The study of European history since 1450 introduces students to cultural, economic, political, and social developments that played a fundamental role in shaping the world in which they live. Without this knowledge, we would lack the context for understanding the development of contemporary institutions, the role of continuity and change in present-day society and politics, and the evolution of current forms of artistic expression and intellectual discourse. In addition to providing a basic narrative of events and movements, the goals of the AP program in European History are to develop (a) an understanding of some of the principal themes in modern European History, (b) an ability to analyze historical evidence and historical interpretation, and (c) an ability to express historical understanding in writing.

This course surveys the social, political, economic, cultural, religious, and intellectual history of the Western World, the interactions of the West with other regions of the world, the regions of the Western World with each other, and how the West influences and is influenced by other regions of the world from the Seventeenth Century through the present.