Attention: This schedule is subject to change. Before registering for classes, check the on-line schedule of classes to confirm course numbers, times, and availability.
History Department Course List Main Page
Summer Session 1
2 June – 11 July
Hist 157: History of the United States since 1865
MTuWThF 11-12:20 Smead
This course surveys the history of America from the end of the Civil War through the 1970s and beyond. We explore the forces that shaped modern-day America, including the role of industrialization, technology, the impact of race and ethnicity, and the changing role of the federal government in the lives of American citizens. The goal is to figure out why we are the way we are.
CORE Social or Political History (SH) Course
Hist 255: African-American History since 1865
MTuWThF 9:30-10:50 McAndrew
This course is a survey of African American History from its transatlantic roots to the present day. HIST 255 will introduce students the basic chronology of African American history in the United States and explore the daily lives of ordinary black people. A special emphasis will be placed on the history of Black cultural expressions such as music, humor, folktales, and religion. Students in this course will be challenged to think about how Black Americans have both influenced U.S. history and been shaped by the larger African Diaspora.
CORE Social or Political History (SH) Course.
CORE Diversity (D) Course.
Hist 319K: Special Topics: Law, the Constitution, & American Society in the 20th Century
MW 6-9:15 Drake
Students in this course will explore aspects of America legal history in the twentieth century. Specific topics to be considered are the functioning of state and federal courts, the development of common law and constitutional law doctrines, the regulatory state, and law practice and legal education. Each of these subjects will be analyzed in relation to political, social, and economic contexts.
Hist 319Z: Special Topics: Germany & the Germans: The German National Ideal, 1800-1990
MTuWThF 11-12:20 Schlosser
This course examines the birth and development of the ideology of nationalism in Germany. The course charts the development of German nationalism through the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, examining the intersection between ideas and historical circumstances and how this relationship shaped the nature and character of not only German history, but also European and World history. Focus will be paid to the following themes: the birth of German nationalist ideologies during the French Revolution and Wars of Liberation; the development of nationalism amongst both German liberals and German conservatives; the relationship between what became Germany and the German speaking peoples of Austria, the Czech lands, and Eastern Europe; the link between German nationalism to World War I and World War II; the similarities and differences between the most virulent form of German nationalism, National Socialism, and other forms of German nationalism; the nature of German nationalism in the wake of World War II and during the Cold War; and finally, Germany's confrontation to the modern challenges of immigration and integration into the European Union.
Hist 353: America in the Revolutionary Era, 1763-1815
TuTh 6-9:15 Ridgway
Prerequisite: Hist 156, 210, 213, 254, or 275; or permission of instructor.
The background and course of the American revolution and early nationhood through the War of 1812. Emphasis on how the Revolution shaped American political and social development, the creation of a new government under the Constitution, and the challenges facing the new nation.
Hist 357: Recent America, 1945-Present
MTuWThF 12:30-1:50 Smead
Prerequisite: Hist 157, 211, 213, 222, 255, 265, or 275; or permission of instructor
This course examines the major trends and events that have shaped America since World War II. Focus is on the consequences of the Cold War on domestic America and the causes and implications of the cultural and political upheavals that characterized and followed the Sixties Era. Specific attention will be paid to Civil Rights, certain presidencies, liberalism, conservatism, and the Vietnam War.
Hist 386: Experiential Learning
TBD TBD
Offers advanced undergraduates opportunities to pursue their historical interests in real-world educational activities. Prerequisite: learning proposal approved by the history department internship coordinator, faculty mentor, and student's site supervisor. Must have at least 60 semester hours. Non-repeatable, but may take up to 6 credits in one semester
Hist 499: Independent Study (1-3 credits)
Faculty TBD
Independently arranged. By permission of department. Repeatable to 6 credits.
Mini Summer Session 1A
2 June – 20 June
Hist 319C: Special Topics: History of Women in Colonial and Revolutionary America
MTuWThF 9-12:15 Lyons
This course explores the experiences of women in the territory that becomes the United States during the 17th and 18th centuries. It investigates the gender systems forged by the colonists, probing how experiences in the new world, as well as ideas fashioned in Europe, influenced the societies they created. It also pays careful attention to the diversity of experiences of women by region, race, and class. Students will read several monographs and primary documents. They will be expected to participate in class discussion, write several short papers and one medium length research paper, and take a final examination.
Hist 319F: Special Topics: 20th Century Britain in Film
MTuWThF 9:30-12:45 Taddeo
This course will study the relationship between 20th Century British history and film. We will look at specific events and issues, including the two world wars, the loss of empire, the rise of the welfare state, the Swinging Sixties, Thatcher's conservative years, and the on-going debate about Britain's "decline." In particular, we will address how films represent the British past and how they are themselves products of particular historical moments.
Hist 319W: Special Topics: Latin American History & Film
MTuWThF 12:30-3:45 Williams
Hist 436: French Revolution and Napoleon
MTuWThF 1:30-4:45 Sutherland
The causes and course of the French Revolution with emphasis on the struggle among elites, popular intervention, the spread of counterrevolution, the Terror as repression and popular government, the near collapse of the Republic, and the establishment and defeat of dictatorship.
Mini Summer Session 1B
23 June – 11 July
Hist 332: Europe during the Renaissance and Reformation I
MTuWThF 12:30-3:45 Soergel
Continental Europe from 1450 to 1650: development and spread of Renaissance culture; growth in the powers of central government; economic expansion and beginnings of overseas colonization; division of Western Christendom into two rival religious camps. Particular emphasis on the Protestant and Catholic reformations and their consequences for Europe’s political, social, and cultural development. Renaissance and reformation, 1450-1555. The age of religious wars, 1555-1650.
Hist 352: America in the Colonial Era, 1600-1763
MTuWThF 9-12:15 Bradbury
Prerequisite: Hist 156, 210, 213, or 254; or permission of instructor.
The course focuses on the history of the British colonies in what became the United States of America from 1600-1760. Yet it does so in ways that place their development in a larger North American context, indeed in the context of the interactions of many nations and peoples within the Atlantic world.
Hist 419N: Special Topics: War and American Cinema in the 20th Century
MTuWTh 6-9:45 Giovacchini
Based on the daily viewing and discussion of American war related films, our course will focus on a thematic approach to the study of the complex relation between American history, American wars, and American filmmaking in the course of the 20th century. War has deeply informed the history of the United States in the 20th century. The USA has fought two world wars (some would argue that the US actually fought three) and a number of bloody, more region-based, conflicts. Cinema has accompanied all modern American warfare: from the Spanish-Cuban-Filipino-American War of 1898-1902 to the contemporary military effort in Iraq. In the process, cameras have mirrored American soldiers, as well their life --before and after the conflict. As well, American cameras have at times tried to tell the story of our soldiers’ opponents and even of our soldiers’ victims. Likewise, American cameras have endorsed the war effort or vehemently protested against it.
Summer Session 2
14 July – 22 August
Hist 156: History of the United States to 1865
MWTh 2-4:15 McNeilly
History of the United States from its colonial foundations through early colonial development, the break from England, the challenges of establishing the first modern republic, and the development of the early nation, through the spread over the North American continent and ultimately into the internecine conflict of the Civil War.
CORE Social or Political History (SH) Course.
Hist 157: History of the United States since 1865
MTuWThF 10-11:20 Goldstene
The United States from the end of the Civil War to the present. Economic, social, intellectual, and political developments. Rise of industry and emergence of the United States as a world power.
CORE Social or Political History (SH) Course.
Hist 284: East Asian Civilization I
MTuWThF 12:30-1:50 Lilley
History 284 surveys the political, economic, social, and cultural histories of China, Korea, and Japan and their interactions with one another. Some attention is given to the histories of Inner Asian peoples. The time frame for the course is ca. 3000 B.C.E. to 1650 C.E.
CORE Social or Political History (SH) Course.
CORE Diversity (D) Course.
Hist 319A: Special Topics: Radical Regimes in the Arab World
MW 6-9:15 Ali
This course seeks to explore the relationship between the ideological and policy orientation of a number of regimes in the Arab World and their immediate colonial past. The first portion of the course covers the period of European economic penetration of the Middle East and North Africa from the end of the Eighteenth century and the first half of the Nineteenth, through the period of direct European military and political control of these regions in the second half of the Nineteenth century and the first half of the Twentieth. The discussions will be focused on identifying the internal and external socioeconomic and political forces affecting the process of state formation in seven Arab states who had regimes labeled as 'Radical' at least during part of their history in the post colonial era. These countries include Algeria, Libya, Egypt, Sudan, Iraq, Syria, And South Yemen. The rest of the course will be dedicated to the post colonial period of Arab history. It will focus on the immergence of radical regimes who swept the political map of the Middle East and North Africa, beginning with Nasser's revolt in Egypt in 1952 and the subsequent radicalization of the Arab Streets in many Arab countries, the defeat of the Settler Colonial project of France in Algeria, the brutal ouster of the Monarchy in Iraq and the struggle for power in Syria that finally settled with the arrival of Hafiz al-Asad to the top of the political pyramid. In addition to the domistic factors contributing to the radicalization of the region, the cold war and the great power's rivalries in the Middle East and the Arab-Israeli conflict will be also highlighted. Among the discussion topics for this course will be issues of national identity, resistance, legitimacy, Arab unity, and social and economic progress.
Hist 319D: Special Topics: America in the Movies: Major Themes in the 20th Century
MW 4:30-7:45 Malka
This course uses Hollywood films to explore some of the major themes and events in 20th century American history. Movies have played a pivotal role as one of the most influential and popular instruments of mass culture. We will view a range of movies and evaluate how they reveal, support, mold and challenge American values and beliefs. We will start with the Great Depression of the 1930s and then follow Americans as they emerged from World War II and then plunged into the Cold War. This course focuses on the second half of the twentieth century and explores, for example, the major transformations in American life with the rise of the Civil Rights movement, the New Left and the second wave of feminism. We will examine the strengths and limitations of films as they contribute to our understanding of 20th century America.
Hist 357: Recent America, 1945-Present
TuTh 6-9:15 Sicilia
This course explores key themes and topics in United States history from the end of World War II to the present including: 1) the Cold War (origins, progress, ideologies, and end; 2) reform movements (civil rights, the Great Society, the New Left, feminism, environmentalism, and neo-conservatism); 3) political economy (the military-industrial complex, presidential politics, the growth of the state, and Reaganomics); and 4) culture (religion, racism, gender, family, mass media, and consumer culture).
Goals: This course is designed to 1) strengthen student knowledge of post World War II U.S. history within a global context and 2) strengthen student skills in historical research and interpretation. The latter skills include the ability to distinguish among a variety of genres of primary and secondary historical texts; the ability to use historical texts appropriately and effectively in academic work; and the ability to define and argue persuasively a historical thesis.
Hist 386: Experiential Learning
TBD TBD
Offers advanced undergraduates opportunities to pursue their historical interests in real-world educational activities. Prerequisite: learning proposal approved by the history department internship coordinator, faculty mentor, and student's site supervisor. Must have at least 60 semester hours. Non-repeatable, but may take up to 6 credits in one semester
Hist 499: Independent Study (1-3 credits)
Faculty TBD
Independently arranged. By permission of department. Repeatable to 6 credits.
Mini Summer Session 2A
12 July – 1 August
Hist 319I: Special Topics: Latin American Intellectuals in the Age of Revolution, 1950-75
MTuWThF 9:30-12:45 Halperin
This course will introduce students to the historical literature related to cultural and political history in Latin America during the Cold War. We will study the function of intellectuals during different key moments of the period– the emergence of Stalinism, the Alliance for Progress, the Chinese and the Cuban Revolutions, the Student Movement, and the Guerrilla Movements –the main discussions around social change, political violence, the role attributed to the US in the continent, the part played by the working class and diverse social movements in revolutionary change. We will examine how particular books and films opened cultural and political discussions in the public sphere about the Latin American society and its possibilities in the future.
We will analyze major films, books and articles on intellectuals, culture, and politics in Latin America during the Cold War and identify the important historical discussions in which students will participate actively. Students will choose their own historical debate (in a limited geographical area) or intellectual to study.
Hist 319T: Special Topics: The (Long) Fifties, 1945-1963
MTuWThF 1-4:15 Christiansen
More then just another decade, the 1950s have become representative of an America very different than our own. Some look at the decade with feelings of nostalgia, others with regret or even hostility. Anyone with access to television undoubtedly holds images in their mind of the fifties, whether suburbs and picture perfect families, or Senator McCarthy's anticommunist hearings, or clashes in the south over desegregation. Recently historians have been paying more attention to the fifties - which for our purposes begin at the end of World War II - and it seems that the decade was much more complicated (and interesting) than has been popularly remembered. By reading these historical works, and through analysis of primary sources from the period, including television and motion pictures, we will attempt to more fully understand and appreciate the dramatic and long-lasting changes that took place in the postwar era.
Mini Summer Session 2B
4 August – 22 August
Hist 319M: Special Topics: U.S. Environment and Landscape in the Post-Industrial Age
MTuWThF 1-4:15 Levengood
This course examines post-WWII U.S. social, cultural, and economic developments through an environmental lens. Assertions of a post-industrial society will be scrutinized as we explore the environmental ramifications and ideologies of the industrial, consumer, service, and tourist economies. We will also look at the material and environmental realities of those symbolic spaces of the postwar era, including suburbs, malls, the Rustbelt and Sunbelt, among others. The environmental legacies of the Rustbelt will be compared to those of the Silicon Valley and high-tech industries. In addition, the course will examine changes in environmental action and policy as U.S. politics shifted from liberalism to the New Right. Other topics will include conservation and the modern environmental movement, issues of toxic chemicals and waste, the EPA, Superfund and brownfields, and the effects of environmental racism. The course will utilize primary and secondary sources, maps, photographs, films, and audio, many of which will be accessible online. We will also go on two local field trips to explore the environmental effects of past decisions.
Hist 319Q: Special Topics: U.S.-Latin American Relations, late 19th century to the 1980s
MTuWThF 1:30-4:45 Benmergui
This course on United States - Latin American relations offers an introduction to the history of political, economic, cultural and diplomatic relations between Latin America and the United States from the late 19th century to the 1980s. Considered as the “backyard” of the United States, Latin America and the Caribbean has been the object of particular modes of intervention into the region’s political, economic, social, and cultural realities since the emergence of the idea “Manifest Destiny”. While U.S. leaders defined national economic, strategic, and ideological interests and their regional policy objectives, Latin American countries also involved into nationalist, anti-imperialist, class, racial, and gender struggles that often shaped policy outcomes in ways unanticipated by the United States.
The course will review the history of US-Latin American relations from the mid-19th century through the Cold War from a social and cultural perspective. While special attention will be paid to the Cold-War era, we will also discuss US-Latin American relations since the end of the Cold War including topics such as free trade, regional trade flows, drugs, immigration, and the impact of 9/11.
Students in this class are expected to learn about, and critically analyze:
Please be advised that this is a very challenging course in terms of the reading and written assignments, and class participation that includes the intensive use of primary sources. The course is designed so that we will not be spending a great deal of time on any single country. That is why students will benefit from having prior knowledge of the region from either coursework or life experiences.
Hist 319V: Special Topics: America in the 1960s
MTuWThF 9:30-12:45 Keane
Celebrated and vilified, the years between 1960 and1970 represented a watershed in twentieth-century American history. Although history rarely falls neatly within 10-year divisions, the 1960s – as both historical era and historical idea – witnessed enormous political, social, and cultural changes. This course will examine the seminal events, actors, and movements that continue to shape our nation.