Prof. Lisa Wolverton                                                                                            

Summer 2008

lwolvert@uoregon.edu

 

 

History 321

Europe in the Late Middle Ages

 

This course covers the cultural, political, economic, and religious developments in Europe of the later 13th, 14th, and early 15th centuries—a period of great disasters and great vibrance.

As a survey, class time will be devoted chiefly to lectures by the instructor.  But there will also be occasions for discussion, especially for student reactions to the readings, both primary and secondary.  The readings include a variety of primary sources in translation, scholarly articles or book chapters, and a pair of short thematic books.

 

The scope, format, and assignments for this course are equivalent to Hist 321 as I teach it during the regular academic year.  Be forewarned:  Because this is a course taught normally over a 10-week quarter, on a summer schedule this amounts to two lectures per day.  I will do my best to keep everyone engaged, and there will be a short break, but come prepared for two relatively intense hours. 

 

This course will be conducted with the same level of academic rigor as any course taught during a regular academic-year quarter.  Students will be tested on lectures, as well as readings, over the entire course.  Therefore, everyone is strongly encouraged to attend class regularly.  In addition, two writing assignments ask the students to synthesize and analyze primary source materials.

 

The breakdown of the final grade is as follows:

      2 Short Papers              40%      (each 20%)
      Mid-term                     25%
      Final exam                   35%

 

Four items are available for purchase at the UO Bookstore:
 

Michael Camille, Gothic Art:  Glorious Visions

Froissart, Chronicles
David Herlihy, The Black Death and the Transformation of the West

Coursepack (those items with an * in the syllabus)

SYLLABUS

June 23 A

Welcome

 

June 23 B

Introduction:  Space

Camille, Ch. 1

 

June 24 A

Introduction:  Time

Camille, Ch 2

 

 

Religious Life

June 24 B

Scholasticism:  Theology at University

*Aquinas

June 25 A

Mysticism:  Vision and Visionaries

Camille, Ch. 3; *Gertrude

June 25 B

Eucharistic Devotion

*Several Excerpts

 

Cascading Disasters:  The First Half of the Fourteenth Century

June 26 A

Money, Banking, and Trade

*De Roover

June 26 B

The Problem with Communes:  Florence

*Dino Compagni;

June 30 A

The Great Famine

Paper #1 due

 

June 30 B

Peasant Life 

*Hanawalt

July 1 A

The Problem with Kings:  Edward II

*Life of Edward II

July 1 B

The Problem with Kings:  Philip IV

*Templar Trial Docs

 

July 2 A

The Black Death, 1348 

Herlihy, Ch. 1

July 2 B

The Aftermath of Plague

Herlihy, Ch. 2 and 3

July 3 A

Anticlericalism

Boccaccio, Decameron, 1st Day, Novels I-VI

 

Secular Culture in the Fourteenth Century

July 3 B

Humanism

*Petrarch, Letters

July 7 A

MID-TERM EXAMINATION

STUDY GUIDE

July 7 B

A King without Problems:  Charles IV

*Autobiography

 

Cascading Disasters II:  The Hundred Years War

July 8 A

Hundred Years War Begins

Froissart, pp. 68-110

July 8 B

England and France

*Good Parliament of 1376

July 9 A

Mercenaries in Italy

*Caferro

 

Three Rebellions

July 9 B

The Jacquerie

Froissart, pp. 146-66

July 10 A

The English Peasant Revolt, 1381

Froissart, pp. 211-30

July 10 B

The Ciompi Uprising, Florence 1378

*Brucker

 

From the Fourteenth Century Into the Fifteenth

July 14 A

The Great Schism

Froissart, pp. 201-10; *Catherine letters

July 14 B

Lollardy

*Selected Excerpts; Paper #2 due

July 15 A

The Hussite Revolution

*Fudge

July 15 B

Hundred Years War Ends

*Trial Transcripts

July 16 A

Italy in the Early 15th Century

 

July 16 B

Wrap-up

Camille, Ch. 4 & 5

 

 July 17   FINAL EXAM             STUDY GUIDE

 

 

PAPER TOPICS

 

For the topics listed below, answer the question with close analysis of the primary text.  Your paper should have a clear thesis and a logically organized argument, supported by specific evidence and citations from the text.

 

More detailed guidelines are available online.

 

Papers should be 3 pages, double-spaced, printed in 12-pt. font, with 1” margins.  Citations from the text may consist simply of page numbers in parentheses.

 

Both are due at the beginning of class on the day specified.

 

*           *           *

Paper 1           Due June 30

How does Thomas’ understanding of God compare with Gertude’s?

*           *           *

Paper 2           Due July 14

In Froissart’s description what influence did either king have on the outcome of the battle of Crécy?  (In particular, what qualities of leadership does Edward III exhibit and how does he compare to Philip?)