Book 1 spans European history from 1450 to 1870. Part 1 deals with the emergence of the modern world, starting with the Medieval era, and illustrates the foundational developments of modern Europe over a period of two hundred years, beginning with the Treaty of Westphalia at the conclusion of the Thirty Years’ War. Lessons include Medieval Warfare, The Rise of National Monarchies, and Peasants: The Other Side of Civilization. Part 2 describes changes in European life from the aristocratic world of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries to the French Revolution and Napoleon.

This section includes lessons on Absolute Monarchy: Variations on a Theme, The Scientific Revolution: The Search for Meaning, and The Industrial Revolution: The Human Side. Part 3 illustrates changing political, economic, and social movements of the early nineteenth century. Lessons include The Age of Metternich, The Unification of Italy, and The Paris Commune.

The Student Edition contains all the student handouts provided in the Teacher Resource Unit, plus sectional overviews that outline the content to be studied.

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The lessons are designed to help students review themes, people, and events between 1450 and 1870 in preparation for the Advanced Placement examination. Some lessons focus on specific topics and time frames; others focus on the skills of analysis and interpretation of primary and secondary documents. Many lessons include exercises that stress writing and critical thinking. Lessons feature activities to be completed by students individually or in groups. Lessons such as The Historian’s Craft, Two Great Nations Clash: The Spanish Armada, and Mikhail Bakunin and the Philosophy of Anarchism emphasize historiography, the interpretation and analysis of primary source documents, and the development of the writing skills needed for success on the Advanced Placement examination