Now that introductions are out of the way ...

we'll get down to business. Why is the study of history important--particularly world history? Besides the three credit hours toward you degree, history--the study of the past--provides key insights into issues of the present. For example, the current economic crisis has been compared to the Great Depression of the 1930s, as the debate rages over what steps should be taken to mitigate its effects. The New Deal itself has recently come under attack--much of that due to the publication of The Forgotten Man by journalist Amity Schlaes (although some economists have contributed to this, as well). In this course, you will gain the tools necessary to think critically about the past, as well as beginning to acquire the ability to judiciously apply what you learn about the past to the events of the present.