1. Trace the major political, social, economic, cultural, and intellectual developments occurring in European civilizations in the period from about 1450 to 1750. Identify the characteristics and essential nature and meaning of the major nation-states rising to prominence during this time. Identify some prominent persons who played the most important roles. Which nation-states engaged in transatlantic exploration and colonization and which did not? How can one account for the differences? What kinds of motivations and attitudes for expansion did European nations possess and what kinds of effects were felt in Europe as a result of the discovery of the Atlantic world? 2. Trace the major political, social, economic, cultural, and intellectual developments occurring in West African civilizations from about 1450 to 1800. Identify the characteristics and essential nature and meaning of the major cultures existing during this time. Identify some prominent persons who played the most important roles. What kinds of reactions did indigenous peoples experience toward European exploration, discovery, and settlement and how deeply affected were they by European advances? Was this simply a case of European exploitation of native societies or did mutual benefit between cultures take place?
