HIST 101H 1W. Life, Love and War in the Middle Ages
4.00 credits
Livingstone, Amy
Prerequisite: Freshmen Section only. Student must register for ENGL-101E-GW concurrently.
What was it like to live, love and die in the Middle Ages? This course will examine the lives of famous medieval people, like Charlemagne and Eleanor of Aquitaine, but also those whoseexperiences are not as well known - such as peasants, Jews, heretics, women and children. The lives of these people will be brought to life through modern novels but also the medieval accounts of their lives. By coming to appreciate the lives of medieval people, the larger political, economic, cultural and social developments that shaped the medieval period will be brought to life. Course assessment will consist of essay exams, papers, quizzes, presentations and class participation. Writing intensive.
HIST 105C/H 1W. Pre Modern World
4.00 credits
Prerequisite: None
World Civilization I is fundamentally about the interconnectivity of the global system. In this class we will discuss kings, emperors, and philosophers from Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Americas in addition to how the kingdoms and empires of the world interacted during this period. Key topics include the development of empire from Persia to China to Rome, the migrations of steppe peoples from Mongolia into Europe over the course of a thousand years, and the religious interactions (and their sometimes violent conflicts) in Eurasia and Africa that resulted in the spread of Buddhism, Islam, and Christianity. In addition to discussing happenings within various kingdoms and fledgling states of the world, this class, specifically in lecture and discussion, is designed to look at how those kingdoms interacted with one another and what the consequences were-culturally, religiously, and economically. What was gained, and what lost? Class will consist of lecture and discussion (and possibly group projects). Attendance is essential. Students will be expected to complete reading assignments and contribute to class discussion, and to complete all writing assignments on time. Writing intensive.
HIST 105C/H 2W. Pre Modern World
4.00 credits
Raffensperger, Christian
Prerequisite: None
Description same as above - HIST 105 C/H 1W.
HIST 105C/H 3W. Pre Modern World
4.00 credits
Brooks Hedstrom, Darlene
Prerequisite: Freshmen only with Supplemental Instruction
This course considers how in the world ancient history matters in shaping the modern world. We will discard the dryness of history to consider real questions that have historical importance in thinking about the past. We will develop skills in reading, debating and argumentation as we consider issues such as how telling stories about the world reflect core values of society, what medical beliefs about the body tell us about gender roles in the past, what beliefs were foundation to the Islamic empire, how Genghis Khan ushered in the modern age, and to what degree ancient religious beliefs predetermine the political and ethical history of a community. We will read primary sources from period, examine archaeological remains of material culture and read historical fiction as a way to engage with these questions and establish skills in thinking critically about the past. The course is reading and writing intensive. Students will be assessed on the basis of weekly quizzes, in class debate and discussion, and three exams. Supplemental Instruction will be available two times a week.
HIST 106C/H 1W. Modern World
4. 00 credits
Maus, Tanya
Prerequisite: Freshmen only with Supplemental Instruction
Is the world modern? Where does the modern begin and where does it end? What assumptions are implied by defining our present as such? Beginning from 1400, this course will examine the historical development of various states throughout the world and the ways that regions and states embraced or rejected changing definitions of modernity. We will consider these questions from a global perspective (how states and regions interacted with each other from the fifteenth century) and from a regional perspective (how states responded internally to historical changes from the fifteenth century). In particular, we will examine European expansion from the fifteenth through the twentieth centuries and the subsequent attempt of Europe and the United States to define a new world order based upon international standards. We will then consider how this clashed with already existing inter-state systems throughout the world. Students' work will be evaluated through in-class participation, in-class quizzes, presentations and a variety of written assignments.Writing intensive. Required for Integrated Social Studies Major.
HIST 106C/H 2W. Modern World
4.00 credits
Proctor, Tammy
Prerequisite: None
Are you interested in what the Aztecs thought of the Spanish? Have you ever thought about how Japanese farmers experienced life in the 19th century? In "The Modern World," we will examine such questions in an attempt to re-examine our assumptions about non-western cultures since 1400, while seeing the connections between these cultures and western civilizations. Using a global framework, students will explore the development of modern civilizations in the Near and Far East, Eastern/Western Europe, Africa and the Americas. Assessment will focus on the students' ability to express their ideas in essay exams, quizzes, short papers, and oral presentations.Writing intensive. Required for certification requirements.
HIST 135H 1W. Latin American Civilization
4.00 credits
Wood, Molly
Prerequisite: None
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 1W. Pre Modern East Asia
4.00 credits
Maus, Tanya
Prerequisite: None
Elegant courtiers and eunuchs, ethical scholars, powerful Buddhist nuns, and impudent commoners were some of many groups that created the fabric of East Asian societies during the pre-modern period. This course looks at how such groups within China, Korea, and Japan developed the foundations for powerful states and societies with flourishing economies and rich cultural diversity. In particular, we will focus on the relationship between politics, religion, and culture as sources of East Asian interchange and identity. Students' work will be evaluated through in-class participation, in-class quizzes, presentations and a variety of written assignments. Writing intensive.
HIST 171C 1W. African Societies to 1500
4.00 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 "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 201C 1W. Mummies, Myths and Monuments
4.00 credits
Brooks Hedstrom, Darlene
Prerequisite: None
Ancient Egypt is a subject that fascinates the American imagination. This course will consider the American discovery of Egypt through the work of famous archaeologists and historians. With this foundation, we will examine the over 3,000 years of history that shape what is known of ancient Egypt from the great pyramid builders of the Old Kingdom, to the great poets of the Middle Kingdom, to the great apex of Egyptian power under the pharaohs of the New Kingdom. The course will conclude with an examination of the last century of Egyptian history under the invading empires of the Kushites, the Persians, and the Greeks. This is a survey class that will require intensive reading in both primary (both textual and artifactual evidence) and secondary sources on Egypt.Writing intensive.
HIST 201H 2W. The United States since 1945
4.00 credits
Wood, Molly
Prerequisite: None
In 1945, as World War II ended, a new ideological conflict engulfed the world. The "Cold War" would dominate U.S. history and international relations for the next five decades. This class will explore how and why the Cold War began, and how it shaped U.S. foreign and domestic policy. We will assess U.S. relationships with other areas of the world as well as the important social, political and economic changes taking place at home in the post-war era. We will explore both broad questions (Why do we remember the 1950s as a time of domestic tranquility? How do we assess the social disruptions and activism of the 1960s?) and specific questions (What was Watergate? What happened during the Iranian Hostage crisis?) This class will give students the opportunity to examine recent U.S. history in detail, to place U.S. history in a larger global context, and to learn basic skills of historical analysis. The course will consist of lecture, class discussion and reading and writing assignments. Attendance is required. Students will be evaluated on their participation in class, and the timely completion of all reading and writing assignments. Writing intensive. Satisfies HIST 222 requirement for the Integrated Social Studies Major.
HIST 202H 1W. Children of the Past
4.00 credits
Livingstone, Amy
Prerequisite: Sophomore standing.
What was it like growing up in the past? Did pre modern people have a "childhood?" Historians have recently turned their attention to investigating the private lives of medieval and early modern people. In this class we will explore what historians have uncovered about growing up in the past. We will examine the experiences of children in medieval London and Florence, Reformation Germany and sixteenth-century France. This course will also examine how historians "do" history. What methods, theories, philosophies inform how historians have approached examining the history of childhood? What are the issues that confront historians in regard to the use of primary sources and historiographic traditions? Should historians be objective? Can they be objective? Each of those questions is fundamental to the task, vocation and obligation of the historian. To address such issues, students will read, analyze and critique primary sources. The "history" of historical interpretation, or historiography, will also be explored through a series of monographs and articles. Students will write several short analytical essays, as well as a longer historiographical paper, and participate in discussion and debate.Writing intensive.
HIST 203H 1W. The Great War: Historian's Craft
4.00 credits
Proctor, Tammy
Prerequisite: ENGL 101
In August 1914 a war commenced that would transform the political, economic, cultural and social landscape of several continents and that would institute a new era of militarization. This World War touched the lives of men and women of different nationalities, classes, and occupations. The course will train students in research methods through an examination of this world crisis. Students will be asked to understand political structures, intellectual and cultural change, and social transformations that characterized this era. Assessment will focus on the students' ability to express their ideas in essay exams, papers, and oral presentations. In particular, students will complete an independent research project focusing on some aspect of the Great War. Students will need to explore their questions using a variety of sources (text, documents, novels, film) in order to gain an understanding of how experiences on the home front and in the trenches shaped lives, nations and cultural mores.Writing intensive.
HIST 221H 1W. U. S. History to 1877
4.00 credits
Staff
Prerequisite None
This is an overview of the peoples, cultures, and institutions of "American" history to 1877. The AColonial Era examines the mixtures of African, European, and Native American peoples that first created AAmerican culture; the ARevolutionary Era studies the causes, course, and consequences of the war for independence; the ANational Era focuses on the evolution of American government and society in the early 1800s; and the ACivi War Era considers the origins, conduct, and aftermath of the Civil War. Attendance is required.Writing intensive. Required for Integrated Social Studies Major.
HIST 221H 2W. U. S. History to 1877
4.00 credits
Staff
Prerequisite: None
Description same as above - HIST 221H 1W.
HIST 251C 1W. The History of Russia to 1796
4. 00 credits
Raffensperger, Christian
Prerequisite: None
Russia occupies a unique position between Europe and Asia. This class will explore the creation of the Russian state, leading into the modern period. We will begin with the exploration and settlement of the Vikings in Eastern Europe, which began the genesis of the state known as "Rus". That European state soon encountered threats from Asia when the Mongols invaded in the thirteenth century. The Mongol invasions changed Russian history and contributed to the "othering" of Russia which has continued to the present day. It also created a situation which leads to the creation of Tsars, Russian emperors who come to dominate their European and Asian territory, eventually leading to the creation of a multi-ethnic empire under Tsar Ivan IV. Ivan's spiritual heirs Peter and Catherine are where we will end the class. The two "greats" dominate the eighteenth century in Russian politics and have a huge impact on the international political scene, changing Russia from the inside out. Class will consist of lecture and discussion (and possibly group projects). Attendance is essential. Students will be expected to complete reading assignments and contribute to class discussion, and to complete all writing assignments on time.Writing intensive.
HIST 301 1W. Cultures of Dissent in Japan
4.00 credits
Maus, Tanya
Prerequisite: One course in history or permission of instructor.
Can writing or rioting change society? Can passing gas be a political act? This course examines cultures of popular dissent in Japan from 1600 to the present. To help us understand these questions we will examine how historians define culture and resistance for use in historical analysis. Within Japan, we will look at political satire as a critique of political and social institutions, major political movements on both the left and the right, peasant movements, women's suffrage movements, as well as environmental movements. Our examination of these areas will be based upon the assumption that Japan is not a unified cultural whole, but rather a space with great difference and variation. Students' work will be evaluated through participation, in-class quizzes, presentations and a variety of written assignments. Writing intensive.
HIST 370 1W. Migrant Labor and HIV/AIDS in southern Africa
4.00 credits
Rosenberg, Scott
Prerequisite: One course in history or permission of instructor.
This class will examine the connection between colonial policies that led to the development of a migrant labor system and the eventual explosion of AIDS in southern Africa in the late 1980s through the present. The colonial powers stripped Africans of their land and imposed taxes on men to force them into migrant labor, tearing apart the African family. Once at the mines/urban areas, the colonial powers relied partially on alcohol and prostitution as a means of controlling African labor. The social and economic patterns established during colonial rule created the conditions for the spread of AIDS. We will also look at the origins of AIDS in Africa, and how it has spread. Lastly, this class will examine how African cultural attitudes have influenced the fight to stop the spread of AIDS. The class will mix lectures with the discussion of several monographs. Grades will be based on papers.Writin intensive.
HIST 390 1W. Wives, Wenches, Saints and Sinners: Women in the Middle Ages
4.00 credits
Livingstone, Amy
Prerequisite: HIST 202C/H or permission of instructor.
Saints, martyrs, damsels in distress, grimy peasant women, ladies in pointy hats are some of the prevailing images of medieval women. Scholarship on medieval women is also fraught with different visions of medieval women. Some historians find medieval women's voices silent, and refer to the middle ages as the "male middle ages." More recently, other scholars have come to challenge this model and suggest more of a "rough and ready equality" for medieval women. Keeping in mind these two paradigms of women's experience, this class will explore the lives of a variety of medieval women, including peasants, aristocratic ladies, nuns, heretics, prostitutes, urban women, artists, and mystics. Through examination of primary sources, as well as historical monographs and essays, students explore the complexities of medieval women' s experiences. Evaluation will be based on a in depth historiographical analysis of a medieval woman, critiques of primary and secondary sources, class presentations and participation.Writing intensive.
HIST 411 1W. Senior Seminar
4.00 credits
Brooks Hedstrom, Darlene
Prerequisite: SENIOR HISTORY MAJORS ONLY and HIST 202, HIST 203, and HIST 390 and instructor's permission.
This capstone course employs a philosophical approach to the study of history, with a focus on methods of historical research and writing Senior history majors will participate in class readings and discussions on the nature and study of history and will produce a major piece of original historical writing. All members of the class will also participate in an end-of-semester History 411 Conference at which they will present the results of their research to other history majors and history faculty.
Writing intensive.
HIST 490 00. Independent Study
1.00-4.00 credits
Staff
Prerequisite: Permission required.
HIST 491 00. Internship
1.00-4.00 credits
Staff
Prerequisite: Permission required.
HIST 499 00. Senior Honors Thesis
0.00-8.00 credits
Staff
Prerequisite: Permission required.
