HIS 478SEM—Histories of Travel

Travel is both a major driver of contemporary globalism and a deeply embedded aspect of the human experience. People travel for a range of reasons, freely or coerced, to familiar or alien destinations, with the intention of remaining or of returning. Although motivations for journeys are as varied as the people who set out on them, stories of leaving one’s home to navigate one’s way through new places and environments are widely shared across cultures and peoples, dating to the earliest homo sapiens. This course considers how humans have traveled over time, how travel has shaped human history, how literature and visual art have both reflected and organized our experiences with travel, and how we may consider the various forms of travel as part of our shared humanity. Readings will include travel diaries, essays on travel, and analytical historical texts.