Thomas Cramer

cramert@uw.edu
History

Interlake History Fall 2014

The Origins of Western Civilization
This course is an introductory survey of European
history during the middle ages, covering the period from
roughly 250 C.E. to 1455 C.E. It emphasizes three
distinctive features of European civilization that
developed during this period: (1) the gradual emergence
of a distinction between religion and politics; (2)
dramatic changes in the organization of society and
understanding of diversity; (3) changing attitudes
towards gender and sexuality in European society. The
course is intended as an introduction both to the history
of the middle ages in Europe and to the study of history
in general. No previous knowledge of either is
presumed.

Required Books:
The following books are required reading for this course:

Western Civilizations - 3rd Brief

Edition [Text]

Stacey,
Norton
Coffin, et al

039393487X

Perspectives from the Past

Primary Sources in Western
Civilizations (5th Ed.)

Brophy,
Cole, et al

9780393912944

Beowulf: a new verse translation

ed. Heaney Norton

0393320979

The Letters of Abelard and

Heloise

trans. B.
Radice

Penguin
Books

978-0140448993

The Chronicles of the Crusades

Ed. Smith

Penguin

0140449981

Course Packet (Distributed in

Class)

Norton

Class Website and Email:

On the class website you will find a copy of the syllabus. Further materials, including study
materials for the midterm, the full instructions for the essay assignments, and final exam study
questions will be posted to the site later in the term. The primary form of communicating class
updates and assignments will be in-class or over email.
Learning Objectives:
In addition to acquiring an understanding of the historical development of western Europe during
the middle ages, students will learn:
1) To analyze primary sources for the historical evidence they can provide.
2) To construct historical arguments based upon this primary source evidence.
3) To evaluate competing historical arguments using primary source evidence.
4) To appreciate the distance between historical evidence and historians interpretations
of that evidence.
Course Requirements:
1) SOURCE ANALYSIS SESSIONS: These are a required and essential part of the course and
your participation is not optional. Most every class session will be devoted to some source
analysis, but certain days are marked out for where you will discuss the primary source readings
assigned for the week in greater detail than in regular class sessions. Learning how to analyze
such sources is an important objective of this course. These sessions will cover new material that
is not covered in the lectures or in the textbook. Your performance in these sessions and
participation in general will count towards your final mark.
2) GRADES AND ASSIGNMENTS: Grades will be calculated on the following basis: 10% for
the first micro-essay (2-5 pages, assigned topic); 20% for the in-class mid-term on (IDs, map
quiz, short answer, essay); 20% for the second paper (5-7 pages); and 20% for the final essay (57 pages, on a topic chosen from a list of suggested topics); 20% for the final exam; and 10% for
in-class assignments and participation.
Late papers including drafts will be penalized .3 points per day on the 4.0 scale, unless you
have been granted an extension in advance. Weekends will count as 2 days. This penalty is
designed to ensure that all students have the same amount of time to complete assignments. You
must attempt and turn in all graded assignments in order to pass this class.
Plagiarism and Academic Integrity
According to the American Historical Association, plagiarism is defined as the appropriation of
"the exact wording of another author (or authors) without attribution," and the borrowing of
"distinctive and significant research findings or interpretations" without proper citation.
Plagiarism can include verbatim pirating of paragraphs, pages, or entire chapters without
quotation or attribution; failure to use quotation marks around borrowed material; failure to cite a
source; use of an inadequate paraphrase that makes only superficial changes to a text; and
neglecting to cite the source of a paraphrase. Please be advised that any and all violations of

academic integrity will be prosecuted to the fullest extent possible as specified in the student
handbook. If you have any questions regarding plagiarism or any other issue concerning
academic integrity please let me know and I will be glad to help.
Class Schedule
(Note: All dates are subject to change if the instructor feels it is the best interests of
the educational mission of the course. Changes will be announced in class or via
email.)

9-3

9-8

The Long Shadow of

a Dark Age: Course
Introduction

Achievements of
Rome

Historical Thinking
and Other Unnatural
Acts

Text, 107-31
Perspectives, 156-68 (12 Tablets,

Plutacrch)

9-10

Complete History Research Inventory

Assessment for next class period

Essay #1 distributed
Topic of Essay #1 Must be submitted
for approval to TA on Canvas by 9/8 at 8 PM
Crazy for History, Wineburg, 14011414. (CP)
http://www.jstor.org/stable/3660360

Please submit two discussion questions of

your own to online system by 9/9 at 5 PM

9-15

9-17

The 3rd Century

Crisis and the Fall of
Rome

Creating the Past:

Understanding the Fall of
Rome Through a
Fractured Lens

Perspectives, 174-81 (Tacitus)

Your workgroup will be assigned a

particular reading on the fall of Rome and will be
responsible for understanding, articulating, and
debating its views in class. (See Canvas for full
details.)
Essay #1 submitted online by 8 PM
9-19

9-22

If an Empire Falls in
the Forest (The Fall,
cont)

Text, 131-155

Text, 157-64, 169-74

Perspectives, 195-6, 215-221

9-24

Barbarians, Romans,
and the Successors
of Empire - 400-600

9-29

SOURCE ANALYSIS
SESSION
Beowulf: Something
good this way comes

10-1

SOURCE ANALYSIS
SESSION

(Read) Beowulf, ix-189 (End at Line 1888)

Please be sure to bring any reading notes or other
materials for our discussion
Please submit two discussion questions of
your own design by 9/28 at 5 PM. You must
also respond by the end of the day of class to
at least one submission.
Area of Expertise Must Be Selected and
submitted to Canvas by end of day

Beowulf: All good things

10-6

The Carolingian
World: Keep your
Friends Close

10-8

The Blood-feud of
the Vikings

(Read) Beowulf, ix-189 (End at Line 1888)

Please be sure to bring any reading notes
or other materials for our discussion
Please submit two discussion
questions of your own design by 9/30 at 5 PM.
You must also respond by the end of the day
of class to at least one submission.

Text, 174-78
Life of Charlemagne selections [CP]

Text, 178-81

FILM: The Outlaw

(tlaginn) directed
by gst
Gumundsson

10-13 SOURCE ANALYSIS

Please post two discussion

questions of your own design by 6 PM 10/12.

You must also respond by the end of the day

of class to at least one submission.

SESSION: tlaginn
(The Outlaw

10-15 The Collapse of the

Carolingian Empire

10-20 Peer Review

10-22 Midterm
Examination

10-27 Paths Not Taken:

Byzantium, Islam
and the
Mediterranean
World

11-5

The Investiture
Conflict: The Snows
of Canossa

Between Gregory
and Henry: The
Beginning

Bring two hard copies of essay #2 to

class

Bring exam book to class

Text, 164-69
Pact of Umar [CP]
Selections from the Qu'ran [CP]

Text, 183-93
Essay #2 Due Online by 6 PM 10/31

Text, 193-96

Letters of Gregory and Henry [CP]

10-29 The Ottonian Empire

and the Reform of
the Church: Before
Church and State

11-3

Draft of Essay #2 due online by 5 PM

10/17

Text, 218-229
Aquinas Summa Theologica, [CP]

11-12 The Twelfth Century

Renaissance:
Scholasticism, Law
and Love

11-17 SOURCE ANALYSIS

SESSION: The
Letters of Abelard
and Heloise

11-19 Arguing with the

Best: Defining Your
Point

11-24 The Twelfth Century

Renaissance:
Heretics and Jews,
Homosexuality and
Women

11-26 The Black Death and

Its Impact on Late
Medieval Europe

12-1

The Written Word:

Manuscript and
Medieval Textual
Studies

12-3

Peer Review #2

12-8

The Call to the

Abelard and Heloise, 3-43 (I also strongly

recommend you read pp. lviii-lxxxiv for an
introduction)
Please submit two discussion
questions of your own to online system by 6
PM 11/16. You must also respond by the end
of the day of class to at least one submission.
Abelard and Heloise, 44-89
Please submit two discussion
questions of your own to online system by 6
PM 11/18. You must also respond by the end
of the day of class to at least one submission.

Inquisition Records [CP]

Text, 237-244

Draft of Essay #3 Due Online by 8

PM, Nov 30

Please bring two hard copies of essay #3

to class
In-class exercise (see online instructions
and course pack)

Crusade: Source
Analysis

12-10 SOURCE ANALYSIS

SESSION: The
Chronicles of the
Crusades

12-15 Wives and Witches:

Women in Late
Medieval Society

12-17 Myth of the

Renaissance

1-5

Heresy Trial of
Margery Kempe

1-7

Defining Ourselves
in the Past

1-12

End of a Dark Age:

Course Review

1-14

Final Exam

Chronicles of the Crusades, xi-xxxi, 2-89

Please write two discussion questions of
your own creation on the course website by 12-9,
8 PM. You must also respond by the end of the day
of class to at least one submission.

Text, 256-63

Essay #3 Due Online by Dec 19 at 8

PM

In-class debate (See Canvas for

Instructions)

Text, 287-307