"The Atlantic world was a world that Europeans, Africans and Americans "made together", together with outside peoples." That is the belief of Peter Coclanis, the Albert R. Newsome Professor of History and Economics and associate provost for international affairs at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In his article: Atlantic World or Atlantic/World? published in William and Mary Quarterly in 2006, Coclanis argues that the study of Atlantic history is too narrow. In this article he writes that there is no context in which the Atlantic world can be completely separated from interactions with the rest of the world. Coclanis's argument is that if you want to study early modern Atlantic history (circa 1500-1800 AD) you need to focus more on other areas, such as countries outside the Atlantic or their trade routes for fully understand the story. of the Atlantic. The idea that Atlantic historians need to change their focus is contradictory to what Atlantic history is. If Atlantic historians shifted their focus to include countries not connected to the Atlantic, can it still be called Atlantic history or if one were to believe what Coclanis suggests: should historians focus on the Atlantic world? Coclanis writes in response to his article published four years earlier entitled: Drang Nach Osten: Bernard Bailyn, the World-Island, and the Idea of ​​Atlantic History. He writes because he believes he is now “a little more informed” as his criticism has become “a little more nuanced and sophisticated.” Coclanis reveals his feelings towards the study of Atlantic history by being underwhelmed and unconvinced about the arguments put forward by historians. He states that the “scholars…half of the paper…also includes areas outside the Atlantic.” This idea is contradictory to what Atlantic historians, and probably historians in general, study. The goal of each story is to understand the developments that occurred in the Atlantic. Including other areas outside the Atlantic does nothing to improve the Atlantic story. In fact it does exactly the opposite; becomes world history, removing the importance of the Atlantic from Atlantic history. What Coclanis argues is that to fully understand Atlantic history it is necessary to understand what is happening simultaneously across the world. Works Cited Coclanis, Peter A.. “Atlantic World or Atlantic/World?” The William and Mary Quarterly 63.4 (2006): 725-742. Coclanis, Peter A.. "Drang Nach Osten: Bernard Bailyn, the World Island, and the Idea of ​​Atlantic History" Journal of World History 13.1 (2002): 169-182.