The Modern History thematic sector dismembered from Contemporary History and has become an autonomous sector in admission selections to Master's and Doctoral courses of History Postgraduate Program – UFF, since 2003. It admits researches temporally situated between the 15th century and the beginning of the 19th century, period also known as the First Modernity, from a set of specific historiographical problems. The group is composed of researchers who understand the Modern Period beyond European borders, considering their ethnic plurality and the diversity of political, social and cultural organizations in the various continents. It thus congregates recognized specialists in Brazil, America, Africa, Europe and/or more global dynamics. The professors and students research that take place in the program scope often innovate and consolidate topics from the period, contributing to the formation of university staff that works all over the country. This sector has national and international recognition, exercising leadership in several fields of research.
In this context, we highlight the cultural confrontations arising from colonial experiences, characteristics of overseas empires; commercial relations; labor exploitation forms; natural world knowledge; rationalism and scientific thought; political organization types that structure societies; racial and religious intolerance; the right, justice and their institutional interfaces; political-theological ideas; religious movements and organizations; and philosophical thought.
The researchers aim to address the Modern Age through assessments that prioritize political history and/or religiosities; history of institutions; intellectual history; material culture research; the history of book; forms of property and social conflicts analysis; commercial exchanges research; history of work; gender relations history; and research on ethnic, cultural and social groups. In the assessments, the careful analysis of different source types produced in the period is promoted, as well as the pertinent historiographical debates. The research are undertaken at various approach scales, from global history to micro-history.