Spring 2023 Courses
Course Descriptions
104.01, 20646 TR 8-9:15, Crosby
World History since 1500. History 104 will cover world history from 1500 CE to the present, and covers the chief political, social, economic, cultural, and religious developments in that period. The objectives of the course are to examine the interaction between different cultures with differing worldviews, globalization (the increasing interconnection between economies, societies, and their ideas), and the effects of industrialization, modernization, imperialism, decolonization, and their consequences, and the effects of the two world war.
115.01, 20288 MWF 8-8:50, Van Meer
A World of Inventions. This course explores the history of our world, from the first hunter-gatherer societies until the dawn of modernity in the 15th century, using the comparative method. The theme of this global history course is invention and technology. By contextualizing key inventions of the past, e.g. prehistoric cave paintings, early Egyptian and Chinese tombs, classical Greek and Roman (amphi)theaters, and medieval Byzantine and Islamic Domes, we will analyze how technological developments reflect the cultural/religious values, political power, and gender/social beliefs of their respective societies.
115.02, 20289 MWF 9-9:50, Van Meer
A World of Inventions. This course explores the history of our world, from the first hunter-gatherer societies until the dawn of modernity in the 15th century, using the comparative method. The theme of this global history course is invention and technology. By contextualizing key inventions of the past, e.g. prehistoric cave paintings, early Egyptian and Chinese tombs, classical Greek and Roman (amphi)theaters, and medieval Byzantine and Islamic Domes, we will analyze how technological developments reflect the cultural/religious values, political power, and gender/social beliefs of their respective societies.
115.03, 20291 MWF 11-11:50, Lary
History of Philosophical and Religious Ideas in the Ancient World. In this course, we will trace the evolution of key philosophical and religious ideas in the ancient world. The ideas will be treated historically and comparatively, and within the contexts out of which they arise. While we will address many ancient philosophies and religions in this course, the primary focus will be on three case studies: the empires of ancient Greece, ancient India, and ancient Persia. In ancient Greece, the history of philosophy from the pre-Socratics through the Hellenistic thinkers will be highlighted and placed within the cultural and political context. In ancient India, we will pay particular attention to the development of the competing yet symbiotic teachings of ancient Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. Finally, our study of ancient Persia will begin with the history of ancient Zoroastrianism.
115.04, 20292 MWF 12-12:50, Lary
History of Philosophical and Religious Ideas in the Ancient World. In this course, we will trace the evolution of key philosophical and religious ideas in the ancient world. The ideas will be treated historically and comparatively, and within the contexts out of which they arise. While we will address many ancient philosophies and religions in this course, the primary focus will be on three case studies: the empires of ancient Greece, ancient India, and ancient Persia. In ancient Greece, the history of philosophy from the pre-Socratics through the Hellenistic thinkers will be highlighted and placed within the cultural and political context. In ancient India, we will pay particular attention to the development of the competing yet symbiotic teachings of ancient Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. Finally, our study of ancient Persia will begin with the history of ancient Zoroastrianism.
115.05, 20293 MWF 8-8:50, Dingley
Maritime Cultures of the Indian Ocean World. From the Swahili city-states of the East African coast to the nomadic seafaring societies of the Southeast Asian archipelago, this course explores the cosmopolitan world of the Indian Ocean from antiquity through the rise of Islam to the arrival of the Portuguese in 1498. Our focus will be on the diasporic movement of people and plants, language and culture, religion and technology over two thousand years of maritime history, and the underlying environmental forces and institutional forms that helped make the Indian Ocean the most dynamic cultural crossroads of the pre-modern era.
115.06, 21298 TR 3:05-4:20, Schaffer
Pre-Modern Maritime Piracy. This course will explore the role maritime piracy played in shaping empires and kingdoms from Ancient Egypt to 16th-Century England. Pirates are often portrayed as villains or even comical heroes like Jack sparrow, but oceanic thievery and warfare has played a fundamental role in human history for thousands of years. Come learn how!
115.07, 20661 TR 8-9:15, Halvorson
Egypt and its Neighbors. 3000+ Years of the Ancient Egyptian World. This class will cover over three millennia of history in Egypt and the surrounding civilizations with which they interacted. Egypt in its heyday was a world power which influenced three continents: Africa, Asia, and Europe. Travel back in time with an Egyptologist to study, in detail, one of the greatest civilizations of the pre-modern world.
115.08, 20294 MWF 9-9:50, Dingley
Maritime Cultures of the Indian Ocean World. From the Swahili city-states of the East African coast to the nomadic seafaring societies of the Southeast Asian archipelago, this course explores the cosmopolitan world of the Indian Ocean from antiquity through the rise of Islam to the arrival of the Portuguese in 1498. Our focus will be on the diasporic movement of people and plants, language and culture, religion and technology over two thousand years of maritime history, and the underlying environmental forces and institutional forms that helped make the Indian Ocean the most dynamic cultural crossroads of the pre-modern era.
115.09, 20295 MWF 10-10:50, Luquer
State and Religion. History 115 is a thematically-driven premodern history class, intended to hone analytical thinking and writing skills while exploring an important aspect of world history. The theme of this class is religion and state building---how the two have woven together in antiquity and through the middle ages to create distinctive cultures based on religion. We will focus on the development of origin stories that help the indigenous peoples of the world develop and answer the questions they had about their surroundings. We will also examine how these stories developed into polytheistic and then the monotheistic religions of Judaism, Christianity and Islam, after the fall of imperial Rome by the Carolingian empire and medieval humanists, as well as the changing landscape of religion and government through the end of the middle ages.
115.10, 21299 MW 2:00-3:15 and ONLINE, Phillips
Dangerous Appetites. This course analyzes the relationship between culinary history from the earliest Mesopotamian societies to 1500. Food has played a crucial role in the creation of what we often call “globalism.” In fact, trade in rice and rum forged the first global trade networks and, along with them, helped shape the nature of western and slavery create empires of trade and sea power.We will examine how food, in different culture and at different times, has been used as a symbol of hospitality and of domination. We will look at how food shaped a variety of global culture’s understanding of itself and others. We will see how food initiated the first European drive for domination Africa, Asia and the Americans and changed, not only political arrangements, but ecosystems and disease environments as well.
The Pre-Modern World: Byzantium. The Eastern Roman or Byzantine Empire, which geographically straddled Europe and Asia was one of the most advanced and complex civilizations to have existed. The Byzantine state spanned twelve centuries and three continents that linked the ancient with the modern world with core elements of Greek culture and Christian faith set in the framework of Imperial Rome. This course will examine cultural, social, and military history through the life of Byzantium and the influences on neighboring societies, and the birth of the Renaissance in Europe.
115.12, 20297 MWF 12-12:50, Luquer
State and Religion. History 115 is a thematically-driven premodern history class, intended to hone analytical thinking and writing skills while exploring an important aspect of world history. The theme of this class is religion and state building---how the two have woven together in antiquity and through the middle ages to create distinctive cultures based on religion. We will focus on the development of origin stories that help the indigenous peoples of the world develop and answer the questions they had about their surroundings. We will also examine how these stories developed into polytheistic and then the monotheistic religions of Judaism, Christianity and Islam, after the fall of imperial Rome by the Carolingian empire and medieval humanists, as well as the changing landscape of religion and government through the end of the middle ages.
115.13, 20298 MWF 9-9:50, Jestice
Inventions that Shaped the Premodern World. How was a great amphitheater like the Colosseum actually built, considering the limited technology available to ancient Romans? For that matter, what’s the origin of gunpowder, how was a medieval ship constructed, why was the paper mill such an innovation in world history? If you’re interested in what makes the world tick (yes, the invention of the clock will be covered as well), this is the class for you. This is a history of the technology of everyday life, exploring examples of how and why things were made in the ancient and medieval world. The focus of the course will be European, but with frequent ventures into Asia as well.
Alcohol and Drinking in the Pre-Modern World. This course will explore the history of alcohol across civilizations and cultures from ancient China, Mesopotamia, Greece, and Rome to medieval Europe and early civilizations in the Americas. We will examine the fermentation process, ingredients, and cultural associations with alcohol. The course will also investigate historical events in which alcohol played a major part such as the builders of the Great Pyramids in Egypt receiving a ration of beer per day!
115.15, 20300 ONLINE, Martin
Pre-Modern Travelers and their Worlds. In this course, we will interpret case studies in movements in Eurasia and Africa from roughly 3500 BCE to 1500 CE. We simply cannot cover every instance of travel in these roughly five- thousand years, but we will learn of how Eurasian nomads helped to establish Indo-European languages, what Romans valued in their leisure time, and perhaps most importantly, how members of different ethnic and religious groups sought to understand each other when traveling in foreign lands. The course as a whole will demonstrate that the pre-modern world was abuzz with life, perhaps challenging what you may have heart of history before 1500. You can furthermore expect a visually stunning course, as we will not only read primary source excerpts, but also interpret works of art and architecture. You will do a combination of response papers on primary sources, essay exams, and possibly quizzes.
115.16, 20301 ONLINE, Martin
Pre-Modern Travelers and their Worlds. In this course, we will interpret case studies in movements in Eurasia and Africa from roughly 3500 BCE to 1500 CE. We simply cannot cover every instance of travel in these roughly five- thousand years, but we will learn of how Eurasian nomads helped to establish Indo-European languages, what Romans valued in their leisure time, and perhaps most importantly, how members of different ethnic and religious groups sought to understand each other when traveling in foreign lands. The course as a whole will demonstrate that the pre-modern world was abuzz with life, perhaps challenging what you may have heart of history before 1500. You can furthermore expect a visually stunning course, as we will not only read primary source excerpts, but also interpret works of art and architecture. You will do a combination of response papers on primary sources, essay exams, and possibly quizzes.
115.17, 20302 ONLINE, Martin
Pre-Modern Travelers and their Worlds. In this course, we will interpret case studies in movements in Eurasia and Africa from roughly 3500 BCE to 1500 CE. We simply cannot cover every instance of travel in these roughly five- thousand years, but we will learn of how Eurasian nomads helped to establish Indo-European languages, what Romans valued in their leisure time, and perhaps most importantly, how members of different ethnic and religious groups sought to understand each other when traveling in foreign lands. The course as a whole will demonstrate that the pre-modern world was abuzz with life, perhaps challenging what you may have heart of history before 1500. You can furthermore expect a visually stunning course, as we will not only read primary source excerpts, but also interpret works of art and architecture. You will do a combination of response papers on primary sources, essay exams, and possibly quizzes.
115.18, 20303 ONLINE, Martin
Pre-Modern Travelers and their Worlds. In this course, we will interpret case studies in movements in Eurasia and Africa from roughly 3500 BCE to 1500 CE. We simply cannot cover every instance of travel in these roughly five- thousand years, but we will learn of how Eurasian nomads helped to establish Indo-European languages, what Romans valued in their leisure time, and perhaps most importantly, how members of different ethnic and religious groups sought to understand each other when traveling in foreign lands. The course as a whole will demonstrate that the pre-modern world was abuzz with life, perhaps challenging what you may have heart of history before 1500. You can furthermore expect a visually stunning course, as we will not only read primary source excerpts, but also interpret works of art and architecture. You will do a combination of response papers on primary sources, essay exams, and possibly quizzes.
115.19, 21628 MW 3:25-4:40 and ONLINE, Phillips
Dangerous Appetites. This course analyzes the relationship between culinary history from the earliest Mesopotamian societies to 1500. Food has played a crucial role in the creation of what we often call “globalism.” In fact, trade in rice and rum forged the first global trade networks and, along with them, helped shape the nature of western and slavery create empires of trade and sea power.We will examine how food, in different culture and at different times, has been used as a symbol of hospitality and of domination. We will look at how food shaped a variety of global culture’s understanding of itself and others. We will see how food initiated the first European drive for domination Africa, Asia and the Americans and changed, not only political arrangements, but ecosystems and disease environments as well.
115.20, 21087 TR 10:50-12:05, Piccione
History, Legend and Mythology. This course surveys the major civilizations of the ancient world through the lens of legend and mythology. Beginning with Mesopotamia and ancient Egypt, it continues through the Minoans, Greeks and Romans (up to. AD 476). It focuseson the major myths and legends of these societies, including early creation mythologies, Egyptian and Mesopotamian legends of the gods and heroes, and legendary tales from Greece and Rome. Topics include the historical foundations of many of these legends, and the extent to which later legends of the Greeks and Romans were influenced by–or adapted from–earlier myths and legends of Egypt and the East. In this manner, the course explores not only what legends and mythology reveal about these historical civilizations, but also how those societies viewed themselves.
115.21, 22323 ONLINE, Mayes
The Pre-Modern World: Byzantium. The Eastern Roman or Byzantine Empire, which geographically straddled Europe and Asia was one of the most advanced and complex civilizations to have existed. The Byzantine state spanned twelve centuries and three continents that linked the ancient with the modern world with core elements of Greek culture and Christian faith set in the framework of Imperial Rome. This course will examine cultural, social, and military history through the life of Byzantium and the influences on neighboring societies, and the birth of the Renaissance in Europe.
115.22, 21629 TR 5:30-6:45 p.m., Schaffer
Pre-Modern Maritime Piracy. This course will explore the role maritime piracy played in shaping empires and kingdoms from Ancient Egypt to 16th-Century England. Pirates are often portrayed as villains or even comical heroes like Jack sparrow, but oceanic thievery and warfare has played a fundamental role in human history for thousands of years. Come learn how!
115.24, 20306 TR 12:15-1:30, Crosby
Development of Society and Ruling Classes in Antiquity. History 115 is designed to help students gain a better understanding of world civilization from antiquity to early middle ages. We will examine many topics which directly shaped western and world history, including art, the development of written language, impact of military conflicts, philosophical thoughts, impact of religion upon western society, territorial discoveries, and numerous attempts of societies at extending their cultural and political hegemony. Particular emphasis will be focused on the study of the evolution of society and the monarchy through the earliest forms of ruling systems, the culture, customs, and governing practices- from the development of the first city-states ruled by chieftains and religious deities, Pharaohs, Caesars, and kings and queens. Some examples of studies will be the Kingdom of Israel, the Egyptians, the Greeks, the Romans, and the Franks, with meticulous attention focused on important rulers, the good, the bad and the insane, along with the evolution of the ruling caste/monarchy as a historical phenomena. Attention will also be paid to the emergence of an elite group of rulers, the treatment of women of all social castes, and patriarchal lines.
115.27, 20659 TR 1:40-2:55, Crosby
Development of Society and Ruling Classes in Antiquity. History 115 is designed to help students gain a better understanding of world civilization from antiquity to early middle ages. We will examine many topics which directly shaped western and world history, including art, the development of written language, impact of military conflicts, philosophical thoughts, impact of religion upon western society, territorial discoveries, and numerous attempts of societies at extending their cultural and political hegemony. Particular emphasis will be focused on the study of the evolution of society and the monarchy through the earliest forms of ruling systems, the culture, customs, and governing practices- from the development of the first city-states ruled by chieftains and religious deities, Pharaohs, Caesars, and kings and queens. Some examples of studies will be the Kingdom of Israel, the Egyptians, the Greeks, the Romans, and the Franks, with meticulous attention focused on important rulers, the good, the bad and the insane, along with the evolution of the ruling caste/monarchy as a historical phenomena. Attention will also be paid to the emergence of an elite group of rulers, the treatment of women of all social castes, and patriarchal lines.
115.29, 20867 TR 12:15-1:30, Halvorson
Egypt and its Neighbors. 3000+ Years of the Ancient Egyptian World. This class will cover over three millennia of history in Egypt and the surrounding civilizations with which they interacted. Egypt in its heyday was a world power which influenced three continents: Africa, Asia, and Europe. Travel back in time with an Egyptologist to study, in detail, one of the greatest civilizations of the pre-modern world.
115.31, 20732 TR 9:25-10:40, Halvorson
Egypt and its Neighbors. 3000+ Years of the Ancient Egyptian World. This class will cover over three millennia of history in Egypt and the surrounding civilizations with which they interacted. Egypt in its heyday was a world power which influenced three continents: Africa, Asia, and Europe. Travel back in time with an Egyptologist to study, in detail, one of the greatest civilizations of the pre-modern world.
115.33, 21028 TR 1:40-2:55, Halvorson
Egypt and its Neighbors. 3000+ Years of the Ancient Egyptian World. This class will cover over three millennia of history in Egypt and the surrounding civilizations with which they interacted. Egypt in its heyday was a world power which influenced three continents: Africa, Asia, and Europe. Travel back in time with an Egyptologist to study, in detail, one of the greatest civilizations of the pre-modern world.
116.01, 22062 MW 5:30-6:45 p.m., Jenkins
Empires in the Modern West. This class covers the history of the Modern West, focusing on the rise and fall of empires. Along the way we’ll discuss colonialism, nationalism, industrialization, capitalism and war—all the things that helped hasten both the rise and the fall of empires. The empire has been a dominant form of government in the western world for over 4000 years. In this class we’ll discuss why, and question whether that’s changed.
116.02, 20314 MWF 11-11:50, Van Meer
Modern History. This course investigates the history of “Modern Europe” and its relationship to “the wider world.” We start in the Renaissance (ca. 1450) when Europeans set out to dominate the world; we follow Europe’s contested history across two world wars, through the Cold War, ending our examinations in the midst of today’s critical debates about the future of NATO. To gain a better understanding of how that history is relevant to our lives today, the historical thread uniting all our topics is “the Arctic”; it is the one place in the world that has been the subject of competition and conquest, by Europeans, Americans, and Russians alike, from the 1490s until today.
116.03, 20315 MWF 12-12:50, Van Meer
Modern History. This course investigates the history of “Modern Europe” and its relationship to “the wider world.” We start in the Renaissance (ca. 1450) when Europeans set out to dominate the world; we follow Europe’s contested history across two world wars, through the Cold War, ending our examinations in the midst of today’s critical debates about the future of NATO. To gain a better understanding of how that history is relevant to our lives today, the historical thread uniting all our topics is “the Arctic”; it is the one place in the world that has been the subject of competition and conquest, by Europeans, Americans, and Russians alike, from the 1490s until today.
116.04, 21630 TR 12:15-1:30, Eaves
Slavery in the Americas. In this course, we will focus on one of the most important aspects of world history—slavery in the Atlantic World from its beginnings in the late 1400 to its abolition in the 1800s. With a broad regional scope, we will look at slavery and the slave trade on both sides of the Atlantic—in Africa, North and South America, and the Caribbean. Through the course, we will gain a better understanding of the significant role slavery, the trans-Atlantic slave trade, and abolitionist movements played in shaping the Atlantic world socially, culturally, politically, and economically. We will pay particular attention to themes such as slave taking, resistance, agency, labor, gender, and enslaved community and family, and the slave economy. As we live in Charleston, one of the most significant ports through which thousands of Africans forcibly entered the would-be United States, we will pay particular attention to slavery in the southern region of the US, but will gain an appreciation for how slavery looked throughout the Caribbean and Brazil.
116.05, 20316 MWF 8-8:50, Lary
Ideologies in the Modern World. A close examination of the influence of ideologies frames this history of the modern world. Our starting point will be the French Revolution, beginning in 1789, as it unleashed dreams of fraternity, liberty and equality. Next, we will examine 19th century ideologies such as liberalism, nationalism, and socialism and their relationship to the unique economic, cultural and political contexts of that time. Lastly, we will study key 20th century ideologies such as communism and fascism, as well as more recent ideologies such as pan-Africanism and political Islam. Because this is a modern global history course, our focus is not on American history. The countries we will study in most detail are: former Belgian Congo, former Czechoslovakia, France, Germany, India and Pakistan, Iran, Israel and the Palestinian territories, Italy, Kenya, Russia, and former Yugoslavia.
116.06, 20317 MWF 9-9:50, Lary
Ideologies in the Modern World. A close examination of the influence of ideologies frames this history of the modern world. Our starting point will be the French Revolution, beginning in 1789, as it unleashed dreams of fraternity, liberty and equality. Next, we will examine 19th century ideologies such as liberalism, nationalism, and socialism and their relationship to the unique economic, cultural and political contexts of that time. Lastly, we will study key 20th century ideologies such as communism and fascism, as well as more recent ideologies such as pan-Africanism and political Islam. Because this is a modern global history course, our focus is not on American history. The countries we will study in most detail are: former Belgian Congo, former Czechoslovakia, France, Germany, India and Pakistan, Iran, Israel and the Palestinian territories, Italy, Kenya, Russia, and former Yugoslavia.
116.07, 20318 MWF 1-1:50, Haager
Immigration & Ethnicity. This course examines what it means to be an American and why the criterion for becoming an American has changed throughout U.S. history. We will consider why immigrants and migrants were perceived as racial and ethnic “others” and think critically about what it means to be a multiracial, multiethnic, and multicultural nation. This course will cover snapshots of major moments of immigration throughout U.S. history, beginning with colonial settlement and moving forward into the 20th century restrictions on immigration. The course will cover such historical developments as the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, the National Origins Act of 1924, WWII developments like the Bracero Program and Japanese Internment, and the Immigration Act of 1965. We will conclude with a survey of recent developments in immigration reform like the detention of child migrants, family reunification, DREAMers, etc. Some themes that will be discussed are racism and nativism; push and pull factors for immigration; race and the law; urbanization and industrialization; work and class; gender and family dynamics; undocumented or illegal immigration; and chain, circular, and return migration patterns. Course readings will consist of letters, memoirs, diaries, and newspaper articles written by immigrants and oral interviews of immigrants, as well as a variety of secondary readings on immigration that discuss how race, class, and gender factored into the immigration process and settlement. Students will also be given an opportunity to use ancestry.com to research their family or conduct an oral interview with a recent immigrant and examine that immigrant’s history as it relates to the course themes.
116.08, 20319 MWF 11-11:50, Haager
Immigration & Ethnicity. This course examines what it means to be an American and why the criterion for becoming an American has changed throughout U.S. history. We will consider why immigrants and migrants were perceived as racial and ethnic “others” and think critically about what it means to be a multiracial, multiethnic, and multicultural nation. This course will cover snapshots of major moments of immigration throughout U.S. history, beginning with colonial settlement and moving forward into the 20th century restrictions on immigration. The course will cover such historical developments as the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, the National Origins Act of 1924, WWII developments like the Bracero Program and Japanese Internment, and the Immigration Act of 1965. We will conclude with a survey of recent developments in immigration reform like the detention of child migrants, family reunification, DREAMers, etc. Some themes that will be discussed are racism and nativism; push and pull factors for immigration; race and the law; urbanization and industrialization; work and class; gender and family dynamics; undocumented or illegal immigration; and chain, circular, and return migration patterns. Course readings will consist of letters, memoirs, diaries, and newspaper articles written by immigrants and oral interviews of immigrants, as well as a variety of secondary readings on immigration that discuss how race, class, and gender factored into the immigration process and settlement. Students will also be given an opportunity to use ancestry.com to research their family or conduct an oral interview with a recent immigrant and examine that immigrant’s history as it relates to the course themes.
116.09, 20320 MW 2:00-3:15, Luquer
Revolutions in the Modern World. Over the course of the semester we as a class will be discussing the continuities and discontinuities of change and connection. We will start in the latter part of the Renaissance (ca. 1450) as Europe begins a new relationship with the greater world, while the European continent suffers from the divisions in religion and war as it enters the modern era. This course will follow the religious, social and political upheavals of the modern era. The material in this course includes the Protestant Reformation, the Age of Exploration and the Discovery of New Worlds, the French Wars of Religion and the Thirty Years War, the Scientific Revolution and the Enlightenment, the Industrial Revolution, both the American and French Revolutions, Imperialism and the Western World, the World Wars (I & II), the Cold War and the late 20th and early 21st Centuries.
116.10, 21631 TR 1:40-2:55, Pennebaker
Oppression and Resistance in the Black Atlantic World. This semester, we will survey historical encounters of people of African descent and their role in the development of the Black Atlantic World. By tracing the obstacles and accomplishments of Black people throughout time and space, we will learn about the key people and events that shaped the Black Experience between the 15th to 21st centuries. The following themes are central to our course: race, labor, class, gender, sexuality, resistance, protest, community, and culture.
116.11, 21632 TR 12:15-1:30 and ONLINE, Ruggles
Modern History in Film and Public Memory. This survey class focuses on Modern World History, from 1500 to as present-day as possible, and focuses on history as film. Using film, the textbook, primary sources, and a secondary textbook, this class debates what constitutes a historical film through the eyes of historians. While this survey course covers a broad area of geography and chronology, the focus remains on history as film and how it provides the public with both historical and ahistorical information. Using a comparative method, the class will view multiple films, read about multiple cultures, and determine what Hollywood did well and where Hollywood adversely affects public memory of certain events, places, and people. The goal of this class is not only to learn about history throughout the modern world but also to become discerning scholars of Hollywood's often time fictionalized version of history while also gaining a better understanding of the challenges filmmakers and historians face when educating the public about historical events. Ultimately, the students will be better equipped to know "What is history?" as well as "what is a historical film?"
116.12, 20998 TR 10:50-12:05, Cropper
The History of the Atlantic World, Climate Change, and the Anthropocene. This course focuses on the history of the Atlantic World and the Anthropocene from the fifteenth century to the present and will consider how broad historical processes of transformation and change, from the Age of Exploration and the Industrial Revolution to the Great Acceleration and Climate Change, have catalyzed a new epoch in human and natural history: the Anthropocene. First, we will explore large-scale historical process, such as the dynamism of precolonial African states, interpretations of African slavery, the transatlantic slave trade, the Age of Revolutions, and European conquest and colonialism. Second, we will consider the rise of European industrial nations and explore the various causes and effects of industrialization from the nineteenth century to present day. In focusing specifically on energy and natural resources, we will trace the development of the fossil fuel economy from its British origins to present day. In doing so, we will consider how various populations of the Atlantic World have contributed to anthropogenic climate change, and how exponential economic growth and intensive energy use have triggered unprecedented processes of environmental change. Indeed, one of the primary objectives of this course is to reflect on what it means to be living in this new epoch of natural history and how we—as humans—have arrived at this point. By considering the challenging realities of the Anthropocene, from climate change to environmental degradation and mass extinction, students will consider Earth as a global ecosystem that is shaped by a variety of dynamic and interactive systems—both natural and anthropogenic.
116.13, 21633 TR 1:40-2:55 and ONLINE, Ruggles
Modern History in Film and Public Memory. This survey class focuses on Modern World History, from 1500 to as present-day as possible, and focuses on history as film. Using film, the textbook, primary sources, and a secondary textbook, this class debates what constitutes a historical film through the eyes of historians. While this survey course covers a broad area of geography and chronology, the focus remains on history as film and how it provides the public with both historical and ahistorical information. Using a comparative method, the class will view multiple films, read about multiple cultures, and determine what Hollywood did well and where Hollywood adversely affects public memory of certain events, places, and people. The goal of this class is not only to learn about history throughout the modern world but also to become discerning scholars of Hollywood's often time fictionalized version of history while also gaining a better understanding of the challenges filmmakers and historians face when educating the public about historical events. Ultimately, the students will be better equipped to know "What is history?" as well as "what is a historical film?"
116.14, 20999 TR 9:25-10:40, Bodek
Modern History.
116.15, 21692 TR 9:25-10:40, Crosby
Monarchs and Revolutions in Modern Europe. History 116 will adopt a traditional approach to the study of Modern European history by examining different revolutions and the monarchs that were attributed to them- The English Revolution, Glorious Revolution, French Revolution to just name a few. The course will examine the institution of the monarchy as a historical phenomenon, with particular focus paid to individual rulers who were involved. The course will explore events that shaped the history of the continent and the world, as well as feature the many colorful and controversial figure heads of this time period. This course will also delve into the many facets of this institution-the culture, politics, evolving role of the monarchial system, crises, scandalous behavior, family feuds, powerful queens, warfare, upheavals, coups, and the absurd incompetence of those who have worn the crown.
116.16, 20323 MW 3:25-4:40, Luquer
Revolutions in the Modern World. Over the course of the semester we as a class will be discussing the continuities and discontinuities of change and connection. We will start in the latter part of the Renaissance (ca. 1450) as Europe begins a new relationship with the greater world, while the European continent suffers from the divisions in religion and war as it enters the modern era. This course will follow the religious, social and political upheavals of the modern era. The material in this course includes the Protestant Reformation, the Age of Exploration and the Discovery of New Worlds, the French Wars of Religion and the Thirty Years War, the Scientific Revolution and the Enlightenment, the Industrial Revolution, both the American and French Revolutions, Imperialism and the Western World, the World Wars (I & II), the Cold War and the late 20th and early 21st Centuries.
116.17, 20324 MWF 9-9:50, Tsahiridis
The American Wild West: Myths and Legacy. This course will examine the changing image of the American West from the arrival of Spanish conquistadors in the sixteenth century to present-day U.S. and Mexico. Special attention will be given to the interactions between indigenous peoples, settler colonists, and nation-states in the North American borderlands, as well as the West's portrayal in folklore, art, and films to show how popular impressions have reflected both national and international attitudes and values.
116.18, 20325 MWF 10-10:50, Tsahiridis
The American Wild West: Myths and Legacy. This course will examine the changing image of the American West from the arrival of Spanish conquistadors in the sixteenth century to present-day U.S. and Mexico. Special attention will be given to the interactions between indigenous peoples, settler colonists, and nation-states in the North American borderlands, as well as the West's portrayal in folklore, art, and films to show how popular impressions have reflected both national and international attitudes and values.
116.19, 22063 MW 5:30-6:45, Dubois.
Empire, God, and Gold: The History of Western Empire through Food.
116.20, 21088 TR 12:15-1:30, Poole
Histories of Satan, Histories of Evil. “Those Who Consider the Devil to be a partisan of evil and angels to be the warriors of the good have accepted the demagoguery of angels. The case is clearly more complicated.” - Milan Kundera. Do you ever use the word evil? If so, for what kind of acts, experiences, people? Can you imagine that the idea of evil has a history like war or democracy? Have Americans and Europeans been obsessed with the Devil in the distant past as the embodiment of evil? Has this changed? What do you think of the idea that the notion of Satan is actually more important to many Americans than it has been in the past? Do you agree or disagree with this? What is the history of this idea and what is its meaning for the present? How will you define the idea of evil after you learn its history?
116.22, 21218 TR 12:15-1:30, Schaffer
Modern Piracy, 1500 - Present. This course examines global piracy from the 1500s-2000s, with a special focus on Anglo-American piracy and its intersection with imperial rivalries and colonization in the 1600s and 1700s. This course will cover how pirates challenged imperial goals in the Americas, Europe, Asia, Africa, and changed world history as we know it. After debunking the notion that pirates were a fun, treasure hunting, group of flamboyant adventurers, we will focus on how early modern and modern governments have dealt with this dangerous military threat throughout the last 500 years. As we will discover, pirates not only plagued empires, but became a special tool for empire building itself throughout the world.
116.23, 21359 TR 1:40-2:55, Schaffer
Modern Piracy, 1500 - Present. This course examines global piracy from the 1500s-2000s, with a special focus on Anglo-American piracy and its intersection with imperial rivalries and colonization in the 1600s and 1700s. This course will cover how pirates challenged imperial goals in the Americas, Europe, Asia, Africa, and changed world history as we know it. After debunking the notion that pirates were a fun, treasure hunting, group of flamboyant adventurers, we will focus on how early modern and modern governments have dealt with this dangerous military threat throughout the last 500 years. As we will discover, pirates not only plagued empires, but became a special tool for empire building itself throughout the world.
116.24, 22071 MW 4:00-5:15 p.m., Jenkins
Empires in the Modern West. This class covers the history of the Modern West, focusing on the rise and fall of empires. Along the way we’ll discuss colonialism, nationalism, industrialization, capitalism and war—all the things that helped hasten both the rise and the fall of empires. The empire has been a dominant form of government in the western world for over 4000 years. In this class we’ll discuss why, and question whether that’s changed.
116.25, 20770 ONLINE, Ingram
Race and Imperialism in America. In this course we will explore efforts to both support and challenge ideas about empire by studying global conflicts, cultural revolutions, and major social movements in the U.S. and abroad between the 1890s and the present. By re-thinking topics such as western imperialism alongside Jim Crow segregation in the U.S.; international Cold War Diplomacy alongside the American Civil Rights Movement; and American proxy wars within the context of decolonization, we will re-evaluate major events in American History during Long Twentieth Century within a global context. While this class focuses on a ~125-year period, we will explore a much broader period for most of the topics we study in order to better understand the historical contexts in which they occurred.
116.27, 20327 MWF 12-12:50, Tsahiridis
The American Wild West: Myths and Legacy. This course will examine the changing image of the American West from the arrival of Spanish conquistadors in the sixteenth century to present-day U.S. and Mexico. Special attention will be given to the interactions between indigenous peoples, settler colonists, and nation-states in the North American borderlands, as well as the West's portrayal in folklore, art, and films to show how popular impressions have reflected both national and international attitudes and values.
116.28, 20328 MWF 1-1:50, Tsahiridis
The American Wild West: Myths and Legacy. This course will examine the changing image of the American West from the arrival of Spanish conquistadors in the sixteenth century to present-day U.S. and Mexico. Special attention will be given to the interactions between indigenous peoples, settler colonists, and nation-states in the North American borderlands, as well as the West's portrayal in folklore, art, and films to show how popular impressions have reflected both national and international attitudes and values.
116.30, 21230 MWF 12-12:50 and ONLINE, Phillips
Industrial Revolutions: From Steam to the Atomic Age. This course will trace how technology changed the world between the Industrial Revolution and the end of the 20th century in Europe and the United States. How did inventions ranging from the steam engine to the cash register to the internet change people’s lives? What effect did these changes have on different groups, such as women and immigrants? How did they change gender roles? How did they change foreign policy and warfare? How did technology become a source of anxiety in the 20th century?
116.32, 20329 TR 12:15-1:30, Boucher
Western Representations of Native Americans since the Renaissance. This course will survey the history of Western societies from the Renaissance to the present and focus on the following question: How have changing cultural values in the Western world shaped local perceptions of Native Americans over time? As this class will show, Western depictions of Native Americans have often revealed more about the societies that produced them than about the indigenous peoples they intended to describe. Whether it was during the Renaissance, the Enlightenment, or the late nineteenth century, the Western discourse on American Indians has been deeply colored by the values, anxieties, and fantasies that characterized each period. Therefore, such representations cannot be understood without reference to the historical context that informed them.
116.37, 20731 TR 1:40-2:55, Boucher
Western Representations of Native Americans since the Renaissance. This course will survey the history of Western societies from the Renaissance to the present and focus on the following question: How have changing cultural values in the Western world shaped local perceptions of Native Americans over time? As this class will show, Western depictions of Native Americans have often revealed more about the societies that produced them than about the indigenous peoples they intended to describe. Whether it was during the Renaissance, the Enlightenment, or the late nineteenth century, the Western discourse on American Indians has been deeply colored by the values, anxieties, and fantasies that characterized each period. Therefore, such representations cannot be understood without reference to the historical context that informed them.
116.42, 20773 MWF 11-11:50 and ONLINE, Phillips
Industrial Revolutions: From Steam to the Atomic Age. This course will trace how technology changed the world between the Industrial Revolution and the end of the 20th century in Europe and the United States. How did inventions ranging from the steam engine to the cash register to the internet change people’s lives? What effect did these changes have on different groups, such as women and immigrants? How did they change gender roles? How did they change foreign policy and warfare? How did technology become a source of anxiety in the 20th century?
116.43, 21029 TR 10:50-12:05, Poole
Histories of Satan, Histories of Evil. “Those Who Consider the Devil to be a partisan of evil and angels to be the warriors of the good have accepted the demagoguery of angels. The case is clearly more complicated.” - Milan Kundera. Do you ever use the word evil? If so, for what kind of acts, experiences, people? Can you imagine that the idea of evil has a history like war or democracy? Have Americans and Europeans been obsessed with the Devil in the distant past as the embodiment of evil? Has this changed? What do you think of the idea that the notion of Satan is actually more important to many Americans than it has been in the past? Do you agree or disagree with this? What is the history of this idea and what is its meaning for the present? How will you define the idea of evil after you learn its history?
116.44, 21554 TR 9:25-10:40, Covert
History and Memory. This course explores modern history through the lens of history and memory. We will analyze how individuals, institutions, and governments have sought to remember or tried to forget historical events, people, and artifacts in modern world history ranging from Columbus’s arrival in the Caribbean to the present. In addition to learning about such historical topics as imperialism, authoritarianism, slavery, and war, then, students will also grapple with the political and economic implications of history and how it is commemorated, represented, or erased. This course will introduce students to broad historical currents in modern history and enable them to think more critically about history as a process, rather than as a static list of names and dates.
117.01, 23000 TR 8-9:15, Jones
Race and Religion in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. Religious violence and toleration were pressing concerns in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, just as they are today. This course will explore how medieval conceptions of religion and access to rights were tied to the development of medieval society. Ideas about nation and race will be studied through examples of violence, toleration, and conversion, laying the foundations for long-term discussions about rights and tolerance. The ways that this history is used and misused in the modern world will also be examined as we separate fact from fiction. The course will begin with examples of conflict, coexistence, and resistance between and among Jews, Muslims, and Christians in the Middle Ages in Europe and the Mediterranean worlds, and continue through the consolidation of political rule, the European expulsions of Muslims and Jews, and the fracturing of Latin Christendom in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, culminating in the debates over the natural rights and self-determination of indigenous peoples and the enslaved in the New World. This course meets both the Pre-Modern History and the Global Race, Equity, and Inclusion General Education Requirements.
118.01, 23001 MWF 11-11:50 and ONLINE, Slater
Gender, Race, and Sexualities in the Rise of Western Civilization, 1750-Present. Over the course of the semester we as a class will be discussing the role of women, gender, race, and sexualities in relation to the rise of the Enlightenment and ideas of equity. The focus will be on gendered and racial liberties. Studying the various roles of women and their relationships to men provide a unique lens through which to understand the application of Enlightenment philosophy on Europe and North America. The breadth of this course prohibits depth in all areas, but we will specifically engage questions related to politics, society, culture, the arts, and war, as well as the history of modern sexualities. This class is intersectional, so we will also be addressing issues of class and race consistently. There will be graphic and sensitive material. You will be expected to engage a variety of works and ideas, contributing your own ideas and observations.
118.03, 23033 MWF 12-12:50, Gordanier
Performing History and Identity in East Asia: From Confucianism to K-Pop (and beyond). In East Asia in the premodern and modern era, the performing arts were (and are) more than just entertainment. Music, dance, story, and acting were tools for building and shaping human identities through education, social networking, diplomacy, and religious ritual. But the arts could also, according to authorities, be dangerous vehicles for corruption, sedition, and debauchery. What makes performance so powerful? This course explores East Asian cultural and social history with a particular focus on China, Korea, and Japan in the modern era. Using the performing arts as a window into both everyday life and grand politics, we will investigate the ways people and states in this region have defined themselves and others in terms of class, gender, ethnicity, and eventually new racial categories. We will discover, too, how those definitions have changed over time: from the heights of premodern empires, through nineteenth-century foreign imperialism and the revolutions of the twentieth century, to our complex 21st-century global present.
201.01, 23003 MWF 10-10:50, Smith
United States to 1865. The purpose of this course is to incorporate peoples’ actions into the context of early American history, beginning with Native American contact and concluding with the final shots of the Civil War. By weaving together the social, political, economic, and environmental aspects of the American experience, this course will seek to explain how and why particular people of various backgrounds crucially shaped a nation. In doing so, we will see how Native Americans, colonists, the enslaved, and United States citizens transformed the land and each other while developing an overall American identity. Ultimately, we will focus on the theme of freedom and answer the following question: what has freedom meant to Americans from initial settlement until the end of the Civil War, and how have those meanings changed over time? With a driving narrative of noteworthy and ordinary people, events, and institutions, this course will (hopefully) provide you with a concise, yet diverse, understanding of this nation’s evolution.
202.01, 21301 MWF 12-12:50, Smith
United States since 1865. We will incorporate peoples’ actions into the context of modern American history, beginning with the final shots of the Civil War and concluding in the present time. By weaving together the social, political, economic, and environmental aspects of the American experience, this course will seek to explain how and why particular people of various backgrounds crucially shaped a nation. In doing so, we will see how United States citizens and immigrants transformed the land and each other while developing an overall American identity. Ultimately, we will focus on the theme of freedom and answer the following question: what has freedom meant to Americans since the end of the Civil War, and how have those meanings changed over time? With a driving narrative of noteworthy and ordinary people, events, and institutions, this course will (hopefully) provide you with a concise, yet diverse, understanding of this nation’s evolution.
210.01, 22997 MW 2-3:15, Payne
Special Topic: History of American Racism. This course will explore the contested history of white supremacy in North America from 1619 to 2020. When and why did white supremacist ideology emerge on this continent? How did it transform with the rise and fall of plantation slavery? And how did it become embedded in American legal structures after emancipation? In this course, students will gain the ability to historicize racism by exploring its changing political and economic foundations. Topics include the relationship between slavery, race, and capitalism; the impact of race on American politics; and the role of ordinary Americans in challenging the fundamental structures of racism in American society. White settlers, fugitive slaves, racist scientists and indigenous activists will all appear in the story. The course will conclude with an opportunity for critical engagement with the dynamics of race and capitalism in our contemporary historical moment.
213.01, 23662 MWF 12-12:50, Walters
American Jewish History: Colonial - Present.
215.01, 23005 TR 9:25-10:40, Boucher
Special Topic: Native American History. A chronological survey in Native American History north of Mexico to the 21st century. This course examines the Native American contribution to the history of the continent and exposes students to the ethnohistoric method, an approach designed to study the history of people who have left no written record.
217.01, 20330 MW 2-3:15, Pennebaker
African American History since 1865. How have Black Americans contributed to the fabric of the United States throughout history? Tracing the accomplishments and obstacles of African Americans from the end of the American Civil War to twentieth century and beyond, we will learn about the political, economic, social, religious, and cultural factors that have influenced African American life. In this course, we will learn more about the key people and events that shaped the Black Experience from the end of the Civil War to the present day. To this end, we will explore the following themes: African Americans’ efforts to negotiate citizenship after the Civil War; the construction of a Jim Crow America; Black Americans’ negotiations for civil rights and economic equality in the twenty-first century; African American expressions of culture from the Harlem Renaissance to Black Power and Black is Beautiful to Hip Hop; and how the history of African Americans influences current events.
222.01, 22996 T 5:30-8:15 p.m., Stockton
History of South Carolina. South Carolina from the colonial period to the present. Topics discussed include plantation slavery, Southern nationalism, pro-slavery ideology, the nullification crisis, the secessionist movement and the Civil War, the disintegration of slavery and the transition to a free labor economy, regional diversification and the slow process of modernization that continued throughout the 20th century.
232.01, 20814 TR 8-9:15, Gerrish
Ancient Rome. The city of Rome grew from a tiny settlement on the Palatine Hill to a mighty empire stretching from Britain to Babylon. In this course we will follow Rome's great generals, statesmen, and enemies from Rome's foundation by Romulus in 753 BCE to the death of Rome's first Christian emperor in 337 CE. We will focus primarily on the political, military, and economic history of Rome; we will discuss its rich literary and artistic culture, as well. This course examines not just the history of Rome, but also its historiography: that is, how do we know what we think we know about Rome? What kinds of sources did the Romans leave us, and how do we interpret them? We will read several different kinds of primary sources written by ancient authors: historical accounts, speeches, biographies, and letters. We will discuss some of the major methodological questions in ancient historiography: How do we know if a source is reliable? How do we reconcile conflicting accounts? Can - and should - we separate “history” from “myth”? And how did ancient authors' conception of “truth” and “fact” differ from our own?
241.03, 21965 TR 1:40-2:55, Olejniczak
Special Topic: The City of Light: A History of Paris. This intermediate-level European history course takes a close look at the world-historic city of Paris from the medieval era to the present. The historical and geographic longevity of Paris as a city permits us to explore interesting questions. Our overall conceptual framework will be the question of change and continuity over time. For example, what political, economic, social, cultural, and intellectual events and developments in the deep and recent pasts of Paris have had lasting impacts on the city? What innovations have occurred? How have generations of Parisians contributed to the making of Paris and how have those contributions spread elsewhere? How has the built environment of the city changed over time? How has Paris served as a place of the imagination? While we will examine Paris in its medieval, absolutist, and revolutionary eras, the central focus of the course will be on Parisian ideas, culture, and society in the 19th and 20th centuries. The course framework will be broadly comparative and transnational when appropriate with special attention given to Paris as a formative site for French and American socio-cultural interaction.
250.01, 22068 MWF 11-11:50, Jestice
Special Topic: Medieval Monarchy. People often think of the European Middle Ages as an Age of Kings. That’s true enough, but it’s only the beginning of the story. Besides kings, there were emperors and popes (whose power in the high Middle Ages was very much monarchic). Besides the rare ruling queen, queens and other members of royal families usually played a significant role in governance. So did nobles, the “community of the realm” whose opinion had to be consulted on any important matter. Monarchs’ relations with urban elites were also carefully negotiated and sometimes erupted into violence. In this course, we will explore what it meant to be a medieval monarch, both the good and the bad. We will consider the theory of rule—when is it lawful to resist a king? what is the source of royal authority?—but in the context of rich case studies that will lead us to Magna Carta, assassinations, and the pomp and glory of monarchy.
250.03, 23661 TR 10:50-12:05, Gibbs
Special Topic: Race and the Second World War.
251.01, 23007 TR 12:15-1:30, Covert
The Modern City. An exploration of the history of the modern city in different historical contexts. The course discovers how cities came to define the modern lifestyle as hubs of business and communications, trendsetters in culture, style, and leisure, symbols of new architecture, and outdoor museums of history and memory. This course will focus on Latin America and the US.
252.01, 21966 TR 3:05-4:20, Delay
Women in Europe. This course examines women and gender in Europe from c. 1500 through the present day. Through an analysis of social, economic, political, religious, and cultural developments, we will assess how women shaped the European past and how ideas about gender have been central to daily life throughout history. Topics covered include politics, work, feminism, women’s writing, crime and disorder, religion, marriage, motherhood, and sexuality. Our focus will be primarily on Western Europe and on social history, with a particular emphasis on sexuality. Throughout the semester, we will read a variety of works, including writings by historians and primary-source documents, such as diaries and letters.
261.01, 21300 MWF 11-11:50, Dingley
Special Topic: Gender in African History. This class offers an introduction to the study of gender and sexuality in African societies over the last 150 years. We will explore not only the cultural construction and ritual production of men and women in Africa, but also how and why these can and do change historically. The course will cover a range of important issues, including kinship and family structure, bridewealth and marriage payments, homosexuality and “woman-woman” marriage, male circumcision and so-called “female genital mutilation,” as well as slavery, HIV/AIDS, and human rights. Through a series of historical and ethnographic case studies we will develop a reflexive understanding of how concepts of gender and sexuality shape the ways we understand the history of legal, political, religious, and economic change.
270.03, 21217 TR 12:15-1:30, Piccione
Special Topic: The Clash of Superpowers: The Egyptian and Hittite Empires. With the threat of a great-powers conflict in the world today and new fears of global war and annihilation, it is worthwhile to seek the past to examine the rise and collision of the first superpowers in world history and their great and epic bloody wars, i.e., the Empire of Ancient Egypt versus the Hittite Empire. This course compares and contrasts the political, military, and diplomatic histories of the ancient Egyptians and the Hittites. They were the superpowers of their day commanding subject kingdoms and great international alliances. This course begins before 3000 BC with the Egyptians' Old Kingdom through to the end of their Empire by 1000 BC. It examines the nature of society and government, especially in the formation of the imperial state and Egyptian hegemony in Western Asia. The course also examines the political and social history and archaeology of Asia Minor in the Bronze Age from before the arrival of Indo-Europeans in c. 23rd century BC, the Old Assyrian colonies, native Hattians, and ultimately the Hittite Old and New Kingdoms, including the formation of the great Hittite Empire. Here it considers the Hittite penchant for treaties and codified laws, social and political organization, warfare and conquest, and relations with its neighbors, especially competing for territories and influence with the Egyptians. It also includes Hittite relations with Troy and the Trojans, the Mycenaean Greeks, and the political situation in Asia Minor in the Late Bronze Age. So, it will provide a Near Eastern perspective on the real "Trojan War," later dramatized and fictionalized in Greek myth. A significant issue is the nature of Egyptian-Hittite political and military relations at the height of both empires, when they warred heavily against each other as the two reigning superpowers of their age, including the Hittites' use of advanced super weapons, and ultimately leading to a dramatic finale that is still commemorated today, even 3,300 years later, at the United Nations in New York. Significantly, the course examines the major forces that were unleashed against both of them with the collapse of Mycenaean civilization, leading ultimately to the Hittites' political extinction and the crumbling of Egyptian power. With the permission of appropriate departmental chairs and program directors, this course can also be applied to credits in the Classics and Archaeology majors.
291.01, 23006 TR 10:50-12:05, Steere-Williams
Disease, Medicine, and History. This course investigates the changing meanings and entanglements of medical science, public health, and medical practice from the 18th century. We will examine ideas about the body and disease, the changing role and image of medicine in American and European life. Key themes we will examine include alternative medicine, the growth of medicine’s cultural authority, medical professionalization, the rise of public health, hospital care, and imperial and colonial medicine. We will probe these issues through the lenses of class, race, gender, age, lifestyle, and place in terms of health. Though the focus of the class is on the western medicine, throughout the course we will be making transnational and global comparisons. Your overall assessment in this class depends on your class participation and writing. You will work to sharpen your verbal and argumentative skills in frequent class discussions, and your writing skills through the formal study of some practical problems of expository writing and by revising essays that you write on topics raised in our historical discussion.
293.01, 22998 MW 3:25-4:40, Haager
Intro to Public History. This course explores some of the meanings, theoretical underpinnings, and practical applications of public history and the closely related field of historical memory. We will consider how historians engage in various publics in arenas, such as museums, historical societies, state and federal governments, businesses, archives, preservation offices, cultural resource management firms, books, blogs, websites, and the silver screen. We will also consider the opportunities, challenges, and ethical dilemmas confronted by historians working in a variety of venues outside of schools, universities, and colleges (for example, writers, government agencies, Truth & Reconciliation Commissions, trial consultants, etc.). In this course, you will complete readings, participate in discussions, and engage in hands-on projects that introduce you to settings where the public encounters the past. By the end of the course you will be familiar with major debates that public historians engage in; the professional workplaces of public historians; and the ways in which public historians accomplish their goals of making the pass accessible to public-facing audiences while working in partnership with the various stakeholders they serve.
299.02, 20833 MW 2-3:15, Jestice
Historian's Craft. The Historian's Craft. This is a topics-based course in which students deal with different types of historical materials and techniques to develop skills in research, writing, critical thinking, and oral presentation, focused on the discipline of history. Topics will vary and will selected by the professor.
299.03, 20848 TR 10:50-12:05, Gordanier
Historian's Craft. The Historian's Craft. This is a topics-based course in which students deal with different types of historical materials and techniques to develop skills in research, writing, critical thinking, and oral presentation, focused on the discipline of history. Topics will vary and will selected by the professor.
347.01, 23004 TR 10:50-12:05, Bodek
Special Topic: The Third Reich in History and Culture. This class explores the most extreme, indeed horrifying, moment in modern history – the Third Reich. It will examine issues in the Third Reich’s history and look at representations of the Third Reich in culture (Especially in film). Students will evaluate evidence and arguments that address the following classic historical and historiographical issues. Among these are: Who supported the Nazis? What caused the sudden rise in popularity of National Socialism? How do historians interpret Nazism and the Third Reich? What was the structure of the Third Reich? What kind of world did the Nazi Party envisage? What was Nazi Culture? Why did Germany embark on the Second World War? How and why did the Holocaust occur?
361.01, 23008 TR 1:40-2:55, Cropper
Special Topic: The New Scramble for Africa: A History of International Development & Aid in Africa.This course explores the history of globalization and international development and aid in Africa. It starts with the European Scramble for Africa in the late nineteenth century, and it offers a critical analysis of the colonial state’s ambition to “uplift” the continent through the development of extractive economies and the “civilizing mission.” It then traces how legacies of colonial rule have continued to undermine the economic development of African nations and have resurfaced through neo-colonial and neo-imperial projects. Surveying the recent interest in what historian Frederick Copper calls “the past of the present,” the course will incorporate a variety of disciplinary, methodological and epistemological perspectives. Topics to be explored include: decolonization; migration and urbanization; the politics of gender and sexuality; conceptualizations of development, globalization and neo-liberalism; popular culture; health and medicine; and belief and religion. Course materials will include historical monographs, ethnography, fiction, memoirs, and visual media and films. This course aims to provide students with theoretical and methodological tools to narrate contemporary history.
370.01, 22999 MWF 10-10:50, Alwine
Special Topic:Alexander the Great. A survey of the rise of Macedonia under Philip II and his son, Alexander III (“the great”). Over a period of two generations, the Macedonian empire expanded to include territories from Greece and Egypt to Afghanistan and India. This course will also cover the history of Alexander’s successors, who fought over the “Hellenistic” world.
410.01, 23009 TR 9:25-10:40, Poole
Research Seminar:American Cultural History, 1865-The Present. This course offers a capstone experience that allows History majors the opportunity to write on a topic in American cultural history from 1865-the present. We will remind ourselves of basic research skills and work together to produce an independent work of your own.
441.01, 21724 TR 10:50-12:05, Coy
Research Seminar: Renaissance Europe. This capstone seminar will examine early modern Europe and the impact of this cultural movement known as the Renaissance in a global context. we will also investigate important recent historiography on the Renaissance in order to evaluate what historians consider distinctive about the period and whether it remains a useful historical paradigm. Students will produce a capstone research paper based upon their analysis of primary and secondary sources pertaining to Renaissance-era European history.