will

have two weeks to complete this evaluation. I consider your feedback vital, as

does Purdue University. Your professors have access to these online evaluations

only after grades are due. That being said, if you are struggling in the course,

please contact me so I can help you. It’s very disappointing to find out from

course evaluations that a student was struggling and I was not aware and

able to help them.

UNIVERSITY POLICIES

MENTAL HEALTH STATEMENT

If you find yourself beginning to feel some stress, anxiety and/or feeling slightly

overwhelmed, try WellTrack. Sign in and find information and tools at your fingertips,

available to you at any time.

If you need support and information about options and resources, please contact or

see the Office of the Dean of Students. Call 765-494-1747. Hours of operation are M-F, 8

a.m.- 5 p.m.

If you find yourself struggling to find a healthy balance between academics, social

life, stress, etc., sign up for free one-on-one virtual or in-person sessions with a Purdue

Wellness Coach at RecWell. Student coaches can help you navigate through barriers and

challenges toward your goals throughout the semester. Sign up is free and can be done on

BoilerConnect.

If you’re struggling and need mental health services: Purdue University is

committed to advancing the mental health and well-being of its students. If you or

someone you know is feeling overwhelmed, depressed, and/or in need of mental health

support, services are available. For help, such individuals should contact Counseling and

Psychological Services (CAPS) at 765-494-6995 during and after hours, on weekends

and holidays, or by going to the CAPS office on the second floor of the Purdue

University Student Health Center (PUSH) during business hours.

NON-DISCRIMINATION STATEMENT

Purdue University is committed to maintaining a community that recognizes and values

the inherent worth and dignity of every person; fosters tolerance, sensitivity,

understanding, and mutual respect among its members; and encourages each individual to strive to reach his or her potential. In pursuit of its goal of academic excellence, the

University seeks to develop and nurture diversity. The University believes that diversity

among its many members strengthens the institution, stimulates creativity, promotes the

exchange of ideas, and enriches campus life. A hyperlink to Purdue’s full

Nondiscrimination Policy Statement is included in our course Brightspace under

University Policies and Statements.

ACCESSIBILITY

Purdue University strives to make learning experiences as accessible as possible. If you

anticipate or experience physical or academic barriers based on disability, you are

welcome to let me know so that we can discuss options. You are also encouraged to

contact the Disability Resource Center at: drc@purdue.edu or by phone: 765-494-1247.

More details are available on our course Brightspace under Accessibility Information.

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY

  • As a student in this class and at Purdue, you are expected to uphold the standards of

academic integrity. Plagiarism, cheating, and other forms of academic dishonesty

are serious offenses and will be treated as such in this class.

  • Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, the following: the use of AI

technology (including Grammarly); essay writing services; consulting

classmates and/or their work without express permission to do so; giving or

receiving answers during or in preparation for assignments; and failing to cite

sources employed for writing assignments. If you have a question about

whether a certain act or behavior constitutes academic dishonesty, you

should consult with me before you commit such an act.

  • I absolutely do not want to see any AI in your assignments. I want to hear your

own voice and your own thoughts about the course material. You may not upload

or use any of the PowerPoints or course materials to websites or AI generators.

These materials are copyrighted and I do not give permission for their use other

than personal study. Students who use AI technology (including Grammarly) will

fail the course.

  • Those who engage in such practices should expect to fail the course. This is nonnegotiable:

if I find that you have committed academic dishonesty, you will

fail the course—period. In addition, I will report the violation to the Office of

Student Rights and Responsibilities (OSSR) for review at the university level, and

the OSSR may consider additional penalties.

  • Please do not put yourself in the situation of considering academic

dishonesty. Please contact me and I will do my best to work with you and

help you get the most out of the class.

GRIEF ABSENCE POLICY

Purdue University recognizes that a time of bereavement is very difficult for a

student. The University therefore provides the following rights to students facing the

loss of a family member through the Grief Absence Policy for Students (GAPS).

Students will be excused from classes for funeral leave and given the opportunity to

complete missed assignments or assessments in the event of the death of a member of

the student’s family.

VIOLENT BEHAVIOR POLICY

Purdue University is committed to providing a safe and secure campus environment.

Purdue strives to create an educational environment for students and work

environment for employees that promote educational and career goals. Violent

behavior impedes such goals. Therefore, violent behavior is prohibited in or on any

university facility or while participating in any university activity.

RIGHT OF REVISION

Final decisions regarding course structure, requirements, and grading rest with the

professor, and are subject to change.

DISCLAIMER

In the event of a major campus emergency, the above requirements, deadlines and

grading policies are subject to changes that may be required by a revised semester

calendar. Any such changes in this course will be posted once the course resumes on

Brightspace or can be obtained by contacting the professor via email or Zoom.