An introduction to Atlantic history and the study of the various socio-cultural, political, economic and material relationships which came to link Europe, Africa, and the Americas; their formation, mutual influence and impact, and, in some instances, transformation or dissolution. Principal themes will be how historians study premodern American peoples; why, and to what extent, many of these peoples were conquered by Europeans; European interactions with (changing) Native American and African societies; the rise of slavery and racism; the varied consequences for early modern European societies of global expansion.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:

Upon successful completion of this course, students will have the knowledge and skills to:

1. Analyse primary sources and use them to reconstruct beliefs, ideas, and attitudes from the past;
2. Articulate their understanding of the past and explain how that understanding relates to the wider historiography as well as present-day concerns;
3. Construct evidence-based arguments about the consequences of the "discovery of the New World" for European, American, and African peoples; and,
4. Evaluate continuity and change over time, with particular reference to globalization, a process often said to define modernity.

Recommended Resources

Whether you are on campus or studying remotely, there are a variety of online platforms you will use to participate in your study program. These could include videos for lectures and other instruction, two-way video conferencing for interactive learning, email and other messaging tools for communication, interactive web apps for formative and collaborative activities, print and/or photo/scan for handwritten work and drawings, and home-based assessment.

ANU outlines recommended student system requirements to ensure you are able to participate fully in your learning. Other information is also available about the various Learning Platforms you may use.

Staff Feedback

Students will be given feedback in the following forms in this course:

• written comments
• verbal comments
• feedback to whole class, groups, individuals, focus group etc

Student Feedback

ANU is committed to the demonstration of educational excellence and regularly seeks feedback from students. Students are encouraged to offer feedback directly to their Course Convener or through their College and Course representatives (if applicable). Feedback can also be provided to Course Conveners and teachers via the Student Experience of Learning & Teaching (SELT) feedback program. SELT surveys are confidential and also provide the Colleges and ANU Executive with opportunities to recognise excellent teaching, and opportunities for improvement.

Class Schedule

Week/Session	Summary of Activities	Assessment
1	1.Introduction 2.First Expansion: why Spain?	Tutorial: Introductions
2	3.Columbus 4.Precolumbian America	Tutorial: Research orientation
3	5.Aztec and Inca 6.Conquest of the Spanish Indies: I	Tutorial: 1492
4	# Canberra Day – #Columbian Exchange guest lecture pre-record. 7.Conquest of the Spanish Indies: II	Tutorial: Precolumbian Americans
5	8.Europe and Africa; World Systems and Slaves 9.Portugal, Brazil & the Rise of Plantation Agriculture	Tutorial: Conquistadors
6	10.Colonial Society in Latin America: from the top down 11.Colonial Society in Latin America: from the bottom up	Tutorial: Africans
7	12.“Discovery” of the Americas 13.Canada: Fish & Fur in the North Atlantic	Tutorial: Understanding New Worlds
8	14.Virginia, and England as Colonial Latecomer 15.New England’s Pilgrims & Puritans – America’s Ancestors	No tutorials – individual research consultations
9	16.Caribbean Centrepiece 17.Migrations in the Anglo-Atlantic	Tutorial: English Expansion
10	18.North American Encounters 19.French Empire in the American Interior	Tutorial: Indigenous North Americans
11	20.Africans in the Anglo-Atlantic 21.Planting a Racial Slavery	Tutorial: French Engagement
12	22.Imperial Implications for Britain 23. tba – colloquium for exam candidates	Tutorial: Enslavement

Tutorial Registration

ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.

Assessment Summary

Assessment task	Value	Due Date	Return of assessment	Learning Outcomes
Tutorial Participation	10 %	*	*	1, 2
Primary Source Analysis	15 %	*	*	1, 3
Topical Essay	35 %	*	*	2, 3, 4
Research Essay OR Final Exam	40 %	02/06/2023	29/06/2023	1, 2, 3, 4

* If the Due Date and Return of Assessment date are blank, see the Assessment Tab for specific Assessment Task details

Policies

ANU has educational policies, procedures and guidelines , which are designed to ensure that staff and students are aware of the University’s academic standards, and implement them. Students are expected to have read the Academic Integrity Rule before the commencement of their course. Other key policies and guidelines include:

• Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
• Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure
• Special Assessment Consideration Guideline and General Information 
• Student Surveys and Evaluations
• Deferred Examinations
• Student Complaint Resolution Policy and Procedure
• Code of practice for teaching and learning

Assessment Requirements

The ANU is using Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the Academic Skills website. In rare cases where online submission using Turnitin software is not technically possible; or where not using Turnitin software has been justified by the Course Convener and approved by the Associate Dean (Education) on the basis of the teaching model being employed; students shall submit assessment online via ‘Wattle’ outside of Turnitin, or failing that in hard copy, or through a combination of submission methods as approved by the Associate Dean (Education). The submission method is detailed below.

Moderation of Assessment

Marks that are allocated during Semester are to be considered provisional until formalised by the College examiners meeting at the end of each Semester. If appropriate, some moderation of marks might be applied prior to final results being released.

Participation

As described for Assessment Task #1

Examination(s)

As described for one of two options under Assessment Task #4

Assessment Task 1

Tutorial Participation

·       10% of the final grade.

·       Due: continuous. Participation in fewer than seven tutorials will result in a lower grade.

Each student will be expected to lead discussion at two tutorials as they relate to their written work. The remainder of the grade will be allocated on the basis of weekly contribution. Contributions can include, but are not limited to, critique of the week’s primary sources; comment on independent reading in the historiography; informed debate of the week’s focus questions.

Given the emphasis on participation, you may compensate for two absences from tutorials by providing written evidence of engagement with the week’s readings (e.g. a page of notes for the primary sources, or brief answers to focus questions posted on Wattle). 

If your circumstances (e.g. a chronic medical condition) otherwise prevent regular attendance and participation at tutorials, we should discuss alternative arrangements that might, for example, make use of a Wattle forum.

Assessment Task 2

Primary Source Analysis

·       1000 words: 15% of the final grade.

·       Presentation requirements: double-line spaced on numbered A4 pages in doc. or docx. format. A sample grading rubric will be available on Wattle and further written advice about how to approach this assessment appears later in this outline. 

·       Due: an average of 7 days after the related tutorial discussion – see below for more information.

Students will choose one of the following four documents, an extract from which will be the subject of tutorial discussion in weeks 4–5 or 9–10. Your analysis should focus mainly on the extract. Students may not complete a primary source analysis relating to the same tutorial as their choice for the topical essay.

 

v Tutorial W4–Florentine Codex [ed. Lockhart] Due Thursday 23 March (5pm)  

v Tutorial W5–Cortés’ Letters [ed. Pagden & Elliott] Due Thursday 30 March (5pm)

v Tutorial W9–Hakluyt’s Discourse [eds Quinn & Quinn] Due Thursday 11 May (5pm)

v Tutorial W10–Carheil’s Correspondence [ed. Kenton] Due Thursday 18 May (5pm)

Assessment Task 3

Topical Essay

·       2000 words: 35% of final grade.

·       Due: approximately 7 days after the relevant tutorial discussion in weeks 3–6, or 9. See below for essay questions and related due dates.

·       Presentation requirements: double-line spaced on numbered A4 pages in doc. or docx. format. A sample grading rubric will be available on Wattle and further written advice about how to approach this assessment appears later in this outline. 

·       Return of graded assessment: 2 weeks post submission.

Students will choose one of the following questions, each of which will be the subject of tutorial discussion. Students may notcomplete a topical essay relating to the same tutorial as their choice for the primary source analysis.

v  Tutorial W3–In what ways were Christopher Columbus’ trans-Atlantic voyages merely a way for him to become a conquistador? Due Thursday 16 March (5pm)

v  Tutorial W4–In what ways did language, and with it history, become a tool of European empire in the New World?[1] Due Thursday 23 March (5pm)  

v  Tutorial W5–It is anachronistic to think of the conquests of the Spanish Indies[2] as the inevitable triumph of armies of white invaders. Discuss. Due Thursday 30 March (5pm)

v  Tutorial W6–What were the consequences of enslavement for West African[3] societies and polities, c.1450–1650?  Due Thursday 06 April (5pm)

v  Tutorial W9–What were the main motivations for English settlement in North America (c.1580–1650)? Due Thursday 11 May (5pm)

Students may consult the course convenor about modification of the set question but usually not the general topic. Your other interests should be pursued in the research essay. 

[1] Naturally enough we will examine the early Spanish example. Within what becomes the “Latin American” context your essay might focus oneither Mexico or Peru. Adventurous essayists, could, if they wished, draw upon case-studies dealing with other early modern Europeanencounters.

[2] Tutorial discussion will concentrate on what became Mexico. Essayists may however elect to focus on another Spanish conquest(s) in theAmericas during the sixteenth century.

[3] Note that this essay does not require in-depth consideration of all of western Africa. Essentially, the question asks that you identify broad trends (from the tutorial readings and material described as ‘general’ or an ‘overview’) and then illustrate them with reference to some of the local case studies listed.

Assessment Task 4

Research Essay OR Final Exam

Research Essay

·       2500 words: 40% of final grade.

·       Due: Friday 02 June (5pm).

·       Presentation requirements: double-line spaced on numbered A4 pages in doc. or docx. format. A sample grading rubric will be available on Wattle. 

·       Return of graded assessment: following publication of final results in ISIS.

Students must first submit a short, written proposal for their tutor’s feedback and approval. While the proposal itself will not be worth any part of the final grade, essays submitted without this approval will not be marked. (further info at p.29).

**Students who do not have an approved essay question by 28 April will instead be assumed candidates for the Final Exam.**

Final Exam

·       2.5 hours, closed book, in-person: 40% of final grade.

·       Candidates will be expected to write two shorter (1200–1500 word) essays on questions and/or primary sources discussed in tutorials. Candidates will not be able to reproduce coursework essays.

·       Due: exam will be conducted by the School/course convenor rather than the Examinations Office. Candidates should therefore expect that the exam will be scheduled as closely as is possible to the due date for the alternative final option – the Research Essay. Candidates should also assume that it will be feasible to conduct the exam on-campus according to any health regulations still in force. If those regulations should preclude an on-campus examination, the course convenor reserves the right to modify the exam format for online delivery.

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a core part of the ANU culture as a community of scholars. The University’s students are an integral part of that community. The academic integrity principle commits all students to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support, academic integrity, and to uphold this commitment by behaving honestly, responsibly and ethically, and with respect and fairness, in scholarly practice.

The University expects all staff and students to be familiar with the academic integrity principle, the Academic Integrity Rule 2021, the Policy: Student Academic Integrity and Procedure: Student Academic Integrity, and to uphold high standards of academic integrity to ensure the quality and value of our qualifications.

The Academic Integrity Rule 2021 is a legal document that the University uses to promote academic integrity, and manage breaches of the academic integrity principle. The Policy and Procedure support the Rule by outlining overarching principles, responsibilities and processes. The Academic Integrity Rule 2021 commences on 1 December 2021 and applies to courses commencing on or after that date, as well as to research conduct occurring on or after that date. Prior to this, the Academic Misconduct Rule 2015 applies.

 

The University commits to assisting all students to understand how to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support academic integrity. All coursework students must complete the online Academic Integrity Module (Epigeum), and Higher Degree Research (HDR) students are required to complete research integrity training. The Academic Integrity website provides information about services available to assist students with their assignments, examinations and other learning activities, as well as understanding and upholding academic integrity.

Online Submission

You will be required to electronically sign a declaration as part of the submission of your assignment. Please keep a copy of the assignment for your records. Unless an exemption has been approved by the Associate Dean (Education) submission must be through Turnitin.

Hardcopy Submission

For some forms of assessment (hand written assignments, art works, laboratory notes, etc.) hard copy submission is appropriate when approved by the Associate Dean (Education). Hard copy submissions must utilise the Assignment Cover Sheet. Please keep a copy of tasks completed for your records.

Late Submission

Individual assessment tasks may or may not allow for late submission. Policy regarding late submission is detailed below:

• Late submission not permitted. If submission of assessment tasks without an extension after the due date is not permitted, a mark of 0 will be awarded.
• Late submission permitted. Late submission of assessment tasks without an extension are penalised at the rate of 5% of the possible marks available per working day or part thereof. Late submission of assessment tasks is not accepted after 10 working days after the due date, or on or after the date specified in the course outline for the return of the assessment item. Late submission is not accepted for take-home examinations.

Referencing Requirements

The Academic Skills website has information to assist you with your writing and assessments. The website includes information about Academic Integrity including referencing requirements for different disciplines. There is also information on Plagiarism and different ways to use source material.

Extensions and Penalties

Extensions and late submission of assessment pieces are covered by the Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure. Extensions may be granted for assessment pieces that are not examinations or take-home examinations. If you need an extension, you must request an extension in writing on or before the due date. If you have documented and appropriate medical evidence that demonstrates you were not able to request an extension on or before the due date, you may be able to request it after the due date.

Privacy Notice

The ANU has made a number of third party, online, databases available for students to use. Use of each online database is conditional on student end users first agreeing to the database licensor’s terms of service and/or privacy policy. Students should read these carefully. In some cases student end users will be required to register an account with the database licensor and submit personal information, including their: first name; last name; ANU email address; and other information.
In cases where student end users are asked to submit ‘content’ to a database, such as an assignment or short answers, the database licensor may only use the student’s ‘content’ in accordance with the terms of service – including any (copyright) licence the student grants to the database licensor. Any personal information or content a student submits may be stored by the licensor, potentially offshore, and will be used to process the database service in accordance with the licensors terms of service and/or privacy policy.
If any student chooses not to agree to the database licensor’s terms of service or privacy policy, the student will not be able to access and use the database. In these circumstances students should contact their lecturer to enquire about alternative arrangements that are available.

Distribution of grades policy

Academic Quality Assurance Committee monitors the performance of students, including attrition, further study and employment rates and grade distribution, and College reports on quality assurance processes for assessment activities, including alignment with national and international disciplinary and interdisciplinary standards, as well as qualification type learning outcomes.

Since first semester 1994, ANU uses a grading scale for all courses. This grading scale is used by all academic areas of the University.

Support for students

The University offers students support through several different services. You may contact the services listed below directly or seek advice from your Course Convener, Student Administrators, or your College and Course representatives (if applicable).

• ANU Health, safety & wellbeing for medical services, counselling, mental health and spiritual support
• ANU Access and inclusion for students with a disability or ongoing or chronic illness
• ANU Dean of Students for confidential, impartial advice and help to resolve problems between students and the academic or administrative areas of the University
• ANU Academic Skills and Learning Centre supports you make your own decisions about how you learn and manage your workload.
• ANU Counselling Centre promotes, supports and enhances mental health and wellbeing within the University student community.
• ANUSA supports and represents undergraduate and ANU College students
• PARSA supports and represents postgraduate and research students