Brett Olmsted, PhD

U.S. History Professor

World History I


(from prehistoric to ~1500)


Survey of the social, political, economic, cultural, religious and intellectual history of the world from the emergence of human cultures through the 15th century. The course examines major cultural regions of the world in Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, and Oceania and their global interactions over time. Themes include the emergence of early societies, the rise of civilizations, the development of political and legal systems, religion and philosophy, economic systems and trans-regional networks of exchange. The course emphasizes the development, interaction and impact of global exchange.

Link to YouTube Playlist of Lectures
  • Paleolithic Age
  • Neolithic Revolution
  • What is Civilization? (Original 6 Civilizations)
  • What is an Empire? (Classical Age Empires)
  • Rome
  • Asia & The Americas
  • What is Religion?
  • The Islamic World
  • The Middle Ages
  • Medieval Torture
  • Late Middle Ages
  • Renaissance