Early Modern Societies
Peasant Wedding by Pieter Bruegel the Elder / Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons
Our faculty has long specialized in the study of the period between 1450 and 1800, exploring the social, religious, political, and intellectual history of Early Modern societies from around the globe. The history of the Atlantic World, or the history of interactions between peoples and empires bordering the Atlantic Ocean, is a particular point of strength in our department, and has led to numerous fruitful collaborations between faculty.
Sub-fields
Early Modern Europe
Our department has long had a strength in the study of Early Modern Europe between, roughly, the 15th and 18th centuries. Our faculty teach and research many aspects of this era, ranging from the lives of French aristocrats to the growth of medical and scientific knowledge.
Faculty
Pieter Bruegel the Elder, Children's Games
Kunsthistoriches Museum, Vienna, Austria
Early Modern Asia
Our department boasts a particular strength in Early Modern Korea and China, with areas of specialization including religious history and the cultural history of medicine.
Faculty
The Phoenix Throne of the king of Joseon in Gyeongbokgung Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons
Colonial North and South America
Our faculty works to better understand the anxious relationships between European colonists, enslaved Africans, indigenous peoples, and the lived environment in North and South America and the Caribbean.
Faculty
John Vanderlyn, The Landing of Columbus, 1846
The Atlantic World
A particular point of pride in our department is our strength in the study of the Atlantic World, the community created by the cultural and economic connections between the countries and peoples bordering the Atlantic Ocean.
Faculty
The Cantino Planosphere, 1502
Public Domain Wikimedia Commons
