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Years That Changed History: 1776

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Overview

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The year 1776 is undoubtedly iconic for Americans. After all, it is the year of the Declaration of Independence—the paradigm-shifting document that birthed a new vision of government and brought the United States into being. But the groundbreaking events of 1776 went far beyond the American Revolution.

Years That Changed History: 1776 invites you to take a uniquely different look at the events of this famous year, in a brilliant and surprising excavation of world history. With the expert guidance of Professor Adam Jortner of Auburn University, you’ll explore the whole world of 1776, discovering the surprising connections between earth-shaking events in politics, philosophy, literature, science, map-making, and economics around the globe. The American Revolution was only one part of a world-spanning transformation of empires, of technologies, and of human thought.

In this exciting and original course, you’ll explore how all these milestones took place in one singular year—and how they shaped and influenced each other as the world changed.

Syllabus

  • Why 1776 Matters
  • Tea and Famine
  • Common Sense
  • Outbreak: The Smallpox Epidemic
  • The Lakota Ascendancy
  • Adam Smith and the Scottish Enlightenment
  • James Watt's Wonderful Engine
  • A Map of South America
  • Espionage and the French Connection
  • We Hold These Truths …
  • The British Empire Strikes Back
  • The Abolitionism of Abdul Qadir Kan
  • The Middle Passage Journey of the True Blue
  • Virginia Baptists Separate Church and State
  • Hawaii Discovers the World
  • The Empire of the Potlatch
  • The World's Largest Library
  • The Submarine of 1776
  • Harry Washington's Revolution
  • Secret Murders of the Hermit Kingdom
  • The End of Witches and the Rise of Vampires
  • Gibbon's Decline and Fall
  • Hoaxes and Revolution
  • Crossing the Delaware

Taught by

Adam Jortner

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