"Discovering" The Americas - The End of the World as They Knew It

What would Italy be without the tomato, or Belgium without chocolate? What would you do without your morning coffee? This course explores how the so-called “discovery” of the Americas sparked a global transformation - fuelled by food, disease, conquest, and forced labour. We’ll examine how the Columbian Exchange led to the rise of capitalism, the birth of the transatlantic slave trade, and the foundations of Western dominance. From ecological collapse to cultural resistance, students will trace how 1492 marked the end of the world as many knew it—and the beginning of the unequal, interconnected world we live in today.

DELIVERY MODE

• Face-to-Face

COURSE OUTLINE

• Myths of Discovery and the Making of the New World
• Colonising Our Stomachs: Food, Ecology, and Imperial Power
• Chains of Trade: Slavery, Capitalism, and Colonial Wealth
• Legacies of 1492: Coloniality and the Modern World

LEARNING OUTCOMES

By the end of this course, students should be able to:

1. Critically analyse the concept of “discovery” and its role in constructing narratives that legitimised colonisation and Western dominance.
2. Explain the ecological, cultural, and economic consequences of the Columbian Exchange, particularly in relation to food, disease, and global trade networks.
3. Evaluate the connections between colonisation, the rise of capitalism, and the transatlantic slave trade, with attention to their lasting global impacts.
4. Interpret historical and contemporary issues through Indigenous perspectives and challenge dominant narratives using interdisciplinary and decolonial approaches.