HISENG 383 Banned Books and the Law in American History (3) (H)
HIST 100 Study Abroad (1-6)
HIST 111 World History to A.D. 1600 (3) (H)
Study of selected topics in history from the emergence of early cultures to the 16th century. Emphasis is on the variety of human societies and the ways in which differing old world societies influenced one another. Prerequisite: freshman/sophomore status or consent. Offered each fall.
HIST 112 World History: The Modern Era (3) (H)
Explores world history since 1600 focusing on intercultural exploration and appreciation. Examines many critical political events in world history including the two world wars. Students also learn about key historical trends such as the waning of traditional societies, industrialization, Marxism, nationalism, and imperialism. Significant attention is devoted to studying cultural developments, especially understanding how ordinary people experienced major historical events. Prerequisite: freshman/sophomore status or consent. Offered each spring.
HIST 113 History of U.S. to 1877 (3) (H)
An introductory survey of the major political, social, economic, cultural, demographic, religious, and diplomatic developments in U.S. and Virginia history from the founding of Jamestown in 1607 until the end of Reconstruction in 1877. Among the topics studied are the major events of Virginia History from 1607 to 1877, Native American life, the concept of "encounter" between Native Americans and Europeans, the social and political development of colonial life, the reasons for African slavery and the daily realities of slave life, the process of cultural transmissions from Europe to Africa to America, the causes and consequences of the American Revolution, the contested nature of American democracy and concepts of American freedom, the Market Revolution, 19th century American life, territorial expansion, the coming of the Civil War, and the meanings of Reconstruction. Prerequisite: freshman/sophomore status or consent. Offered regularly.
HIST 114 History of U.S. Since 1877 (3) (H)
An introductory survey of the major political, social, economic, cultural, demographic, religious, and diplomatic developments in U.S. and Virginia history from the end of Reconstruction through the present. The unfinished social revolution of Reconstruction, the industrial revolution, the rise and fall of Progressivism, the origins of American empire, World Wars I and II, the Vietnam War, and the rise of the United States to unparalleled prosperity, power, and influence in the world are covered. Students examine scientific, technological, and intellectual developments, imperial expansionism and warfare, the ongoing expansion and centralization of federal government power and authority, struggles for social justics, individual autonomy and environmental change, cultural transformation, and the interaction of diverse communities of peoples at home and abroad. Prerequisite: freshman/sophomore status or consent. Offered regularly.
HIST 205 Survey of Modern Europe (3) (H)
Survey in European history since the 18th century. Over the past 200 years, European society has changed profoundly. From scientific discoveries, to the spread of democracy, to the rise of secularism, Europe has undergone revolutionary transformations. Many people consider most of these developments to be critical markers of progress, and they point to democracy, industrialization, scientific advances, and technological innovations as evidence of this progress. Such developments also came with negative repercussions, such as colonialism, mass destruction and genocide. Students are exposed to various historical interpretations, including political, social, gender, and cultural narratives. Prerequisite: none. Offered each fall.
HIST 211 History of England to 1715 (3) (H)
Roman Britain to the glorious revolution, with special emphasis upon constitutional development, religious change and economic expansion. Offered fall of odd-numbered years.
HIST 212 Modern Britain (3) (H)
The impact of the industrial revolution on the course of British history, the rise and decline of empire, and experimentation with socialism in the 20th century are studied. Offered spring of even-numbered years.
HIST 216 A Survey of Medieval History (3) (H)
A survey of the cultural, religious, political, and economic changes which Europe underwent from the "fall" of Rome to the Black Death. Offered spring of odd-numbered years.
HIST 219 Topics in Asian History (3) (H,W)
An examination of selected topics in the history of Asia that varies from year to year and focuses on such areas as China, Japan, India and the Near East. Offered spring of odd-numbered years or on demand.
HIST 220 The Civil War & Reconstruction (3) (H)
Examines the causes, experience, significance, and lasting legacies of the Civil War and Reconstruction. It covers, among many other topics, the ongoing crisis of sectionalism and nationalism, the political, ideological, and moral conflict over slavery, the impact of expansionism, the ideological development of a revolutionary South, and the impact of the war on national politics, culture, and memory. Heavy emphasis is given to the war itself: the battles, leaders, common soldiers, tactics, diplomacy and economics of this great conflict. Finally, we explore the mixed results of this war for the victorious North, the defeated South, and the restored nation during the Reconstruction era and beyond. Offered spring of even-numbered years.
HIST 224 World Wars I & II (3) (H)
A course in European history from 1878 to 1945 emphasizing the origins, nature, and impact of the two world wars. Offered fall of even-numbered years.
HIST 225 United States History Since 1945 (3) (H)
An introductory survey of the major political, social, economic, cultural, demographic, and diplomatic developments in U.S. history from the end of World War II through the present. Among other topics studied are scientific, technological, and intellectual developments, American superpower and global decolonization, Cold War and regional warfare, the ongoing expansion and centralization of federal government power and authority, struggles for social justice and civil rights, individual autonomy and environment balance, cultural transformation, and the interaction of diverse communities of peoples across both time and space. Prerequisite: freshman/sophomore status or consent. Offered regularly.
HIST 231 History of Nazi Germany (3) (H)
Explores the rise of Nazism and the establishment of the Nazi dictatorship in Germany from 1933 until 1945. The historical conditions that fostered Nazism, the Hitler revolution, the Nazification of many facets of German life, the Second World War, and the Holocaust are examined. Students analyze primary documents that focus on various aspects of the Third Reich, including ideology, propaganda, family life, gender, and the arts. Concludes with an evaluation of the Nazi legacy in German history. Offered spring of odd-numbered years.
HIST 233 African-American History to 1877 (3) (H)
Traces the experiences of Americans of African descent from their arrival in the Americas to the period of Reconstruction after the American Civil War. Offered fall of odd-numbered years.
HIST 234 African-American History Since 1877 (3) (H)
Traces the experiences of Americans of African descent from the period of Reconstruction after the American Civil War to the present. Offered spring of even-numbered years.
HIST 235 Colonial Latin America (3) (H)
A survey of the history of Latin America from the pre-Conquest era through the Colonial period. Offered fall of odd-numbered years.
HIST 237 Cultural History of Modern Europe (3) (H)
Explores the culture of Europe from the Baroque Age until the present. Examines a wide array of cultural expressions, linking artistic and popular cultural movements to their historical contexts. These cultural movements include the Enlightenment, romanticism, realism, modernism, and nationalism. Culture is thus defined broadly, encompassing traditional forms of high culture, such as art, music and literature, as well as national political cultures, popular cultures, and everyday cultures. An understanding of aesthetic sensibilities of various epochs is also emphasized by examining how artistic creation has changed over the past four centuries. Students develop their own sense of aesthetic sensibilities by attending various cultural events, including concerts, theatre performances, film viewings, architectural tours, and art exhibitions. Offered fall of odd-numbered years.
HIST 240 The American Revolution and Early Republic, 1750-1787 (3) (H)
An intensive examination of the causes and consequences of the American Revolution and the formation of the U.S. Constitution. Readings are drawn from primary and secondary sources. Offered spring of odd-numbered years.
HIST 246 Introduction to Africa (3) (H)
A general survey of African history that treats the origins of African society, the great Bantu migrations, the arrival of Islam, the medieval empires of the Sudan, the colonial experience and modern nationhood through lectures, discussions and audiovisual presentations. Offered spring of even-numbered years.
HIST 248 Medieval Islamic World (3) (V)
An honors course in the history, religion and culture of the Islamic Near East, Spain, African empires and Swahili coast, the Ottoman empire and Mogul India from Mohammed the Prophet to the 17th century. Prerequisite: Honors and Scholars only or consent. Offered on demand.
HIST 250 American Maritime History (3) (H)
Examines the American relationship with the sea from a variety of social, economic, diplomatic, environmental, and political perspectives. Students concentrate on the development, experience, and nature of maritime exploration, commerce, warfare, and transportation during the formative years of the United States between settlement on the Atlantic rim and the rise to world power by 1900. Particular attention is paid to the history of the region surrounding the Chesapeake Bay in order to take advantage of the historical and environmental richness that surrounds the area. Among many other topics, students study international trade, fishing, whaling and sealing, piracy, the life, experience and mindset of the seamen, overseas empires, the development, transformation and projection of naval power around the world, and the incredible impact of the maritime world on American politics, economy, community, and culture over three centuries. Offered spring of even-numbered years.
HIST 258 Introduction to Historiography (3)
The discipline of history increasingly emphasizes argumentation in its scholarship, focusing on interpretive historiography. Even though historians regularly study the same sources, they often arrive at markedly different interpretations. By analyzing the differing schools that have developed around various historical questions, students learn how to enter into historical debates by engaging other historians. They also are exposed to some of the most important methodologies in the discipline of history. Prerequisite: history or social studies major or history minor. Offered each spring.
HIST 262 Seminar in the History of European Cities (3)
Investigates the history of various European cities, including Berlin, Paris, London, Vienna, and Prague. Focuses on the history of art, architecture, city planning, and public spaces. Through walking tours, visits to museums and key landmarks, and musical performances, students investigate the historical developments of the cities, focusing particularly on conflicts radiating from the construction and destruction of the urban landscape. Begins at VWC with an on-campus component in which students prepare for an on-site study of the city. The on-campus study is followed by travel to the destination. Offered during selected Winter Sessions.
HIST 263 The History of Piracy (3) (H)
Explores the world that pirates called their home, including both the myth and the reality of being a pirate. Topics include a pirate's daily life, the reasons why someone would become a pirate, and the relationship between piracy and the construction of early modern empires. Comparisons with pirates in the South China Sea and the northern coast of Africa are also explored, and several films are screened. Offered in selected Winter Sessions.
HIST 303 17th- and 18th-Century America (3) (W)
A study of the social, cultural, religious, and demographic changes that took place over two different centuries in early American history. Topics studied include Native American life; encounters between whites and Indians; the political, economic, and social formation of the colonies; free and enslaved black life; African, European, and American cultural development; and religion, among others. Prerequisite: sophomore/junior/senior status. Offered in fall of even-numbered years.
HIST 305 Survey of Modern Europe (3) (H)
Survey in European history since the 18th century. Over the past 200 years, European society has changed profoundly. From scientific discoveries, to the spread of democracy, to the rise of secularism, Europe has undergone revolutionary transformations. Many people consider most of these developments to be critical markers of progress, and they point to democracy, industrialization, scientific advances, and technological innovations as evidence of this progress. Such developments also came with negative repercussions, such as colonialism, mass destruction and genocide. Students are exposed to various historical interpretations, including political, social, gender, and cultural narratives. Prerequisite: sophomore/junior/senior status. Offered each fall.
HIST 313 19th-Century America (3) (H)
An intensive exploration of major themes, events, and individuals in United States history between Thomas Jefferson's presidency and the Spanish-American War. We study territorial and governmental expansion, the politics of slavery and freedom, the Civil War and its aftermath, the industrial revolution, urbanization, imperial adventurism, and other transformations that marked this tumultuous and fascinating time in history. Particular emphasis is placed on historiographical interpretations of the historical changes and their meanings. Prerequisite: HIST 113 or 114, sophomore/junior/senior status. Offered fall of even-numbered years.
HIST 314 First and Second Great Awakenings (3) (H,W)
A study of the social, cultural, religious, and demographic causes and consequences of the First and Second Great Awakenings. Prerequisite: sophomore/junior/senior status. Offered spring of even-numbered years.
HIST 316 A Survey of Medieval History (3) (H)
A survey of the cultural, religious, political, and economic changes which Europe underwent from the "fall" of Rome to the Black Death. Offered spring of odd-numbered years.
HIST 317 History of Virginia (3) (H)
An exploration of the history of the Commonwealth of Virginia through the Civil War, examining such topics as Powhatan culture, early Virginia settlement and life, the origins of slavery and the construction of race, gentry and slave culture, Thomas Jefferson, and Virginia's role in the Civil War. Field trips to historic sites may be required. Prerequisite: sophomore/junior/senior status. Offered each fall.
HIST 319 Early Modern Europe 1300-1789 (3) (W)
The Renaissance as it began in the Italian city-states and spread to North Europe, the cultural and intellectual background of the religious Reformers, the impact of the Religious Revolution on the emerging European nation-states, and the intellectual triumph of the European "Enlightenment." Prerequisite:sophomore/junior/senior status. Offered spring of even-numbered years.
HIST 322 Religion & Social Issues in America History (3)
Examines, from an interdisciplinary vantage point, crucial social issues in American history such as slavery and issues of racial equality, and the status of women. This course explores the religious influences, background and context of these social issues which have had a profound effect on American history and continue to reverberate in American society today. Prerequisites: completed at least 6 semester hours in history, religious studies, political science, English, interdisciplinary studies, philosophy or sociology. Prerequisite: junior status or consent. Offered on demand.
HIST 323 Tudor England (3) (W)
A detailed introduction to the history of 15th- and 16th-century England that explores the political, social, economic, religious and intellectual trends responsible for the "renaissance" of culture that characterized the Elizabethan Age. Prerequisite: sophomore/junior/senior status. Offered fall of even-numbered years.
HIST 325 Radicalism, Terrorism, and Violence in American History (3)
An examination of dissent, radical politics, terrorism, and political violence in American history. Radicalism in all forms in American history is studied from the colonial era to the present. We examine the impact and influence of historically important forms of violence, political crime, and state repression on American politics, culture, society, and economy. Students examine the rise of different radical political ideologies and parties, mob violence, slave uprisings, filibusters, lynching, vigilantism, strikes, police and military repression, assassination, terrorism of the left and right, apocalyptic sects, the role of violence in producing or forestalling social change and reform, etc. We also discuss and dissect the different theoretical approaches developed by historians to explain the meaning of radicalism, terrorism, and violence in American history. Prerequisite: sophomore/junior/senior status. Offered fall of odd-numbered years.
HIST 328 US Foreign Relations,1763-1919 (3) (H)
An examination of the major themes, events, ideas, and consequences of American foreign policy from the French and Indian Wars through Woodrow Wilson's attempt to re-shape international relations in the aftermath of World War I. Particular attention will be given to the strategic, ideological, economic, sectional, and racial dimensions of U.S. relations with other nations and peoples, and to the connections between foreign and domestic politics. Prerequisite: sophomore/junior/senior status. Offered spring of odd-numbered years.
HIST 338 Internship in Public History (3)
Offers students the opportunity to work directly in the museums, historic houses and archives in the region where they gain historical knowledge and insight into what historians do outside the classroom. In addition to 100 hours of field work, students meet several times for discussion with other interns and write a short paper relating to their experiences. Prerequisites: "B" (3.00 GPA) average, junior status or consent. Offered each spring.
HIST 346 History of South Africa (3) (S)
An exploration of the South African past from earliest settlement by African and European peoples through the British Colonial and Afrikaner union periods, to the establishment and dismantling of apartheid in the 20th century. Prerequisite: sophomore/junior/senior status. Offered fall of even-numbered years.
HIST 347 History of Modern France (3) (H,W)
Focusing on France's attempts to achieve "liberty, equality, and fraternity," the history of France is explored from the beginning of the 18th century until the present. The investigation covers the various political regimes beginning with Absolutism under Louis XIV, through the series republics, and the two Napoleonic empires. Looming large on the horizon of modern French history, of course, are the many revolutions, which have left indelible stamps on the history of France and are a central focus. The political narrative is supplemented by a social analysis of French society, including the history of the working classes, women, Jews, and immigrants. Given the vibrant cultural history of modern France, an examination is made of the cultural milestones in French history as well as popular culture and national political symbolism. Prerequisite: sophomore/junior/senior status. Offered on demand.
HIST 348 History of Modern Germany (3) (W)
In 1871, Germany united and became a modern nation-state. Since unification, however, the geo-political definition of Germany has never been fixed. In 1918, 1933, 1940, 1945, and 1990, Germany went through momentous changes that highlighted the instability of the German nation. Focusing on key historical developments, students explore the meaning of modern Germany since 1871.ýWhile the political outline of German history is examined, the focus extends beyond the political realm, investigating both the social and cultural histories of Germany as a means to probe more deeply into German identity. This social and cultural emphasis raises key questions about German identity: Why have ethnic groups clashed over the definition of Germany? Why have Germans historically had a strong sense of regional identity and a tenuous national allegiance? Is the Holocaust the main lens through which one should read German history? Where are Germany's borders? Prerequisite: sophomore/junior/senior status. Offered spring of even-numbered years.
HIST 352 U.S. Women's History (3) (H,W)
Examines topics in the history of women in the United States from the colonial period to the present. The course focuses particularly on how women's roles and ideas about femininity changed over time in the context of the social, economic, political, and cultural development of the United States. The course also takes account of what American women have shared, as well as how they have differed across lines of class, race, ethnicity and region. Prerequisite: sophomore/junior/senior status. Offered spring of even-numbered years.
HIST 353 History of Women in Europe Since 1700 (3) (H,W)
Explores the history of women in Europe from the 18th century to the present. Its central themes focus on women's roles in society, both public and private. Examining women in the spaces they have historically occupied, students probe into some of the central questions concerning the history of women in Europe: How did society define "woman," and why was she generally seen as the "other"? How did society construct women's roles, and to what extent did women contest traditional gender roles? How did industrialization shape women's lives? To what extent did women participate in political struggle, and how did their political goals and means of struggle vary from those of men? How did contemporaries view the female body? Why did some women oppose "emancipation," as defined by feminists? Prerequisite: sophomore/junior/senior status. Offered fall of even-numbered years.
HIST 360 Junior Research Seminar (3) (W)
Designed to provide history majors with skills for research within the discipline. Students examine a few basic readings on the general topic together and then formulate their own related research projects. A series of assignments takes them through the research and writing process and culminate in a major paper. Prerequisites: declared major in history, sophomore/junior/senior status. Offered each spring.
HIST 380 Dos Passos' USA (3) (H)
An intensive exploration of an underutilized masterpiece of American literature as well as a rumination on the tenor of life, politics, culture, and history in the United States during the first three decades of the 20th century. The core of this seminar is John Dos Passos' great trilogy, U.S.A.: The 42nd Parallel: 1919: The Big Money. We read and discuss these fascinating and complicated books, explore and evaluate Dos Passos' innovative narrative and experimental styles, his political agenda and social critique, his understanding of the flow of American history, his enduring appeal to the fan of a good read, and his great utility to the student of American history. Using the books as a guide and a lodestar, we construct an understanding of the American experience before, during and after the First World War, and gain a unique insight into the connections between literature and history and between art and memory. Prerequisite: any 100-level history course, sophomore/junior/senior status. Offered in selected Winter Sessions.
HIST 381 The South of Erskine Caldwell (3)
An intensive reading and discussion seminar which explores the tenor of early 20th century Southern life and culture through the fiction and non-fiction works of Erskine Caldwell, a much-overlooked genius of American letters. Caldwell stands alongside William Faulkner as one of the two most important interpreters of life, culture, and society in the South during the early 20th century. In his highly readable works, Caldwell straddled the lines between sharp social commentary and popular fiction, high art and reportage. By focusing on the lives of ordinary Southerners, Caldwell explored race, class, and gender in a South wracked by industrialization, social upheaval, racial violence, and the Great Depression. Rural Southern life, the race question in the South, radical Georgia politics, social change during the Great Depression, and the broader flow of events in American history between 1900 and 1945 are covered along with other important topics. Prerequisite: sophomore/junior/senior status. Offered in selected Winter Sessions.
HIST 383 Banned Books and the Law in American History (3) (H)
Identical to ENG 383.
HIST 385 Seminar in the History of Socialism, Communism, & Marxism in Europe (3) (H)
Explores the development of socialism in Europe from the late eighteenth century through today. Examines the theoretical origins of socialism in the late eighteenth century and the beginning of the nineteenth century. Includes an analysis of Marxism and Communism as developed by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels in the mid-nineteenth century, as well as critical socialist thinkers after Marx, including August Bebel, Lenin, Rosa Luxemburg, and Geog Lukacs. Includes an analysis of socialist/communist feminism, aesthetics, literary theory, and home furnishing. Investigates the historical application of socialist theory to the political world from the mid nineteenth century, to the Russian Revolution, to the collapse of communist regimes in Eastern Europe in the 1990s. Prerequisite: sophomore/junior/senior status. Offered in selected Winter Sessions.
HIST 400 The Civil Rights Movement (3)
A seminar consisting of intensive reading and discussion of selected classic and cutting-edge scholarship on the African-American freedom struggles of the 20th century. We work from the premise that the roots of the Civil Rights Movement stretch back long before the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education decision and that its achievements and continuing struggles remain central to understanding the role of race in American society today. Topics of study include the early campaigns of the NAACP; the significance of the Great Depression and World War II in accelerating the struggle for racial justice; the role of grassroots activism in the 1950s and 1960s; civil rights efforts outside of the South; and the interwoven relationship of the "Civil Rights" and "Black Power" movements. This is a reading and writing intensive history seminar. Prerequisites: senior status and either HIST 113, 114 or 115.
HIST 405 "Born to Shop?" The History of Modern Consumer Culture in the United States (3) (I)
Is the American Dream for sale? The history of consumer culture in the United States during the 20th century is examined. It is often said that we live in a consumer society, but seldom do we stop to consider what this actually means or how it came to be. In tracing this history, scholars grapple with such questions as: How has consumerism helped to shape American culture in the 20th century? Has consumer culture primarily been oppressive or liberating? How does consumer culture shape and reflect personal and group identity, whether based on gender, class, ethnicity, race, or nationality? These and other questions are examined through readings, films, and primary sources. Prerequisite: senior status or consent. Offered spring of even-numbered years.
HIST 412 America Since 1920 (3)
Political, economic, and social conditions during prosperity and depression, war and peace. Emphasis on conflict and adjustment of traditional American concepts to an urbanized and mechanized society. Prerequisite: senior status. Offered fall of even-numbered years.
HIST 415 Diseases, Pirates, and Slaves in the Atlantic World (3) (H,W)
Introduces students to the major topics and themes arising from the innumerable connections that existed between peoples who crisscrossed the Atlantic Ocean between 1500 and 1800. Students examine topics such as encounter, environment, migration, piracy, slavery, and revolution in Africa, Europe, North America, and South America. Prerequisite: senior status or consent. Offered spring of even-numbered years.
HIST 417 History of the Old South (3)
An intensive study of life, politics, culture, economics, gender, and race throughout the different areas of the American South between the early colonial era and the HISTORY 111 coming of the Civil War. Covers, among many other topics, cultural and political developments of life in the unique context of the Antebellum South; the experience of the frontier, mountain, Tidewater, piedmont, and Gulf Coast; the complex relationship between Black, White and Native Americans; the notion of Southern honor; the interplay of sectionalism, radicalism, Southern nationalism, and expansionism; and the experience of plantation life for master and slave. This advanced-level class also puts considerable effort into analyzing an array of different historiographical interpretations and schools of thought on the history of the Old South. Prerequisite: senior status or consent. Offered fall of odd-numbered years.
HIST 418 History of the New South (3) (H,W)
An intensive study, discussion, and evaluation of life, politics, culture, economics, gender, and the race question throughout the many different areas of the American South between the end of Reconstruction and the end of World War II. We will cover, among many other topics, the shifting legacies of the Civil War and of Reconstruction, the Jim Crow segregation system, New South ideology, and the life and working experiences of the people of the South. As this is an advanced-level class, we also put considerable effort into analyzing an array of different historiographical interpretations and schools of thought on the history, meaning, and memory of the New South. Prerequisite: three semester hours in history and senior status or consent.
HIST 425 Brother Can You Spare a Paintbrush? The Arts Projects of the WPA (1) (3) (I)
During the 1930s the U.S. federal government spent 500 million dollars on the arts. These New Deal initiatives, a small part of the Works Progress Administration's efforts to alleviate massive Depression-era unemployment, funded visual artists, writers, musicians, directors, and actors. Thousands of creative projects and administrative documents related to WPA arts are available digitally in online archives. Taking advantage of these sources, students embark upon intensive research and analysis of the arts programs of the WPA, examining these projects' cultural, social, and political significance in the context of one of the most dynamic and fascinating periods in modern American history. As a major portion of this course, students also create New Deal-style art, individually and in groups, which is presented to the campus community at the end of the Winter Session. Prerequisite: senior status. Offered in selected Winter Sessions.
HIST 426 European Heresy and the Witch-Hunt (3) (I,W)
An intensive examination of the varying themes and viewpoints historians grapple with in their study of religious dissent in Medieval and Early Modern Europe. Includes a formal research paper in a student-led seminar format. Prerequisite: senior status or consent. Offered spring of odd-numbered years.
HIST 428 Atlantic Slavery (3) (I)
An intensive examination of the African and American slave trades. While the focus varies, the course considers the causes and consequences of the slave trade and key questions in the historiography of slavery from an interdisciplinary perspective. Prerequisite: senior status or consent. Offered spring of odd-numbered years.
HIST 432 Russia/Soviet Union: 1855-Present (3)
Study of the decline of Imperial Russia, the development of revolutionary movements and ideas, the history of the USSR, and post-Soviet developments. Prerequisite: senior status or consent. Offered when department scheduling permits.
HIST 433 Globalization and Empire in American History (3) (S)
Traces and evaluates the development of systems of liberalized trade, cultural exchange, communication, and transportation known as globalization and the related American pursuit of empire and power in this capitalist world system. Students also concentrate on the legal, administrative, political, ideological, cultural, and military systems and strategies created over time by policymakers in the United States to shape and dominate an increasingly interconnected and interdependent world. The class proceeds chronologically, although it focuses on systemic analysis of interrelated historical events. Students discuss and dissect the different theoretical approaches developed by legal and foreign policy historians to explain the meaning of globalization and empire in American history. Prerequisite: senior status or consent. Offered fall of even-numbered years.
HIST 440 Seminar in American History (3)
Intensive study of selected topics that vary from semester to semester. Prerequisite: senior status or consent. Offered on demand.
HIST 450 Seminar in European History (3)
Intensive study of selected topics that vary from semester to semester. Prerequisite: senior status or consent. Offered on demand.
HIST 451 History of the Holocaust (3) (I)
Examines the Holocaust from a variety of perspectives based on the General Studies Frames of Reference. Investigating the history of anti-Semitism, the emergence of racial ideologies at the end of the 19th century, the conditions that contributed to the rise of the Nazi Party, and the memory of the Holocaust, this course seeks to situate the Holocaust in a broad historical context. It also considers the Holocaust from aesthetic and ethical perspectives. The course revolves around an all-class project that commemorates Kristalnacht on November 9, which develops students' historical knowledge, communication skills, and aesthetic sensibilities. Prerequisite: senior status or consent. Offered fall of odd-numbered years.
HIST 460 Senior Project Seminar (3) (W)
A workshop in which senior history majors apply previous learning. The student selects a historical problem, develops the appropriate methodology for its investigation, and carries out the project under faculty supervision and in close contact with other members of the seminar. The student is encouraged to consider a variety of approaches to historical investigation, including oral history, quantification, and archival research. Prerequisite: senior status, HIST 258 and 360 or consent. Offered each fall.
HIST 461 Senior Thesis (1)
Designed as the capstone for history majors. Students revise their senior theses with the guidance of their HIST 460 defense committees. This revision requires additional research and rewriting and culminates with an oral defense of the thesis to the class and defense committee. Mastery of interpreting and evaluating primary sources and a thorough understanding of historiography is expected as is the ability to construct a solid historical thesis drawing from the two. The ability to revise the thesis and critique the efforts of classmates must be demonstrated. Throughout the semester, students present their topics, the evolution of their thinking, and their research methods, findings, and challenges to the class. Prerequisite: senior status and HIST 460 or consent. Offered intermittently.
HIST 485 History for Secondary School Teachers (1)
Intended to be an intensive content and historiographical review course for secondary school teachers in social studies. These tasks are accomplished by focusing on primary documents and scholarly articles on various historical periods. Techniques for teaching aspects of this complicated material to students is discussed, shared and developed, focusing in part on the requirements of the state SOLs. This class deepens understanding of history, engages scholarly controversies, and enhances the teacher's effectiveness in the classroom.