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[ 100 Level Courses | 200 Level Courses | 300 Level Courses ]
HI 104. EARLY MODERN EUROPEAN HISTORY 3 credits
Tu/Th 12:40-2:00
This course explores the intellectual, social, religious, economic, and cultural forces that individually and collectively transformed the lives of the European communities between the years 1350 and 1750. It addresses the major cultural themes that have long characterized the transition from medieval-to-modern Europe: the Renaissance, Age of Discovery, Reformation, Scientific Revolution, and the Enlightenment. This semester we will also look outside of Europe to transnational relationships that shaped European identities, and to internal relationships that influenced the attitudes and values of those peoples who may not be represented in these classifications. These include women, non-Christians, and non-elite social groups. E. Bastress-Dukehart
HI 106. TWENTIETH-CENTURY EUROPE: AGE OF CONFLICT 3 credits
Tu/Th 9:40-11:00
An intensive examination of the political, economic, social, and cultural history of Europe from World War I. Emphasis on world wars, fascism, Nazism, communism, the Holocaust, new nations and nationalism, the Cold War, and the collapse of Soviet communism. (Fulfills social sciences requirement.) K. Foshko
HI 111. LATIN AMERICAN HISTORY: AN INTRODUCTION 3 credits
Tu/Th 2:10-3:30
An introduction to the economic, political, social, and intellectual history of Latin America. Organized thematically and chronologically, topics emphasize understanding the emergence of the colonies of Spain, Portugal, France, and England into a group of distinct nation-states. Students will explore Latin American society from initial encounters among Europeans, Africans, and Native Americans. We then study independence: political, economic, and social challenges of early nation-state formation in a multi-cultural context. We conclude with the twentieth century, addressing topics such as industrialization, revolution, U.S.-Latin American relations, and selected intellectual trends. J. Dym
HI 122. AMERICAN HISTORY SINCE THE CIVIL WAR 3 credits
Tu/Th 9:40-11:00
An exploration of major issues and problems of the American past: from the Civil War to the present. (Fulfills social sciences requirement.) C. McCoy
200 Level Courses
HI 211. DECONSTRUCTING BRITAIN 3 credits
M/W 2:30-3:50
This course is an in-depth look at the history of the Indian subcontinent from the late sixteenth-century to the present. Students in this course will begin with a study of the late Mughal period in India before moving on to explore the origins of the British empire in India. They will explore how the mercantile trade policies of the East India Company came to develop into a massive state run imperial project. Students will investigate the impact that British imperialism in India made on British history, Indian history, and, indeed, the history of the world. The second half of this course will move on to explore efforts to pull down the structures of British imperialism in India from the nineteenth century forward to independence in 1947. Students will begin with an exploration of the origins of Indian nationalism. The goal of this investigation will be to properly assess the complex interaction of the various groups involved in the process of decolonization in India – groups ranging from the Princes of India, the Congress Party, the Muslim League, and certain segments of the British public as well. In addition to assessing the impact that Indian independence had on the history of Britain and its empire, this second half of this course will explore the early histories of the independent nations that emerged from British India in 1947. (Fulfills Cultural Diversity requirement; fulfills social sciences requirement.) T. Nechtman
HI 217. 001 American Slavery 3 credits
Tu/Th 12:40-2:00
Topically organized courses based on problems and issues of special interest at the introductory level. The specific themes to be examined will vary from year to year. Recent offerings include "An Introduction to U.S. Environmental History" and "Vietnam War." This course with a different topic may be repeated for credit. (Fulfills social sciences requirement.) C. Mc Coy
HI 217. 002 Russian Revolution 3 credits
M/W 2:30-3:50
Examines the causes and consequences of the overthrow of the tsarist empire and the establishment of the Soviet regime following the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917. The course focuses on the Revolution as a transformative event for the history of Russia in the twentieth century--the source of the ideology behind Soviet totalitarianism, radical transformations in society, and the establishment of an alternative "Russia in exile. (Fulfills social sciences requirement.) K. Foshko
HI 217. 003 Intro to Islamic Civilization 3 credits
M/W 4:00-5:20
This course examines Islam as a wide range of cultural, social, and political formations in different regions and time periods. The first part of the course situates the emergence of Islam in its religious, mythological, and sociopolitical contexts in seventh-century Arabia. The second part examines early and classical Islam. For the early period, roughly the first half of the seventh century, the course covers the message of the Qur’an, the career of the prophet Muhammad, and the formation of the first Muslim community. As for the classical period, roughly between the ninth and the thirteenth centuries, we take glances at the flourishing of Islamic cultures and societies in Asia, North Africa, and Spain. The last part of the course examines the early modern and modern periods, from the sixteenth century onwards. This part focuses on the Ottoman Empire (described by a prominent Ottomanist as “one of the greatest, most extensive, and longest-lasting empires in the history of the world”), and covers the encounter with Europe and the emergence of the modern Middle East in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. M. Fakher Eldin
HI 217. 004 Islamic History and Society
Tu/Th 11:10-12:30
This course examines the histories, cultures and societies of the Middle East, a loosely defined term designating a large area of North Africa and West Asia. It starts by questioning the usefulness and origins of the very term “Middle East”. It then raises questions of how historical and anthropological knowledge, western media and travel writing, and academic scholarship have traditionally defined the Middle East. The course proceeds to offer a brief historical perspective of Islam, how it rose in 7th-century Arabia, how it spread rapidly through the region, and how Islamic orthodoxy was established. It then offers a brief historical overview of the Ottoman past, i.e. the period from the sixteenth century onwards, passing through the colonial period in the nineteenth century to the present post-colonial period in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. The course will then shift to discussing some important contemporary issues affecting Middle Eastern societies. These include: women and their position in Middle Eastern societies; the Arab-Israeli conflict; problems of democracy and human rights; Islam and politics; and the Gulf War and the current war in Iraq. M. Fakher Eldin
HI 217 005. Perceptions of Medieval and Early Modern Women 3 credits
W/F 12:20-1:40
Throughout the Middle Ages and the early modern period the absence of solid, detailed information by women stands in sharp contrast to the abundance of discourse and imagery about them. As Georges Duby and Michelle Perrot have written, “women were more likely to be “represented” than to be described or to have their stories told—much less be allowed to tell their own stories.”[i] What this means is that the imagined woman was far more likely to appear in literature, art, and history, than the real. How do we interpret the variety of ways in which philosophers, social theorists, historians, artists, and scientists have discussed and portrayed women? More importantly, how do we determine the real from the imaginary woman? Historians and philosophers have traditionally wavered between two extremes: classical thought, upon which Renaissance thinkers based their assumptions, emphasized the differences between men and women. Baroque thinkers suggested a more androgynous solution: the possibility that male and female elements existed within every person.[ii] The purpose of this course is to explore the richly varied perceptions of Medieval and early modern European women in order to determine from the literature how the images of and discourse about women reflected (or contrasted) their reality. E. Bastress-Dukehart [i] Georges Duby and Michelle Perrot, “Writing the History of Women,” in A History of Women in the West: From Ancient Goddesses to Christian Saints, ed., Pauline Schmitt, (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1992), IX. ii Ibid.
HI 241. INTRODUCTION TO IMPERIAL CHINA 3 credits
M/W/F 10:10-11:05
An introductory survey of the major cultural, political, and ideological developments in China from earliest times to the fall of the last Chinese dynasty, with focus on several important eras and their contributions to Asian civilizations. (Designated a non-Western culture course; fulfills social sciences requirement.) M. Pearson
HI 259R 001 Communism and Anticommunism 4 credits
Tu/Th 11:10-12:30
Extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice. - Barry Goldwater, 1964This class re-examines the controversy surrounding the red-hunts of the 1950s, by looking at the history of the Communist party in America, its connections to Moscow, and its detrimental effects on the American left in the 1920s-50s. We will consider two different historical perspectives on anticommunism in the 1950s: one holds that American Communists engaged in espionage and were controlled by Moscow, and thus the repression against them was reasonable and justified; the other holds that Communists posed little threat to the U.S. government and that the repression was really directed against other forms of radicalism. We will evaluate these claims based on our reading of primary sources, and our assessment of communism's impact on labor unions, civil rights organizations, and liberal politics. J. Delton
HI 275. INTRODUCTION TO THE HISTORY MAJOR 1 credit
W 8:40-10
An introduction to the aims of the History major. A prerequisite for the Colloquium. Required of all majors and interdepartmental majors, to be taken in the sophomore or junior years. Open to non-majors with consent of instructor. J. Delton
HI 302. THE HIGH MIDDLE AGES 3 credits
Tu/Th 3:40-5:00
The High Middle Ages was one of the most transformative eras in European history. Second to none for excitement and intellectual achievement, this age is the key to understanding not only the Renaissance that followed it, but it is also the key to understanding our own society. Europeans galloped off to join the Crusades, they studied with the scholastics, and when violence and philosophy did not answer all of their questions they dabbled in necromancy and untangled the mysteries of religion and science—or so they thought. Throughout it all they imagined heresy lurking in every dark corner of the continent. Other important developments during this period included lucrative trade routes, political administrations, democratic institutions, codified laws, vernacular literature, and universities. Clearly historians no longer think of this time as the “Dark Ages.” The documents and texts chronicling these adventures and advances will guide the narratives of this course. Particular consideration will be given to themes of power, natural philosophy, and the tensions that existed between the Catholic Church and European state builders. Because the study of medieval history is necessarily interdisciplinary, art and literature will inform every subject. E. Bastress-Dukehart
HI 330. B POLITICS AND SOCIETY IN LATIN AMERICA – Central America 3 credits
T 6:00-9:00
A consideration of the important aspects of Latin American politics, economy, society, and culture in historical context, focusing on a specific geographical region. From the encounters of Indian, African, and Spaniard in the fifteenth century through the turning over of the Panama Canal by the U.S. government to Panamanian authorities in 1999, Latin American society and political systems have developed in tandem with the rest of the Western Hemisphere. Topics might include: political traditions; sugar, coffee, bananas, and oil: dependent development; religious traditions; intellectual currents; popular culture; women; indigenous peoples and modern societies; race; labor; reform, intervention and revolution; and human rights. This course may be repeatable, if for a different topic/region. J. Dym
HI 363. 001 RESEARCH IN ASIAN HISTORY 3 credits
W/F 12:20-1:40
This seminar brings together seniors in Asian Studies and/or history who are writing research papers on Chinese and Japanese history. For Asian Studies majors, it may be used to replace AS 372. Students considering this course should confer with the instructor. " This course with a different topic may be repeated for credit. M. Pearson
HI 363 002 Culture, Politics, and History of the Islamic World 3 Credits
M/W 6:30-7:50
This course examines selected themes in the cultures and societies of the modern Middle East since its emergence in the early 19th century. The region of the Middle East, to state the obvious, makes up only a small part of the Islamic World and does not represent it. The course will occasionally draw on issues from outside the region (e.g. Indonesia, India, Africa) and will discuss themes of relevance to other times and places. Broadly put, the themes of this course include: the question of knowledge and representation of Islam and the Middle East; the Ottoman legacy and heritage; the social history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict; modernity and modern state power; Shari‘a law; popular religion; popular politics; contemporary ‘Islamic’ middle class culture; gender and ‘the veil’; war and democracy. M. Fakher EldinI
HI 363 003 The French Revolution 3 credits
M/W 2:30-3:50
In this course we will study the events of the Revolution, their political, social, and cultural significance, and their legacies in France and beyond. A particular emphasis will be placed on debates on the meaning and import of the Revolution in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. K. Foshko
HI 375. 001 and 002 COLLOQUIUM IN HISTORY 4 credits
M 11:15-1:15 C. McCoy
W 10:10-12:10 J. Dym
The Colloquium is the history major's capstone course. Students will write a research paper on a topic of their choosing, which reflects and makes use of their history coursework to date. The colloquium is restricted to Seniors. By permission of instructor only.
