BEER IN WORLD HISTORY
HIST 425 sec. 04
MW 9:10-10 (lecture) AND M 1:10-2 (discussion section)

One of the most popular drinks in the world, beer in its many forms has shaped the history of civilizations from the ancient Chinese, Africans, Sumerians, Indigenous Americans, Europeans, and Egyptians, up to the present day. In this course, students will learn about the origins of beer, and its impact on the social, religious, political, and economic practices of people across the world over the past 5000 years. We will also consider the influence beer has continued to exert in modern times. Among the many topics we will discuss in class are beer and religious belief, beer’s relationship to war, beer and political movements,  the connections between beer drinking and social, ethnic, and class identities, and the way that beer spurred industrialization, labor specialization, the history of markets, and globalization. Course meets the History major requirement for Group II or III; Attributes: World Cultures (WC) Disc.