History Minor

Required courses in the minor (18 sh)

HIST 253 - Reading and Writing History Hours: 3

This course introduces students to the discipline of history as it is taught at the college level. Students will discover how and why historians debate issues of evidence and interpretation. By studying the “history of history,”students will learn to distinguish between various schools or styles of academic history; to improve reading, note-taking, and library skills; and to formulate meaningful thesis statements. Students will apply the lessons of the course in a hands-on research experience which will result in the preparation and presentation of a finished historical essay in approved scholarly form.

HIST 305 - World History: Origins through the Seventeenth Century
Hours: 3

World History differs from traditional Western Civilization not only in its greater geographic scale but also its longer chronological scope. This course begins with the earliest human tribal organizations. Consideration of the ancient period will also include the development of cradles of civilization, the growth and decline of classical cultures, interactions among classical and nomadic peoples, and the establishment of great world religions. The study of the medieval period will include varieties of rebuilding after the collapse of classical empires, the roles played by great world religions in medieval cultures, the development of technologies of communication and transportation, and the interactions among settled and nomadic peoples. Topics considered in the early modern period include the voyages of exploration and early colonization efforts by China and Europe, and the impact of emerging globalization. Prerequisite and/or Corequisite Majors: Hist 253. Non-Majors: may enroll with consent of instructor.

HIST 306 - The Emergence of the Modern World Hours: 3

This course covers the period from 1500 to the present and will focus on the ecological conditions of globalization, the rise of “formal” imperialism, and the construction and maintenance of colonial/imperial states. Themes covered will include paths to modernity, non-western philosophies of resistance, technological revolutions, and the intersections of world thought, religion, trade, and economy. Special emphasis will be given to the non-Western world. Prerequisite and/or Corequisite Majors: Hist 253. Non-Majors: may enroll with consent of instructor.

Plus 3 sh Europe

HIST 312 - Ancient and Medieval Europe Hours: 3

This course begins with a consideration of classical Greece and Rome, continues into the Late Antique period when classical culture gave way to medieval, and then through the European Middle Ages, ending about 1500. Continuity and change between the classical and post-classical periods will be examined from a variety of perspectives, including the fortunes of political, social, economic, and religious institutions; the forms and varieties of social organizations; the models and content of philosophy, literature, and the arts; and technology. Prerequisite and/or Corequisite Majors: Hist 253. Non-Majors: may enroll with consent of instructor.

HIST 313 - A Feudal Society Hours: 3

This course examines European society during the period roughly from 500 to 1500. The focus will be on how different groups of people experienced life during the Middle Ages. Topics will include the three estates and those on their margins; economic and occupational organizations; and gender and family roles. The course will also study how medieval people understood their own society, that is, how medieval beliefs, particularly religious beliefs, informed how medieval people interpreted their world. Prerequisite and/or Corequisite Majors: Hist 253. Non-Majors: may enroll with consent of instructor.

HIST 314 - The European Reformations Hours: 3

This course examines how Christian beliefs, institutions, and practices altered in Europe from the late fourteenth through the mid-seventeenth centuries. The course will begin with a consideration of theologians and the theology, both from the late Middle Ages, such as John Wycliffe, and the sixteenth century, such as Martin Luther. It will analyze the institutional, cultural, and political ramifications of religious beliefs, including the formation of new Christian churches; the alliances formed between churches and national governments; and the changes in attitudes towards women and the poor, manifested in episodes such as the witch craze. The course will conclude with a consideration of the Thirty Years War (1618-1648) and its consequences. Prerequisite and/or Corequisite Majors: Hist 253. Non-Majors: may enroll with consent of instructor.

HIST 315 - Early Modern Europe Hours: 3

This course focuses on Europe during the period when modernization and globalization began, roughly 1500-1789. The study of the transformation of Europe will focus on a variety of topics, including the Italian and Northern Renaissances; the Protestant and Catholic Reformations; the invention of new technologies, especially those for communication, transportation, and military force; the emergence of scientific and Enlightenment philosophies; the development of and resistance to more powerful central governments and monarchies; and the interactions between Europe and the world, particularly Africa and the Americas. Prerequisite and/or Corequisite Majors: Hist 253. Non-Majors: may enroll with consent of instructor.

HIST 327 - Europe in the Age of Enlightenment and Revolution, 1648-1848 Hours: 3

This course will explore European history from the Age of Louis XIV to the mid-nineteenth-century revolutions, tracing the changes in ideas about politics, governance, and society as they evolved from theories of divine rule to the realities of mass politics. Particular attention will be paid to the phenomena of absolutism and enlightened despotism, the general transformation of intellectual thought known as the Enlightenment, and the events leading up the French Revolution. Finally, the course will trace the impact of the French Revolution on European society, culture, and politics, highlighting the developments that made mass political participation possible. Prerequisite and/or Corequisite Majors: Hist 253. Non-Majors: may enroll with consent of instructor.

HIST 329 - Women and Gender in European History Hours: 3

This course explores European women’s and men’s changing social roles and competing views of femininity and masculinity in Modern Europe. It examines the status and role of women as well as the cultural construction of myths of gender and sexuality. Special attention will be paid to questions of equality and difference, the relationship between gender and politics/power, and issues of the female body, sexuality, and the family. Students will investigate the expectations that European societies proposed for women, the diversity of roles that women assumed in all fields of activity—economic, social, political, religious, and cultural—and how different women experienced transformation in their daily life as well as cataclysmic social and political change. Prerequisite and/or Corequisite Majors: Hist 253. Non-Majors: may enroll with consent of instructor.

HIST 333 - Modern Europe, 1848-1991 Hours: 3

This course investigates the momentous events of the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries in Europe and the impact of these developments on the rest of the world. Over the course of the semester, students will explore the formation of European nations, states, and empires; the emergence of ideologies such as nationalism, socialism, communism, and fascism; the impact of technological developments; and the devastation of the wars and genocides that have shaped the modern period. The course, framed by the Europe-wide upheavals of 1848 and 1991, gives special attention to the role of revolution, protest, and mass movements in Modern Europe, and the important contributions that Eastern Europe (including Russia) has made in shaping these events. Prerequisite and/or Corequisite Majors: Hist 253. Non-Majors: may enroll with consent of instructor.

HIST 334 - Urban Underworlds: The City and Its People in Modern Europe Hours: 3

Industrialization and the urbanization that accompanied it changed the nature of Europe’s cities permanently. These new metropolises brought the contradictions of modern life into sharp relief. This course takes a comparative approach to analyze the urban environment in cities such as London, Paris, Vienna, Berlin, St Petersburg, and Moscow. Focusing on the “hidden” worlds of the ordinary person, we will examine issues of class, crime and social control, prostitution and vice, entertainment and culture, and health and hygiene, as we explore the impact of change and modernity on Europe’s urban landscape. Prerequisite and/or Corequisite Majors: Hist 253. Non-Majors: may enroll with consent of instructor.

Plus 3 sh World, Asia, or Latin America:

HIST 360 - Themes in World History Hours: 3

A study of the themes which influenced all human cultures from the earliest times to the present, considered within the context of a comparative framework. Such themes as the impact of technological change on society, the development of means of economic exchange and the structure of religious and ideological systems will be examined. Note May be repeated for credit up to nine semester hours as topics change.Prerequisite and/or Corequisite Majors: Hist 253. Non-Majors: may enroll with consent of instructor.

HIST 365 - History of Modern East Asia Hours: 3

A survey of developments in China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries with emphasis on the impact of the West in the nineteenth century and modernization in the twentieth. Prerequisite and/or Corequisite Majors: Hist 253. Non-Majors: may enroll with consent of instructor.

HIST 375 - Colonial Latin America Hours: 3

This course offers an introduction to the history of Latin America from the late pre-Columbian period through the initial movements for independence. It will highlight the Amerindian, African, and European experiences in the colonization processes; as well as the colonial structures .Topics include Christianize, race and gender relations, political and economic systems, and the rise of Creole nationalism. Prerequisite and/or Corequisite Majors: Hist 253. Non-Majors: may enroll with consent of instructor.

HIST 385 - Latin America in the Modern Period Hours: 3

This course will examine Latin America since the independence process. It will study the obstacles confronted by the new nations, as well as themes such as the role of women in society, political violence and resistance, as well as the deepening links between Latin America and the world economy and its relationship with the United States. Prerequisite and/or Corequisite Majors: Hist 253. Non-Majors: may enroll with consent of instructor.

Plus 3 sh U.S.:

HIST 402 - Colonial North America to 1775 Hours: 3

This course explores the lives and cultures of American Indians,Europeans, and Africans/African Americans in North America, and the experience of colonialism, from the Precontact Period through the imperial crisis leading to the American Revolution. Topics covered include the conflict and cooperation between natives and newcomers,the role of religion in the conquest and settlement of the continent, the economic and political development of British America, the pivotal role of slavery, the evolving social structures of colonial communities, and the souring of relations between the British mainland colonies and Great Britain in the 1770s. Prerequisite and/or Corequisite Majors: Hist 253. Non-Majors: may enroll with consent of instructor.

HIST 403 - Revolutionary America and the Early National United States, 1775-1850 Hours: 3

This course examines the rise, progress, and ramifications of the American Revolution that created the United States of America, from its beginnings in the1770s through the development of a radically democratic nation by 1850. Topics covered include the social, economic, and political maturation of British colonial America preceding the Revolution; the War for Independence and the creation of nationhood; the later consequences of independence; the role of religion in early national American society; the conflicts leading to American Indian removal; and the debates over constitutionalism, federalism, slavery and states’ rights that divided North from South. Prerequisite and/or Corequisite Majors: Hist 253. Non-Majors: may enroll with consent of instructor.

HIST 404 - Religion in Early American History Hours: 3

This course surveys the development of religion in North America from the Precontact Period to the end of the American Civil War, with an emphasis on the transplantation and evolution of European Christianity. Topics covered include American Indian and African religions as they developed in contact with missionizing Christianity in the colonial and early national contexts, the influence of Protestantism on American identity, the religious justifications for slavery, issues pertaining to religious tolerance and the separation of church and state under the constitution, the First and Second Great Awakenings, nineteenth-century reform movements, and the role of religion in warfare from the Pequot War through the Civil War. Prerequisite and/or Corequisite Majors: Hist 253. Non-Majors: may enroll with consent of instructor.

HIST 405 - The Civil War and Reconstruction, 1850-1877 Hours: 3

This course charts national debate over slavery from the early Republic through secession, addresses topics concerning the conduct and outcome of the war, and discusses the legacy of the conflict in American history with special attention to the period of Reconstruction. The course strikes a balance between military, political, economic, racial, and gender issues in understanding the period. Prerequisite and/or Corequisite Majors: Hist 253. Non-Majors: may enroll with consent of instructor.

HIST 407 - Emergence of Modern America, 1850-1920 Hours: 3

This course examines the final crisis between the sections over the issue of slavery which produced Civil War, slavery’s destruction, and opened a long tortured effort fully define citizenship for those freed from slavery’s grasp. Industrialization and its complications brought political radicalism and demands for reform. Economic growth helped fuel expansion overseas, greater involvement in international affairs, and involvement in the First World War. Prerequisite and/or Corequisite Majors: Hist 253. Non-Majors: may enroll with consent of instructor.

HIST 409 - The Twentieth-Century United States Hours: 3

The cataclysm of World War I produced international economic catastrophe, masked initially in America by an emerging consumer economy and the Jazz Age. Economic depression produced a climate in which the government became insurer of general prosperity. World War II ended the Great Depression, produced the modern middle-class, but also began a period of prolonged international competition with the Soviet Union. Despite prevailing over communism, the United States closed the century facing international uncertainty and economic limits. Prerequisite and/or Corequisite Majors: Hist 253. Non-Majors: may enroll with consent of instructor.

HIST 411 - Race and Education in the 20th Century US Hours: 3

This course will explore the evolution of the national culture of public education in the U.S. after the Civil War era. Students will examine political efforts used to assimilate minority populations in the U.S. in order to promote citizenship, as well as the impact of legislation and court decisions on public schools. The course will also include an investigation of the effects of education policies on children and their families, and how schools perpetuate racism and discrimination. Topics considered may include the impact of segregation on the educational experiences of African Americans and the consequences of attempts at forced assimilation on American Indian educational experiences. Prerequisite and/or Corequisite Majors: Hist 253. Non-Majors: may enroll with consent of instructor.

HIST 425 - History of the American South Hours: 3

This course is a topical examination of the history of the southern United States, defined loosely as those eleven states which seceded from the Union in 1860-1861.The course is divided into five broad subject areas: two are antebellum and three are post-civil war. Matters relating to the Civil War are largely reserved for Hist 405. Hist 425 is primarily concerned with the development of a southern regional identity prior to, but especially after the Civil War. This understanding of regional identity is developed through attention to class, racial, political, economic, gender, and religious issues. Prerequisite and/or Corequisite Majors: Hist 253. Non-Majors: may enroll with consent of instructor.

HIST 437 - American Diplomatic History Hours: 3

This course is a study of U.S. foreign policy which examines the international role of the U.S. as its prominence in world affairs grew from the period of the Spanish-American War through the World Wars, and the Cold War Peace time as well as war time developments will be investigated. Prerequisite and/or Corequisite Majors: Hist 253. Non-Majors: may enroll with consent of instructor.

HIST 439 - Women and Gender in U.S. History Hours: 3

This course explores the study of women, gender and sexuality in the United States with primary focus from the mid-nineteenth through the twentieth centuries. It is the goal of this course to encourage the analysis and discussion of the social, political, and economic meanings of gender in the United States by examining the experiences of women and men from a variety of cultural vantage points using both primary and secondary sources. Prerequisite and/or Corequisite Majors: Hist 253. Non-Majors: may enroll with consent of instructor.