This course examines the origins, development, and current context of the world’s most prestigious recognition for contributions to the cause of peace. It traces the origins of the Nobel Peace Prize to a thriving peace movement organized in the early 19th century by citizens animated by religious and humanitarian principles that had gained broad support by 1901, when the prize was first awarded. The course features a gallery of recipients (and non-recipients) to illustrate the diverse ways of promoting peace and the evolution of thinking about peace over the past 120 years. In addition it describes the process of selecting recipients and invites reflection about the significance of the Nobel Peace Prize over the decades through the present day.

About the instructor: Dr. Michael Clinton

Michael Clinton, Ph.D., is professor of history at Gwynedd Mercy University, where he has taught since 2003. Having earned his bachelor’s degree in history and political science from La Salle University and his master’s degree and doctorate in modern European history from the University of Notre Dame, Dr. Clinton teaches courses in European and world history, historical thinking, and historiography. As a scholar whose research focuses on European peace movements during the decades before the First World War and their interactions with American peace advocacy, Dr. Clinton has conducted research in various archives across Europe and in the United States. Dr. Clinton previously served as president of the Peace History Society and book review editor for its journal, Peace & Change.