Germany and the Atlantic World (GAW)

The Atlantic world was characterized above all by the interaction of various cultures from three different continents. These cultures were both dynamic and unstable. Therefore, this course will explore the chaotic, unstable, and often confusing set of circumstances that eventually resulted in the exploration and settlement of the Americas. This course will briefly introduce students to the connections of various peoples in the Atlantic World from approximately 1450 to 1900 with an emphasis on the migration of peoples, commodities, disease, war, enslavement, revolution, environment, class, gender, and religion. Individual student course projects and group work will focus on case studies and a close read of primary sources related to the German diaspora and migration in the Americas from first contact until the turn of the twentieth century. The program combines academic classes, German language classes (levels A1.1 or A1.2), and an extensive cultural program.