Beginning With Europe (and Why)

1. Of Multiculturalism and Definitions--The Subject Matter of American History
   1. The "Multicultural" Issue
      1. Its Advocates--Inclusion of ALL Americans in American History
      2. Its Critics--"Balkanization"
   2. The Instructor's Choice
      1. A Statement:

         "History 170 covers the history of the people of a nation known as the United States of America, from its origins as a string of colonies founded by white English Europeans to the Year 1865, and geographically embracing the territory of that nation as it expanded into it."

      2. The Statement's Limitations
         1. Essentially a Political Definition
         2. Does Violence to the Past
         3. An Illustration of the Problem--Does American History Go Back Before Europe?
            1. Yes--History is Seamless
            2. No--European Settlement is a Profound Break
2. If America Was Invented by Europeans, Why?
   1. Commercial Expansion
      1. Late Medieval Character
         1. Trade Chiefly in Precious Goods
         2. Mediterranean Monopoly
      2. The Rise of North Atlantic Commerce
         1. Imperatives of Competition
         2. New Shipping Technology
   2. The Rise of the Nation-State
      1. Absolute Monarchy
      2. The National Uses of Trade Expansion
         1. Increasing National Wealth
         2. Promoting Independence