HIST 101C 01. Modern Japan
4.00 credits
Maus, Tanya
Prerequisite: none. Open to SCE students only.
We often think of modern Japanese history as the history of an exotic culture filled with samurai and geisha. However, who are the individuals that have formed these groups and what do they mean to Japan’s modern history? What other kinds of people have lived in Japan and shaped the evolution of their nation’s modern life? In this course, through historical essays, literature, and images we will look at modern Japan as a complex and diverse society filled with individuals who have fought for women’s rights, for environmental reform, and who have resisted the attempts of their government to define their identity as Japanese. Students’ work will be evaluated through in-class participation, in-class quizzes, presentations and a variety of written assignments. Writing Intensive
HIST 101C 02. Modern Japan
4.00 credits
Maus, Tanya
Prerequisite: none. Open to Traditional students only.
Please see HIST 101C 01. Modern Japan description above.
HIST 105 C/H 1W. Pre-Modern World History
4.00 credits
Raffensperger, Christian
Prerequisite: none. Freshman only. Supplemental Instruction available.
Pre-Modern world history 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? Writing Intensive. This course counts toward the PAST minor.
HIST 105 C/H 2W. Pre-Modern World History
4.00 credits
Raffensperger, Christian
Prerequisite: none.
Please see HIST 105 C/H 1W. Pre-Modern World History description above.
HIST 105 C/H 3W. Pre-Modern World History
4.00 credits
Brooks Hedstrom, Darlene
Prerequisite: none. Freshman only. Supplemental Instruction available.
This course considers how in the world ancient history matters in shaping the modern world. We will discard memorization of dates 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. Reading and writing intensive.
HIST 106C/H 01. Modern World
4.00 credits
Oldstone-Moore, Christopher
Prerequisite: none.
This course is designed as an introduction to the larger themes and questions of world history from approximately 1400-present. Rather than focusing on charting the dates and times of all the world’s events, we will examine political institutions, economic/demographic trends, and social organizations in order to better understand the world today. 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. (This course is required for the History/Integrated Social Studies Major.)
HIST 106C/H 1W. Modern World
4.00 credits
Proctor, Tammy
Prerequisite: none.
This course is designed as an introduction to the larger themes and questions of world history from approximately 1400-present. Rather than focusing on charting the dates and times of all of the world’s events, we will examine political institutions, economic/demographic trends, and social organizations in order to better understand the world today. 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. (This course is required for the History/Integrated Social Studies Major.)
Cultures and Languages Across the Curriculum: CLAC
Interested in using your foreign language skills to earn extra credit connected to this course and to learn more about the subject matter of this course at the same time? If so, register for the CLAC components offered here. You don’t need to be fluent in the language to exercise this option. In fact, you need only to have completed two credits beyond 112 or to be currently enrolled in a course beyond 112. Your work will be guided by your professor and by faculty from the Languages Department. The CLAC module is designed for intermediate level language learners.
This course offers a foreign language component or CLAC component in the following languages: Russian, Japanese, Chinese, Spanish, French, German
Students who select the CLAC option will complete work in a foreign language that will supplement the work in this course. Students who complete the CLAC assignments successfully will earn 1 credit for the CLAC component.
To register for the CLAC component, you must also register for a one-credit LANG 230 CLAC module listed among the Language Department’s offerings. Meeting times and location will be arranged at the beginning of the semester. Credit for CLAC modules may be counted toward the requirements for International Studies and as elective credit in the Language department.
HIST 111H 01. Medieval Europe
4.00 credits
Livingstone, Amy
Prerequisite: none. Students who have earned credit for HIST 101H Life, Love and War in the Middle Ages may not earn credit for this class. Supplemental Instruction available.
Knights in shining armor, peasants toiling in the fields, damsels in distress, castles, cathedrals, crusades….these are some of the enduring images of the medieval world. This course will explore the social, cultural, and economic changes that made up the dynamic period we call the middle ages. Through lectures, discussion, films, debates and readings, the important developments, accomplishments and failings of the medieval centuries will be brought to life. Students will write thematic and analytical essays examining a particular topic or source of medieval history. This course counts toward the PAST minor.
HIST 170C 1W. Topics: Contemporary Africa : The Roots of Genocide
4.00 credits
Rosenberg, Scott
Prerequisite: none.
During the 20th century, Africans fought against a range of inequalities, both during and after colonial rule. In their creative resuscitations of the past they have struggled over the production and reproduction of social categories such as nationalism and ethnicity. This class will explore a number of issues such as the construction of Africa's current national borders as well as ethnicity and "tribalism" which are often blamed for much of Africa's strife. This class will look closely at a number of violent liberation struggles as well as several civil wars that have occurred since liberation In particular, we will look at the civil wars/genocides of Nigeria, Uganda, Rwanda, and the Sudan. Lastly, the question of AIDS in Africa will be addressed. Novels and films will be used to provide a more personal account of these events. Students will be evaluated on class participation, take-home exams, and papers based upon the readings. Writing Intensive.
HIST 172C 1W. Africa Since 1500
4.00 credits
Rosenberg, Scott
Prerequisite: none.
This course will examine how African political, cultural, religious, economic, and social institutions have responded to the penetration of outsiders over the last 500 years. These outsiders include European slave traders, missionaries, and colonizers as well as Arab traders and Islamic scholars. The impact of the slave trade and later European colonization will be explored in depth. Africans were not passive victims in their own history, and we will focus on how Africans responded to these challenges and struggled for their independence, and how these movements helped shape the fact of Post-Colonial Africa. It is this dynamic interplay between Africans and outsiders which has shaped the formation of modern Africa. Assessment will be based on discussions of the readings, four papers as well as a take-home midterm and final. Writing Intensive.
HIST 201C 01. Topics: Japan’s Medieval Past
4.00 credits
Maus, Tanya
Prerequisite: none. Supplemental Instruction available.
Japan’s Medieval Past is most often viewed through the rise of a ruling warrior (samurai) class. However, long before the age of the samurai, civil officials, aristocratic women, monks, and wandering performers created an unprecedented age of political, social, artistic and literary achievement that drew on rich and diverse traditions from within and without Japan. Through the use of primary historical sources, literature, and classic film by directors such as Akira Kurosawa and Mizoguchi Kenji, this course will examine Japan’s complex medieval heritage beginning with the rise of a stable imperial rule in the sixth century and ending with the anarchy of the warring states period of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. Students will be evaluated according to quizzes, weekly journal responses, a variety of written assignments, and two substantial class presentation. This course counts toward the PAST minor.
HIST 201H 01. Topics: Frank Lloyd Wright and American Architecture
4.00 credits
Taylor, Thomas T.
Prerequisite: none. Section open to SCE students only.
This course surveys the life and work of “America’s greatest architect” from his boyhood in Wisconsin to his death at Taliesin West in 1959. Wright designed some of America’s most famous homes – The Dana Thomas House, The Darwin Martin House, Fallingwater -- and buildings –The Johnson Wax Building, the Larking Building, the Guggenheim Museum. Gifted and supremely self-confident, Wright invented and reinvented himself and his career multiple times, while developing a coherent philosophy of architecture that continues to influence design in our century. Books include 101 Things I Learned in Architecture School, The Essential Frank Lloyd Wright: Critical Writings on Architecture, Letters to Architects: Frank Lloyd Wright, and Frank Lloyd Wright by Neil Levine. Tests, quizzes, projects.
HIST 201H 02. Topics: Frank Lloyd Wright and American Architecture
4.00 credits
Taylor, Thomas T.
Prerequisite: none. Section open to Traditional students only.
Please see HIST 201H 01. …. Wright and American Architecture description above.
HIST 202H 1W. Historian’s Craft: Making Sense of the Vietnam Wars
4.00 credits
Wood, Molly
Prerequisite: none. Sophomore standing.
This course will introduce students to different modes of historical writing and to problems in historical interpretation by exploring the American experience in Vietnam in the twentieth century. We will seek to understand the ways in which historians have explained and interpreted the Vietnam War, as well as the reasons why those interpretations have changed over time. Some of the questions we will address: How do historians write about a topic as complex as war? What are the differences between a political and social history of war? What are the origins of U.S. involvement in Vietnam? What are the primary sources historians use to understand the American wartime experience? How useful are memoirs and novels for understanding the American experience? How important is it for historians of the U.S. involvement in Vietnam to understand “Vietnamese perspectives?” What are the “rules” of writing history? This course will consist mainly of class discussion of reading assignments. Attendance is absolutely essential, as is the timely completion of reading assignments. Students are expected to take an active part in class, raise questions and form opinions based on material presented in class and in the reading assignments. Students will be evaluated on their participation in class and on their timely completion of all written and oral assignments. Writing Intensive.
HIST 203H 1W. Historian’s Craft: Fact and Fiction in The Da Vinci Code
4.00 credits
Livingstone, Amy
Prerequisite: none. Sophomore standing.
Dan Brown’s novel, The Da Vinci Code, has stirred up a lot of controversy. What was so controversial? This course will examine the fact and fiction of The Da Vinci Code. Students will read primary sources and historical monographs relevant to the topics covered in the novel to determine what is “fact” and what is “fiction” in the novel. Specifically the course will examine the historical figure of Mary Magadalene, analyze the Gnostic Gospels, and understand the historical Knights Templar. The aim of the course is to help students determine what is the “real” history behind The Da Vinci Code. This course is designed to teach students the basic skills in researching and writing a history paper. As a result, class time will be devoted to discussion of writing skills and research techniques. Production of a piece of historical research relevant to The Da Vinci Code will be the main criteria for assessment. Part of this assessment, however, will be assignments key to the production of a research paper, including a paper proposal, outline, bibliography, revised proposal, etc. In addition, students will be required to write analyses of primary and secondary sources and two written exams. Writing Intensive. This course counts toward the PAST minor.
HIST 212C 1.1. Topic: History of Early Islam
2.00 credits
Brooks Hedstrom, Darlene
Prerequisite: none. Section meets first half of the semester.
This course explores major events and themes in the development of the Islam within the Arabian Peninsula and its establishment of an empire throughout Afro-Eurasia from 550-1000 CE. Themes will include examination of pre-Islamic Arabia, the life of the Prophet Muhammad, the art and archaeology of Islamic communities, and the major political and religious events that shaped the umma. Extensive examination of the Quran and Arabic historians will provide the primary sources for analysis.
HIST 221H 01. United States History to 1877
4.00 credits
Taylor, Thomas T.
Prerequisite: ENGL 101
A survey of American history covering colonization and the origins of American society; the Revolution and the creation of the American republic; evolution of the early republic and society; and the Civil War era. Lectures and discussion. Required books: The American Promise, Volume I, and The Bedford Glossary of American History.
HIST 227H 1W. 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. This class is writing intensive and satisfies the HIST 222 requirement for those students with the History/Integrated Social Studies Major. Students may not take both HIST 227 and HIST 222 for credit.
Cultures and Languages Across the Curriculum: CLAC
Interested in using your foreign language skills to earn extra credit connected to this course and to learn more about the subject matter of this course at the same time? If so, register for the CLAC components offered here. You don’t need to be fluent in the language to exercise this option. In fact, you need only to have completed two credits beyond 112 or to be currently enrolled in a course beyond 112. Your work will be guided by your professor and by faculty from the Languages Department. The CLAC module is designed for intermediate level language learners.
This course offers a foreign language component or CLAC component in the following languages: Russian, Japanese, Chinese, Spanish, French, German
Students who select the CLAC option will complete work in a foreign language that will supplement the work in this course. Students who complete the CLAC assignments successfully will earn 1 credit for the CLAC component.
To register for the CLAC component, you must also register for a one-credit LANG 230 CLAC module listed among the Language Department’s offerings. Meeting times and location will be arranged at the beginning of the semester. Credit for CLAC modules may be counted toward the requirements for International Studies and as elective credit in the Language department.
HIST 230H 1W. African-American History
4.00 credits
Rosenberg, Scott
Prerequisite: none.
This course will investigate Africa-American history by focusing on slavery and the struggle for equality after emancipation. The first part of the course will examine the institution of slavery, however, greater emphasis will be placed on the lives that slaves made for themselves. We will ask questions such as “how much control did slaves have over their own lives,” and “how did they resist servitude?” The second half of the course will dedicate itself to the study of the struggle for equality. This class will move beyond the political struggle and will explore the role that culture and an emerging and evolving identity played in shaping the quest for equality. Assessment will focus on the student’s ability to express ideas in take-home essay exams, papers, and oral presentation. Grading will be based on discussions of a variety of readings, 3-4 papers and a take-home midterm and final. Writing Intensive.
HIST 240H 1W. Topic: The Crusades
4.00 credits
Livingstone, Amy
Prerequisite: none.
The Crusades continue to cast a long shadow over the history of the world. Recent political events have highlighted the importance of this conflict between Muslims and Christians has had on world events. This course will contextualize the Crusades in the medieval world by examining the following questions: Why did medieval people go on Crusade? What were the motives and experiences of the Crusaders? How did the Muslims view the Crusaders? How have scholars interpreted the Crusades? Students will read primary sources from the Crusades, as well as different interpretations of the Crusades, their history and their impact. Students will write a several short essays, two essay exams, as well as other shorter assignments, and make presentations. Writing Intensive. This course counts toward the PAST minor.
HIST 301 1W. Coming of Age in Colonial Korea
4.00 credits
Maus, Tanya
Prerequisite: One course in History or EAS 100, or Permission.
In 1910 Japan annexed Korea as part of its imperialist program in East Asia. Its colonial government was in place in Korea until Japan’s surrender to the United States in 1945 following Japan’s defeat in the Pacific War. This course will not only examine the historical factors that led to the annexation of Korea by Japan, but through essays and literature will also focus on the generation of youth who responded in various ways to Japanese control and attempted to define their identity during this time of political aggression. Students’ work will be evaluated through in-class participation, exams, presentations, and a major research paper. Writing Intensive.
HIST 301 3W. Byzantium: Mediterranean World
4.00 credits
Brooks Hedstrom, Darlene and Raffensperger, Christian
Prerequisite: One course in History or Permission.
Welcome to the survey of the history of Byzantium. As an archaeologist and a historian, we have designed this course with an eye to establishing a visual and textual history of the the Byzantine empire through the analysis of documentary, historical (Procopius, Anna Comnena, John of Nikiou) and artifactual (visual culture found in archaeological records and museum collections) evidence. We will establish a chronology for the major events and visual markers with which we might reconstruct. Particular attention is given to non-traditional divisions of looking at this 1000 year old empire. We will assess how regional differences created a variety of approaches to Byzantine life and culture. Readings from the ancient world will frame how we consider the concerns of ancient authors and how they recorded the history of their own times in art and writing. Discussions will require some knowledge of Biblical themes, and a willingness to discuss faith, lived religion and devotion. This course is writing intensive and may count toward the interdisciplinary Pre-Modern and Ancient World Studies (PAST) minor and Africana Studies.
NOTE: This course has an optional field trip to Washington, DC to study the Byzantine Art collection at Dumbarton Oaks, the only institution which is actively supporting Byzantine studies, including archaeology and history. Please make arrangements according. Your account will be charged upon registration for this course. Please note we have done all we can to reduce the direct cost to students. This will happen in the 6th week of the course.
HIST 325 1W. Topics in Diplomacy: The Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan
4.00 credits
Wood, Molly
Prerequisites: HIST 106C/H or HIST 222H or HIST 227H or permission of instructor.
In an increasingly interdependent world it is important to understand the historical forces responsible for creating the current international climate and the relationships between the U.S. and the rest of the world. This seminar-style course will explore the origins and outcomes (so far) of the current U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Class sessions will mix some lecture with substantial discussion based on common readings (books, articles and documents). Attendance is required. Students will be evaluated on their participation in class, and the timely completion of all reading and writing assignments. Writing Intensive.
HIST 3901W. Reading Colloquium: American Civil War
4.00 credits
Taylor, Thomas T.
Prerequisite: HIST 202C/H and HIST 221H or Permission of instructor.
Intensive reading in, and discussion of, the historical literature of the American Civil War, the most written about period in American history. Lasting for four years, the war killed over 600,000 people and dramatically altered the course of American history. Its campaigns and battles have been refought time and again in the pages of memoirs, biographies and histories, as well as on the silver screen. Books include: Stephen Sears, To the Gates of Richmond: The Peninsula Campaign; James McPherson, Crossroads of Freedom: Antietam; Lauren M. Cook, de Anne Blanton, They Fought like Demons: Women Soldiers of the American Civil War; Gary Gallagher, Causes Won, Lost, and Forgotten: How Hollywood and Popular Art Shape What We Know about the Civil War; Charles Flood, Grant and Sherman: The Friendship that Won the Civil War; Scott Bowden and Bill Ward, Last Chance for Victory: Robert E. Lee and the Gettysburg Campaign; Noah Trudeau, Southern Storm: Sherman’s March to the Sea; Jay Winik, April 1865: The Month That Saved America; Hope and Glory: essays on the Legacy of the 54th Massachusetts Regiment. Writing Intensive.
HIST 411 1W. Senior Seminar
4.00 credits
Proctor, Tammy
Prerequisite: Senior history majors only and HIST 202, HIST 203, and HIST 390.
The primary focus of the course is on a senior-level research paper, on a topic of the student’s choosing and in accord with the student’s previous course work. The course also includes discussion of differing philosophies of history and of the evolution of the discipline of history. Quizzes and research paper. Writing Intensive.
HIST 490 00. Independent Study
1.00-4.00 credits
Staff
Prerequisite: Permission only.
HIST 491 00. Internship
1:00-4.00 credits
Staff
Prerequisite: Permission only.
HIST 499 00. Senior Honors Thesis
0.00-8.00 credits
Staff
Prerequisite: Permission only.
