History Courses for Spring 2005

100 Level Courses

History 102A&D. Europe and the World in the Modern Era (3h). MWF 1-1:50 & 12-12:50. A102. Gillespie. This course examines the legacy of the western world from the end of the seventeenth century to the present and considers this legacy for understanding the human experience in all its diversity today. We will explore the role of Europe in shaping the trans-Atlantic economy and the spread of slavery, the scientific revolution and the ideas of the Enlightenment, the causes and meanings of the French Revolution, industrialization and the Marxist response, the ideologies of change and the national state, the rise of modernity and the age of anxiety, the new imperialism, the world wars and their consequences, the Cold War and the transition to a new European order in a global society. We will pay close attention to identity and its connection to changing ideas about the relationship between the individual and society in Europe and the world.

History 102B. Europe and the World in the Modern Era (3h). MWF 9-9:50. A102. Caron. This course examines the political, social, economic, and cultural experiences of Europeans since 1700. We will analyze the growing importance of nationalism and the expansion of liberalism. We will look at how Europeans interacted with each other and with non-European cultures. The class will end with an analysis of recent important events, such as the break-up of the Soviet Union and Yugoslavia, the Gulf War, and the ongoing Arab-Israeli negotiations. The format of the class is a combination of lecture and discussion.

History 102C. Europe and the World in the Modern Era (3h). TR 12-1:15. A103. Sinclair. A survey of modern Europe from 1700 to the present.

History 102E. Europe and the World in the Modern Era (3h). TR 9:30-10:45. B117. Hughes. Europe was backward and poor, compared to China, India, and the Middle East, as late as the 16th century. But in the late 19th century it dominated and strongly influenced the world. Brutal wars, 1914-1918 and 1939-1945, dramatically eroded its influence, as did economic development elsewhere in the world. Yet it still remains rich and powerful. Moreover, the Untied States derived its major institutions and values from its European origins. This course will examine the ways in which Europe developed and exported, and other parts of the world adopted and adapted, the key ideologies and institutions that characterize the world in which we live. We will talk about intellectual movements, economic development and competition, and political institutions and cultures; about bureaucracies, markets, corporations, trade unions, political parties, and social movements. We’ll start in the 17th century and end with the collapse of communism and beginnings of our current, post-Cold War, world.

History 102F&G. Europe and the World in the Modern Era (3h). MWF 9-9:50 & 11-11:50. A103. Bobroff. A survey of modern Europe from 1700 to the present.

History 102H. Europe and the World in the Modern Era (3h). MWF 1-1:50. B117. Sue Rupp. A survey of modern Europe from 1700 to the present.

History 103A&C. World Civilizations to 1500 (3h). MWF 10-10:50 & 12-12:50. A103. O'Connell. A survey of the ancient, classical and medieval civilizations of Eurasia with a brief look at American and sub-Sararan societies. Focus varies with instructor.

History 103B. World Civilizations to 1500 (3h). MWF 9-9:50. B117. Villagomez. A survey of the ancient, classical and medieval civilizations of Eurasia with a brief look at American and sub-Sararan societies. Focus varies with instructor.

History 104A&B. World Civilizations since 1500 (3h). TR 3-4:15& 8-9:15. A102. McConnell. A survey of the major civilizations of the world in the modern and contemporary periods.

History 104C&H. World Civilizations since 1500 (3h). TR 1:30-2:45 & 12-1:15. A102. Wilson. A survey of the major civilizations of the world in the modern and contemporary periods.

History 104D&F. World Civilizations since 1500 (3h). MWF 1-1:50 & 12-12:50. A208. Watts. Between 1500 and the present the modern world came into being. This course will introduce the main economic, social, political, and cultural forces that shaped world realities in this period. The course emphasizes learning to ask questions, to analyze, and to think critically and independently.

History 104E&G. World Civilizations since 1500 (3h). TR 12-1:15& 1:30--2:45. B117. Hastings. This course will consider the major world civilizations as they have developed both in isolation and in contact with other cultures over the past 600 years. The focus will be on the civilizations of India, China, the Islamic World, Latin America, Southeast Asia and Africa...their internal developments as well as their respective encounters with European culture. We will be concerned with such topics as exploration and conquest, trade, slavery, colonialism and resistance, the rise of nationalism, and above all social change. We will therefore incorporate into our analysis non-Western and non-elite perspectives on history, concerning ourselves with how major (and often seemingly minor) historical developments have affected the lives of ordinary people and how they have dealt with change.

Credit cannot be received for both 101 and 103 or 102 and 104.
All classes held in Tribble Hall unless otherwise noted.

 100 level  |  200 level  |  300 level  |  FYS

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200 Level Courses

History 211A. Islam in America (3h). TR 12-1:15. A104. McConnell. This course will explore the history of Muslims in the United States. Critical to our understanding of Islamic life in America is the subject of religious identity; a theme which will guide our course of study over the semester. Among the fundamental questions to be asked are: How do Muslims in the United States understand and define themselves in light of larger historical considerations? In what ways does Islamic life in America distinguish itself from Muslims in other areas of the globe? These questions of “identity” help to contextualize the development of Islam in the United States. This theme will direct us to the study of ethnicity among Muslims and help to explain the rise of such groups as The Nation of Islam. Our goal throughout the course of the semester is to understand how a religion and its people developed, adapted, and rejected elements of American life and western society over time.

History 211EA. CLQ: Gender in Medieval and Early Modern Europe (3h). M 2-4:30. B117. O'Connell. This course examines the role gender and the family played in structuring the life experiences of the women and men who lived in the medieval and early modern periods, approximately 1350-1700 C.E. It looks at societal expectations and norms for women and men, and asks how these ideas and expectations shaped people’s daily lives. The class will ask how extended households and kinship networks affected the way individuals interacted with and defined themselves against the larger community; how marriage worked and who benefited from it; how family economies and divisions of labor contributed to gender identity; and how religion operated as an alternative to family life. The course will also use gender as a lens to examine some of the central events in early modern European history. How does the Reformation affect society’s expectations of women and the family? What role do women play in politics, the scientific revolution, and the Enlightenment?

History 211EB. CLQ: European Diplomatic History, 1914-1993(3h). MWF 1-1:50. A103. Bobroff. This course examines the international history of Europe from the start of the First World War to the establishment of the European Union. European diplomacy during this period has a fundamental effect on changes in the rest of the world while Europe is fundamentally affected by those transformations. Indeed, the place of the European states in world politics significantly shifts, and the former Great Powers react to these changes in different ways. The course will examine how European states sought to protect their empires and world prominence while simultaneously coping with challenges to peace on the continent itself. Especially for the Cold War period, the focus will not be on the US-USSR duel but on how the rest of Europe experienced that period. We study in part the leading powers and the men and women leading them as well as the broader social, cultural, ideological, religious and economic contexts that inform and limit the choices left to the direct players.

History 211G. CLQ: Origins of Difference: Literature and History from Medieval to Modern (3h). M 3-5:30. A104. Watts & Overing.

History 211W. CLQ: Early Indian Civilization and History (3h). TR 9:30-10:45. A208. Hastings. This course is an introduction to the civilization, history and historiography of India—also known at various periods as Bharata, al-Hind, and South Asia—a region that includes the Indian subcontinent and contiguous areas, including present-day Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, parts of Afghanistan, and the island nation of Sri Lanka.  Indian civilization is unique in that, despite periodic invasions and two centuries of British colonialism, there are clear cultural continuities between contemporary beliefs and practices and those of a thousand, two thousand, or even five thousand years ago. With such a rich and complex history, this course will examine the development of Indian culture and society from the period of the Indus Valley civilization of circa 2800-1500 B.C.E. to the early years of Islamic rule in northern India after the establishment of the first Islamic state, the Delhi Sultanate, in 1210 C.E. In between, we will study the spread of Vedic Aryan culture, the civilizational effects of the shift from pastoral to agricultural modes of subsistence, and the rise of classical Indian civilization during the period of the development of Buddhist, Jain and Hindu religious and cultural expression.

History 252. The United States after 1865 (3h). MWF 9-9:50. A208. Watts. Political, social, economic and intellectual aspects.

History 287. Honors in History I: Ancient Greek Democracy (3h). T 1:30-4. A104. Lerner. The seminar will explore the institution of Greek democracy from its origins in the archaic period to its blossoming in classical Athens.  Students will be introduced and encouraged to investigate in translation ancient texts and contemporary scholarship in order to glean insight about a variety of topics regarding ancient forms of democratic government. POI.

History 288. Honors Seminar (3h). Staff. Writing of a major research paper. To be announced. POI.

 100 level  |  200 level  |  300 level  |  FYS

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300 Level Courses

History 310A & 610A. Seminar: Memory, Culture, and the South (3h). R 2-4:30. A104. Gillespie. This research seminar turns on the themes of history, memory, and popular culture in the South since the Civil War. It addresses how different groups of southerners have constructed collective representations of their pasts by paying attention to these representations as evidenced in the media, literature, historic sites, civic events, music and other venues for popular culture. Students will plan, develop, research and write original papers at least 25 pages in length based on analysis of secondary and primary sources that explore some aspect of the shaping of collective memory in the South. This analysis may (but is not limited to) the exploration of ideology, politics, race, class or gender in this process.

History 310EA & 610EA. Seminar: Political and Social History of Europe, 1848-1989 (3h). W 3-5:30. B116. Hughes. In this course you will undertake on your own an extended project of historical research. You will pick and define a topic (in European history since 1848), search out appropriate primary and secondary sources (predominantly the former), and research your topic on the basis of those sources. You will then prepare a 20- to 30-page (5000- to 7500-word) paper in which you will assert a thesis about the topic and provide a convincing argument in support of that thesis. The various assignments and meetings scheduled in the course during the semester are designed to help you think about topic selection, research, and writing. I will be available throughout the semester to assist you in this endeavor by making suggestions, answering questions, and providing an opportunity for you to discuss your ideas.

History 310EB& 610EB. Seminar: Jews, Greeks and Romans (3h). R 1:30-4. A208. Lerner. The Jews are the best-documented minority group from the Graeco-Roman world, and many of their problems were also the problems of other conquered nations.  Occasionally, the Jews governed themselves, but usually they lived under the control of authorities whose attitudes ranged from tolerance to active oppression.  Jews lived not only in their original homeland but throughout the Mediterranean world.  In some periods, they assimilated with Graeco-Roman society, in other periods they stressed their difference from their pagan surroundings.  Apart from the comments of Greek and Roman writers, the Jews themselves left much literary and other evidence which provides us with a vivid impression of what it was like to be a member of a religious and ethnic minority.  The seminar focuses on the political and social history of the Jews (and will not involve any theology).  The course begins with the rise and fall of an independent Jewish state in the 2ND century B.C.E.  We will consider how the Jews fell under Roman control, tried unsuccessfully to regain their independence, and eventually became a relatively privileged – although much derided – group living throughout the Roman Empire...until the Christian emperors began removing their legal rights.

History 310W& 610W. Seminar: History of Post-Colonial Africa (3h). W 2-4:30. A103. Wilson. This course is designed to introduce the student to the History of Africa from 1960 to the present. The course will first provide some background history on the European colonization of Africa before examining the rapid transformation of the 1960s when Independent Africa emerges. The historical themes presented in this seminar will focus on issues ranging from: the impact of the colonial culture on Africa, African Nationalism, problems of economic development and nation-building, the influences of the Cold War, the African Elite, the contributions of Women in Africa, the racial and civil strife of Southern Africa, the muscle of Globalization on African economies, the role of the IMF and the World Bank in Africa, the AIDS crisis, and Educational reform in Africa.
This course is a research seminar, therefore, students are expected to discuss the reading materials each week. In addition, students will learn methods of research in order to write a 25 to 30 page research paper on the aforementioned topics related to Post-Colonial African History.

History 320& 620. Germany: Unification to Unification, 1871-1990 (3h). MWF 10-10:50. B117. Hughes. For much of the 20 th century, Germany was at the center of world history. At first, it was a great power seeking to dominate Europe (ca. 1890 to 1945); then it became the center of the conflict between the United States and its liberal democratic allies on the one hand and the Soviet Union and its communist satellites on the other (1945 to 1990). This course will examine the complex, fraught, and all-too-often horribly fascinating history of Germany, as it came together into a unified nation, set out to seize hegemony in Europe, collapsed in catastrophic defeat and division, and eventually managed to unify once again under very new conditions in 1990. We will also be looking at how another industrial and post-industrial society grappled with the economic, political, and social problems that have challenged the nations of the world over the last 150 years.

History 332 & 632. Russia and the Soviet Union: 1865-Present (3h). MWF 11-11:50. B117. Rupp. This course explores the social, political and economic history of Russia and the Soviet Union from the late imperial period through the collapse of Communism.  It will focus on those issues that have been of fundamental, long term significance for Russia and the Soviet Union, including economic underdevelopment and the problematic relationship between state and society.

History 338& 638. Gender in Modern America (3h). MWF 10-10:50. A305. Caron. This course examines the impact of political, economic, and cultural changes on gender relations from the late nineteenth century to the present. We will analyze the varying definitions of femininity and masculinity, the changing notions of sexuality, and the continuity and diversity of gender roles. We will pay particular attention to race, class and ethnicity. This class will be discussion-oriented.

History 344 & 644. Modern China (3h). TR 1:30-2:45. A103. Sinclair. A study of China from 1644 to the present.

History 345 & 645. The Middle East since 1500 (3h). TR 9:30-10:45. A103. Villagomez. A 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 Safavid empires; socio-political reform; the impact of colonialism; Qajar Iran; the development of nationalism; and contemporary social and economic challenges.

History 360 & 660. The United States since WWII (3h). TR 1:30-2:45. A208. Smith. The United States has gone through World War II and the Cold War with the prosperity that both created. In the prosperity of the 1950's and 1960's the nation experimented with the idea of providing equal opportunity to all or most of its children. The heated realities of Vietnam and Watergate withered that optimism. For two decades conservative ideals and free market rhetoric salved the nation's wounds and promised healing. In more recent times internationalism made inevitable by technology, the lack of a major moral enemy, and the problem of overproduction have left the nation to face the question of how to prosper and to be proud in a world without a war. It must also solve the question of how minorities can appreciate, admire, and empathize with other minorities and at the same time be immensely glad that they are of their own minority.

History 366 & 666. Studies in Historic Preservation (3h). T 3-5:30. A102. Hendricks. Studies in Historic Preservation is an introductory course designed as an overview of the preservation movement. It introduces the major areas of the theory and practice of historic preservation through readings, lectures, discussions, tours, and field experiences. It provides a study of the techniques of preserving and interpreting history through artifacts, restorations, and reconstructions. It seeks to analyze historical objects, history museums, historic sites, museum villages, etc. from the perspective of the historian and the student of history. It also examines current trends in preservation, including preservation law, the economics of preservation, and the impact of preservation on urban renewal, city planning, and development.

History 373& 673. History of Mexico (3h). TR 12-1:15. A208. Meyers. An examination of the history of Mexico from the colonial period to the present.

History 397. Historical Writing Tutorial (1.5h). Staff. Individual supervision of historical writing to improve a project initiated in History 288 or History 310. Permission of instructor required. Does not count toward major or minor requirements. Times arranged.

History 398 & 698. Individual Study (1/3h). Staff. A project in an area of study not otherwise available in the department; permitted upon departmental approval of petition presented by a qualified student. Times arranged.

History 399 & 699. Directed Reading (1-3h). Staff. Concentrated reading in an area of study not otherwise available. Permission of instructor required.Times arranged.

 100 level  |  200 level  |  300 level  |  FYS

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First Year Seminars

FYS 100. Great Migrations: Mexicans in US(3h). TR 9:30-10:45. B116. Meyers.

FYS 100. Fallout Shelters & Cold War (3h). TR 9:30-10:45. A104. Hendricks. During the 1950s and 60s, in response to the nuclear threat and encouragement from the Federal government’s Civil Defense program, thousands of Americans either built fallout shelters or created secure places in their homes for refuge. Public shelters were located, marked, and stocked with survival necessities. The Soviet Union made similar provisions for surviving a nuclear holocaust. The shelters provided more realistic options for surviving a nuclear war than earlier civil defense evacuation policies, but even in the 1960s official statements on the dangers of nuclear fallout greatly overestimated their effectiveness. Most shelters provided limited protection and inadequate food, water and ventilation for the time necessary to avoid damage in the case of severe fallout. The Civil Defense program of these years has been called more propaganda than substance. September 11, 2001 and subsequent events have produced an elaborate Homeland Security program to protect the U.S. and the world from Terrorism. How are the programs similar and how do they differ?

FYS 100. World of Alexander the Great (3h). W 2-4:30. A104. Lerner.

 100 level  |  200 level  |  300 level  |  FYS

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