Courses Offered

History

A list of regularly offered courses follows. The indication of when a course will be offered is based on the best projection of the department and can be subject to change.

Please note the key for the following abbreviations: (A) Arts; (H) Humanities; (S) Social Sciences; (N) Natural Sciences with Laboratory; (LS) Language Studies requirement; (NSP) Natural Science in Perspective; (NW) Non-Western Cultures requirement.

SURVEY COURSES

Courses in this group are open to all students. Either half of a two-semester sequence may be taken alone for credit.

HIS113. The History of Ancient Greece. (S) Fall 2009

Ancient Greece from the Bronze Age to the death of Alexander the Great in the Mediterranean and Near Eastern context. Students are also introduced to the problems and methods of historical inquiry. Same as CLS 113. Castor

HIS114. The History of Ancient Rome. (S) Fall 2009

The transformation from the Republic to Principate and the collapse of the empire are explored. Students are also introduced to the problems and methods of historical inquiry. Same as CLS 114. Castor

HIS153. Race and Ethnicity in American History. (S) (W) Fall 2009

First-year seminar emphasizing topics in African-American history and changes over the past 400 years and examining for comparative purposes, the experiences of Jewish immigrants to the U.S. of the late 19th, early 20th centuries. Readings in primary and secondary sources and historical, sociological and psychological perspectives to bear on the issues of race and ethnicity in America. Stameshkin

HIS157. War and Gender in Modern Europe. (S)(W) Fall 2009

Exploration of the experiences of European men and women in the First and Second World Wars. Through literature, film, propaganda and other primary sources, the course examines the shifts in masculine and feminine identities occasioned by total war. Same as WGS 157. Mitchell

HIS215. The Middle Ages. (S) (E) (PM) Fall 2009

The history of western Europe from the decline of the Roman Empire to the beginning of the 16th century. Emphasizes traditional themes such as monasticism, the development of feudal relations and the conflict between church and state as well as other topics, including popular religion, the impact of disease and the life of the peasantry. McRee 217, 218. Early Modern Europe I and II. (S) (E) (PM) Offered in 2009–2010 First semester traces the development of Renaissance ideas and political institutions, followed by a consideration of the religious and social changes in western Europe down to 1648. Topics explored include Renaissance humanism, the growth of monarchical power and the Protestant Reformation. Second semester focuses on the period of French predominance and the causes and results of the French Revolution and ends with a consideration of the Era of Napoleon. McRee

HIS221, HIS222. Europe in the 19th and 20th Centuries. (S) (E) Fall 2009 (221 only); Spring 2010 (222 only)

First semester covers the development of centralized states, the Enlightenment, the — French and Industrial revolutions — on European society, nationalism, Liberalism, socialism, the emergence of gendered spheres, modern racism and the dynamics of imperial conquest. Second semester covers the decline of the liberal synthesis female emancipation, communism, fascism, the two world wars, the Holocaust, decolonization, the Cold War, 1968 and Europe since 1989. O’Connor, Mitchell

HIS225, HIS226. History of Russia. (S) Spring 2010 (HIS 226 only) (E) (PM)

First semester examines Russian history from Muscovite period through early 20th century, emphasizing interaction of state and society and how social, political, economic and cultural events influenced tsarist policies, imperial expansion and efforts to reform and revolutionize Russian life. Second semester covers major historical developments in Russia and the Soviet Union from revolutionary era of 1905 to the present. Traces evolution of new political, social and cultural identities and re-formulation and dismantling of old ones during the Soviet era and beyond. Schrader

HIS231, HIS232. History of Latin America. (NW) (S) HIS 232 Spring 2010 (WH)

Survey of Latin America from pre-Conquest times to the present. First semester begins with historical backgrounds of indigenous societies as well as Spain and Portugal before 1492, followed by examination of the conquest and colonial period through independence. Second semester focuses on comparative history and political economy, U.S.-Latin American relations and cultural forces. A focus on case studies is complemented by an examination of broad patterns of change in Latin America as a whole. Zolov

HIS236. U.S. Empire (S) (U) 2010–2011

Historical introduction to major themes and topics in United States international engagement from mid-19th century through the mid-20th century. Topics may include: North American empire, imperial ambitions in the Caribbean and Philippines, Wilsonianism, east Asian confrontations, international institutions and ideological confrontations. Same as AMS 236. Stevenson

HIS237. The United States from Colonies to Nation. (S) (U) 2009–2010

Traces development of North America from the European encounter with the continent in 1490s to end of American Civil War. Examines settlement, free and unfree labor systems and the region’s indigenous peoples; explores causes, events and consequences of the American Revolution and the rise and westward expansion of the new republic and concludes by tracing growing tensions between north and south, reform, the outbreak of the Civil War and its immediate consequences. Pearson

HIS238. Modern America, from Reconstruction to Reagan. (S) (U) 2009–2010

This course traces the rise of the United States since the Civil War, as an urban, industrial society marked by deep racial and ethnic cleavages. Besides studying movements and legal struggles for equality, it examines America’s role as a world power, from intervention in Latin America through two world wars, the Cold War and Vietnam. Students can expect to use primary documents and engage in debates. Prerequisites: HIS 237 or 331, or instructor’s permission. Westkaemper

HIS241. History of North and West Africa. (NW) (S) (WH) Fall 2009

Introduction to major themes in the history of North and West Africa from ancient Egypt through the present crisis in Sudan. Emphasizes West African political and social formations, domestic and trans-Atlantic slave systems, notions of identity, the role of Islam and the rise and fall of colonialism. Students use primary sources to explore historical problems. Final unit explores recent events in Sudan. Same as AFS 241. Lofkrantz

HIS242. History of East and Southern Africa. (NW) (S) (W) Spring 2010

Introduction to major themes in the history of East, Central and Southern Africa from the Bantu migration through the Rwandan genocide. Emphasizes social, political and religious change in pre-colonial Africa and resistance to slavery and colonialism. Students use primary sources to explore historical problems. Final unit explores the legacy of colonialism in the 1994 Rwandan genocide. Same as AFS 242. Lofkrantz

HIS251. East Asian Cultures I. (NW) (S) (WH) (PM) 2010–2011

Historical introduction to various cultures of East Asia, from ancient archeological records to early 17th century with geographical focus on the region encompassing present-day China, Korea and Japan. Provides students with basic literacy in key developments in East Asian history and encourages students to critically assess this history through the themes of culture and progress. No prior background on East Asia is required. Reitan

HIS252. East Asian Cultures II. (NW) (S) (WH) 2010–2011

Provides an introduction to the cultures of East Asia (China, Japan and to a lesser extent Korea) from the 17th century to the present through themes of identity, change and conflict. Throughout, we will focus our attention not only on diplomatic events and on the thought and actions of elite or dominant groups, but also on those marginalized on the basis of race, class, religion, gender and so forth. Reitan

HIS253. Jewish History I: Jews of East and West

Through the Middle Ages. (NW) (S) (PM) (WH) Every Fall Introduction to Jewish history, beginning with first centuries of the Common Era and continuing to end of 17th century. Examines central themes and patterns in Jewish history. Readings consist of narrative as well as documentary histories with discussion of different theoretical approaches to the writing of Jewish history. Same as JST/RST 253. Hoffman

HIS254. Jewish History II: Jews in the Modern World. (S) (E) Every Spring

Introduction to Jewish life in the modern era from late 18th century Emancipation and Enlightenment through the present, tracing the transformations of Jewish life. Broad historical sketches are combined with close readings of particular texts, movements and thinkers to flesh out the contours and dynamics of the Jewish experience in the Modern world. Major events of Jewish history of 20th century (the Holocaust, foundation of the State of Israel and mass migration of European Jews to the Americas) are examined through secondary and primary sources. Same as JST/RST 254. Hoffman

HIS310. American Masculinities. (S) Fall 2009

This course explores the importance of masculinity and its various constructions in American history and the contemporary period. We begin by examining the theoretical and historical foundations of American masculinities. We will focus on key ways in which men (and women) sustain and recreate masculinities. Topics include manhood and the workplace, politics, sports, courtship, fatherhood, military, immigration and ethnicity, crime and prisons and religion. Same as AMS/WGS 310. Deslippe

HIS311. History of Medicine. (S) (U) Spring 2010

The history of medicine with particular attention to American medicine. The relationship between medicine and society is studied in its historical context. We look in detail at some trends in modern medicine and the current debate over national health care policy in light of the history of medicine. Same as STS 311. Strick

HIS316. Tudor-Stuart England. (S) (E) (PM) 2009–2010

English history from the coming of the Tudors in 1485 to the “Glorious Revolution” 1688–89. Particular attention will be devoted to the religious reformations of the 16th century, the civil war and political upheavals of the 17th century and the effects that both developments had on the lives of English men and women. McRee

HIS320. Women in American Society and Politics since 1890. (S) Fall 2009

An interdisciplinary study of the various ways women have participated in American society and politics. Topics include the suffrage movement, modern modes of political participation and the New Deal and World War II. Critical analysis of the meaning of feminism and special attention to the post–1945 period. Same as AMS/WGS 320. Westkaemper

HIS325. Jewish Culture in Eastern Europe. (S) (E) 2010–2011

Course focuses on the Jews of Eastern Europe from the end of the Middle Ages through the present; looks at variety of cultural forms and expressions they have created. From tradition to modernity, Shtetl to Socialism, religious scholarship to secular literature, examines the rich cultural life of East European Jews in all its myriad manifestations. Specific emphasis on transformations in the culture of Yiddish-speaking Jews in Poland and Russia. Same as JST 325. Hoffman

HIS326. Jewish Views of Jesus. (S) (E) Spring 2010

Course explores the ways in which Jews have related to and represented the figure of Jesus, using Jewish texts from the birth of Christianity to the present day. Beginning with the Talmud, examines numerous Jewish sources (including literature and art) and looks at a number of historical periods and the different religious, social and intellectual developments that influenced Jewish perceptions and portrayals of Jesus. Same as JST/RST 326. Hoffman

HIS327. Cinema and the American Jewish Experience. (S) (U) Spring 2010

Course explores representations of American Jewish life, culture and religion in cinema. Using an historical perspective, it analyzes the different ways in which Jewish identity and culture have been represented in American film. Looks at history of Jews in the United States, Jewish involvement in the film industry and anti-Semitism. Films viewed weekly, including feature films and several documentaries, in class and in an extra viewing session. Same as AMS/JST/RST 327. Hoffman

HIS331. African-American History I. (S) (U) Offered in 2010–2011

Introduction to historical experiences of African Americans from the early 1500s until the American Civil War. Emphasis on the cultural and social worlds from which African Americans came in the 17th and 18th centuries and how they sought to recreate those worlds on the plantations and in the towns of the American South. Also examines the establishment of free institutions and the struggle for freedom. Same as AFS 331. Pearson

HIS332. African-American History II. (S) (U) Offered in 2010–2011

Examines the wide range of African-American political thought and social movements that have transformed contemporary American society. Focuses on the ideas and strategies embraced by African Americans as they sought equality and justice from Reconstruction to the present day. Same as AFS 332. Gosse/Pearson

HIS339. Civil War and Reconstruction. (S) (U) 2010–2011

Interdisciplinary course asks students to investigate the causes, events, results of the American Civil War and its enduring impact on American life. The class usually takes one all-day trip to battlefields. No prerequisite, although some background in 19th-century history is helpful. Stevenson

HIS341. U.S. — Latin American Relations. (S) (WH) 2010–2011

This course provides an introduction to the principle themes and trends in relations between Latin America and the United States from the early19th century to the present. In this course will explore the economic, military, political and cultural underpinnings of “Pan-Americanism.” Background knowledge in Latin America and/or International Relations suggested but not required. Zolov

HIS345. America since 1945. (S) (U) 2009–2010

Consideration of questions: how did the long Cold War shape American culture? How do we define “the Sixties”? What are the effects of the continuing revolution in consumption? Why have race and ethnicity continued to dominate political discourse? Was there a “sexual revolution”? Have the past thirty years constituted a “post-Vietnam” America? Has there been a conservative realignment? What happened to the middle class and who is working class now? Course presumes familiarity with the basic history of America during the Cold War, 1945–1989. Prerequisites: HIS 238, 332, or instructor’s permission. Gosse

HIS349. Modern South Africa. (NW) (S) (WH) 2010–2011

With an emphasis on the 20th century, this course explores the emergence of South Africa’s multi-racial society. Major themes include African state systems, European immigration and conquest, Africans’ individual and collective responses to white domination and changing gender roles. Students use historical documents, film and fiction in addition to secondary readings. Discussion is an important component of course grade. Same as AFS 349. Anthony

HIS350. The African Intellectual and the Legacy of Colonialism. (NW) (S) (WH) Offered in 2010–2011

The seminar examines the responses of leading African thinkers to colonialism and its aftermath, with emphasis on North, West and East Africa. Students read/view and discuss works by Fanon, Djebar, Nkrumah, Sembene, Ngugi, Appiah and other key thinkers and complete an individual research project. Prerequisites: HIS 241 or 242 or permission of the instructor. Same as AFS 350 (Africana Studies Seminar). Anthony

HIS355. Modern Germany. (S) (E) 2010–2011

Focuses on continuities and ruptures in German society during the Second Empire, the Weimar Republic, National Socialism, the competing Republics and the (unified) Federal Republic of Germany. Major questions German industrial and state formation; gender, class and religious identities; the impact of total war; economic and political crisis; the roots of dictatorship and democracy; the organization of genocide; and European unity. Mitchell

HIS360. History Workshop: Methods and Practice. Every Semester

Trains students in the methodology and practice of history, in preparation for seminar research and reading and the scholarly practice of history. The two principal objectives of the History Workshop are “historiographical literacy” (a reasonably comprehensive grasp of historical approaches, methodologies and schools of analysis) and learning the “mechanics of doing history” (how to research and write history, including ethical and practical issues of archival work library and web use, the mechanics of citation and more). Classes center on critical analysis of readings, textual interpretation of primary documents and library activities. Open to all students, but priority is granted to majors and minors. Should be taken no earlier than spring of the sophomore year and no later than fall of the senior year. Gosse/Schrader

HIS385. The Darwinian Revolution. (S) (E) Fall 2010

This seminar course draws on historical and scientific work to analyze the roots of Darwinian thinking in economics, social policy toward the poor, religious thought, politics and the sciences in which Darwin was trained. In individual research projects, students assess the ways in which “Darwinism” was applied for social, political, economic and theological purposes, as well as scientific ones. This course provides the historical background necessary for understanding Darwinian biology and the present-day Creation/evolution conflict. Prerequisite: Permission of instructor required for first-year students to enroll. Same as STS 385. Strick

HIS391. Directed Readings.

Tutorial. Topics adapted to the knowledge and interests of the individual student. Admission by consent of the instructor.

HISTORY SEMINARS

HIS 360 is a prerequisite or corequisite for seminar enrollment. Some seminars have other prerequisites (see relevant department listings). History seminars are open to all students, although majors, minors, seniors and juniors have priority when enrolling.

HIS400. Selected Studies in Medieval History. (S) (E) (PM) 2009–2010

Readings and research on selected topics in medieval social and political history. Recent seminars include “Plague, Famine, War and the End of the Middle Ages” and “Medieval Urban Life,” “Heretics, Saints and Sinners.” McRee

HIS403. Selected Studies in Modern European History. (S) (E) 2009–2010

Readings and research in selected aspects of the political, social and cultural history of Modern Europe. Recent seminars include “Gender in Modern Europe,” “Social Discipline and Social Deviance: The Construction of Modern European Subjectivity,” “The French Revolution,” “The Politics of Memory,” “Human Rights and Civil Rights,” and “Urban History.” Some of these courses have prerequisites; see relevant departmental offerings. Schrader, Mitchell 405. Selected Studies in Jewish History. (S) (E) 2009–2010 Readings and research on various topics, periods and problems of Jewish history. Seminar topics include “Approaches to Jewish History” and “Jewish Political Movements.” Same as JST 405. Hoffman

HIS407. Selected Studies in Latin American History. (NW) (S) (WH) 2009–2010

Readings and research in problems in the political, economic, social and cultural history of Latin America. Recent seminars include “Nation, State and Violence in Latin America,” “Latin America in the 1960s,” and “U.S.-Latin American Relations.” Some of these courses have prerequisites; see relevant departmental offerings. Zolov

HIS409, HIS410, HIS411. Selected Studies in the Social and Political History of North America. (U) 2009–2010

Readings and research in the social and political history of North America. Recent seminars include “The American South,” “Colonial America,” “The American Revolution,” “The Atlantic World,” “Colonies, Conquests and Empires in the New World,” “The Radical Tradition in Pennsylvania,” “Black Politics and Black Power,” and “Local History.” Some of these courses have prerequisites (see relevant departmental offerings). Gosse, Pearson

HIS408, HIS420. Selected Topics in the Cultural and Intellectual History of the United States. (H)(U) 2010–2011

Recent topics include: “Lincoln” and “National Discourse.” Same as AMS 420. Stevenson

HIS421. Selected Studies in Greek History. (S) Fall 2011

A close examination of a particular period, place or individual in ancient Greek history. Seminar topics include “Alexander the Great” and “Archaic Greece.” Prerequisite: CLS/HIS 113. Same as CLS 421. Castor

HIS422. Selected Studies in Roman History. (S) Fall 2010

A close examination of a particular period, place or individual in ancient Roman history. Seminar topics include “Imperial Women: Power Behind the Throne,” “The Rise of Rome,” and “The Roman Empire.” Prerequisite: CLS/HIS 114. Same as CLS 422. Castor

HIS430. Selected Studies in African History. (NW) (S) (WH) 2010–2011

Readings and research in selected topics of the political, social and cultural history of Africa. See relevant departmental offerings for prerequisites. Recent topics include “Africans and Apartheid” and “Slavery in Africa.” Same as AFS 430. Anthony

HIS450. Selected Studies in East Asian History. (NW) (S) (WH) Fall 2010

Readings and research in selected topics of the social, political and cultural history of East Asia. Recent seminars include “Women and Gender in Chinese History,” “Memories of Empire.” Reitan

HIS490. Independent Study.

Independent study directed by members of the History staff. Permission of chairperson required.

TOPICS COURSES TO BE OFFERED IN 2009–2010

Islamic History I.
French Revolution.
History of Cuba.
Iraq, Iran and Lebanon.
Islam in Africa.