Global History

William Daniell, "The Canton System," late 18th century, The Royal Museums Greenwhich. Wikicommons.
William Daniell, "The Canton System," late 18th century, The Royal Museums Greenwhich. Wikicommons

Related Programs

Political boundaries have often defined the parameters of historical research, yet many phenomena transcend such borders. Employing diverse methods and tools, global historians work across multiple scales—from the local to the transregional and transnational—to determine how disparate places have been shaped by similar global processes. Such frameworks allow scholars to tell stories about cultural, economic, and biological interchange. They also encourage a focus on the way people, ideas, and commodities circulate. At Northwestern, our research and courses analyze a range of global dynamics including the history of empires, migration and diaspora, oceanic cultures, gender and race, religious identities, health and environment, science and technology, and economics and development.