History

PROFESSORS

Michael R. Drompp. 1989. Vice-President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the Faculty. B.A., M.A., and Ph.D., Indiana University. (East Asian history, China and Japan, Inner Asian history.)
Lynn B. Zastoupil. 1988. The J. J. McComb Professor of History. B.A., Dickinson State College; M.A., University of Texas; Ph.D., University of Minnesota. (Modern Britain, India, European intellectual history.)

ASSOCIATE PROFESSORS

Dee Garceau-Hagen. 1995. B.A., Nasson College; M.A., Washington State University; Ph.D., Brown University. (Gender in the American West, Native American, American women.)
Timothy S. Huebner. 1995. B.A., University of Miami; M.A. and Ph.D., University of Florida. (U.S. South, nineteenth century, U.S. constitutional/legal history.)
Jeffrey H. Jackson. 2000. B.S., Vanderbilt University; Ph.D., University of Rochester. (Modern Europe, France, cultural history.)
Michael J. LaRosa. 1995. B.A., George Washington University; M.A. and Ph.D., University of Miami. (Contemporary Latin America, Colombia, church history.)
Gail S. Murray. 1991. Chair. B.A., University of Michigan; M.S.E., University of Central Arkansas; Ph.D., University of Memphis. (U.S. social history, colonial America, Southern women, U.S. childhood.)

ASSISTANT PROFESSORS

Clayton D. Brown. 2008. B.A., Utah State University; Ph.D., University of Pittsburgh. (China, modern East Asia, ethnic and cultural studies.)
Charles W. McKinney. 2004. B.A., Morehouse College; M.A. and Ph.D., Duke University. (African-American history, civil rights studies, twentieth-century United States.)
Alex J. Novikoff. 2008. B.A., New York University; M.A., University of York; M.Phil., University of Cambridge; Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania. (Medieval intellectual history, France, Jewish-Christian relations.)
Robert F. Saxe. 2003. B.A., Reed College; Ph.D., University of Illinois. (Twentieth-century United States, political history, war and society.)
Etty Terem. 2008. B.A. and M.A., Tel Aviv University; Ph.D., Harvard University. (Modern Middle East and North Africa, Islamic law and society, family history.)

MELLON ENVIRONMENTAL FELLOW

Tait S. Keller. 2008. B.A., University of Rochester; M.A. and Ph.D., Georgetown University. (Environmental history, modern Europe, Germany.)

STAFF

Heather C. Holt. Departmental Assistant.

Prospective majors should complete History 300 by the end of the sophomore year. Students should have completed at least one other course at the 200 or 300 level before attempting coursework at the 400 level.

REQUIREMENTS FOR A MAJOR IN HISTORY

A total of 10 courses (40 credits) as follows:

History 300 (The Historian’s Craft)
History 485 (Senior Seminar)
Eight (8) additional courses at the 100, 200, 300, and 400 levels, selected according to the following principles:
  a. Of the eight courses, no more than one may be taken at the 100 level.
  b. Of the eight courses, at least three courses must be seminar courses at the 400 level.
  c. Of the eight courses taken at all levels at least one must be taken in each area listed below. In addition, no more than four (4) from a single area will be counted toward the major. The areas are:
   (1) History of Europe
   (2) History of the Americas
   (3) History of Asia, Africa, and Middle East
  d. Of the eight courses taken at all levels, at least one must concentrate on a period prior to 1500 CE. The following courses meet that requirement: History 212, 213, 282, 288, 293, 375, 414, and 415. (There may be special topics as well.)

REQUIREMENTS FOR A MINOR IN HISTORY

A total of 5 courses (20 credits) selected according to the following principles:

No more than one course at the 100 level.
At least two courses at the 400 level.
At least one course in each of the following areas:
  (a) History of Europe
  (b) History of the Americas
  (c) History of Asia, Africa, and Middle East

HONORS IN HISTORY

Completion of all requirements for a Bachelor of Arts degree in History and minimum grade point average of 3.50.
Completion of the two-term tutorial sequence History 495-496.
Completion of major research project, culminating in a research paper and an oral presentation. The student normally begins preparing a proposal by taking a directed inquiry in the spring of the junior year. The formal research proposal must be accepted by the Department early in the student’s senior year. Project must be completed and approved by the supervising committee by April.

COURSE OFFERINGS

105. Introductory Seminars in History.
Fall, Spring. Credits: 4.
Degree Requirements: Humanities, F2, F3.
This writing intensive course, intended for first and second year students only, provides an introduction to themes and topics from a variety of historical perspectives. Possible topics include: ““Disease and Epidemics”, “Memphis and the American South”, “British Empire and its Enemies”, and “Why Hitler?” May not be repeated for credit. Not open to juniors and seniors.

200-level classes are introductory and cover broad chronological spans or large geographical areas. Open to all students.

205. Selected Topics in History.
Fall, Spring. Credits: 4.
Degree Requirements: Humanities, F3.
Introduction to selected periods in history. Varies with instructor. May be repeated for credit when topics vary. Not offered every year. Potential topics include “Russia since 1861” and “Asian Societies: Past and Present.”

212. Medieval Europe.
Fall. Credits: 4.
Degree Requirements: Humanities, F3.
This course examines the transition from the world of late antiquity to that of the European Middle Ages, from the collapse of the Roman Empire through the fourteenth century. Lectures will focus on the medieval “braid” of Roman tradition, Christianity and Germanic custom. Topics will include patterns of migration, the Christianization of Europe, the development of social and political institutions, the conflicts between church and state, the urban revival of the eleventh century, and the intellectual “renaissance” of the twelfth century, culminating in the famine, plague, and chaos of the fourteenth century. (Course offered in alternate years, scheduled for 2009-2010.)

213. Renaissance and Reformation Europe.
Spring. Credits: 4.
Degree Requirements: Humanities, F3.
This course begins by examining the changes, as well as the medieval carry-overs, that brought about the period known as the Renaissance. The effects of impersonal forces such as climate change and epidemics, the impact of the discovery of the Americas, and a new understanding of human capabilities will be considered. The course then turns to a survey of the intellectual movements and of the religious, social, and political characteristics of European history from 1500 (the coming of the Reformation) to 1714 (the height of French power under Louis XIV). The emphasis will fall upon those changes that prepared society for the transition to what is now considered the “modern” world. (Course offered in alternate years, scheduled for 2010-2011.)

215. Enlightenment and Revolution: Europe, 1714-1815.
Fall. Credits: 4.
Degree Requirements: Humanities, F3.
The eighteenth century was an age of intellectual and political revolutions that destroyed what historians describe as the Old Regime. This course critically assesses the rhetoric, goals and legacy of the century’s key philosophic movement, the Enlightenment. It surveys the development of the Old Regime in the eighteenth century and seeks to interpret the social, economic and intellectual forces that tended to undermine it. Particular emphasis will be placed on the French Revolution, the overthrow of the Old Regime, the Reign of Terror and the rise and fall of the Napoleonic system in Europe. (Course offered in alternate years, scheduled for 2009-2010.)

216. Industrialism, Nationalism, and Imperialism: Europe, 1815-1914.
Spring. Credits: 4.
Degree Requirements: Humanities, F3.
This course examines the impact of industrialization on the social, political, and intellectual life of Europe. The combination of nationalist idealism and the realism of state power that produced the unifications of Italy and Germany will be critically examined. The course will also examine the nationalist and imperialist rivalries that drove the European states to the brink of war after the turn of the century. (Course offered in alternate years, scheduled for 2010-2011.)

217. The Age of Extremes: European Culture and Society in the Twentieth Century.
Fall, Spring. Credits: 4.
Degree Requirements: Humanities, F3.
By focusing on the experiences of ordinary people and significant shifts in their values, we will study how Europe evolved through what one historian has called an “age of extremes” in the twentieth century. Central issues will include the experience and legacies of “total war,” daily life under Nazi rule and in the Communist countries of Eastern Europe, the psychological impact of the Great Depression, and the various ways in which people struggled to redefine themselves as Europe faded from a position of world dominance. (Course offered in alternate years, scheduled for 2009-2010.)

224. British Empire and Its Enemies.
Fall. Credits: 4.
Degree Requirements: Humanities, F3.
This course addresses some of the major developments of the British Empire from the early 1600s to the 1980s. Emphasis is on the changing nature of the empire, its role in Britain’s rise and fall as a world power, the influence of empire on Britain’s political, economic, and cultural development, and the imperial impact on Britain’s colonies and possessions. Attention is also directed at the many enemies that the empire created, both in Britain and in the colonies. The course concludes by examining aspects of post-colonialism in Britain and its former possessions. (Course not offered in 2009-2010.)

225. Modern Britain.
Spring. Credits: 4.
Degree Requirements: Humanities, F3.
This course will introduce students to some of the major historical developments in Britain since 1688. The focus will be on political events, but some attention will also be paid to social, economic, religious, and intellectual developments. Topics to be discussed include: Glorious Revolution of 1688-89; corruption and reform in eighteenth-century politics; origins, nature, and impact of industrialism; evolution of parliament and emergence of the office of prime minister; impact of the French Revolution; reform and radical movements of the nineteenth century; imperialism; the British experience in World Wars One and Two; origins and nature of the welfare state; British society and politics since 1945; and the Americanization of Britain. (Course not offered 2009-2010.)

231. North America in the Colonial and Revolutionary Eras.
Spring. Credits: 4.
Degree Requirements: Humanities, F3.
This course investigates British, French, Spanish, African, and Native American encounters in North America from the Age of Exploration through the early political development of the United States. Major themes include the tensions between individual and community interests, the origins and development of slavery, the emergence of capitalism, religious diversity, and the American Revolution. (Course offered in alternate years, scheduled for 2009-2010.).

232. The United States in the Nineteenth Century.
Fall or Spring. Credits: 4.
Degree Requirements: Humanities, F3.
This course examines major social, political, economic, and cultural changes in the nineteenth century, including U.S. relations with Native North Americans, antebellum reform, the Civil War, Reconstruction, and industrialization/urbanization. Major themes may include the rise and decline of sectionalism and transformations in gender and race relations, as well as questions of individualism and community, liberty and order.

233. The United States in the Twentieth Century.
Fall, Spring. Credits: 4.
Degree Requirements: Humanities, F3.
This course investigates major social, political, cultural, and economic changes in the twentieth century, from Progressivism through the end of the Cold War. Major themes may include the effects of world war and economic depression on society, the United States’ changing role in the global community, the rise and fall of American liberalism, the Vietnam War as watershed, and the emergence of cultural pluralism.

242. African-American History.
Fall. Credits: 4.
Degree Requirements: Humanities, F3, F9.
The experiences of African-American people in the United States can be described as a continuous quest for empowerment; this quest has been affected by myriad factors (e.g., gender roles, class divisions, secular and non-secular ideologies, regionalism) in addition to racism. This course, through the use of secondary and primary material, historical documentaries, and critical analyses, will chart the historically complex journeys of African Americans, from the impact of the African diaspora on colonial America to the Black student sit-ins and the formation of the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee in 1960, and beyond. (Course offered in alternate years, scheduled for 2009-2010.)

243. The Civil Rights Movement.
Spring or Fall. Credits: 4.
Degree Requirements: Humanities, F3.
This course examines the social, political, and economic climate of the 1940s through the 1960s, and considers how both Blacks and Whites were affected. Specifically, the course will focus on various organizations and the strategies they implemented which resulted in events such as the Brown v. Board of Education case and the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Additionally, the course will analyze the subtle and not-so-subtle reactions to initiatives that allowed African Americans to attain many of the rights and privileges that have become commonplace in today’s society.

244. History of Childhood in the United States.
Fall. Credits: 4.
Degree Requirements: Humanities, F3, F11.
This course provides an examination of the ways in which the concept of childhood has been defined throughout United States history, as well as a study of how children themselves have influenced and shaped institutions, laws, and popular culture. A service-learning component is required. (Course offered in alternate years, scheduled for 2009-2010.)

246. Gender and Warfare in America.
Spring. Credits: 4.
Degree Requirements: Humanities, F3.
While the study of wars has always proven to be a popular subject for students of American history, the use of gender in analyzing the causes and effects of these conflicts has only recently been an important focus in historians’ examinations of different conflicts. New studies have used gender to examine the origins of different wars and to understand the motivations of the soldiers who fought them. By emphasizing the importance of gender in historical study, students will be encouraged to examine historical evidence critically in order to bring their perspective to the study of wars in American history. (Course offered in alternate years, scheduled for 2009-2010.)

247. The American South.
Fall. Credits: 4.
Degree Requirements: Humanities, F3.
This course examines the social, political, and cultural history of the South as a distinct region of the United States. The course will include discussion of the origins of a slave society, the culture of slavery and the Old South, the Civil War and Reconstruction, political and cultural change in the New South, and the Civil Rights Movement.

249. Poverty in the United States.
Spring. Credits: 4.
Degree Requirements: Humanities, F3.
This course will examine attitudes toward the poor throughout the course of U.S. history, as well as the experiences of public and private relief organizations. Lectures and readings give attention to attempts to define “poverty,” to vagabond/homeless experiences, to problems facing the working poor, to private and public attempts to eradicate poverty, and the assessment of various programs of poor-relief, public assistance, family wage. Field trips and a community-based group project are required. (Course offered every third year, scheduled for 2010-2011.)

250. Gender in Nineteenth-Century America.
Fall. Credits: 4.
Degree Requirements: Humanities, F3.
An investigation of gender in the nineteenth-century United States, this course will explore how Americans of different regions, cultures, and classes allocated responsibility and power to men and women. Topics include how the expansion of market capitalism, encounters between native peoples and colonizers, the growth of chattel slavery, civil war, industrialization, and urbanization transformed gender relations; as well as how women and men shaped changing ideologies of masculinity and femininity. Sources will include scholarly monographs, first-hand narratives, maps, popular literature, photographs, and fiction, as well as painting and advertising from the period.

255. Conservatism in the United States.
Fall. Credits: 4.
Degree Requirements: Humanities, F3.
This course will provide an introduction to developments in conservative thought and politics in the 20th century. Students will learn about the roots of American conservatism and learn how conservatives critiqued the creation of the New Deal, the rise of Stalinist Russia and the threat of communism, and the outbreak of World War II. The class will discuss conflicts between traditionalists and libertarians, Eisenhower’s “modern Republicanism,” conservatives and the Cold War, the campaign of Barry Goldwater, and the conservative response to the civil rights movement, Vietnam and “free love.” Finally, the class will consider the Reagan revolution and its impact on the current state of conservative politics in the United States and suggest directions for conservatism in the 21st century. (Course offered every third year, scheduled for 2010-2011.)

256. Liberalism in the United States.
Spring. Credits: 4.
Degree Requirements: Humanities, F3.
How did liberalism, one of the dominant ideologies of the 20th-century America, get transformed into the “L” word in current political debates? Did Ronald Reagan bury liberalism or might Bill Clinton have played a part in its decline? This course will examine the origins of modern liberalism in the Progressive Era, its rise and expansion during the New Deal, its ideological dominance through the fifties and sixties, and its eventual decline at the end of the century. This course will give students the opportunity to understand the rise and fall of American liberalism, and to suggest possible directions for American liberals in the future. (Course offered every third year, scheduled for 2010-2011.)

258. U.S. Foreign Affairs.
Fall. Credits: 4.
Degree Requirements: Humanities, F3.
This course will survey the United States’ relationship with the world from 1890 to the present and will approach historical issues from a variety of perspectives: economic, political, social, and cultural. The class will examine the United States and the world through World War II; the Cold War and how it played out in different areas in the world, as well as in America; and post-Cold War issues in American foreign affairs. (Course offered in alternate years, scheduled for 2010-2011.)

261. Colonial Latin America.
Fall. Credits: 4.
Degree Requirements: Humanities, F3, F9.
This course surveys the history of Latin America in the period before the Revolutions of Independence (before 1810). After studying the Native American (principally Aztec, Inca, Chibcha and Maya) and European (Spanish and Portuguese) civilizations that shaped the formation of colonial Latin American history, the conquest, the institutions and the social history/movements during this historical period will be addressed in a thematic fashion.

262. Contemporary Latin America.
Spring. Credits: 4.
Degree Requirements: Humanities, F3, F9.
This course surveys the history of Modern Latin America from the period of Independence (1810-1824) to the present, addressing the economic and social development of the Latin American region. Certain themes, such as religion, poverty, violence and foreign intervention will be covered in depth. Feature films, recent literature and oral history testimony will serve as “tools” for understanding contemporary Latin America.

267. Mexico: From Pre-Columbian Peoples to the Present.
Spring. Credits: 4.
Degree Requirements: Humanities, F3.
This course focuses on Mexico as a geographic unit and addresses, principally, the social, cultural and economic history of the peoples who have inhabited Mexico. Beginning with an examination of pre-Columbian history, the course moves in a mostly chronological fashion, focusing on the European conquest of Mexico (1519-1521), colonial institutions and actors, nineteenth-century independence, politics and instability. The course concludes with an examination of twentieth-century revolution (1911 and after), reform and identity.

270. Global Environmental History.
Fall. Credits: 4.
Degree Requirements: Humanities, F3.
This course is an introduction to the field of environmental history. What can our environment tell us about our past? How have natural resources shaped patterns of human life in different regions of the world? What meanings have people attached to nature and how have those attitudes shaped their cultural and political lives? We will analyze the ecological context of human existence, with the understanding that the environment is an agent and a presence in human history. Because environmental change often transcends national boundaries, this course places important subjects like disease, agriculture, forests, water, industrialization, and conservationism into a global context.

275. The Making of the Modern Middle East.
Spring. Credits: 4.
Degree Requirements: Humanities, F3.
This course is an introductory class to the history of the Middle East from Napoleon’s invasion of Egypt in 1798 until the end of World War I. Investigating the history of this period provides the necessary backdrop for understanding the intellectual vibrancy and political turbulence of the Arab world in present day. The main question for consideration is which forces and what sort of transformations shaped the region over the course of the 19th and early 20th centuries. By exploring critical political, social, intellectual, and economic themes such as reforms, colonialism, Arab nationalism, and the impact of Zionism, we will identify the main internal and external forces and processes that shaped the modern Middle East. The course also examines the way historical discourse is formed.

276. Re-Making the Twentieth-Century Middle East.
Fall. Credits: 4.
Degree Requirements: Humanities, F3.
This course examines the history of Middle Eastern states and societies from World War I to the present, including the Arab countries as well as Iran, Israel and Turkey. The course surveys the main political, social, economic, and intellectual currents of the 20th-century Middle East and provides a basis for understanding both the domestic and international politics of the region. Topics include imperialism, nationalism, state and class formation, religion, Orientalism, women, the politics of oil, the Arab-Israeli conflict, the Iranian revolution, the Gulf War and 9/11 and its aftermath.

282. Traditional China.
Fall. Credits: 4.
Degree Requirements: Humanities, F3.
Beginning with the earliest evidence of human civilization in the region, this course traces the emergence of political states within China and their eventual unification into a single empire, an institution that persisted for millennia. Throughout this process the development of literature, religion, philosophy, and material culture in Chinese society all played a role in shaping the character of China today.

283. Modern China.
Spring, Credits: 4.
Degree Requirements: Humanities, F3.
For millennia the Chinese viewed their emperor as the Son of Heaven and their empire as the center of the world. Following Columbus and the Age of Exploration, however, in the sixteenth-century Europeans began arriving in China in unprecedented numbers, precipitating a crisis in Chinese society. This course examines the dynamics of China’s relationship with the outside world and the subsequent transition that China made from empire to nation. Modernization continued in the twentieth century and with it came social revolution and conflict with the United States, a legacy that continues to inform our relationship with the world’s most populous nation.

288. Japanese Civilization.
Fall. Credits: 4.
Degree Requirements: Humanities, F3, F9.
This course presents an examination of Japan’s history and culture from prehistoric times to the mid-nineteenth century. Important themes will include Japan’s creation of a unique culture through both isolation and cultural receptivity, the formation and preservation of enduring values, the structure and transformations of Japanese society, and Japan’s “cult of aesthetics.” (Course not scheduled for 2009-2010.)

293. Ancient and Medieval India.
Fall. Credits: 4.
Degree Requirements: Humanities, F3, F9.
This course explores India from the era of the Indus civilization through the death of the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb in 1707 CE. Topics include the Harappa culture, Aryan migrations and emergence of Hinduism, Gangetic culture and rise of Mauryan and Guptan empires, Islamic invasions and creation of the Delhi sultanate, and the Vijayanagar Empire. The course concludes with a close examination of the rise and fall of the Mughal Empire, one of the world’s greatest empires. Considerable attention will also be devoted to religious, social, and cultural developments, including the evolution of Hinduism, the caste system, Islamic culture in India, religious reform movements, and architecture. (Course not scheduled for 2010-2011.)

294. Modern India.
Spring. Credits: 4.
Degree Requirements: Humanities, F3, F9.
This course surveys the history of South Asia following the collapse of the Mughal Empire in the early eighteenth century through the post-colonial period of the late twentieth century. Focus is on political, religious, and socio-economic developments such as the post-Mughal political order; the origins and nature of the British Raj; nationalism and the struggle for independence; religious revival and political identity; partition and its aftermath; and the post-colonial order in India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. (Course not scheduled for 2010-2011.)

300. The Historian’s Craft: Methods and Approaches in the Study of History.
Fall, Spring. Credits: 4.
Degree Requirements: F2.
This course introduces prospective history majors and minors to the experience of how historians perform their craft. Each seminar will teach students the basic skills of research methods, historical writing, and interpretive analysis. Students will be introduced to historiography, the use of primary sources, and ethical issues in writing history. Course will culminate in a research paper. An oral presentation may be required of all students. Should be taken before entering 400-level seminars.

300-level courses focus on particular themes and topics and devote more attention to historiography and writing than do 200-level courses. All 300-level courses have the prerequisite of any History course at the 100 or 200 level or permission of the instructor unless otherwise noted.

305. Selected Advanced Topics in History.
Fall, Spring. Credits: 4.
Degree Requirements: Humanities.
Advanced study of selected periods and topics in history. Varies with instructor. May be repeated for credit when topics vary. Not offered every year. Potential topics include “Imagining Asia: Western Perceptions of the East”, and “The Power of the Poor in Latin America.”

341. Native America and American History.
Spring. Credits: 4.
Degree Requirements: Humanities.
This course explores the history of selected Native American cultures and inter-tribal relations as well as relations with Euro-American colonizers in North America. The evolution of United States Indian policy, as well as key shifts in Native American strategies of survival form the chronological framework of the course. Recent scholarship, combined with Native American oral history, autobiography, fiction, and film will shed light on issues of sovereignty, conquest, resistance, syncretism, and the evolution of cultural identities. (Course not offered in 2009-2010.)

342. Slavery in the United States.
Fall. Credits: 4.
Degree Requirements: Humanities.
The purpose of this course is to attain a fundamental knowledge of one of the most complex and controversial experiences in United States history. This course will examine various social, economic, and political factors in an attempt to explain why slavery developed as it did. Also, because slavery remained in the United States over such a long period (approximately 240 years), we will discuss how it changed over time. (Course offered in alternate years, scheduled for 2010-2011.)

349. Black and White Women in the History of the American South.
Spring. Credits: 4.
Degree Requirements: Humanities.
Using a variety of genres including autobiography, demographics, fiction, court records, film, and women’s history, students will explore the many public and private roles that Southern women have filled from colonial days to the present. Emphasis will be placed on the distinctiveness of Southern society and its complex cultural diversity. (Course offered in alternate years, scheduled for 2010-2011.)

351. United States Constitutional History to 1865.
Fall or Spring, Credits: 4.
Degree Requirements: Humanities.
This course examines American constitutionalism from the colonial era through the Civil War. Topics include American revolutionary ideology, the Constitutional Convention, the early nineteenth-century Supreme Court’s exercise of judicial review, and the new republic’s attempts to deal with such issues as federalism, the separation of powers, the government’s role in an expanding economy, and the fate of slavery in new territories. In contrast to a constitutional law course, this class is more concerned with how American constitutionalism both shaped and responded to larger political and social developments, and less concerned with the evolution of constitutional doctrine in and of itself. (Course offered in alternate years, scheduled for 2010-2011.)

352. United States Constitutional History since 1865.
Fall or Spring. Credits: 4.
Degree Requirements: Humanities.
This course examines American constitutionalism from the Reconstruction period to the 1990s. In particular, the course focuses on the Supreme Court’s interpretation of the constitutional issues surrounding Reconstruction and civil rights, industrialization and economic expansion, the rise of national regulatory power, and the expansion of individual rights. In contrast to a constitutional law course, this class is more concerned with how American constitutionalism both shaped and responded to larger political and social developments, and less concerned with the evolution of constitutional doctrine in and of itself. (Course offered in alternate years, scheduled for 2009-2010.)

354. Interpreting American Lives.
Spring. Credits: 4.
Degree Requirements: Humanities, F3, F5.
A collaboration between History and Theater, this course will immerse students in archival research and revisionist scholarship, as a route into historical and dramatic interpretation. Students will develop a performance piece based on their research, after practice and experimentation with scripting, staging, and acting. Topics will be drawn from some of the most charged narratives of the American past, such as the Pocahontas story, the Cherokee Removal, The Great Migration of African-Americans during World War I, or the post-World War II Red Scare. (Course not offered in 2009-2010.)

363. History of U.S.-Latin American Relations.
Spring. Credits: 4.
Degree Requirements: Humanities.
This course provides an examination of the history of United States - Latin American relations, beginning with tensions created by the Latin American Wars for Independence (1810-1824). U.S. priorities, dating from the Monroe Doctrine of 1823, are studied in light of specific policies and actions taken by the U.S. in the region. Specifically, the Mexican-American War, the Spanish-American War, the Good Neighbor and The Alliance for Progress will be examined in depth. (Course offered in alternate years, scheduled for 2009-2010.)

364. History of Religion in Latin America.
Spring. Credits: 4.
Degree Requirements: Humanities.
This course examines the history of religion and religious tradition in Latin America, beginning with an analysis of pre-Columbian religious history and study of the imposition of Christianity with the arrival of the Spaniards and Portuguese. Syncretic identity, politics and religion and the recent growth of evangelical Protestantism in Latin America will be some of the major themes addressed. (Course not offered in 2009-2010.)

374. Nature and War.
Spring. Credits: 4.
Degree Requirements: Humanities, F3.
This course investigates how wars have shaped the natural environment and how nature has shaped war in the modern era. More than simply a look at the ravages of war on nature, this course considers the complex relationship between humans and the natural world. The various topics we will consider include chemical and biological warfare, repairing embattled landscapes, the growing military-industrial complex, disposing of nuclear waste, and the increasing number of conflicts over natural resources. Students will learn how to critically assess the ecological impact of war, as well as its societal and political repercussions.

375. Islamic History and Civilization.
Fall. Credits: 4.
Degree Requirements: Humanities.
This course is a thematic introduction to many of the events, figures, texts and ideas that have been central to Islamic thought and identity over the centuries. While we will study many major historical events, particularly in the early centuries of the Islamic era, the course is not intended as a comprehensive historical survey; instead, we will focus on some of the pivotal moments that have been most meaningful in the eyes of later generations of Muslims. (Course offered in alternate years, scheduled for 2009-2010)

388. World War II in the Pacific.
Spring. Credits: 4.
Degree Requirements: Humanities.
During WWII, as Hitler and the Nazi regime conquered Europe, Japan was committing its own atrocities as it forged a Pacific empire. The Japanese attack on US territory at Pearl Harbor in 1941 provoked the US to enter the conflict, and hostilities only concluded years later when Japanese civilians became the first (and to date only) victims of atomic warfare. What role did Japanese traditional culture play in the war and how did the two enemies become Cold War allies? This course explores the origins of the Pacific War and the legacy that still haunts the peoples of Asia.

389. East Asia in the Modern World.
Fall. Credits: 4.
Degree Requirements: Humanities.
This course presents a survey of the modern experiences of five different Asian nations: China, Japan, Mongolia, Korea, and Vietnam. The emphasis will be on the period from World War II to the present, to examine these different countries’ experiences with nationalism, world war, civil war, revolution, and modernization along with the tenacity of tradition. The course also will examine the relationships among these nations and their significance in the modern world.

400-level seminars focus on the historical interpretation of a specific topic or period. Open to juniors and seniors.
405. Seminars on Special Topics.
Spring, Fall. Credits: 4
Degree Requirements: Humanities.
Advanced seminars in selected topics in history. Varies with instructor. May be repeated for credit when topics vary. Not offered every year.
Prerequisites: History 300 (formerly 200) or permission of instructor.

414. Christians, Muslims, and Jews in Medieval Spain.
Spring. Credits: 4.
Degree Requirements: Humanities.
This course investigates the 750 years of coexistence between Christians, Muslims, and Jews on the Iberian Peninsula, from the Muslim arrival in 711 to the end of the Christian reconquest in 1492. Readings from primary sources in translation from all three communities will consider the artistic and intellectual achievements of the era as well as the political history of medieval Spain. Special attention will be given to complex nature of interfaith relations. It is hoped that by the end of the class students will have a good understanding of the major historical developments that shaped and gave rise to the country now known as Spain and that students will be familiar with some of the historiographic debates that have surrounded, and continue to inform, the study of medieval Spain. (Course offered in alternate years, scheduled for 2009-2010.)
Prerequisites: History 300 (formerly 200) or permission of instructor.

415. The Twelfth-Century Renaissance.
Fall. Credits: 4.
Degree Requirements: Humanities.
This seminar will explore the wide range of intellectual, political, institutional, spiritual, and cultural developments of Western Europe between the late eleventh century and the early thirteenth century, an epoch commonly referred to by medievalists as the “renaissance of the twelfth century.” These developments include the study of the liberal arts in cathedral schools and the first universities, the growth of cities, the centralization of political authority in France and England, the rise of papal power, the spiritual renewal associated with new monastic orders, and the music and poetry of the traveling Minstrels of France and Germany that embodied the twelfth-century spirit of chivalry and courtly love. Many individual authors and texts will be read and discussed, such as the letters of Abelard and Heloise, the defense of liberal arts penned by John of Salisbury, and the mystical writings of Hildegard of Bingen. The overall attitude towards learning during this period is perhaps best exemplified in the memorable phrase of Bernard of Chartres, who described the scholars of his generation as being “like dwarfs perched on the shoulders of giants: we see more and farther than our predecessors, not because we have keener vision or greater height, but because we are lifted up and borne aloft on their gigantic stature.” (Course offered in alternate years, scheduled for 2009-2010.)
Prerequisites: History 300 (formerly 200) or permission of instructor.

426. Modern European Intellectual History.
Fall. Credits: 4.
Degree Requirements: Humanities.
This seminar examines some of the leading developments in European thought from the eighteenth century to the present. Some of the issues/intellectual trends to be discussed include the Enlightenment, the French Revolution and natural rights, political economy and liberalism, the Industrial Revolution and socialism, Darwin and Social Darwinism, the “irrational” in late nineteenth-century thought, the impact of the two world wars, feminism, the Cold War and existentialism, and student radicalism and the new left. (Course not offered 2009-2010.)
Prerequisites: History 300 (formerly 200) or permission of instructor.

428. Fascist Europe, 1918-1945.
Fall or Spring. Credits: 4.
Degree Requirements: Humanities.
This seminar investigates one of the most tumultuous eras in European history by exploring the political and cultural development known as “fascism.” Radicalized by World War and Depression, adherents of this new political philosophy gained control of several European countries and transformed them from liberal democracies to totalitarian states. Concentrating on culture and society, we will explore why and how such groups came to power in countries including Italy and Germany, what fascists believed, the elements of their programs, and the legacies they left behind. An original research or historiographical paper, oral presentations, and extensive class discussion are required.
Prerequisites: History 300 (formerly 200) or permission of instructor.

429. Europe since 1945.
Spring. Credits: 4.
Degree Requirements: Humanities.
This course examines various aspects of European culture, politics, and society since World War II. In particular, we investigate the legacies of war and Holocaust; the creation and collapse of Cold War era communism; Europe’s relations with the rest of the world through decolonization, immigration, and globalization; and multiple challenges to Western value systems. Students are expected to read numerous works of historical scholarship, write a substantial analytical essay, participate actively in class discussion, and give oral presentations in class. (Course offered 2009-2010.)
Prerequisites: History 300 (formerly 200) or permission of instructor.

432. Colonial North America.
Fall or Spring. Credits: 4.
Degree Requirements: Humanities.
This seminar explores a variety of interpretations of the colonial experience in North America. Emphasis will be on the interaction of cultures and the evolution of political and social systems. Students will explore primary documents and autobiography, culminating in a research paper. (Course offered every third year, scheduled for 2011-2012.)
Prerequisites: History 300 (formerly 200) or permission of instructor.

435. The Civil War and Reconstruction Era.
Fall or Spring. Credits: 4.
Degree Requirements: Humanities.
This seminar will investigate the political, social, and constitutional developments surrounding the American Civil War. Topics include the development of antebellum society in the North and South, the rise of sectional political tensions, the social impact of the war on black and white Americans, and post-war attempts to reconstruct the social, political, and constitutional order. (Course offered alternate years, scheduled for 2011-2012.)
Prerequisites: History 300 (formerly 200) or permission of instructor.

436. The Origins of Modern America, 1877-1918.
Fall or Spring. Credits: 4.
Degree Requirements: Humanities.
This seminar deals with the social, economic, political, and constitutional development of the United States from the Reconstruction Era through the end of World War I. Topics include the rise of a corporate capitalist economic order, the creation of a post-Reconstruction southern identity, tensions between black and white Americans, the United States’ involvement in Europe’s Great War, and the rise of the national regulatory state. (Course offered every third year, scheduled for 2009-2010.)
Prerequisites: History 300 (formerly 200) or permission of instructor.

439. Recent History of the United States.
Fall or Spring. Credits: 4.
Degree Requirements: Humanities.
This seminar examines the evolution of American society since 1945. Special attention is given to the Cold War, political developments, and the cultural transformation of the 1960s and 1970s, and the resurgence of conservatism. (Course offered in alternate years, scheduled for 2010-2011.)
Prerequisites: History 300 (formerly 200) or permission of instructor.

441. Interpretive Issues in Native American History.
Fall. Credits: 4.
Degree Requirements: Humanities.
This seminar explores controversial issues in the history of Native North Americans, including both Canada and the United States. Topics include Indians and race relations in the American South, public health crises and revitalization movements, the intersections of tribalism and capitalism, Indian military service in Vietnam, and powwow cultures in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. (Course offered in alternate years, scheduled for 2010-2011.)
Prerequisites: History 300 (formerly 200) or permission of instructor. History 341 recommended.

445. Gender in the American West.
Spring. Credits: 4.
Degree Requirements: Humanities.
This seminar explores gender systems among different cultures, regions, and time periods in the trans-Mississippi West, from early contact between European and Native peoples through twentieth-century industrial migrations. Major themes include human encounters with the natural environment, the convergence of cultures, conquest and colonization, the expansion of capitalism, and their impact on gender systems. Students will consider the nature of gender on ‘frontiers’ of individual and community transformation, as well as problematic connections between the politics of gender in the West and the imagined West of myth and lore. (Course offered in alternate years, scheduled for 2010-2011.)
Prerequisites: History 300 (formerly 200) or permission of instructor.

448. Law and Justice in the American South.
Spring. Credits: 4.
Degree Requirements: Humanities.
This seminar investigates the history of law and lawlessness in the American South from the early nineteenth century to the late twentieth century. Students will explore the developments of substantive law, constitutional thought, and legal institutions in the southern states, as well as white and black southerners’ attitudes about law and justice. Specific topics will include honor and violence in the Old South, the law of slavery, communal justice and lynching, and the effect of religious values on substantive law and constitutional ideals. (Course offered in alternate years, scheduled for 2010-2011.)
Prerequisites: History 300 (formerly 200) or permission of instructor.

456. Cold War America.
Spring. Credits: 4.
Degree Requirements: Humanities.
This course will survey the United States’ involvement in the Cold War and how conflict with the Soviet Union shaped postwar international affairs, domestic politics, and American culture society. Students will learn about the rise of the Soviet-American global rivalry and how this competition played itself out in different theatres. Readings will cover the growth of tensions over issues like the Truman Doctrine or Communist control of Vietnam, as well as Cold War nuclear politics. Further, the course will examine Cold War culture in the United States and discuss issues of consensus and dissent in American society. (Course offered every third year; scheduled for 2010-2011.)
Prerequisites: History 300 (formerly 200) or permission of instructor.

460. Internship.
Fall, Spring. Credits: 1-4.
Degree Requirements: F11.
This is a directed internship in which students apply analytical and writing skills in a variety of off-campus workplaces. Possibilities include historical archives and museums as well as opportunities in non-profit organizations and law firms. To enroll, students must be approved in advance by the instructor and the Office of Career Services. (Does not count toward the major or minor. Taken pass-fail only.)

472. Environmental Justice.
Spring. Credits: 4.
Degree Requirements: Humanities.
Although “environmental justice” is a relatively new term, the historical links between ecology and equality worldwide are many. This course examines a variety of issues including urban pollution in nineteenth-century England, drug exploitation in Africa, the impact of state expansion on indigenous groups, maritime hunting rights, and various corporate legal battles. Students will learn how to critically assess the connections among race, class and environmental justice at the global and local levels. (Course offered in alternate years, scheduled for 2010-2011.)
Prerequisites: History 300 (formerly 200) or permission of instructor

475. Colonial Encounters in North Africa.
Spring. Credits: 4.
The history of modern North Africa, or the Maghrib, has been deeply marked by the experience of colonization. To understand the contemporary Maghrib, one has to study its colonial past and its lasting impact on post-independence states and societies. We will approach the colonial experience of the Maghrib as a colonial encounter between colonizers and colonized. We will critically examine these clear-cut categories and we will seek to identify the processes by which these categories were mutually shaped in intimate engagement and opposition. Through engagement with different themes relating to the colonial experience of the Maghrib and its aftermath, the course will take us from the beginning of the 19th Century to the late 20th Century.
Prerequisites: History 300 (formerly 200) or permission of instructor

485. Senior Seminar.
Fall, Spring. Credits: 4.
The senior seminar is an examination of important themes and issues in the study and writing of history, as seen through selected representative works drawn from diverse fields of historical investigation. Emphasis will be on reading and discussion, with both written analyses and oral presentations required. (Open only to senior history majors.)

495-496. Honors Tutorial.
Fall, Spring. Credits: 1-4.
Maximum of 8 hours credit. Must have departmental approval before undertaking Honors. (Does not count toward the major.)

PLEASE NOTE: This document reflects information as it was published in the 2009-10 Rhodes Catalogue. You may find more current information elsewhere on rhodes.edu.