DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY
COURSE DESCRIPTIONS
FALL 2006
HIST 105C/H 01. Pre-Modern World
4 credits
Brooks Hedstrom, Darlene
Prerequisite: Fall, 2006 first-year students only.
This World History course will closely examine how pre-modern people regarded those who differed from themselves during the period from 3000 BCE-1400 CE. We will consider how travel, motivated by the need for conquest, conversion, and/or commerce, reveals the history of those who ventured to areas outside of their own empires. Students will be assessed on the basis of weekly quizzes, participation in class discussions and three exams.
HIST 105C/H 2W. Pre-Modern World
4 credits
Proctor, Tammy
Prerequisite: none
Using a global framework, students will explore the development of ancient civilizations in the Near and Far East, Africa, and pre-Columbian Americas. Students will be asked to re-examine their own assumptions about non-western cultures prior to 1400, while seeing the connections between these cultures and western civilizations. The class will look at political and ideological change, but it will also delve into the everyday experiences of life. Pre-Modern World will ask students to use concepts of race, class, and gender as ways of viewing world history. In addition, students will use documents to examine their assumptions about “civilization,” “culture,” and “values.” Assessment will focus on the students’ ability to express their ideas in essay exams, class discussions, papers, and oral presentations. In particular, I will ask students to begin with the question—what is civilization?—in order to develop a framework for the study of the past. From there, we will examine particular themes in world history, such as comparative religion, trade networks, cultural exchange, impact of nomads, etc. Students will need to explore these questions and themes using a variety of sources (text, documents, novels, film) in order to gain an understanding of how historians interpret the past. Writing intensive.
HIST 106C/H 01. Modern World
4 credits
Thomas, Sam
Prerequisite: Fall, 2006 first-year students only.
Did you ever wonder how the potato led to the invasion of Iraq? Or how the ideas in Charles Darwin's On the Origin of Species help explain the terrorist attacks of 2001? Have you ever thought about how Japanese farmers experienced life in the 19th century? Are you interested in what the Aztecs thought of the Spanish? In "The Modern World," we will examine such questions in an attempt to re-evaluate our assumptions about non-western cultures, while seeing the connections between these cultures and western civilizations. Starting in 2001 and working our way backwards to 1400, students will explore the interaction of cultures in Western Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas. Assessment will focus on the students' ability to express their ideas in essay exams, short papers and quizzes. (Integrated Social Studies requirement.)
HIST 106C/H 02. Modern World
4 credits
Thomas, Sam
Prerequisite: none.
See above description.
HIST 111H 1W Medieval Civilization
4 credits
Livingstone, Amy
Prerequisite: Linked with ENGL 101 3W. Students must enroll in both courses.
Fall, 2006 first-year students only.
The medieval millennium, perhaps more than any other era of history, was a time when personalities shaped and affected the course of history. This course will explore the social, cultural, political and economic changes through the lives of particular medieval people, including peasants, warriors, mystics, kings and saints. Through lectures, discussions, films, debates and readings, the important developments, accomplishments and failings of the medieval centuries will be brought to life. Course assessment will consist of essay exams, short quizzes and class participation. Writing intensive.
HIST 135H 1W Latin American Civilization
4 credits
Wood, Molly
Prerequisite: Fall, 2006 first-year students only.
HIST 135 is an introduction to the history, culture and civilization of Latin America, which includes Mexico, Central America, South America and the Caribbean, from the fifteenth century to the present. In this class we will explore the history of indigenous civilizations in Latin America and the ensuing conquest of Mexico by Spanish conquistadors. We will assess the impact and legacy of Spanish and Portuguese colonial rule in Latin America and the myriad struggles for Independence in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. We will analyze the development of a multiracial society, the process and consequences of Revolution, and the strategies used by Latin American nations to compete in the worldwide economy. We will also attempt to understand the causes and consequences of chronic poverty, political violence and underdevelopment. Class time will consist of both lecture and discussion. Attendance is essential. Students will be introduced to some of the basic tools and methods used by historians to uncover the past, and will be expected to grapple with problems of historical perspective and interpretation. Students will be evaluated on their attendance, their ability to complete all assignments, including reading assignments, on time, and their willingness to participate in class discussion. Writing intensive.
HIST 161C 01. Pre-Modern East Asia
4 credits
Huffman, Jim
Prerequisites: none
This course surveys the history of East Asia’s three major countries-- China, Japan, and Korea--from earliest times until the beginning of the seventeenth century. Themes include the birth of the region’s major religions, China’s brilliant cultural and technological innovations, Korea’s fierce maintenance of independence from its larger neighbors, and the fluctuating influence of nobles and warriors in Japan’s political and cultural life. Lectures will predominate, with a number of sessions devoted to discussions and videos. A text and several paperbacks will be used. Requirements will include quizzes, several short papers, and three tests.
HIST 171C 1W. African Societies to 1500
4 credits
Rosenberg, Scott
Prerequisite: none
This class will cover the major themes and issues of African history before the arrival of Europeans and the Atlantic Slave Trade. Topics will range from the African roots of human society to placing ancient Egypt within African history. We will also examine the role of Islam in Africa. In particular, this class will explore the role of oral traditions and A myth @ in African societies and will attempt to ascertain their usefulness as historical documents. Additionally, in our examination of these societies we will focus on the roles of trade, environment, and religion in African political and social systems. Writing intensive.
HIST 201H 1.1W. Topics: American Revolution
2 credits
Taylor, Thomas
Prerequisite: sophomore standing
First half of the semester only.
Overview of the revolutionary era in American history, from 1750 to 1800. Topics include the French and Indian War; cultural variety in pre-Revolutionary America; the British colonial crises of the 1760s and 1770s; the New England, northern, southern, and western phases of the war for independence; the slave trade and the rise of the anti-slavery movement; the Articles of Confederation and the origins of the Constitution; Washington and Adams administrations; the first party system and the election of 1800; the Indian wars of the 1790s. Students may not receive credit for this section of 201 and for HIST 221. Likely books include Roark et al, The American Promise: A History of the United States to 1877, Volume I; and Thomas Paine, Common Sense. Quizzes, tests, and papers. Writing intensive. ( This course and HIST 201H-1.2W, America's Civil War, if taken together, may be substituted for HIST 221 in the History/Social Studies major.)
HIST 201H 1.2W. Topics: Civil War
2 credits
Taylor, Thomas
Prerequisite: sophomore standing
Second half of the semester only.
Overview of the Civil War era. Topics include the plantation economy of the antebellum South; slavery, antislavery, and antebellum reform; the ideology of free labor; expansionism and the west; the political crises of the 1850s; the secession crisis and the outbreak of war; the major military campaigns; the home front, North and South; internal and international wartime politics; the battle over black equality during and after the war; Reconstruction, equality and the restoration of white rule in the South. Students may not receive credit for this section of 201 and for HIST 221.. Likely books include Roark et al, The American Promise: A History of the United States to 1877, Volume I. Quizzes, tests, and papers. W riting intensive. ( This course and HIST 201H-1.1W, The American Revolution, if taken together, may be substituted for HIST 221 in the History/Social Studies major .)
HIST 201H 3W. U.S. and the Cold War, 1945-1990
4 credits
Wood, Molly
Prerequisite: none
In 1945, as World War II ended, a new ideological conflict, named the “Cold War” developed between the U.S. and the Soviet Union. This Cold War would dominate U.S. history and international relations for the better part of the remainder of the twentieth century. This class will explore how and why the Cold War began, and how it shaped U.S. foreign and domestic policy for almost five decades. We will assess American actions all over the globe – Europe, Korea, Vietnam, Latin America, the Middle East, etc. – in the context of the Cold War. But we will also focus on the impact of the Cold War on Americans at home. What were the connections between American Cold War Foreign Policy and the economic expansion and domestic tranquility of the 1950s? The Civil Rights Movement? The activism of the 1960s? The domestic crises of the 1970s and 80s? This class will give students the opportunity to examine recent U.S. history in some detail, and to place U.S. history in a larger global context. This course will consist of lecture, class discussion and reading and writing assignments. Attendance is essential. Students will be evaluated on their attendance and participation in class and the timely completion of all reading and writing assignments. Writing intensive. ( Satisfies the HIST 222 requirement for those students with the History/Integrated Social Studies Major.)
HIST 201H 4W. From Reformation to Revolution: England in the 17 th Century
4 credits
Thomas, Sam
Prerequisite: none
During the course of the seventeenth century, England underwent dramatic and traumatic political and social changes as a Scottish king claimed the English Crown, his son was overthrown and executed, and his grandson overthrown and replaced by a hunch-backed Dutchman. Curiously, this period also saw the union of England and Scotland, Britains rise as a European and Atlantic power, the birth of religious toleration. This course will explore the social, religious and political history of England during this pivotal century. Writing intensive.
HIST 202H 1W. Law in America
4 credits
Taylor, Tom
Prerequisite: sophomore standing
Consideration of and writing about law in various eras in American history. Topics include an overview of American legal history, the representations of law in film, the Salem witchcraft trials, the Amistad escaped slaves case, the Nuremberg war crimes trials, and the Microsoft antitrust trial. Likely books include: Lawrence M. Friedman, Law in America: A Short History; Marius, A Short Guide to Writing about History. Quizzes, tests, and papers. Writing intensive. (Integrated Social Studies requirement.)
HIST 202H 2W. The U.S. in World War II
4 credits
Wood, Molly
Prerequisite: sophomore standing
This course introduces students to the complexities of historical writing and the challenges of historical interpretation by exploring the history of the U.S. during World War II, 1939-1945. Please note: This is not a traditional “History of WWII” lecture course, and we will not be focusing on military history. While, as historians, we need to address the simple question: What happened to the United States in World War II, we are more interested, in this class, in discovering the answer to this question: How do historians know what happened to the U.S., and to various groups of Americans and individual Americans, during the war, and why is this knowledge significant? Other more specific questions for consideration: What are the differences between a political and social history of war? How useful are memoirs and novels for understanding the American wartime experience? Why have historians only recently studied the role of women in wartime? Why do historians disagree about topics such as the dropping of the atomic bomb in 1945? What is “public history?” This course will be conducted as a seminar. This means that there will be few lectures and students will be responsible for taking an active role in each class by raising and responding to questions from the reading, and participating in classroom exercises and discussion. Attendance is absolutely essential. Students will be evaluated on their attendance, participation in class, and their timely completion of all written and oral assignments.
Writing intensive. (Integrated Social Studies requirement.)
HIST. 203H 1W. Negro Leagues
4 credits
Rosenberg, Scott
Prerequisite: sophomore standing
The course will focus on the Negro Leagues that existed in the United States from the early 20th century until the late 1960s. We will also explore the experience of black baseball players both before and after the period of segregation in the United States. While it is essential that we come to grips with the broader political, social, and economic institutions that supported racial segregation, the main focus of this course is to expose the lives that black baseball players made for themselves. In exploring the lives of African-American baseball players, we will focus on an emerging culture and the evolution of race relations. Of particular interest will be the few successful Negro Leagues that operated from 1919 through the 1940s and the long process of breaking baseball's color barrier from 1946 through the 1960s.
HIST. 203H 1W. Negro Leagues (continued)
This course is designed to teach students the basic skills of researching and writing a historical paper. Assessment will be based on a book review, two take home exams, and the main component of the grade will be based on the research assignments and final paper. Writing intensive. (Integrated Social Studies requirement.
HIST. 225R 1W. Topic: Religion and Film
4 credits
Taylor, Tom
Prerequisite: sophomore standing
This course explores the interaction between film and religion in 20th-century American culture. We thus will examine the interconnections between one of America's most enduring characteristics, the religiosity of her people, and the growth of what is arguably the most important art/entertainment form of the century, the movies. To trace these stories we will read relevant portions of several books and see films from throughout the century, each chosen for its religious content and for what it can tell us about film in its respective era. Sample film genres: epics, Jesus, the Ten Commandments, anti-Semitism, angels, non-western religions, and Roman Catholicism. Readings include selections from Michael Medved, Hollywood vs. America and Timothy Corrigan, A Short Guide to Writing about Film. Quizzes, tests, and papers. W riting intensive.
HIST. 281C 1W. Modern Middle East
4 credits
Brooks Hedstrom, Darlene
Prerequisite: none
This course provides an overview of Middle East history from the conquest of Constantinople in 1453 by the Ottomans until the present day. Specific attention will be directed toward the topic of religious diversity in the region (Islam, Judaism and Christianity) and how the various groups have impacted the present configuration of the Middle East. The sources read for the class will include a variety of historical texts and also contemporary novels by prominent Arab writers, such as Naguib Mafouz (1988 Nobel Laureate in Literature). Films made in the Arab and Israeli world will also be used as a basis for analyzing how those who grew up in the region or live there today perceive changes in the Middle East. As a class, we will visit one mosque and one Eastern Orthodox church to develop first-hand experience with the current experience of the diverse history and religious traditions of the Middle East. Writing intensive
HIST 301 1W. Topics: The Age of Cathedrals
4 credits
Livingstone, Amy
Prerequisite: one course in history or permission of instructor.
One of the most enduring images of the medieval world is the cathedral. Have you ever wondered why medieval people felt compelled to create such monumental structures? How did they build cathedrals? Who built them? This course will explore the society that produced these magnificent monuments.
Our discussion will begin with the art and society of the period preceding the Age of Cathedrals: the Romanesque. Key to our discussion will be the pilgrimage churches that came to cover much of France and Northern Spain. How did faith and religious practice, as well as social and economic factors, contribute to the construction of these churches? Next we will examine how the Romanesque period
HIST 301 1W. Topics: The Age of Cathedrals (continued)
transformed into the age of Gothic. Again the focus will be not only the artistic and aesthetic changes, but what economic, social and political changes led to the construction of cathedrals such as Chartres, St. Denis, Notre Dame, Amiens and Rheims. Why were cathedrals designed to capture light and to seem to ascend toward heaven? How do cathedrals reflect intellectual and philosophical developments of the central Middle Ages? Finally we will consider what impact cathedrals had on medieval civilization. How do cathedrals reflect the social and cultural changes that characterized the twelfth and thirteenth centuries?
Writing Intensive: Students will write three short papers, an in-depth research paper, and a synthetical essay. They will present their research to the class at the end of the semester.
HIST 362 1W. Japan Since 1945
4 credits
Huffman, Jim
Prerequisite: one course in East Asian History or permission of instructor.
The course will examine the evolution of Japan since 1945, from defeat in war to international power, from economic doldrums in the 1990s to vibrant cosmopolitanism today. With a focus on reading, writing and discussion, we will examine both the forces that propelled Japan’s post war development and the culture that gave it its special character. There will be a research paper and a book review. Writing intensive
HIST. 390 1W. South Africa: Making of Apartheid
4 credits
Rosenberg, Scott
Prerequisite: HIST 202 or permission of instructor.
A colloquium focusing on the development of Apartheid in South Africa and how scholars have sought to explain the emergence of this racial system. We will examine how scholars of four different generations have sought to explain why Apartheid was created. After focusing on the construction of Apartheid, we will review the movements, which resisted legislated racism. Our discussion of resistance will cover political movements, aspects of cultural struggle, and women’sstrategies. Most of this course will be dedicated to discussing the selected readings, and papers will be based upon those readings. Writing intensive. ( Integrated Social Studies requirement.)
HIST. 411 1W. Senior Seminar
4 credits
Proctor, Tammy
Prerequisite: Senior history majors only and HIST 202, HIST 203, and HIST 390.
A seminar designed for SENIOR HISTORY MAJORS. This capstone course examines historical and historiographical problems, philosophical issues pertaining to substance and methods of history as a discipline, and the process of research and writing history. A long analytical paper, an analysis of a historian, oral presentations, and active class participation are required. (And it all promises to be fun!) Writing intensive. (Integrated Social Studies requirement.)
HIST 490 00. Independent Study
1-4 credits
Staff
Prerequisite: permission required.
HIST 491 00. Internship
1-4 credits
Staff
Prerequisite: permission required.
HIST 491 01. LCWS: Internship
1-8 credits
LCWC
Prerequisite: permission required.
HIST 499 00. Senior Honors Thesis
0-8 credits
Staff
Prerequisite: permission required.
