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Description: |
Study of European expansion into Africa and the Americas from the ages of Discovery to Revolution has taken many forms. Some pursued their investigations topically (slavery, migration, economic development, etc.) and others focused on particular colonies or regions. We shift the focus of inquiry to the Atlantic Ocean itself, as the geographic center of an expanding European world. Rather than treat the ocean as peripheral while studying the settlement of the Atlantic coast, we will be primarily concerned with activities that took place upon its watery face, delving into the lives of the tens of thousands of mariners who were catalysts in identity formation, migration, and economic development. Our focus will be on three topics: migration, (forced and free), maritime activities (seafaring, shipping, and fishing), and trade (how merchants did business and integrated regional economies). By the end, you will hopefully appreciate the centrality of the sea to the development of Africa, Europe, and the Americas. |