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Wake Forest University

History Courses taught at Wake Forest

Overview

The major in history consists of a minimum of twenty-seven hours and must include HST 390 or 392, one course in premodern history, and a minimum of 5.5 hours in each of the following three fields: European history; Latin American, Asian, or African history; and United States history. History courses 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 390, 391, and 392 count toward the major but cannot be used to meet the distributional or pre-modern requirements in the major.

Majors may include within the required twenty-seven hours up to six hours of advanced placement or comparable work and up to six hours of any combination of individual study and directed reading other than the hours earned in HST 397. The student must have a GPA or 2.0 in history to graduate with the major.

A minor in history requires eighteen hours. Courses that the student elects to take pass/fail do not meet the requirements for the major or minor.

Highly qualified majors should apply for admission to the honors program in history. To be graduated with the designation "Honors in History", the student must complete HST 391, present a honors-quality research paper, successfully defend the paper in an oral examination, and earn an overall grade point average of 3.0 with an average of 3.3 on work in history. For additional information, students should consult members of the department.

Students contemplating graduate study should acquire a reading knowledge of one modern foreign language for the master of arts degree and two for the Ph.D.

 

100 level courses

101. Western Civilization to 1700. (3h) Survey of ancient, medieval, and early modern history to 1700. Focus varies with instructor. (Credit cannot be received for both 101 and 103, or 102 and 104.)

102. Europe and the World in the Modern Era. (3h) Survey of modern Europe from 1700 to the present. Focus varies with instructor. (Credit cannot be received for both 101 and 103, or 102 and 104.)

1027. Formation of Europe: Habsburg Empire and its Successor States. (3h) The development of Central and East-central Europe as a multiethnic unity under Habsburgs, 1526-1918, and its dissolution into successor states and subsequent interactions, 1918-1989. (Meets division I history requirement) Offered only in Vienna. 

103. World Civilizations to 1500. (3h) Survey of the ancient, classical and medieval civilizations of Eurasia with a brief look at American and sub-Saharan societies. Focus varies with instructor. (Credit cannot be received for both 101 and 103, or 102 and 104.)

104. World Civilizations since 1500. (3h) Survey of the major civilizations of the world in the modern and contemporary periods. Focus varies with instructor. (Credit cannot be received for both 101 and 103, or 102 and 104.)

105. Africa in World History. (3h) This course examines the continent of Africa from prehistory to the present in global perspective, as experienced and understood by Africans themselves.

106. Medieval World Civilizations. (3h)  Survey of world civilizations from 600 C.E. to 1600 C.E., including political, religious, cultural and economic developments. 

107. The Middle East and the World. (3h) Examines in its global context the history of the Middle East region from the inception of Islam in the seventh century to the twentieth century.  Combines an introduction to Islamic civilization it its central lands with a close study of its interaction with other societies.

108. Americas and the World. (3h) This course examines North, Central and South America in global perspectives from premodern times to the present with particular attention to political, economic, social, and cultural developments and interactions. 

109. Asia and the World since 1500. (3h)  Overview of Asia (primarily East, Southeast, and South Asia) since 1500 with emphasis on economic, diplomatic, cultural, and religious interactions with the outside world.  

1262. The Golden Age of Burgundy. (3h) Burgundian society, culture, and government in the reigns of Philip the Bold, John the Fearless, Philip the Good, and Charles the Rash, 1384-1477. Offered in Dijon.

131. European Historical Biography. (1.5h) Study of biographies of men and women who have influenced the history and civilization of Europe.

132. European Historical Novels. (1.5h) The role of the historical past in selected works of fiction.

140. Modern Slovenia (1h) Historical perspective of the politics, constitution and culture of contemporary Slovenia. Includes lectures and visits to relevant sites. Offered in Ljubljana.

162. History of Wake Forest University. (1.5h) Survey of the history of Wake Forest from its beginning, including its written and oral traditions. The course may include a visit to the town of Wake Forest.

200 level courses

206. The Early Middle Ages. (3h) European history from the end of the ancient world to the mid-twelfth century, stressing social and cultural developments.

207. The High Middle Ages through the Renaissance. (3h) European history from the mid-twelfth through the early sixteenth centuries, stressing social and cultural developments.

209. Europe:From Renaissance to Revolution. .(3h) Survey of European history from the fifteenth to the eighteenth century. Topics include the voyages of discovery, the military revolution, the formation of the modern state, religious reformation, witchcraft and the rise of modern science, and pre-industrial economic and social structures including women and the family.

210. Colloquium in Historical Diversity. (3h) Broad examination of the historical roots of contemporary cultural issues through various themes such as race, ethnicity, class, gender, sexuality, religion, and nationality. Focus varies with instructor. (CD)

217. France to 1774. (3h) History of France from the Paleolithic period to the accession of Louis XVI with particular attention to the early modern period.

218. France since 1815. (3h) History of France from the restoration of the monarchy to the Fifth Republic.

219. Germany to 1871. (3h) Social, economic, and political forces leading to the creation of a single German nation-state out of over 1700 sovereign and semi-sovereign German states.

220. Germany: Unification to Unification, 1871-1990. (3h) The Germans' search for stability and unity in a society riven by conflict and on a continent riven by nationalism.

222. The Renaissance and Reformation. (3h) Europe from 1300 to 1600. Social, cultural, and intellectual developments stressed.

223, 224. Great Britain. (3h, 3h) Survey of British history. Topics include religion, revolution and reform, war, poverty and poor relief, women, social and economic change, and empire. 223: To eighteenth century; 224: Eighteenth century to present.

2253. History of Venice. (3h) The history of Venice from its origin to the fall of the Venetian Republic. Offered in Venice.

2260. History of London. (1.5h, 3h) Topographical, social, economic, and political history of London from the earliest times. Lectures, student papers and reports, museum visits and lectures, and on-site inspections. Offered in London.

2263. Venetian Society and Culture. (3h) Examination of Venetian society, including the role within Venetian life of music, theater, the church, and civic ritual. Offered in Venice. 

2280. Georgian and Victorian Society and Culture. (3h) Social and economic transformation of England in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, with particular attention to the rise of professionalism and developments in the arts. Offered in London.

230. Russia: Origins to 1865. (3h) Survey of the political, social and economic history of Russia, from its origins to the period of the Great Reforms under Alexander II.

231. Russia and the Soviet Union: 1865 to the Present. (3h) Survey of patterns of socioeconomic change from the late imperial period to the present, the emergence of the Revolutionary movement, and the development of Soviet rule from its establishment to its collapse.

240. African American History. (3h) The role of African Americans in the development of the United States, with particular attention to African heritage, forced migration, Americanization, and influence. (CD)

242. The Middle East before 1500. (3h) Survey of Middle Eastern history from the rise of Islam to the emergence of the last great Muslim unitary states. The course provides an overview of political history with more in-depth emphasis on the development of Islamic culture and society in the pre-modern era. (CD)

243. The Middle East since 1500. (3h) Survey of modern Middle Eastern history from the collapse of the last great Muslim unitary states to the present day. Topics include the rise and demise of the Ottoman and Safvid empires, socio-political reform, the impact of colonialism, Islamic reform, the development of nationalism, and contemporary social and economic challenges. (CD)

244. Imperial China. (3h) Study of traditional China to 1850, with emphasis on social, cultural, and political institutions. (CD)

245. Modern China. (3h) Study of China from 1644 to the present. (CD)

246. Japan before 1800. (3h) Survey of Japanese history from the earliest times to the coming of Western imperialism, with emphasis on regional ecologies, economic institutions, cultural practice, military organization, political ideology, and foreign relations. (CD)

247. Japan since 1800. (3h) Survey of Japan in the modern world. Topics include political and cultural revolution, state and empire-building, economic “miracles,” social transformations, military conflicts, and intellectual dilemmas. (CD)

249. Introduction to East Asia .(3h) Introduction to the histories and cultures of East Asia, from the earliest times to the present, focusing on China, Korea, Japan, and Vietnam, with some attention to the rest of South-East Asia, and emphasizing ecology and economy, trade and international relations, political ideology, religious belief, and cultural practice.(CD)

251, 252. The United States. (3h, 3h) Political, social, economic, and intellectual aspects. 251: Before 1865; 252: After 1865.

253. Colonial English America, 1582-1774. (3h) Determinative episodes, figures, allegiances, apperceptions, and results of the period, organically considered.

260. Premodern South Asia. (3h) A survey of ancient and medieval South Asia beginning with the Indus Valley civilization to the decline of the Mughal Empire until mid-eighteenth century. 

261. Modern South Asia. (3h) A survey of colonial and post-colonial South Asia beginning with the political conquest of the British East India Company in the mid-eighteenth century until today.   

268. African History to 1870. (3h) An overview of African history prior to the establishment of colonial rule, from the 4th century until 1870.  Concentrates on case-studies in various regions of the continent. 

269. African History since 1870. (3h) An overview of African history from the abolition of the Trans Atlantic Slave Trade to the post-colonial era of independent African nations with emphasis on African perspectives, initiatives, and agency.

272. Introduction to African History. (3h) Introduction to African history from the perspective of the continent as a whole. The historical unity of the African continent and its relation to other continents will be stressed. (CD)

273. History of Mexico. (3h) Examination of the history of Mexico from the colonial period to the present. (CD)

275. Modern Latin America. (3h) Survey of Latin-American history since independence, with emphasis on the twentieth century. The course will concentrate chiefly on economics, politics, and race. (CD)

284. Latin America’s Colonial Past . (3h) Studies the history of Latin America’s colonial past from the preconquest background to the wars of independence in the early nineteenth century. The course includes a Language Across the Curriculum component, which allows students to earn credits in Spanish by reading and discussing at least half of the texts in Spanish. (CD)

300 level courses

305. Medieval and Early Modern Iberia. (3h) The cultures that flourished on the Iberian peninsula between the years 700 and 1700 were extremely diverse and contained often contradictory tendencies.  Hailed by many as a haven of toleration and an example of co-existence between Christians, Jews, and Muslims in the medieval period, early modern Spain and Portugal were bastions of Catholic orthodoxy and the Inquisition.  Iberians were at the forefront of global exploration and discovery, but Spain’s empire by the seventeenth century had fallen behind its English and Dutch competitors.  This course is dedicated to examining these seeming paradoxes, looking at the formation of religious, cultural and political identities and the economics of empire in the medieval and early modern period. 

307. Italian Renaissance. (3h)  Examination of the economic, political, intellectual, artistic, and social developments in the Italian world from 1350 to 1550.

308. The World of Alexander the Great. (3h) Examination of Alexander the Great's conquests and the fusion of Greek culture with those of the Near East, Central Asia, and India. Special emphasis placed on the creation of new political institutions and social customs, modes of addressing philosophical and religious issues, as well as the achievements and limitations of Hellenistic Civilization.

311. Special Topics in History. (1-3h) Subject varies with instructor.

314. European Economic and Social History, 1750-1990. (3h) Changes in Europe's economic structures and how they affected Europeans' lives. Emphasizes how economic forces interacted with social and institutional factors.

315. Greek History. (3h) Development of ancient Greek civilization from the Bronze Age to the end of the Classical Period stressing social institutions, individual character, and freedom of social choice within the framework of cultural, political, and intellectual history.

316. Rome: Republic & Empire. (3h) Survey of Roman history and civilization from its beginning to about 500 CE, with emphasis on the conquest of the Mediterranean world, the evolution of the Republican state, the growth of autocracy, the administration of the empire, and the interaction between Romans and non-Romans.

317. The French Revolution and Napoleonic Empire. (3h) Revolution and wars that constitute one of the pivotal points in modern history.

318. Weimar Germany. (3h) Art, literature, music, and film of Weimar Germany, 1919-1933, in historical context. German or history credit determined at registration. Also listed as GES 331.

3260. The Industrial Revolution in England. (3h) Study of the social, economic, and political causes and effects of the Industrial Revolution in England. Offered in London.

328. History of the English Common Law. (3h) Study of the origins and development of the English common law and its legacy to modern legal processes and principles.

329 British Empire. (3h) A survey of the Britain’s global empire from the seventeenth century to its continuing influence on the Commonwealth, Globalization and violent conflict today.

330. Race, Religion, and Sex in Early Modern Europe. (3h) Explores issues of race, ethnicity, and gender in Europe between 1400 and 1800. Topics include contact and conflict among Jews, Muslims, and Christians; marriage, the family, and sexuality; migration and immigration; and slavery and conquest in early European colonies and empires. (CD)

333. European Diplomacy, 1848-1914. (3h) The diplomacy of the great powers, with some attention given to the role of publicity in international affairs. Topics include the unification of Italy and of Germany, the Bismarckian system, and the coming of World War I.

337. Gender in Early America. (3h) History of gender roles from the colonial period to the mid-nineteenth century. Examines the social constructions of femininity and masculinity and their political and cultural significance. (CD)

338. Gender in Modern America. (3h) History of gender relations from the late-nineteenth century to the present. Analyzes the varying definitions of femininity and masculinity, the changing notions of sexuality, and the continuity and diversity of gender roles with special attention to race, class, and ethnicity. 

339. Health Care in American Society. (3h) Analysis of the changing approaches to healing in American history. Examines indigenous systems, the introduction of European methods, the attempts to professionalize in the nineteenth century, the incorporation of modern techniques, and the reemergence of natural approaches in the twentieth century.

341. Africans in the Atlantic World, 1750-1815. (3h) Explores Africans' experience in the Atlantic world (Africa, Europe, and the Americas) during the era of slave trade by examining their encounters with Indians and Europeans and their adjustment to slave traders in West Africa.

347. Japan since World War II. (3h) Survey of Japanese history since the outbreak of the Pacific War, with emphasis on social and cultural developments. Topics may include occupation and recovery of independence, the "1995 System", high-growth economics, and the problems of prosperity in recent years. (CD)

349. American Foundations . (3h) Interdisciplinary study of American art, music, literature, and social history with particular reference to the art collection at Reynolda House Museum of American Art. Lectures, discussions, and field trips, including a tour of New York City museums. Term project in American history. Also listed as ART 331, HON 393, 394, and MUS 307. Offered at Reynolda house in summer only.

350. Global Economic History. (3h) Overview of the growth and development of the world economy from precapitalist organizations to the present system of developed and underdeveloped states. (CD)

351. Global Environmental History. (3h) Analysis of environmental aspects of world history from the beginning of agriculture to the present.  Focus on how humans have used the environment to different ends. Topics include forests, agriculture, water, urbanism, science, warfare, conservation, energy, and perceptions of nature. 

354. Revolutionary and Early National America, 1763-1815. (3h) The American Revolution, its causes and effects, the Confederation, the Constitution, and the new nation. 

356. Jacksonian America, 1815-1850. (3h) The United States in the age of Jackson, Clay, Calhoun, and Webster. A biographical approach.

357. The Civil War and Reconstruction. (3h) The political and military events of the war and the economic, social, and political readjustments which followed.

358. The United States from Reconstruction to World War I. (1.5h, 3h) National progress and problems during an era of rapid industrialization. The course may be divided into halves for two credits each: (a) the Gilded Age; (b) the Progressive Era.

359. US from Gilded Age Prosperity to Depression. (3h) This course will examine the post-reconstructed nation with special attention to the politics of equilibrium; the economic impact of industrialization and agricultural revolutions; the positive and negative aspects of rapid urbanization; immigration and the class, ethnic, and religious clashes that ensued; Jim Crow and civil rights; the growth of Big Business and labor’s response; Populism; the acquisition of an empire; Progressive reforms at city, state and federal levels; World War I at home and abroad; and the changing notions of femininity and masculinity. The course will end with the onset of the Depression and Hoover’s response to it.

360. US since the New Deal. (3h) This course will examine the institution of the New Deal as FDR’s response to the depression; wars at home and abroad, including World War II, the Cold War, Korea, Vietnam, and Iraq I & II; the rise and fall of unionism; various movements from civil rights, women’s rights, welfare rights, Native American rights, to student rights; countercultures from the 1950s through the 1980s; government regulation of the environment; mainstream and new religions; science and technology; the growth of the Imperial Presidency; Watergate and beyond; and liberalism and conservatism.

361. Economic History of the United States. (3h) The economic development of the United States from colonial beginnings to the present.

362. American Constitutional History. (3h) Origins of the Constitution, the controversies involving the nature of the Union, and constitutional readjustments to meet the new American industrialism.

363. The Old South. (3h ) Examination of the origins of southern distinctiveness, from the first interactions of Europeans, Native Americans and Africans to the Civil War and Emancipation. (CD)

364. The New South. (3h) Examination of sharecropping, segregation, political reform, the sunbelt phenomenon, the Civil Rights Movement, and southern religion, music, and literature. Includes a service learning component. (CD)

366. Studies in Historic Preservation. (3h) Analysis of history museums and agencies and of the techniques of preserving and interpreting history through art/facts, restorations, and reconstructions. P—POI.

369. Modern Military History. (3h) Making war in the modern era, with special attention to the social context of military activity. Credit not allowed for both HST 369 and MIL 229.

370. Topics in North Carolina History. (3h) General chronological survey of North Carolina with emphasis on selected topics.

371. Winston-Salem/Forsyth County. (3h) History of the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County area utilizing the techniques of local history including local archives, museums, and oral history projects. Lectures, readings, and class projects. 

374. Protest and Rebellion in Latin America. (3h) Study of the history of protest movements and rebellions in Latin America from primitive and agrarian revolts to mass working class and socialist organizations. (CD)

376. Civil Rights and Black Consciousness Movements. (3h) A social and religious history of the African-American struggle for citizenship rights and freedom from World War II to the present. (Also listed as Religion 341.) (CD)

3760. Anglo-American Relations since 1940. (3h) Study of the relations between the United States and Britain from 1940 to the present. Offered in London.

377. American Diplomatic History. (3h) Introduction to the history of American diplomacy since 1776, emphasizing the effects of public opinion on fundamental policies. (CD)

378. Reconciling Race. (3h) Comparative history of twentieth-century racial oppression, black rebellion, and religious reconciliation. Also listed as REL 348. (CD)

379. Origins of The Americas. (3h) Unified, comparative history of North, Central, and South America from ancient times to the present. (CD)

380. America at Work. (3h) Examines the people who built America from 1750 to 1945. Themes include free labor versus slave labor, the impact of industrialization, the racial and gendered realities of work, and the growth of organized labor and its political repercussions. (CD) 

381, 382. Preservation Practicum I, II. (3h, 3h) Training in the techniques and skills of historical preservation. Emphasis will vary according to the specific site(s) involved. P—POI.

383. Revolution and Culture in Latin America . (3h) Explores the links between revolutionary movements and cultural expression in Latin America and the Caribbean. The course includes a Language Across the Curriculum component, which allows students to earn credits in Spanish by reading and discussing at least half of the texts in Spanish. (CD)

387. Islamic Empires Compared: The Ottomans, Safavids, and Mughals. (3h) Examines in a comparative way central themes in the history of the three great Islamic empires of the early modern period (1400-1800).  Considers the problem of political legitimacy faced by Muslim rulers, transformations in Islamic religious practices, and the relationship between war and other aspects of Islamic society and culture.

388. Nation, Faith, and Gender in the Middle East. (3h)  Traces the development of nationalism and its interaction with religious, transnational, and gender identities in the Middle East in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Topics include Zionism, Arabism, Turkish nationalism, and Islamic revivalism.

390. Research Seminar . (3h) Offered by members of the faculty on topics of their choice. A paper is required.

391. Honors Seminar. (3h) Seminar on problems of historical synthesis and interpretation. Honors students must take HST 391. P—POI.

392. Individual Research. (3h) Writing of a major research paper. May be taken in lieu of HST 390 in pursuit of honors in history. P—POI.

397. Historical Writing Tutorial. (1.5h) Individual supervision of historical writing to improve a project initiated in History 390 or History 392. Does not count toward major or minor requirements. P—POI.

398. Individual Study. (1h-3h) Project in an area of study not otherwise available in the department; permitted upon departmental approval of petition presented by a qualified student.

399. Directed Reading. (1h-3h) Concentrated reading in an area of study not otherwise available. P—POI.

First Year Seminars. (3h)

  • The Great Depression Through the Eyes of American Novelists (Caron)
  • The Two Reconstructions: Civil Rights in America (Escott)
  • Thomas Jefferson and His World (Gillespie)
  • Alexander the Great (Lerner)
  • Herodotus: Father of History, Father of Lies (Lerner)
  • W.E.B. DuBois against Racism (Parent)
  • Before and After 1607: Virginia's Founding (Parent)
  • "The Merry Apocalypse": Modernism and Fin-De-Siecle Vienna (Rupp)
  • World War II (Rupp)
  • Images of Wealth and Poverty in the U.S. (Smith)
  • Art and British Empire (Vella)
  • The Dirt on Development (Wakild)

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Department of History, Wake Forest University, P.O. Box 7806, Winston-Salem, NC 27109
Department office: Tribble B-101
Phone: (336) 758.5501    Fax.(336)758.6130
comments: gammonlc@wfu.edu