History

World History - Areas of Specialization

Selecting a specific topic from history means organizing one's thoughts around that area. Below are some ways of categorizing eras and themes throughout world history to help you begin studying a specific topic area. 

Eras of World History by Dates

• The Paleolithic Era of Human History (c.250,000-10,000 BCE)
• The Early Agrarian Era (c.10,000-3,000 BCE)
• The Later Agrarian Era (c.3,000 BCE-500CE)
• The Post-Classical Era (c.500-1400CE)
• The Early Modern Era (c.1400-1750CE)
• The Industrial Era or Age (1750-1900CE)
• The Modern Revolution (1750-2010 CE)
• The Twentieth Century (1900-2000CE)
• The Twenty-First Century (From 2000CE)
• The Future

Genres of World History

• Big History
• Comparative World History
• Environmental World History
• Global Studies
• Historiography
• World Systems Theory
• Universal History

• Avalon Project: Documents in Law, History, and Diplomacy: Yale Law School hosts this collection of primary materials dating from 4000 B.C.E. to the 21st century. Included are the full text of laws, colony charters, acts, and declarations, presidential proclamations, treaties and formal negotiations affecting the United States judiciary system and governmental foreign policy in general. 

• Best of History Web Sites: This site has links to over 1,200 history-related websites that have been reviewed for quality, accuracy, and usefulness. Also included are links to K-12 history lesson plans, teacher guides, activities, games, quizzes, and more.

• Electronic Cultural Atlas Initiative: "ECAI uses time and space to enhance understanding and preservation of human culture." A collection of digital atlas projects produced by scholars from around the world.

• H-Net: Humanities and Social Sciences Online: international interdisciplinary organization of scholars and teachers dedicated to developing the enormous educational potential of the web."

• Internet History Sourcebooks Project: The Internet History Sourcebooks Project is a collection of public domain and copy-permitted historical texts presented cleanly (without advertising or excessive layout) for educational use. 

• Mapping History: A project at the University of Oregon, this website contains modern maps illustrating historical topics in American, European, Latin and African history. Requires Shockwave Player 11.0--a free installation from Adobe.

• PAIS International: Public Affairs Information Service: The PAIS (Public Affairs Information Service) International database covers a wide range of current and past public policy issues in countries throughout the world, emphasizing factual and statistical information.

Complete this brief survey at the end of the library session.

End of Session Survey