European History Program

Program Overview

Starting in 1492, an incredible process was set into motion. That year marked the beginning of the invasion of European empires into the Americas—a region teeming with Native Americans that was previously unknown to Europeans. The world was forever changed by these events. This course investigates the people, events, empires, and processes that were part of this coming together of four continents in the Atlantic world: Europe, North America, South America, and Africa. In these formative years between 1492 and 1800, the modern west was born. Trade, commerce, and European expansion, yes, but usually built on the backs of enslaved Africans and Indians, and on the actual land that Natives formerly possessed. Therefore, this course considers not just the events and peoples themselves, but also the meaning of these events, and their legacies over time, as understood by the various groups involved (as demonstrated by the later independence movements in Latin America and the Caribbean, the contemporary calls for reparations, and the ways that racism and economic inequities continue into the present).

Eureka Alumni from this program have received admission offers to Brown University, Cornell University, University of California, Berkeley, Pomona College, and other top US universities.

Alumni from this program have gone off to pursue majors in Business Economics, History, Data Science, French, and more.

The research experience and skills students receive at the Eureka Program have helped students get accepted to programs such as the Stanford Summer Humanities Institute and Yale Young Global Scholars Program.

Many students from this program are also very engaged in their communities, sharing in volunteering activities and starting non-profit organizations to help the community. During COVID-19, several students have started organizations to help obtain and distribute health supplies. Many alumni from this program have received top awards like Runner Up at the New York Times Student Editorial Contest, Scholastic Art & Writing National Awards, State Champion at the National History Day, and many others.

The below sections will provide more insight into the students that have attended this program and share their experiences and successes.

Research Topic Samples

Creole People in Early Modern Caribbean Colonial Societies

The Caribbean region has a rich history due to intercontinental activities and colonization by European powers. The region's geopolitical and geographical location made it a center of trade and communication, resulting in a mix of peoples from different cultural backgrounds. This led to creolization, a process through which creole identity and culture developed, complicating and diversifying the sociopolitical environment. Creolization influenced the evolution of the sociopolitical environment in the region and was an essential part of the cultivation and formation of the societal underpinnings in the New World. The author of this paper defines "creole" and "creolization" and explores how the process impacted the region. Additionally, the author has received an offer from Pomona College.

• (ED) University of California Los Angeles (UCLA)

Eureka Research Title

Jeffersons View On Native Americans.