Perspectives on World History

What is the Appropriate Scope of World History?

“Big History?”

• Considers broadest patterns of life, universe

Beginning: “Big Bang”, 13 billion years ago

End: “Big Crunch”?

• Perspective: What happens if we condensed 13 billion years – the est. age of the Universe – into 13 years?

Perspective: If the Universe began 13 years ago, then at this moment…. • The earth would have existed for about 5 years• Multi-cellular organisms, for 7 months• The asteroid that killed the dinosaurs would

have landed 3 weeks ago• Hominids (bipedal apes) would have existed for

3 days• Our own species, Homo Sapiens, for 53

minutes• Farm based societies, for 5 minutes• The entire recorded history, for 3 minutes• Modern industrial society, for 6 secondsIs that the appropriate scope for our WH class?

What is the Appropriate Scope of World History?

Existence of “man”?

Hominids split from great apes about 4 million years ago• Australeopithecus• Homo Habilis• Homo Erectus• Homo Sapiens /

Neanderthal

Perspective: Man’s Existence If you made a

timeline of man’s existence with graph paper, how long would it be?• Assume 1 square =

1000 years• 55 squares / sheet

(hot dog style)• How many squares =

hominid existence?73 Sheets!!!

Perspective: Civilization Of the 73 sheets, how

many represent non-hunter/gatherer man?• Not even one sheet -

only 10-12 squares! This change from

hunter gatherer to settled farmer is called the “Neolithic Revolution”

The Neolithic Revolution led directly to civilization

What is the appropriate scope of World History?

Civilization was driven by agriculture• More food = support more

people• More people = more mouths

to feed• BUT more people = more food

you can grow• With more people & more

food, you must organize = civilization

• THUS: CIVILIZATION IS ALL ABOUT FOOD SURPLUS!!!

Why have Humans Succeeded?

Humans have been successful at adapting to their environment

• Natural selection (genetic)• Individual learning (trial &

error)• “Collective learning”

(Education, record keeping)

Appropriate Scope of World History? Study of Civilization

Major points of World History• Neolithic

Revolution• Rise of Civilization• Columbian

Exchange• Industrial

Revolution• Modern Era

The “Columbian Exchange”