| 1 | Introduction | |
| 2 | The Decline of the Mercantilist Empires: From 1492 to the Early 19th Century | |
| 3 | Classic Theories of Imperialism | First map quiz: The World |
| The Foundation of "British" India, and the Roots of a New Imperialism |
| 4 | From "John Company" to the Mutiny of 1857 | |
| 5 | Shifting Economic Rationales: From "Free Trade" to Opium Wars | |
| (New) Views of Exotic Lands and Exotic "Others" |
| 6 | Charting New Terrain: Discovering "Darkest Africa" | |
| 7 | Ethnography and "Race Science" | |
| 8 | Imperial and "Civilizing" Missions | |
| 9 | Discussion: Mike Davis, Late Victorian Holocausts (2002) | First paper due |
| Partitioning the World |
| 10 | From the Great Game to the Scramble for Africa | |
| 11 | The Berlin Conference: Power-Politics and Map Fantasies | Second map quiz: Africa |
| Violence |
| 12 | Colonial Warfare I: Conquest of Africa, Boer War, Boxer Uprising | |
| 13 | Genocides in the Belgian Congo and German South-West Africa | |
| Empire in the Metropole |
| 14 | The Imperial Nation on Display | |
| 15 | Imperial Masculinities and Femininities | |
| Case Studies of Transformation in the Colonies |
| 16 | Hawaii | |
| 17 | Discussion: Ferdinand Oyono, Houseboy | |
| 18 | Discussion: George Orwell, Burmese Days | Second paper due |
| Narratives (and Counter-Narratives) of Development |
| 19 | The First World War | |
| 20 | Colonial Economics and "Modernization" | |
| Twilight of Empire |
| 21 | Empire in the Second World War | |
| 22 | A New World Order? From the Suez Crisis to Vietnam | |
| Decolonization in Asia and Africa |
| 23 | Decolonization | |
| 24 | Independent Nationalism of the New Elites | Final paper due (on Fanon) |
| New Imperialisms? |
| 25 | The Neo-Colonialism of "Globalization"? | |
| 26 | The New American Empire? | |
| Final Exam Week |