History Course Descriptions
HIST-101 Western Civilization I
This course covers the development of western culture and institutions from the ancient world to the late Middle Ages. 3 hours.
Credits: 3.00
HIST-103 Western Civilization II
This course covers the development of western culture and institutions from the late middle ages to the Enlightenment. 3 credits.
Credits: 3.00
HIST-104 Western Civilization III
This course covers the development of western culture and institutions in Europe from the Enlightenment to the contemporary era. 3 credits.
Credits: 3.00
HIST-111 Foundations of East Asia
This course deals with the intellectual, social, political, and religious foundations of three East Asian societies: China, Japan, and Vietnam. The focus of the class is upon classical Asian notions of proper values and institutions, with a concentration on intellectual (both philosophical and religious) foundations considered in a historical perspective. The course also considers issues relative to modern Asia, and to Asian- American family life and culture. The approach will be primarily through original Asian texts in translation. Although it is not required, concurrent registration in HIST 214, History in an Electronic Environment (2 hours credit), is recommended. In that lab, students will learn to develop electronic materials for the World Wide Web which will both teach them to create Web pages and will illuminate the contents of the course. Meets comparative cultural requirement. 3 hours.
Credits: 3.00
HIST-112 East Asia
This course surveys the modern histories of China, Japan, Tibet, and Vietnam from the 17th century to the recent past. Topics covered include the classical cultures of the countries, economic and political foundations, and the consequences of Western impact and modern nationalism. The cultures, covered as independent entities, are compared both to each other and to European or Western patterns of development. There will be an opportunity in this course for students to learn how to prepare "pages" for the World Wide Web. Those who are interested should also enroll for one hour of credit in a section of HIST 214, History in an Electronic Environment. Although concurrent enrollment in 214 is voluntary, all students are strongly urged to enroll as the lab will not only teach web page production, but will also enhance student understanding of materials covered in the class itself. Meets comparative cultural core requirement. 3 hours.
Credits: 3.00
HIST-113 Islamic Mid-East: 570-1300
This is a survey of the history of the Middle East from the birth of Muhammad in 570 to the rise of the Ottoman Turks in 1300. The course concentrates on political developments and institutions as well as the growth and evolution of Islam and Islamic cultures. Meets comparative cultural core requirement. 3 hours.
Credits: 3.00
HIST-141 American History I
The first of a two-part survey of American history from European settlement to the Civil War, and from Reconstruction to the present. The parts may be taken separately. 3 hours per semester.
Credits: 3.00
HIST-142 American History II
The second of a two-part survey of American history from Reconstruction to the present. The parts may be taken separately. 3 hours per semester.
Credits: 3.00
HIST-155 Special Topics
See department for course description.
Credits: 1.00
HIST-195 Independent Study
Credits: 1.00
HIST-206 France from Caesar to Napoleon
This course covers the history and culture of France from the Roman period until the end of the Napoleonic Wars in 1815. Equal attention is given to political and social/cultural aspects of French history. Through reading of primary sources, discussion, and lecture, the course deals with the distinctiveness of France as well as placing the nation within a broad European historical context. 3 hours.
Credits: 3.00
HIST-207 Spain from Rome to Revolution
This course covers the history and culture of Spain from the Roman era through the Moorish period and touches lightly on the dissolution of the Spanish Empire beginning in the seventeenth century. Equal attention is given to political and social/cultural aspects of Spanish history. Through reading of primary sources, discussions, and lecture, the course deals with the distinctiveness of Spain, as well as placing the nation within a broad European historical context. 3 hours.
Credits: 3.00
HIST-208 England From Rome to Revolution
This course covers the history and culture of England from the Roman period through the Glorious Revolution of 1688. Equal attention is given to political and social/cultural aspects of English history. Through reading of primary sources, discussions and lecture, the course deals with the distinctiveness of England, as well as placing the nation within a broad European historical context. 3 hours.
Credits: 3.00
HIST-211 Japan Past & Present With Film
This class surveys Japanese history and culture using classical Japanese films as a primary text, supplemented with assigned readings. The goals of the class are to acquaint students with an overview of Japanese history and culture, and to learn to read films, particularly Japanese classical films, as text. There will be an opportunity in this course for students to learn how to prepare "pages" for the World Wide Web. Those who are interested should also enroll for two hours of credit in a section of History 214, History in an Electronic Environment. Although concurrent enrollment in 214 is voluntary, all students are strongly urged to enroll as the lab will not only teach web page production, but will also enhance student understanding of the materials covered in the class itself. Meets comparative cultural core requirement. 3 hours.
Credits: 3.00
HIST-212 China Past & Present With Film
This course will provide a survey of the basic institutions and values of China, considered both within the past, or classical, and the present, or modern, forms. It will cover such topics as political systems and values (Confucianism and Communism), family and gender, poetry and literature, arts, war and diplomacy, economic values and institutions, rebellion and protest, reform movements, etc. Chinese film will be heavily used as a text to illustrate modern Chinese values and Chinese interpretations of traditional values and institutions. There will be an opportunity in this course for students to learn how to prepare "pages" for the World Wide Web. Those who are interested should also enroll for one hour of credit in a section of HIST 214, History in an Electronic Environment. Although concurrent enrollment in HIST 155 is voluntary, all students are strongly urged to enroll as the lab will not only teach web page production, but will also enhance student understanding of the materials covered in the class itself. Meets comparative cultural core requirement. 3 hours.
Credits: 3.00
HIST-213 Vietnam and the U.S.
This is a survey of the origins, development and results of the American war with Vietnam. This course, however, will be taught more within the context of Vietnamese history and culture than within that of American history and culture. Consequently, more emphasis will be given to the roots of the war in Vietnam than to its origins in U.S. foreign policy. There will be an opportunity in this course for students to learn how to prepare "pages" for the World Wide Web. Those who are interested should also enroll for two hours of credit in a section of HIST 214, History in an Electronic Environment. Although concurrent enrollment in 214 is voluntary, all students are strongly urged to enroll as the lab will not only teach web page production, but will also enhance student understanding of the materials covered in the class itself. Meets comparative cultural core requirement. 3 hours.
Credits: 3.00
HIST-232 The Holocaust
This is a team-taught interdisciplinary course on the Nazi persecution and ultimate extermination of the Jews of Europe, Gypsies, political enemies of the National Socialist Dictatorship, and those considered undesirable by the NS State. It is cross-listed with ENGL 220, Literature and Human Concerns: The Holocaust. 3 hours.
Credits: 3.00
HIST-235 Europe Since World War II
This course examines the history of Europe and its relation to the world at large from the close of World War II to the current examining questions of the continent's future in the global community. Since 1945, Europe has struggled to redefine itself in the context of the war's problematic legacy, the cold war's competing ideologies, nationalist struggles of independence, discrepancies of affluence and poverty, and the difficulties of global market competition. It is a process that continues today as the continent moves slowly toward economic and political integration. 3 hours.
Credits: 3.00
HIST-237 European Socialism Through Film
This course is designed as an introduction to the history of European Socialism in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries from the onset of industrialization to the collapse of the Soviet system in 1991. It focuses on the origins of socialism, its development and appeal as an ideology, its revolutionary variant of communism and its implementation as a state system. This course makes an extensive use of film, both documentary and feature, to humanize these abstract conceptualizations. 3 hours. Cross-listed with POLS 221.
Credits: 3.00
HIST-239 The Conquest of the Americas
This is a survey of Latin American history from 200 C.E. to 1650 C.E. with a focus on the pre-Columbian Mayan, Aztec, and Inca civilizations; the conquest and settlement of Mexico, Central America, and South America by the Spanish and Portuguese; and the establishment of early colonial institutions in Spanish America and Brazil. Special emphasis will be given to the clash of indigenous and European religious/spiritual outlooks, political economy, and the interaction of issues of race, class, and gender in the emergence of syncretic New World societies. 3 hours. Crosslisted with POLS 239.
Credits: 3.00
HIST-240 Colonial & Neocolonial Latin America
This course is a survey of Latin American history from 1650 to 1914 with a focus on the mature period of Spanish and Portuguese colonialism in Latin America, the independence struggles of the early nineteenth century, and the first century of independence for Latin America. Special emphasis will be given to the evolution of indigenous/European and African/ European relations and the tension between formal political independence and continuing cultural and economic dependence on European societies even after independence. Crosslisted with POLS 240. 3 hours.
Credits: 3.00
HIST-241 Modern Latin America
Survey of Latin American history from 1914 to the present with a focus on the rise of populism, socialism, and economic nationalism; the collapse of populist democracies and the rise of bureaucratic authoritarian military regimes; and recent transitions to democracy combined with economic liberalization. Course will also include attention to issues of class, race and gender over the course of these political and economic transformations and the history of US-Latin American relations in the 20th century. Meets comparative cultural core requirement. Cross listed with POLS 241. 3 hours.
Credits: 3.00
HIST-243 Amer West: History Memory Film
A historical investigation into the reality and remembered realities that go into the historical reconstruction of the past, using primary documents, motion pictures, and recent historical scholarship as they pertain to the development of the American west, with an emphasis on Native Americans, the westward movement of Americans (both black and white), the eastward movement of immigrants from Asia, and early efforts to conquer and preserve nature. 3 hours.
Credits: 3.00
HIST-245 Race in Modern America
A history of African American politics, culture, and thought since the end of the Civil War. 3 credits.
Credits: 3.00
HIST-255 Special Topics
See department for course description.
Credits: 1.00
HIST-300 The Ancient World to AD 400
This class treats the ancient world from the first civilizations in the fertile Crescent through ancient Egypt, to the early fifth century AD. The course stresses both broad political, and social/cultural issues. The class is largely run as a seminar with some lecture. Class discussions are based on reading of primary texts. Prerequisite: Junior standing. 4 hours.
Credits: 4.00
HIST-301 The Medieval World: 400-1500
This class treats the medieval world from the development of medieval institutions in the first century AD through the mid-fifteenth century. The class stresses social/cultural issues, but also provides an understanding of political and constitutional developments of the period. The class is run as a seminar with some lecture. Class discussions are based on reading of primary texts. Prerequisite: Junior standing. 4 hours.
Credits: 4.00
HIST-305 The Hist of Magic & Witchcraft
This course deals with medieval and early European conceptions of and reactions to magic, sorcery, and witchcraft from pre-Christian Late Antiquity through the early modern period. The major themes of the course are (1) the development of ecclesiastical/intellectual notions of magic and heresy, (2) popular beliefs and practices regarding magic and witchcraft, (3) placing the great witch trials of the late medieval/early modern periods in an historical context of contemporary persecutions of various minorities, (4) explication of the "mature witchcraft theory" and the process of the witch trials. Prerequisites Junior standing or above. 4 hours.
Credits: 4.00
HIST-315 Modern Japan
This course covers Japanese history from the Meiji Restoration to the present, with an emphasis upon the 20th century. The primary focus of the course is upon the internal dynamics of Japanese culture. Topics will include political and economic modernization, relations with East Asia and the United States, changes in family and gender roles, the development of fine arts, poetry and literature, the development of Japanese expansionism and the Pacific War, the Japanese Economic Miracle and the place of Japan in the contemporary world. There will be an opportunity in this course for students to learn how to prepare "pages" for the World Wide Web. Those who are interested should also enroll for two hours of credit in a section of HIST 214, History in an Electronic Environment. Although concurrent enrollment in 214 is voluntary, all students are strongly urged to enroll as the lab will not only teach web page production, but will also enhance student understanding of the materials covered in the class itself. Prerequisite: HIST 112 or HIST 211 or instructor consent. Meets comparative cultural core requirement. 3 hours.
Credits: 3.00
HIST-316 China from Mao to Tiananmen
This course will survey Chinese history and culture in the period from 1949 to the present, with an emphasis on the mass campaigns, from the Great Leap Forward of 1957-58 through the Great Proletarian Culture Revolution, 1965- 1969. Topics will also include the Reform Movement of Deng Xiaoping and the student protests culminating in the Tiananmen Incident of 1989. An unusual feature of this course is weekly role-playing in which students will be asked to assume Chinese role-types such as peasant, soldier, female cadre, etc., and to play out actual political problems drawn from the mass political campaigns. There will be an opportunity in this course for students to learn how to prepare "pages" for the World Wide Web. Those who are interested should also enroll in two hours of credit in a section of HIST 214, History in an Electronic Environment. Although concurrent enrollment is voluntary, all students are urged to enroll as the lab will not only teach web page production, but will also enhance student understanding of the materials covered in class itself. Prerequisite: HIST 112 or 212, or consent of instructor. Meets comparative cultural core requirement. 3 hours.
Credits: 3.00
HIST-326 Public History:theory & Practice
This course will introduce the work, craft and literature of historians whose careers are based in institutions outside of the academy and who specialize in presenting aspects of history, culture and heritage to a variety of audiences. The work of the course will focus on exploring historical interpretations, preservation and education through lectures, reading, discussions and conversations with practitioners. NOTE: This course does not satisfy core requirements. Prerequisites: Junior or Senior standing. 3 hours.
Credits: 3.00
HIST-333 History of the British Empire
This course examines the history of modern British Empire from the nineteenth century race for empire to the post-colonial world. Using the lens of the British Empire, the largest of all European empires, the course examines the political and economic impulses for imperialism, the nature of various imperial systems, the impact of imperialism on both the colonizer and the colonized, the turmoil of national independence and decolonization, and the lasting legacies of imperialism in the post-colonial world. 4 hours. Meets comparative cultural core requirement. Prerequisite: HIST-102 or Junior Standing
Credits: 4.00
HIST-335 The Era of the First World War
This course explores the historical period of the First World War in Europe. It focuses on the causes, course and effects of the war within a European perspective in terms of the political, social, cultural and intellectual contexts. It is designed to consider the impact of WWI on European society as the formative event of the 20th century Prerequisite: Junior standing or consent of instructor. 4 hours.
Credits: 4.00
HIST-338 Era of the French Revolution
This course explores the historical period of the French Revolution from the Enlightenment through the defeat of Napoleon. It focuses on the causes, course and effects of the Revolution in terms of the political, social, cultural and intellectual contexts. It is designed to consider the impact of the French Revolution as the defining moment of the modern period. Prerequisite: Junior standing or consent of instructor. 4 hours.
Credits: 4.00
HIST-339 History of Science
A study of the development of science as doctrine, process and social institution, from early Greek science to the present. Emphasis is on western science, including Arab and Islamic contributions. It examines the impact of culture on science and science on culture. Prerequisite: Sophomore standing. 4 hours.
Credits: 4.00
HIST-341 American Revolution & Constitution
This course covers the ideological, social, economic, and political causes of the American break with the British Empire, the democratizing influence of the revolution on the new state government, and the relationship between this tendency and the construction of the Constitution. The course incorporates research regarding women, African-Americans, and common people into the broader movement. Prerequisite: HIST 141 or Junior standing. 4 hours.
Credits: 4.00
HIST-342 Civil War & Reconstruction
This course treats the Civil War and its aftermath in context of a broader Western move away from bonded servitude and reconstructions on human liberty toward free labor and democracy, and will measure successes and failures, particularly with regard to the legacy of racial division that the war was unable to eradicate. The course will cover the causes of sectional conflict, the military problems of the war, the political, social, and economic conditions within both North and South, and the cultural and political sources of support and opposition to Reconstruction. Prerequisite: HIST 141 or 142, or Junior standing. 4 hours.
Credits: 4.00
HIST-343 Industrialization, Labor & St in America
This course covers the rise of modern industry in the United States, the problem of labor conflict associated with it, and the steps taken by government, both at the state and the federal level, to regulate the new economy, beginning with laissez-faire governance of the late nineteenth century and concluding with the full elaboration of FDR's New Deal. The course focuses on social, economic and political forces. Prerequisite: HIST 142 or Junior standing. 4 hours.
Credits: 4.00
HIST-345 Gender & Sexuality in Victorian America
This course treats the development and spread of Victorian culture in the United States during the nineteenth century, particularly as it defined ideas about gender and sexuality. Focus is on the creation of "women's sphere" and ways in which women accommodated themselves to domesticity, rebelled against it, or used it themselves to discipline their husbands and sons. Prerequisite: History 141 or 142, or Junior standing. Cross-listed with GSS 345. 3 hours.
Credits: 4.00
HIST-355 Special Topics
See department for course description.
Credits: 1.00
HIST-361 The Reagan Era
This class traces the significant developments in US politics, economics, and culture from Franklin Roosevelt's "New Deal Coalition" to the Reagan presidency. 1980s culture and the neoconservative moral vision for foreign policy and domestic culture are the major focus. Prerequisite: HIST 142, junior standing or above, and must be a History major. 4 credits.
Credits: 4.00
HIST-363 Cold War America
A research seminar on the key developments in American foreign policy and domestic life from the Yalta Summit to the Gulf of Tonkin resolution. Prerequisite: HIST 142, junior standing or above, and must be a History major. 4 credits.
Credits: 4.00
HIST-365 Civil Rights Movement
An investigation of the origins, major goals, and strategies of the civil rights movement, beginning in the Jim Crow era. 4 credits.
Credits: 4.00
HIST-367 Cities & Suburbs in US History
An examination of the development of cities and suburbs since 1900 and the role played by capitalism, class, and race in housing patterns, trends in leisure and entertainment, and education. Prerequisite: HIST 142, junior standing or above, and must be a History major. 4 credits.
Credits: 4.00
HIST-369 Get Rich! Wealth in American History
An analysis of attitudes toward wealth from the Puritans to the present. The history of capitalism, labor, and poverty, and the role of gender and race in shaping views will also be addressed. Prerequisite: Junior standing or above. 4 credits.
Credits: 4.00
HIST-395 Independent Study
See department for course description.
Credits: 1.00
HIST-400 Medieval Women
This course is a seminar on the attitudes towards, roles, work, and responsibilities of women in the period from the first century to the fifteenth century. Women in their roles as nuns, witches, prostitutes, brewers, mothers, queens, and consorts are discussed. The course is thematic rather than chronological, and investigates anthropological, feminist, and political theories and paradigms associated with the study of women generally. Assigned reading consists of primary sources, secondary monographs, and journals. Prerequisite: Junior standing or above. 4 hours.
Credits: 4.00
HIST-401 The World of Charlemagne
This course is a seminar on the age of Charlemagne and the European empire he forged in the early Middle Ages. The course material starts in the early sixth century as the Roman West was mutating, and ends with the decline of the Carolingian Empire in the face of Viking attacks and fratricidal warfare. The class concentrates on political and social/cultural developments in this very important period which formed a bridge from the Classical world to the beginnings of the modern age. The class uses anthropological paradigms as one type of historical methodology. Assigned reading consists of primary sources, secondary monographs and journal articles. Prerequisite: Junior standing or consent of instructor. 4 hours.
Credits: 4.00
HIST-435 1968:Youth and Social Change in World
This colloquium explores the historical scholarship surrounding the tumultuous events of 1968 in global perspective. It explores the events of 1968 as transnational phenomena with a particular emphasis placed upon the significant role played by youth in the various movements and uprisings worldwide. It will consider the emergence of youth as a social, political, and cultural force within the larger ferment of the late-sixties and early-seventies. Importantly, this is a rigorous readings course akin to a graduate colloquium. Prerequisite: Junior standing or consent of instructor. 3 hours.
Credits: 3.00
HIST-441 Environmental History
This course focuses on historical scholarship that has addressed the changing relationship between human societies and "nature". The course explores the development of ecological science and environmental politics; it also explores the ways in which Americans of European and indigenous background imposed their understandings on the landscape, and the consequences of these impositions. Other subjects include National Park Service policy, game conservation and class conflict, and the development of governmental agencies dedicated to protecting or controlling the environment. Prerequisite: Junior standing or consent of instructor. 3 hours.
Credits: 3.00
HIST-455 Special Topics
See department for course description.
Credits: 1.00
HIST-468 The History of Conservatism
An analysis of the roots of modern American conservatism from Edmund Burke to Ronald Reagan. This course will also address the history of liberalism and religious thought in the United States. Prerequisite: HIST 142, junior standing or above, and must be a History major. 3 credits.
Credits: 3.00
HIST-475 Internship
See the department for details.
Credits: 1.00
HIST-490 Senior Research Seminar
This course combines a variety of historical methods with major historical themes and controversies. It is required of all senior History majors prior to embarking on the thesis. Prerequisite: Senior standing in History. 3 hours.
Credits: 3.00
HIST-491 Independent Research
This is student-conducted individual research leading to a senior thesis. It is required of all History majors. Prerequisite: Senior standing in History and HIST 490. Annually in the spring. 3 hours.
Credits: 3.00