History Major

This survey course is an introduction to the political, economic, social, and intellectual history of the west from the Neolithic to the voyages of discovery in the sixteenth century. Our knowledge and understanding of the past is contingent and contested. The course explores areas of contestation to give students a better understanding of the forces and events which shaped the ancient and medieval worlds and continue to shape the modern world. (It is recommended that HIS 100 be taken prior to HIS 101.)

This survey course is an introduction to the political, economic, social, and intellectual history of the west from the scientific revolution to the present. Our knowledge and understanding of the past is contingent and contested. The course explores areas of contestation to give students a better understanding of the forces and events which have shaped the modern world.

This course is an introduction to themes and trends in the political, economic, cultural, and social, history of pre-modern societies in global perspective. It covers the development of civilizations in Eurasia, Africa and the Americas from the Neolithic Revolution to the ''Columbian Exchange'' with emphasis on the emergence and diffusion of religious and political institutions, the role of the environmental context, as well as the impact of encounters between human societies. Students are introduced to the historiography of empire and global history/globalization, and attention is devoted to the reading and analysis of different categories of primary sources.

This course is an introduction to themes and trends in the political, economic, cultural, and social history of modern societies in global perspective. It covers the development of societies in Eurasia, Africa, and the Americas from the ''Columbian Exchange'' to the twenty-first century with emphasis on the development of institutions within their changing cultural, political, and environmental context, as well as the impact of encounters between human societies. Students are introduced to the historiography of globalization and of the modern state. Further attention is devoted to the analysis of different categories of primary sources. (It is recommended that HIS 104 be taken prior to HIS 105).

The study of history is about the role of human beings in changing times. Over the last two hundred years the idea of the role of humans in history has developed from the ‘hero’s’ perspective of agency to an understanding of the interplay between the individual and the wider environment and society. This course explores how these changing examples have been represented in biographical and autobiographical writings, and what these different perspectives mean for our interpretation of the role of human beings in history. Starting with the autobiography of Benjamin Franklin and excerpts from various biographies of this Founding Father of the United States, this course also serves as an introduction to the history of historiography and life writing in a western context, and enables students to further contextualize their own experience and research.

Italy in many of its aspects can be considered to be a laboratory of Western modernity. The peninsula had a leading role in Western affairs during Antiquity and the Middle Ages, but this role was lost by the end of the fifteenth century. During the modern age, however, Italy continued to provide a central point of reference in the European mind. This course focuses attention on the cultural, social and political developments in Italian history in their European context since the Renaissance. Themes include the struggles over national identity in the absence of a unified nation state, the differing regions and competing centers, the interplay of culture and politics, the discussions of the nature of law and of legitimacy, and the relation between religion and politics. Music and opera in their social and cultural roles, as well as the development of legal concepts for the strengthening of statehood provide the main avenues to show how emotions such as love and accusations of betrayal have played a driving role in shaping the Italy of today.

This Academic Travel course seeks to explore urban development and urban planning of Central European cities from Antiquity to the Present. The course investigates the specific development of cities in Central Europe, both north and south of the Alps, with an emphasis on the legacies of Roman antiquity, the Christian (and Jewish) legacy of the Middle Ages, the role of princely residences, and of bourgeois middle classes. An important part plays also the various political movements of the 20th century, including the architectural fantasies of National Socialism, and the attempts post-World War II to deal with this legacy in a democratic society. The course asks in which way the interplay of tradition and modernity over time has structured not only the physical shapes of cities, but even the mindsets of the population. The travel component of this course features day trips to the Roman foundation of Como (Italy) and the oldest still standing structure in Switzerland in Riva San Vitale (Ticino), and a major excursion to the three most important cities in Bavaria: Nuremberg, Regensburg, and Munich (Germany).

This course is an introduction to the multifaceted civilization of Islam as both a religion and a historical phenomenon. After a survey of the background and context of the emergence of Muhammad as a spiritual leader in the Arabian peninsula, the course analyzes the rapid spread of Islam to Spain in the west and India to the east in less than a hundred years. It follows the divergent paths of the emerging different Islamic cultures in the Arabian and Mediterranean regions, in Persia, India, Turkey and Africa, and it follows also the Muslim diaspora in the Christian West. The guiding question is the relation between ''normalcy'' and variety as manifest in the tensions between the importance of the holy text of the Qur'an and the impact of interpretation and tradition. The course concludes with a consideration of contemporary Islam, focusing attention on both fundamentalist approaches and open-minded ones that seek a role for Muslims in peaceful relations with the West today.

Why do people commit genocide? Seeking to answer this question this course analyzes the contexts, causes, and developments that drive human beings to seek to exterminate whole groups of people based solely on the perception that they belong to a specific group. The class examines the role played by racism and paranoia in the radicalization of individuals and whole societies, and explores the contexts of imperialism, violence, and de-individualization in the modern world. The focus is on the Holocaust as the event which defined the concept of genocide, analyzing its history and using insights from sociology, political science, religious and cultural studies, and psychology. The class further investigates indigenous genocides, sexual violence and the politics of famine, the question of just war, and the attempts to cope with genocide-related trauma.

Ireland has undergone profound social, economic and political changes over the last two centuries. Its history has been largely defined, for better or worse, by its relationship with its larger neighbor, Britain. This course critically examines the contours and effects of this often troubled relationship which can largely be defined as the struggle between union and dis-union, that is, either strengthening or severing the link with Britain. Going beyond these constitutional issues it also examines wider social and cultural changes; the famine and its legacy, the land revolution of the late nineteenth century, emigration, the ‘Celtic Tiger’ economy and Ireland’s delayed sexual revolution.

In 1905 Japan became the first non-western country to defeat a western power, in this case Russia, in the modern era. This was the culmination of a forty-year effort by Japan to embrace modernity and resist western domination. It also served as a powerful inspiration to the peoples of Asia and to the rise of anti-colonial nationalism in the region. For much of the twentieth century the most populous continent was the scene of much convulsion; war (including cold war), revolution and widespread human suffering. Asia has since transcended these difficulties to become a global economic powerhouse, a process that was heavily influenced by the clash of imperialism and nationalism and by the Cold War, a global polarization that led not just to ‘cold’ tensions but also to ‘hot’ conflicts. Issues addressed include the rise, fall and rise of Japan, anti-colonial nationalism, wars in Asia including in Korea and Vietnam, and the emergence of China as a world power. As well as conflict and high politics, students examine how various ideologies affected societies. In pursuit of development and prosperity for their people, governments across Asia transformed daily life out of all recognition, for better or for worse.

Propaganda, a persuasive form of communication, acts to bind modern societies together. Its history is closely connected to changes in media and media consumption. This course analyzes in depth a wide range of primary sources in different formats. Following an introduction to important approaches in the theory, practice, and ethics of propaganda, as well as its early history, special attention is devoted to the century of propaganda, from the First World War and its impact, through the 'age of extremes' (Eric Hobsbawm), and the new possibilities of a digital age.

This course undertakes an in-depth discussion of the origins and development of nationalism as an ideology, as a political movement, and as a source of internal and international conflict in Europe. Following an introduction to important approaches in the theory of nationalism, special attention is devoted to the periods of the Napoleonic Wars, the First World War and its impact, and the period after the end of the Cold War in 1989.

The concept of ‘Global Britishness’ began as loyalty to the colonial motherland on the part of Britain’s white settler colonies (Canada, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand). This was transformed after the Second World War into a set of uneasy nationalisms by the 1970s. In recent years these ex-colonies have witnessed a re-identification with earlier concepts of Britishness (royal visits, war commemoration) at a time when the very concept of Britishness is perceived to be under threat from Scottish devolution (and possible independence) and Britain’s exit from the European Union. ‘Global Britishness’ presents a fascinating array of competing and intersecting identities across global, imperial and national lines. Students gain a greater understanding and awareness of; the processes and agencies of Britain’s imperial decline; the reactions to this among the various white settler colonies; the differences and similarities between these reactions; the practices of cultural and transnational history; and, contemporary legacies of the British Empire in the settler colonial world.

The 100th anniversary of the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia in 2017 occurred in a time characterized by a deep-seated dissatisfaction with established orders all around the globe, even in stable, prosperous, and democratic societies. The rhetoric and idea of a need to revolutionize politics can now be found, not only at the fringes, but at the center of societies. This course explores the history of the concept of political revolution from its onset in late 18th century France and its reception in the writings of Alexis de Tocqueville and Karl Marx. It will then focus on attempts to turn theory and historical experiences into practice in 20th century Russia: The failed revolution in 1905, the two revolutions in February and October 1917, the question of when the revolution ended, and eventually the ''anti-revolution'' (Richard Sakwa) of 1989-91. Against this backdrop and by analyzing a wide array of primary sources and theoretical statements, this course discusses the changing paradigms in the study of revolution in the fields of History, Cultural Studies, and Political Science.

Special topics in History vary each semester. Course description and pre-requisites are specified in the session course description.

Students in their Senior year who wish to graduate with a Major in History (stand alone or combined) take this capstone version of HIS 330 (see course description). Students in HIS 430 attend all meetings of HIS 330 and are responsible for additional and more in-depth work including an oral presentation and seminars with the instructor. This additional work is geared towards preparing the student for the successful completion of the Senior Thesis. (Students who have already earned credit for HIS 330 may not enroll and earn credit for HIS 430.)

Students in their Senior year who wish to graduate with a major in History (stand alone or combined) need to take this capstone version of HIS 351 (see course description). Students in HIS 451 attend all meetings of HIS 351 and are responsible for additional and more in-depth work, to include an oral presentation and tutorials with the instructor. The additional work and the tutorials are geared towards preparing the student for the successful completion of their Senior Thesis. Students who have earned credit for HIS 351 in a previous year may not enroll and earn credit for HIS 451.

Students in their Senior year who wish to graduate with a Major in History (stand alone or combined) need to take this capstone version of HIS 360 (see course description). Students in HIS 460 attend all meetings of HIS 360 and are responsible for additional and more in-depth work including an oral presentation and seminars with the instructor. This additional work is geared towards preparing the student for the successful completion of their Senior Thesis. Students who have already earned credit for SEM 372 Revolution and Russia may not enroll and earn credit for HIS 460.