Freshman Seminar (HIS 1000) 3 credits United States History to 1877 (HIS 1021) This course concentrates on some of the major social and political events in the history of the American people from colonization through Reconstruction. Political developments emphasized are the growth of constitutionalism and the establishment of political parties. Social themes treated include the idealism and reformism of early 19th century America and the question of slavery as a social institution. 3 credits. United States History Since 1877 (HIS 1022) This course concentrates on some of the major social and political events in the history of the American people, covering the period from the end of Reconstruction through World War II. Some themes emphasized are economic growth and the rise of America as a world power. The dominant social theme examined is the transition from the values and attitudes of an agricultural society to those of an urban, industrial society. 3 credits. World History & the Environment (HIS/ELA 1057) This course examines the relationship between human history and the environment. We will examine how the environment has affected human societies, how the development of human civilization has impacted the environment, and how human attitudes towards the environment have formed and changed over time. 3 credits. American Views of the Environment (HIS/ELA 1058) This course focuses on the history of the American environment. We will examine the historical development of social systems (economic, political, cultural), and how they affected perceptions, usage, management, and conservation of the American environment from pre-colonial times to the present. 3 credits. Special Topics in History (HIS 2000) Offered periodically as faculty are available. The course will provide an opportunity to study themes spanning a broad period of time. Some examples are: The concept of self-made man in 19th century America, revolution and social change in the less developed countries of Asia in the 20th century, anti-Semitism in 19th century Europe, and Freud and psychohistory in the 20th century. Prerequisite: This course is addressed to Sophomores and Juniors. 3 credits. Mass Culture in Modern America (HIS 2015) Working in the 1920s, historians began to notice that a new cultural phenomenon had arisen in America: A mass culture built around such things as radio, movies, consumer products, sports, journalism, and other forms of cultural expression was displacing the authority of the high culture and beginning to occupy a central place in the lives of millions, giving shape to these lives. This course traces the development of this mass culture in late nineteenth and early 20th century America and charts its progress through the 20th century. 3 credits. The United States & the Vietnam War (HIS 2016) This course is an examination of the American phase of the Indochina war. Emphasis will be placed on understanding the American motives for engagement in Vietnam, the controversy in the United States over the war, and the eventual American withdrawal. Students will also be familiarized with the Vietnamese view of the American effort. 3 credits. Special Topics in History (HIS 3000) Compelling personalities, themes, developments, or events form the focus of this course. The particular characters, themes, and events will change each time the course is offered. Examples of topics are: Napoleon, Hitler and Stalin, riots and popular protest, witchcraft in Europe and America in the 17th century, the origins of World War II, and American attitudes toward technology in the 20th century. Prerequisite: This course is addressed to Juniors and Seniors. 3 credits. Renaissance to Enlightenment Europe (HIS 3008) Through a study of the Renaissance, the Reformation, and the Age of Reason, this course will focus on the transition to modern society in Western Europe. Through the study of historical documents, particular attention will be paid to the thought and culture of these periods. We will examine the development of the modern world and will explore how the nature of the state and its relationship to the individual was redefined through the conflicting ideologies and developments of this period. Prerequisite: None, but recommend HIS/ELA 1057 World History and the Environment. 3 credits. The Civil War & Reconstruction (HIS 3009) This course will concentrate on three episodes in American history: The sectional crisis 1820-1860, the Civil War 1861-1865, and the Reconstruction 1865-1877. Students will examine many historical interpretations of the crisis and war, with an emphasis on causes. The Reconstruction will be examined both factually and historigraphically. 3 credits. America in Depression & War: 1921-1945 (HIS 3012) The Ku Klux Klan, high prosperity, economic depression, and world war provide the backdrop for this view of American society in an era of crises. The historiography of the Great Crash, past and present views of the New Deal and America’s flowering as a world power are the primary foci of this course. Prerequisite: HIS 1022 United States History Since 1877 strongly recommended. 3 credits. The American West (HIS 3014) No other region has had as powerful a hold on the popular imagination as the American West. For more than a century, writers, scholars, artists, and politicians have looked on the West as the locale of the nation’s epic tale, the place where all those things they wished to celebrate about America were forged —democracy, individualism, self-reliance. This course will sort reality from myth by focusing on the diversity of peoples who have inhabited the regions and on the many ways in which they have interacted with each other and the land. Prerequisite: None, but recommend HIS 1021 United States to 1877, HIS 1022 United States Since 1877. 3 credits. History of Education (HIS/EDU 3015) Aristotle said that the central task of government is to look after the education of youth. This course examines the ways in which the peoples of the United States have wrestled with that dictum since passing the first education law in 1647. Readings will change from semester to semester depending upon whether the central focus is curriculum—what should be taught to whom, how, and why—or the development and evolution of the public school system. Students will gain a critical understanding of the forces that created the public school in its current form and the tensions which underlie current policy issues. This course meets the foundations requirement for all education programs. 3 credits. America Since 1960 (HIS 3023) This course is an examination of recent U.S. history. It will examine such themes as the Cold War, the Kennedy years, the Great Society, the upheaval of the 1960s, the Reagan Revolution, and the problems of the 1990s. Students will gain a sound historical background to contemporary American life. 3 credits. History of Modern China (HIS 3025) This course will trace the history of China from the late 19th century to the present. It will focus on the changes brought to Chinese life by the European intrusions and the Chinese revolutions of the 20th century. Special attention will be placed on understanding the emergence of the People’s Republic of China: Its evolution from a Maoist state into the pragmatic nation of Deng Xiao Ping. 3 credits. Revolutionary Europe (HIS 3028) This course will examine the long nineteenth century (1789 to 1914) and the impact of the dual revolutions: The 1789 French Revolution and the British Industrial Revolution. We will focus on such topics as: The French Revolution and democratization; industrialization, class society and gender ideology; political and economic ideologies; science versus romanticism; nationalism and the rise of the nation-state; the New Imperialism and colonial wars; and the build up to the First World War. We will also examine how ideas regarding the individual’s relationship to society and the state were redefined through the conflicting philosophical and political ideologies of the period. Prerequisite: None, but recommend HIS/ELA 1057 World History and the Environment. 3 credits. World Wars to a Unified Europe (HIS 3029) This course will explore European history from the start of the First World War to the end of the 20th century. Topics explored will include: the impact of the two World Wars on society, economy and politics in Europe; the Great Depression; European Union; decolonization; the Cold War; and globalization. We will also examine how ideas regarding the individual’s relationship to society and the state were redefined through the conflicting philosophical and political ideologies of the period. Prerequisite: None, but recommend HIS/ELA 1057 World History and the Environment. 3 credits. Topics in European & World History (HIS 3031) This course focuses on a specific theme, society or event in European or World history. May be taken more than once when a different subtitle is offered. Examples of topics include: Celtic Europe, the witch hunt in Europe, British and Irish history, Nations and Nationalism, and Modern India. 3 credits. Imperialism, Science, & the Natural World (HIS 3032) This course will focus on imperialism and the imperial agendas of the European powers with respect to the “commons” of the world. We will explore economic and cultural imperialism as it was manifested in the colonial sciences of natural resource management. We will examine a number of interrelated topics—theories of imperialism and its relationship with industrial capitalism; the historical context of mid-to-late 19th century imperialism; environmental history and conservation; imperial science and applied technologies; expertise, control and racist ideologies; forests and forest management; hunting and game preservation; and shifting cultivation and soil erosion. Our goals will be to comparatively explore the agendas of the colonial states and of agencies therein; examine the environmental justice implications of colonial policies; explore the roots of today’s current globalized economic system; and seek to understand the nature of European hostility to indigenous cultures. 3 credits. Politics & Political Parties in America History (HIS 3047) This course will examine national politics in the United States with a focus on the emergence, development and evolution of the national party systems. Students will explore national politics from the Federalists through the Democrat-Republican era of the past century including the major parties and such groups as Greenbackers, Populists, Free Soilers, and Dixiecrats. Attention will focus on the presidents as well as the political parties that produced them. Prerequisite: None, but recommend HIS 1021 United States History to 1877, HIS 1022 United States History since 1877. 3 credits. Civilization of India (HIS/REL 2051) This course is designed to introduce students to the rich and complex cultures and civilizations of India from ancient times to the present. We will examine the geography, society, politics, economy, and culture of India with particular emphasis on the religious traditions of Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism, Hinduism, and Islam as they developed in South Asia. The format of the course includes lecture, discussion, Bollywood film, and a visit to a Hindu temple. 3 credits. Islamic World (HIS/REL 3053) This course examines the emergence and development of the Islamic world from its beginnings in seventh century Arabia until 1800. Special attention will be given to the life of Muhammad as well as the spiritual, ethical, and ritual dimensions of Islam. Highlights of the course include a visit to a mosque as well as reading the Qur’an. 3 credits. A History of Agriculture: Civilizations, Technology & the Environment (HIS/ENV 3058) Understanding how previous agricultural methods and technologies have impacted humans and the environment is critical to determining the best methods and technologies for contemporary agriculture—approaches that can best feed human populations while ameliorating the environment. Beginning with an overview of the evolution of agriculture, the course will then focus on the historical development of agriculture in the U.S., with an emphasis on soils, technologies, and on-farm practices. 3 credits. Seminar (HIS 4001) This course is a capstone course for those majoring or minoring in history. It focuses on historiography, research methods, and historical writing. Students will be expected to produce a seminar paper and take that paper through graded stages of proposal, peer review of proposal, oral presentation, and finished work. Students will also be required to address historiographical questions and familiarize themselves with the tools, methods, and products of the professional historian. Prerequisite: Senior history majors or minors only. 3 credits. Honors Thesis Seminar (HIS 4002) This course is a continuation of the senior seminar for those majoring in history who have been invited to enter the history departmental honors program. During this course students will prepare and complete a history honors thesis in consultation with their thesis advisor. 3 credits. Directed Study in History (HIS 4003) This course involves individualized study with a member of the department. The projects must involve selected readings and writings or a major research essay. While the course is largely aimed at majors, the course may be taken by non-majors with permission. Prerequisite: Junior level majors or junior standing and permission. 3 credits. Internship in History (HIS 4053) This course will include supervised work in a history-related career activity under the supervision of a professional in that career, regular consultation with a member of the history department who will act as the internship advisor, and production of an internship written project to be presented in fulfillment of the requirements of the course. The supervisor will verify that a minimum of 90 hours was spent in the work experience. The department will make every effort to assist students in locating a placement but is not responsible to provide a placement. 3 credits.
