Crash Course World History was the first series released on the YouTube channel called “Crash Course,” started by John Green and his brother, Hank, also known as the vlogbrothers for their other video blog work. The channel was part of the YouTube Original Channel initiative aimed at bringing new and original content to YouTube. While the history of the world might not seem exactly new or , the Crash Course team’s approach to it definitely is. John (the host of the show) gives a comprehensive, fast-paced look at the ways humans have developed from their hunter-gather communities to the global economies and societies of today. Throughout the series, John grapples with the idea that what we choose to study in history effects the way we see the world.
Each video is roughly ten to fifteen minutes long, which may account for John’s incredibly fast-paced talking as he packs in as much possible information into each episode. He quickly introduces the topic and then goes right into detail as to what it means both for the people living through the historical time period or event as well as for those of us alive today. Sometimes a barrage of different views muddies these points, but John does a terrific job of not compromising his goal to present a broad, non-Eurocentric outlook on history and keeping the show very accessible. He ends each video challenging the watcher to question a concept that they might otherwise take for granted. For instance, at the end of the first video on the subject of the Agricultural Revolution, John asks us to think about whether or not the conversion from hunting and gathering to farming was really a good choice for humanity. Ultimately he doesn’t have the answer, but the fact that he even asks the question is refreshing and gives the audience a great sense of inclusion.
Some viewers may be turned off by Crash Course’s hokey pop-culture references and goofy humor (the show seems primarily geared towards middle schoolers and high schoolers), but the information is invaluable for all age groups. There are many episodes on topics that are normally glossed over in most American high schools, such as the history of China or the trade routes of the Indian Ocean, that are particularly helpful in providing a better picture of the world at large. The show’s quick pace and thoroughly interesting subject matter makes learning about topics that wouldn’t otherwise seem too intriguing both accessible and captivating.
The World History series, along with the now five other shows on the Crash Course channel, is a shining example of the power that the internet has as an education tool. John and his team have utilized the interactivity of their medium to great results, such as adding links to other episodes within the show, as well as making post-production corrections via YouTube annotations. The team also uses the comment section to fulfill requests for future episodes and answer questions about the topic of that week.
With forty plus episodes, Crash Course World History is definitely extensive, but it is by no means complete. That being said, it does not try to be. Instead, John Green and his team do something much more valuable: they make you think about the world you live in and how it got that way. They make you hunger to learn more, not just about history, but about politics, science, culture, philosophy, and so on. Crash Course understands that no subject is in a vacuum, but rather is in constant interaction with all other subjects. This interdisciplinary approach should be quite familiar and enjoyable to those of us here at Evergreen.
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