From the guidebook. Throughout most of world history, nearly everyone has been poor, life expectancy has been short, and famine has been a frequent visitor. Today, many parts of the world are so wealthy that they regard poverty not as normal but as a special problem that ought to be eliminated. The single great cause of this increase in wealth has been industrialization. We know now beyond question that industrial societies generate wealth, which...

Join the Smithsonian Institution to discover the rich history of native Americans.

Fill in a critical gap in your understanding of the globe. This survey gives you the historical context to understand Eastern Europe today.

This course provides a survey of the expanse of human development and civilization across the globe. It begins with the invention of agriculture in the Neolithic era and ends with the urbanized, technologically sophisticated world of the 21st century.

Discover how Winston Churchill forever altered the course of the 20th century and western civilization.

In The Celtic World, discover the incredible story of the Celtic-speaking peoples, whose art, language, and culture once spread from Ireland to Austria. This series of 24 lectures explains the traditional historical view of who the Celts were, then contrasts it with brand-new evidence from DNA analysis and archeology that changes our perspective on where the Celts came from. European history and culture have been profoundly affected by the Celts,...

Everyone has to think in order to function in the world, and this course will equip you with the tools to reason effectively in your pursuit of reliable beliefs and useful knowledge. Whether you are a budding philosopher searching for ultimate truths, a science student grappling with the nature of scientific proof, a new parent weighing conflicting child-rearing advice, or a concerned citizen making up your mind about today's issues, Tools of Thinking...

"During the 229-year period from 1485 to 1714, England transformed itself from a minor feudal state into what has been called "the first modern society," and emerged as the wealthiest and most powerful nation in the world. Those years hold a huge story. The English people survived repeated epidemics and famines, one failed invasion and two successful ones, two civil wars, a series of violent religious reformations and counter-reformations, and confrontations...