Courses in the Department of History are offered in the following fields:
HIST 107: History of Western Civilization S1
Analysis of institutions and ideas of selected civilizations.
Mesopotamia, Egypt, the Hebrews, Greece, Rome, the rise of
Christianity, and Medieval Europe. (4)
HIST 108: History of Western Civilization S1
Analysis of institutions and ideas of selected civilizations. Europe from the Renaissance to the present. (4)
HIST 109: East Asian Societies C, S1
A historical overview of the traditional cultures, traditions, and
lives of the people of China and Japan. Discussion of the lives of
peasants, emperors, merchants, and warriors in each society. (4)
HIST 205: Islamic Middle East to 1945 C, S1
An introductory survey course on the history of the Middle East from
the time of Muhammad in the 7th century through World War II. (4)
HIST 210: Global Perspectives: The World in Change C, S1
A survey of global issues: modernization and development; economic
change and international trade; diminishing resources; war and
revolution; peace and justice; and cultural diversity. (Although
cross-listed with ANTH 210 and POLS 210, students may receive history
credit only when this course is registered as a history class.) (4)
HIST 215: Modern World History C, S1
Surveys major features of the principal existing civilizations of the
world since 1450: East Asia, India and southern Asia, the Middle East,
Eastern Europe, Western civilization, sub-Saharan Africa, and Latin
America. (4)
HIST 220: Modern Latin American History C, S1
Introduction to modern Latin American history, from 1810 to the present. (4)
HIST 231: World War Two in China and Japan, 19311945 C, S1
An introduction to the experience of World War II on the home front in
East Asia. What happened in China and Japan during the war years? How
were the Chinese and Japanese people mobilized for war, how did they
survive the atrocities, and how did the widespread use of martial
violence affect the development of East Asian societies, cultures, and
politics? These are some of the questions that will be considered as we
reconstruct the history of World War II in China and Japan through a
variety of media including memoirs, films, scholarly works and
contemporary literature. (4)
HIST 232: Tibet in Fact and Fiction - C, S1
The history of Tibet, emphasizing Tibet's relationship with China and
the West. How have outsiders imagined Tibet, and how have stereotypes
affected international relationships? Students will explore the present
crisis stemming from China's occupation of Tibet, and also confront the
powers of myth, the emergence of China as a world power, and the
agonies of globalization. (4)
HIST 251: Colonial American History S1
The history of what became the United States, from the settlement of
America to the election of Thomas Jefferson as the third President of
the United States in 1800. It will pay particular attention to three
periods - the years of settlement, the era of adjustment to an imperial
system around the turn of the 18th century, and the revolt against that
system in the second half of the 18th century, which culminated in the
creation of the American union. Emphasizes certain themes: the origins
of racism and slavery, the course of the religious impulse in an
increasingly secularized society, and finally, the ideological and
constitutional transition from royal government and the rights of
Englishmen to republicanism, and popular sovereignty. (4)
HIST 252: 19th-Century American History S1
From Jefferson to Theodore Roosevelt; interpretation of era from
social, political, economic, and biographical viewpoints. (4)
HIST 253: 20th-Century American History S1
Trends and events in domestic and foreign affairs since 1900; affluence, urban growth, and social contrasts. (4)
HIST 294: The United States Since 1945 S1
Selected topics in recent U.S. history such as the Cold War, the Civil
Rights Movement, the Vietnam War, the Women's Movement, Watergate, and
the Iran-Contra Affair. Enrollment restricted to first-year students
and sophomores. (4)
HIST 301: Introduction to Historical Methods and Research S1
Focus on historical methodology, research techniques, and the writing of history from a wide range of historical primary sources. Required for all history majors before taking the senior seminar. (4)
HIST 305: Slavery in the Americas A, S1
The comparative history of slavery in Africa, the Caribbean, and the
Americas with special attention to the United States. Comparative
perspectives on Atlantic slave trade, the origins of slavery and
racism, slave treatment, the rise of antislavery thought, the
maturation of plantation society, slave revolts, selection conflict and
war, and the reconstruction of society after emancipation. (4)
HIST 310: Contemporary Japan S1
Major domestic, political, economic, and socio-cultural developments
since 1945. Special attention given to U.S.-Japan interactions. (4)
HIST 321: Greek Civilization S1
The political, social, and cultural history of Ancient Greece from the
Bronze Age to the Hellenistic period. Special attention to the
literature, art, and intellectual history of the Greeks. Cross-listed
with CLAS 321. (4)
HIST 322: Roman Civilization S1
The history of Rome from the foundation of the city to CE 337, the
death of Constantine. Emphasis on Rome's expansion over the
Mediterranean and on its constitutional history. Attention to the rise
of Christianity within a Greco-Roman context. Cross-listed with CLAS
322. (4)
HIST 323: The Middle Ages S1
Europe from the disintegration of the Roman Empire to 1300; reading and research in medieval materials. (4)
HIST 324: Renaissance S1
Europe in an age of transition - 1300 to 1500. (4)
HIST 325: Reformation S1
Political and religious crises in the 16th century: Lutheranism,
Zwinglianism, Anglicanism, Anabaptism, Calvinism, Roman Catholic
reform; Weber thesis, the beginnings of Baroque arts. (4)
HIST 327: The Vikings S1
The world of the Vikings; territorial expansion; interaction of the
Vikings with the rest of Europe. Cross-listed with SCAN 327. (4)
HIST 328: 19th-Century Europe S1
The expansion of European civilization from 1800 to 1914. (4)
HIST 329: Europe and the World Wars: 19141945 S1
World War I; revolution and return to normalcy; depression and the rise of fascism; World War II. (4)
HIST 332: England: Tudors and Stuarts S1
Political, social, economic, legal, and cultural developments. (4)
HIST 334: Modern Germany, 1848-1945 S1
The Revolutions of 1848 and unification of Germany; Bismarckian and
Wilhemian empires; Weimar Republic and the rise of National Socialism;
the Third Reich. (4)
HIST 335: Latin American History: Central America & the Caribbean C, S1
Survey of the major aspects of Central American and Caribbean history
from colonial to modern times. Use of selected case studies to
illustrate the region's history. Study in inter-American relations. (4)
HIST 336: Southern Africa C, S1
Examination of the history of pre-colonial African kingdoms, Western
imperialism, settler colonialism, and the African struggle for
independence. Emphasis on the period since 1800. (4)
HIST 337: The History of Mexico C, S1
The political, economic, social, and cultural changes that have taken place in Mexico from 1350 to the present. (4)
HIST 338: Modern China C, S1
The beginning of China's modern history, with special emphasis on the
genesis of the Chinese revolution and China's position in an
increasingly integrated world. (4)
HIST 339: Revolutionary China C, S1
Beginning in 1911, an examination of the course of the Chinese revolution, China's liberation, and the changes since 1949. (4)
HIST 340: Modern Japan C, S1
Study of how Japan became the modern miracle in East Asia. Primary
focus on traditions that enabled Japan to change rapidly, the role of
the challenge of the West in that change, the industrialization of
Japan, the reasons for war with the U.S., and the impact of the war on
contemporary Japan and its social and economic institutions. (4)
HIST 344: The Andes in Latin American History C, S1
The history of the Andean countries (Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador) from the 15th through the 20th centuries. (4)
HIST 345: American Business and Economic History, 1607-1877 - S1
Surveys the history of the American economy from pre-Columbian Indian societies through the English mercantilist system, the American Revolution, the Industrial Revolution, the Civil War to the end of Reconstruction. Investigates influence of non-economic factors such as warfare, slavery, and the social standing of women on economic trends. (4)
HIST 347: American Business and Economics History, 1877-Present - S1
Surveys
the history of American business and the economy from the rise of big
business and labor unions after the American Civil War through the era
of globalization. Topics include technological change, government
regulation, business organization, economic thought, business ethics,
the role of the entrepreneur, and the place of women and minorities in
American business society. (4)
HIST 352: The American Revolution S1
Study of the era of the American Revolution from the end of the Seven
Year's War in 1763 through Thomas Jefferson's defeat of John Adams in
1800. Focuses on both American and British political, social, economic,
and ideological conflicts that brought on the Revolution; the military
strategy and tactics that won the war for the Americans and lost it for
the British; the making of the Constitution and the opposition to it;
and the challenges that faced the American people living in the new
Republic. (4)
HIST 355: American Popular Culture S1
Study of motion pictures, popular music, radio and television programs,
comic strips and paperback fiction. Insights into the values and ideas
of American culture from watching it at play. (4)
HIST 356: American Diplomatic History S1
The practice, function, and structure of American foreign policy with particular emphasis on the twentieth century. (4)
HIST 357: African American History A, S1
Experiences, struggles, ideas, and contributions of African-Americans
as they developed within and strongly shaped the course of U.S. (and
global) history. It focuses simultaneously on major social and legal
issues like slavery or Jim Crow segregation and African-Americans'
actions and identities framed in the context of systemic white
supremacism. It also examines and evaluates aspects of daily life and
personal experiences and expressions of individual African-Americans
between the 17th century and contemporary times. (4)
HIST 359: History of Women in the United States A, S1
A focused, thematic examination of issues and evidence related to
women's experiences from the colonial period to the present. (4)
HIST 360: Holocaust: Destruction of the European Jews A, S1
Investigation of the development of modern anti-Semitism, its
relationship to fascism, the rise of Hitler, the structure of the
German dictatorship, the evolution of Nazi Jewish policy, the mechanics
of the Final Solution, the nature of the perpetrators, the experience
and response of the victims, the reaction of the outside world, and the
post-war attempt to deal with an unparalleled crime through traditional
judicial procedures. (4)
HIST 362: Christians in Nazi Germany - S1
This
course will study the response of Christians in Germany to Hitler and
the Holocaust, analyzing why some Christians opposed the regime but
also why a large number found Hitler's ideology and policies
attractive. (4)
HIST 364: England and the Second World War - S1
This course will consider England's entry into the war, the evacuation
from Dunkirk, the Battle of Britain, the arrival of American troops,
the air war, the invasion of Normandy, and the implications of the
Holocaust, especially in terms of the Kindertransport of Jewish
children to safety in England. (4)
HIST 370: Environmental History of the United States S1
An investigation of the complex interrelationship between people and their environment. (4)
HIST 381: The Vietnam War and American Society S1
Through the lectures, assigned readings, films and discussions, the
course will explore the Vietnam War from the perspectives of the North
and South Vietnamese, American elected officials in Washington, D.C.,
John Q. Public watching the war every night on TV, and the average GI
fighting in the highlands and jungle. The lectures are designed to
provide an explanation of the origins and development of American
involvement in Vietnam from President Eisenhower's decision to support
the French to President Nixon's Vietnamization policy and the peace
negotiations. They will also examine the consequences and legacy of
America's involvement in Vietnam. (4)
HIST 387: Special Topics in U.S. History - S1
This course provides specific opportunities for students to examine chronologically, topically or geographically focused areas of study in U.S. History. (4)
HIST 388: Special Topics in European History - S1
This course provides specific opportunities for students to examine chronologically, topically or geographically focused areas of study in European History. (4)
HIST 389: Special Topics in Non-West History - S1
This
course provides specific opportunities for students to examine
chronologically, topically or geographically focused areas of study in
Non-West History. (4)
HIST 401: Workshops S1
Workshops in special fields for varying periods of time. (14)
HIST 451: American Legal History S1
Dimensions of American law as is relates to changing historical periods. (4)
HIST 460: West and Northwest A, S1
The American West in the 19th and 20th centuries. Frontier and regional
perspectives. Interpretive, illustrative history, and opportunities for
off-campus research. (4)
HIST 461: History of the West and Northwest S1
A direct, individualized study in one's hometown in the West or Northwest. (4)
HIST 471: History of American Thought and Culture S1
The history of American thought and culture from 1607 to the present by
carefully reading a number of texts and emphasizing trends in
religious, political, intellectual, and social thought. It will focus
on Protestantism and Calvinism, the Enlightenment and republicanism,
revivalism and reform, democracy and slavery, Social Darwinism,
pragmatism, Black social and political thought, Progressivism, the New
Deal, and women's liberation. It will investigate such topics as man's
relationship to God, the Protestant ethic and the success myth, human
nature, anti-intellectualism, America's place in the world, power,
slavery, and democracy. (4)
HIST 491: Independent Studies (14)
HIST 494: Seminar: American History S1, SR
Prerequisite: HIST 301. (4)
HIST 495: Internship
A research and writing project in connection with a student's approved
off-campus work or travel activity, or a dimension of it. Prerequisite: Sophomore standing plus one course in history, and consent of the
department. (16)
HIST 496: Seminar: The Third World C, S1, SR
This research seminar alternates its focus from East Asia one year to
the Caribbean/Latin America the next. Prerequisite: HIST 301. (4)
HIST 497: Seminar: European History S1, SR
Prerequisite: HIST 301. (4)
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