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.

Eureka Student Research: African Leaders’ Role in the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade

Eureka Student Research: Three Essays: Exegesis, Application, Evaluation

Eureka Student Research: The Republic: Book IV 429d-430b

Community Activities

The Conrad Challenge is a purpose-driven innovation competition creating the next generation of entrepreneurs who will change the world. A Eureka alumni from this program participated in the Challenge and was a Champion.

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Conrad Challenge

Yale Young Global Scholars (YYGS) is an academic enrichment program for outstanding high school students from around the world. Each summer, students from over 150 countries (including all 50 U.S. states) participate in one interdisciplinary, two-week session at Yale’s historic campus. A Eureka alumni from the European History Program was enrolled into the YYGS summer program.

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Yale Young Global Scholars Program

The Anne Frank House was established on 3 May 1957 in cooperation with Otto Frank, Anne Frank’s father. It is an independent non-profit organisation that runs a museum in the house where Anne Frank went into hiding and we try to increase awareness of Anne’s life story all over the world. A Eureka alumni from the European History program was a museum guide at the Anne Frank House.

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Anne Frank House

Stanford Summer Humanities Institute is a three-week residential program where rising high school juniors and seniors explore the big questions at the heart of the humanities in seminars led by Stanford professors. A Eureka alumni from this program was selected to study at the Summer Humanities Institute.

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Stanford University

Honors and Awards

The National Merit Scholarship Program is an academic competition for recognition and scholarships that is open to high school students in the United States. Students enter the competition by taking the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) and meeting other requirements. A Eureka alumni of the European History program received the scholarship.

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National Merit Scholarship Program

The National Contest of the National History Day is the culmination of the annual competition cycle and a celebration of student scholarship. After spending months on project research and preparation, and successfully competing at local and affiliate contests, student scholars are invited to share their work at the National Contest. An alumni won the position of State Champion for his state's National History Day.

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National History Day

The New York Times Student Editorial Contest is an annual op-ed contest for high school students across the world. Students are to write 450-word op-eds on compelling social issues, with at least one New York Times source and one external source. An alumni from Eureka's European History Program won Runner Up for the Contest.

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The New York Times