History Courses
HIST 110: Global Change: The Power of History
This course offers an introduction to college-level study of history. Specific subjects covered will vary, but a significant amount of the course will focus on non-Western history. Topics may include: the origins of civilizations in the Middle East, Asia, and the Americas; the role of religion in society; the rise and fall of empires; encounters between civilizations, from ancient trade networks to modern colonialism. Students in all sections will be introduced to certain key skills and methodology used by historians, including analysis of primary sources and assessment of historical arguments. Close attention will be paid to the development of critical reading and writing skills. No prerequisites. (This course satisfies Humanities and Writing Intensive.)
HIST 200: Empire, Slavery, Freedom: Early US
(Empire, Slavery, Freedom: Early United States) What were the origins and foundations of the United States? This course follows the transformation of North America and the emergence of the United States as an independent republic from the seventeenth century to the greatest crisis of the new nation, the Civil War and Reconstruction. Connecting primary sources to major works of historical interpretation, it examines the foundations of the United States by tracing the political, economic, and social underpinnings of historical change. Our exploration of this history will revolve around three key themes: land, labor, and territorial conquest and empire. No prerequisites. (This course satisfies Humanities and Domestic Pluralism.)
cross listed: AMER 210
HIST 201: Rights & Reactions: Modern US Hist.
(Inequity, Rights, Reaction: Modern United States) This course examines the major developments in U.S. history from Reconstruction to the current American political and social landscape. We explore the rise of a burgeoning capitalist economy, the rapidly changing role of government in American society, the rise of the U.S. as an imperial power, and political and social movements that redrew the boundaries of inclusion in American democracy along class, gender, and racial lines. By the mid-twentieth century, a powerful labor movement gained new rights for workers, the Civil Rights Movement overthrew the Jim Crow order, and feminism challenged established gender roles. These challenges to the status quo, however, unleashed a powerful conservative reaction. A central theme of the course is inequality: we explore both the egalitarian movements that reduced social inequality in the mid-twentieth century, as well as the renewed growth of inequality in the last forty years. No prerequisites. (This course satisfies Domestic Pluralism and Writing Intensive.)
cross listed: AMER 211
HIST 202: African American History 1619-1865
This course surveys the history of African Americans in the New World, from the first colonial encounter through the sociopolitical changes of the burgeoning United States that led to the Civil War (1861-1865). The history of African Americans in the United States is often defined by the chattel slavery experience. However, the early years of American history that made people of African descent American are much more complex. By centering the actions and voices of the heterogeneous African American community, this course examines topics including the Middle Passage, domestic slavery expansion, free and maroon black communities, various resistance strategies, interracial coalitions, and the role of enslaved people in bringing about their own emancipation. No prerequisites. (This course satisfies Humanities and Domestic Pluralism.)
cross listed: AFAM 202
HIST 203: African American History 1865-2016
This course examines the journey of African Americans from the end of the Civil War through Reconstruction, the New Nadir, the Civil Rights and Black Power Movements, the War on Drugs and new black capitalism, and the rise of hip hop, ending with the Obama years. In 1865, the centuries-old question of where African Americans would fit into the fabric of United States society was finally answered. As newly freed people and full citizens, African Americans learned that the process of citizenship would not be seamless or easy, and that the fight was just beginning. Blacks redefined their status over and over again during this 150-year period, and this course will examine why and how these shifts occurred. No prerequisites. (This course satisfies Humanities and Domestic Pluralism.)
cross listed: AFAM 203
HIST 204: Roman History
This course examines the history of Italy and the Mediterranean world during the thousand-plus years of Roman rule. We begin with Rome's establishment as a small city-state, as recorded in both legend and archaeological evidence. We chart Rome's political development and imperial expansion under the republic, study the career of Augustus and the revolution by which he transformed Rome into an empire, and conclude with that empire's fragmentation into the Byzantine, Latin Christian, and Islamic worlds. The topics studied will include: key political institutions and leaders; war, imperialism, and their consequences, including slavery and social unrest; the work of authors such as Cicero, Vergil, Seneca, and Marcus Aurelius; the varied Roman religious scene and the rise of Christianity and Islam; Roman social history, including class, marriage, and slavery. Students will work extensively with primary documents in translation. (This course satisfies Humanities and Global Perspective.)
cross listed: CLAS 211
HIST 205: Medieval History
This course examines the history of Europe and the Mediterranean world in the years 300-1500 CE. We begin with the fragmentation of the Roman Empire into three areas: Latin Christian Europe, the Byzantine Empire, and the Islamic world. We then explore the richness of the medieval centuries, including: aspects of medieval Christianity ranging from the cult of saints to monasticism to the papacy; the development of the major European kingdoms, knighthood, and chivalry; intellectual life and the rise of universities; interactions between Christians, Jews, and Muslims both peaceful (trade) and hostile (crusade); lives of ordinary people in urban and rural settings. Students will work extensively with primary documents in translation. No prerequisites. (This course satisfies Humanities and Global Perspective.)
HIST 206: Renaissance and Reformation
This course begins with Europe at the end of the Middle Ages, alive with cultural ferment and religious debate but reeling from the carnage of the Black Death. We then turn to an in-depth examination of the years 1400-1600, including: the development of sovereign states and political theory on proper governance, divine right, and resistance to royal rule; the impact of key technological innovations such as printing and gunpowder; the discovery of the Americas and the origins of worldwide European colonialism; the spread of mercantile and industrial capitalism and international trade systems; the flowering of culture, art, and science known as the Renaissance; the emergence of Protestant and Catholic visions of religious reform and the wars and persecutions that resulted. Students will work extensively with primary documents in translation as well as key works of scholarship. (This course satisfies Humanities and Global Perspective.)
HIST 208: Europe 1715-1890
Socio-economic, political, and intellectual and cultural development of Europe from 1715 to 1890. The crisis of the old order in the age of the Enlightenment and the French Revolution. Industrialization, democratization, and modernization in the nineteenth century. The emergence of nation-states, consumer societies, and modern ideologies. No prerequisites. (This course satisfies Humanities and Global Perspective.)
cross listed: IREL 220
HIST 209: Europe in the Twentieth Century
European politics, culture, and society from 1890s to 1990s. The course pursues three major themes: the origins of the modern era from 1890 to 1918; the rise of the authoritarian state from 1917 to 1945; and the Cold War from the 1940s to the collapse of the Soviet Union. No prerequisites. (This course satisfies Humanities and Global Perspective.)
cross listed: IREL 221
HIST 210: Greek History
This course uses ancient evidence to explore the issues that emerged in the course of early Greek history: the nature of interactions between Greeks and other ancient cultures and societies of the Mediterranean, Near East, and North Africa; political developments in Greek city-states (especially Athens and Sparta); religious movements, beliefs, and practices; advances in philosophical thought and rational inquiry; the tensions between local identities and a common Greek identity; gender and sexuality; freedom and slavery in Greek politics and society; the diffusion of Hellenistic culture throughout the Mediterranean world; and the expansion of Alexander the Great's empire. The course scrutinizes and reassesses modern interpretations of the ancient Greek past and its legacy. It better equips students to evaluate claims about ancient history and what the ancient Greeks might mean for us now. Students work extensively with primary documents in translation. No prerequisites. (This course satisfies Global Perspective and Writing Intensive.)
cross listed: CLAS 210
HIST 212: Origins of East Asia
Introduction to the great civilizations of China and Japan, with emphasis on development of their fundamental characteristics. Highlights both shared traditions and significant differences between the two countries. No prerequisites. (This course satisfies Humanities and Global Perspective.)
cross listed: ASIA 200
HIST 213: Modern East Asia
Study of China, Japan, and Korea as each moved toward modern nationhood over the last 200 years. Attention to the difficulties each has confronted, including Japan's vision of empire shattered by World War II, China's civil war, and Korea's transformation through foreign interventions. No prerequisites. (This course satisfies Humanities and Global Perspective.)
cross listed: ASIA 201, IREL 234
HIST 222: American Revolution
To quote the historian Gordon Wood, the American Revolution 'was the most radical and far-reaching event in American history.' In this course we examine this momentous Founding Age of the United States, with a special focus on the ideas that shaped this period. We explore the growing estrangement of American colonies from Great Britain and the culmination of this process in the Declaration of Independence. Then we look at the process and controversies involved in creating a new nation, and the United States government. No prerequisites.
cross listed: AMER 253
HIST 224: The New American Nation 1787-1848
This course covers America's 'Founding Period' from the end of the Revolution through the conclusion of the U.S.-Mexican War. During this time, Americans gradually came to see themselves as part of a unified nation with its own distinctive culture and ideals, though this outcome was far from certain. Beginning with the Constitution and the uncertain legacies of the American Revolution, the course considers the fundamental political, social, and cultural problems that could easily have torn the young Republic apart. Topics and themes include the problems of democracy and popular politics, the limits of citizenship, the formation of a distinctive American culture, the place of America on the world stage, the transition to capitalism and the 'market revolution,' and the figure of Andrew Jackson. No prerequisites.
cross listed: AMER 271
HIST 226: American Civil War
The origins of the war in the antagonistic development of the free North and slave South; Lincoln and the Republican Party; Black activity in the North and South; the war; the transforming and gendered aspects of fighting the war; Reconstruction; the impact of the war on American development. No prerequisites. (This course satisfies Humanities and Domestic Pluralism.)
cross listed: AMER 250
HIST 228: Inequality and Reform: US 1865-1920
This course offers an introduction to the political, social, and cultural history of the United States between Reconstruction and World War I, as the country rebuilt and reimagined itself in the wake of the Civil War and the end of slavery. We will pay special attention to new patterns of inequality in the contexts of industrialization, urbanization, and immigration. We will also examine the complexities and contradictions of progressive reform movements, including efforts to improve housing, sanitation, and labor conditions. We will look at how those transformations affected people's everyday lives and conceptions of American citizenship, and we will explore the emergence of popular mass culture through photography, art, architecture, advertising, and films. No prerequisites. (This course satisfies Domestic Pluralism and Writing Intensive.)
cross listed: AMER 276
HIST 229: Ruled by the American Empire
This course examines the history of the US as an empire using global case studies to question the assumptions of many international relations perspectives. Throughout the course, emphasis is placed on the history, experiences, and voices of those subjected to the power of the United States as an imperial power by reading primary sources produced by those subjected to imperial power. This includes indigenous people who fought the expansion of the US as a continental empire during the nineteenth century, Filipinos who resisted the American Occupation after the Spanish American War, and scholars and activists in Latin America, the Caribbean, and Africa whose autonomy and choices were shaped by the global rivalry of the US and the Soviet Union during the Cold War. The course concludes by examining the "War on Terror" and the experiences of the people of Afghanistan and Iraq in the early twenty-first century. No prerequisites. (This course satisfies Humanities and Global Perspective.)
HIST 231: Indigenous History of the Americas
This course is a survey of Indigenous history from pre-colonization to the present across both North and South America. Throughout the Americas, Native people built complex systems of cultural grandeur and political interaction. These cultures may have changed but certainly did not vanish when these groups came into contact with European colonizers. Rather, Indigenous people created new strategies for survival in a changing geopolitical reality, and impacted the development of emerging nations like the United States. In modern times, Indigenous people continue to fight for recognition of their sovereignty and rights. This course connects Indigenous history to issues related to nation-building, citizenship, economic change, and multiculturalism. No prerequisites. (This course satisfies Humanities.)
cross listed: LNAM 230
HIST 232: U.S. Environmental History
(United States Environmental History) Introduction to the historical study of the relationship of people in the present-day United States with the natural world. Examination of the ways that 'natural' forces helped shape U.S. history; the ways human beings have altered and interacted with nature over time; and the ways cultural, philosophical, scientific, and political attitudes towards the environment have changed in the course of U.S. history, pre-history to the present. (This course satisfies Humanities and Domestic Pluralism.)
cross listed: AMER 261, ES 260
HIST 233: Latinx Chicago
This course explores the history of Chicago's diverse Latinx communities from 1900 to the present. We focus on Mexican and Puerto Rican Chicagoans, but students also have the opportunity to explore other communities. We examine migration experiences and community formation in Chicago neighborhoods, and how Latinx communities have understood their own identity. We study how Latinx groups organized social and political movements for empowerment; engaged in struggles around employment, education, and housing; and confronted policing, deportation, and displacement. Through these efforts, Latinx communities shaped public policy at the local and national level. Finally, we investigate how race, ethnicity, gender, class, and religion have been understood within Latinx communities and have shaped their experiences in the city. No prerequisites. (This course satisfies Domestic Pluralism and Speaking Intensive.)
cross listed: LNAM 233, GSWS 233
HIST 234: Witches, Preachers, and Mystics
In this course students consider the historical development of religion in the United States of America. We study topics such as the contact between Native Americans and European settlers, religion and the founding of the Republic, religious revivals and awakenings, immigration and religion, the rise of new forms of religion in the United States, responses to scientific and technological developments, and the entangling of religion and politics. The course covers religion from the colonial period to the dawn of the twentieth century. No prerequisites. (This course satisfies Humanities and Domestic Pluralism.)
cross listed: RELG 234, AMER 234
HIST 235: US Cities
This course is an introduction to the political, economic, and social forces that have shaped US cities in the last 200 years, with a focus on the city of Chicago. We explore the growth of urban economies, migration and immigration into cities, racial/ethnic segregation and displacement, and struggles over power and resources. Students are introduced to multiple disciplinary approaches to understanding US cities, and visit relevant sites in Chicago. This course is the core course for the Urban Studies minor program. (This course satisfies Humanities and Domestic Pluralism.)
cross listed: AMER 263, ES 263, URBS 120
HIST 236: Who Counts? History by Census Data
Who counts in US history? Since 1790, the official "count" of the US population has been the US federal census, used to determine everything from representation in Congress to funding for your neighborhood. This class introduces you to the many uses of census data, and also introduces you to a statistical software program, SPSS, to analyze census data yourself. The US census is a treasure trove of information - about class, race, gender, education, immigration - but it is also imperfect, leaving some people uncounted and imposing categories onto communities that do not match their experiences. By learning how this data was created, we learn about the limits of data and why history is important for data analysis. No prior experience with quantitative methods is required. No prerequisites. (This course satisfies Domestic Pluralism and Technology Intensive.)
HIST 239: History of Educ in American Society
(History of Education in American Society.) Two hundred years ago, the vast majority of men and women in the United States only attended a formal school for a few years at most. Many of the functions we associate with schooling - the transmission of knowledge, socialization, and job preparation - took place in the home, community, or workplace. The story of the 19th and 20th century is the story of the expansion of education into a central experience in the lives of Americans, delivered in a vast network of educational institutions. By moving thematically through the roles of both K-12 and higher education, this course will examine the processes through which a wide array of social functions moved into the school system, and the modern U.S. educational system was forged. A central course theme will be how established forms of social inequality and exclusion were incorporated into and then reproduced by an expanding system of education. No prerequisites. (This course satisfies Humanities and Domestic Pluralism.)
cross listed: AMER 270, EDUC 239
HIST 241: Charlemagne & the Forging of Europe
300 years after the "fall of Rome," a barbarian named Charlemagne was crowned emperor and a renewal of imperial forms and governance transpired in western Europe. This course unearths the circumstances that led to the rise, spread, and fall of the first medieval pan-European empire, from the collapse of western Roman power in the fifth century to the collapse of Carolingian power at the end of the ninth. We examine how the Latin Christian church and barbarian kings preserved and transformed aspects of Roman life; how a family of usurpers from northern Europe came to dominate the former western provinces; how colonization and imperialism within Europe prefigured the expansion of European colonizers across the globe; how both elites and commoners experienced a Carolingian world; how the experiences of free and unfree persons shaped these communities; and how the idea of Europe itself was forged within the crucible of Charlemagne's empire. No prerequisites. (This course satisfies Humanities and Global Perspective.)
HIST 243: Crusade & Holy War in Med Europe
(Crusade and Holy War in Medieval Europe). In November of 1095, Pope Urban II gave a speech that launched one of the most significant and destructive movements in European history: the crusades. Four years later, the armies of the First Crusade captured Jerusalem in a burst of pious enthusiasm and brutal violence. This course begins by considering questions foundational to the crusade movement: when is violence in pursuit of religious aims justified? Can a war—or a soldier—be noble? Be holy? Should the church control and direct social and political violence? The course then examines in detail the history of the First Crusade (1095-1099) from Christian, Muslim, Jewish, and Greek perspectives. In the second half of the course, we study the establishment of the Latin Crusader States; the gradual recapture of the region by Muslim leaders, with a focus on the career of Salah ad-Din; and the later broadening of the use of crusade rhetoric, which was mobilized to justify wars against fellow Christians, as well as European imperialism and colonization. Students read both primary historical sources and important works of scholarship. No prerequisites. (This course satisfies Global Perspective and Writing Intensive.)
cross listed: RELG 248
HIST 255: History of Russia
Survey of the political, social, and intellectual history of Russia from the early medieval period to the post-Soviet era. Emphasis on the people and the state, efforts at modernization from above (particularly those of Peter the Great and Stalin), revolutionary ideas and movements, the disintegration of the Communist system and the Soviet empire, and the difficulties faced by Russia and other post-Soviet states. No prerequisites.
HIST 257: World War II: Europe
Among topics to be studied: origins of the European war; the defeat of France; the Battle of Britain; the German attack on Russia; the Holocaust; the defeat of Germany; the impact of the war after 1945. In this course there will be a strong emphasis on film as an historical source. No prerequisites. (This course satisfies Humanities and Global Perspective.)
HIST 258: History of Sports
This course offers students an introduction to the history of modern sports from multiple perspectives: athletes themselves, spectators and fans, and the business of sports entertainment. The course begins in the late-nineteenth century when sports became increasingly important both as an individual activity and as a professional, commercial spectacle. How has the experience of being a fan changed over time? How has sports shaped gender identities and ideals? How have athlete unions and associations negotiated with business owners and leagues? Why have sports and athletes been at the center of debates over racial justice? As a speaking intensive class, students will give a series of presentations on their own sports experiences and interests in the history of sports. No prerequisites (This course satisfies Domestic Pluralism and Speaking Intensive.)
HIST 259: Immigration in France 1945 to Today
This course will trace France's immigration history from the mid-twentieth century to the present. It will mainly offer an investigation of Muslim immigration and integration in the post-1945 period. Along the way, we will also consider the broader context of immigration (i.e., of national, ethnic, and religious groups other than Muslims to France), the formation and evolution of concepts of French national identity, and the history of French citizenship policy. This course represents a postcolonial approach to the history of France, at the nexus of colonial, immigration, and urban histories. These histories will be studied with a focus on the social, economic, political, and cultural stakes raised by immigration, and the course will consider how some in France have reacted against certain groups of immigrants as antithetical to "Frenchness". No prerequisites. (This course satisfies Humanities and Global Perspective.)
cross listed: FREN 259, LCTR 259
HIST 260: Modern China
Relying as much as possible on Chinese texts (in translation), this course will examine such topics as China's response to Western imperialism in the nineteenth century; the 1911 Revolution; the May Fourth Movement; the birth of the People's Republic of China; the Cultural Revolution; and the Democracy Movement of the 1980s. No prerequisites. (This course satisfies Humanities and Global Perspective.)
cross listed: ASIA 283, IREL 230
HIST 262: Modern Japan
From the founding of the last shogunate, the Tokugawa, in 1603 to its present status as an economic giant among the nations of the Pacific. Attention to the achievements as well as the undeniable sufferings and costs incurred during Japan's drive toward great power. No prerequisites. (This course satisfies Humanities and Global Perspective.)
cross listed: ASIA 286
HIST 272: History of Mexico & the Borderlands
Mexican culture and history has often been mythologized, stereotyped, or misunderstood -- but an accurate knowledge of the development of Mexico is essential for understanding its current role in the world. This course broadly surveys Mexican history from the pre-Conquest period through modern times, including a particular focus on the current Mexican-American border as well as regions that historically bordered Mexico (such as modern-day Florida, Central America, and even Spanish territories in the Pacific). The meaning of progress, indigenous culture, imperialism's impact, racial/ethnic identity, and popular mobilization are among its recurring themes. No prerequisites. (This course satisfies Humanities and Global Perspective.)
cross listed: LNAM 257, IREL 228
HIST 275: Black Her-story
This courses looks at the history of Black people and culture in the United States with a special focus on those who identify as Black women. From Harriet Tubman to Alicia Garza, Bessie Smith to Beyonce, this course examines how the intersectional identifies of Black women have enriched racial freedom struggles and the fight for women's rights, among other issues. We will use "A Black Women's History of the United States," the 2020 book by award-winning Black women historians, Daina Raimey Berry and Kali Nicole Gross, as the main textbook, and read other historical texts by Black women as well. No prerequisites. (This course satisfies Humanities and Global Perspective.)
cross listed: AFAM 275
HIST 282: The Pre-Modern Body
This course investigates the roots of contemporary European and American understandings of the human body in social, cultural, and religious traditions from the ancient and medieval Mediterranean world. Students explore texts that illuminate the importance of the body to individual and group identity and discuss how these texts’ definitions of "normal", "beautiful", and "healthy" bodies continue to wield influence. Among the course's questions: how was the central role of the body in identity (before and after death) shaped by Christian theology of a God who was embodied, suffered, and died? What assumptions were made about how biological sex dictated identity—and how did pre-modern authors reckon with those who fell outside the sex or gender binary? How was spiritual morality understood to be inscribed on the physical body in complex ways (skin color, physical features, illness, pain, sexual activity)? How did racism and nascent colonialism shape ideals of body size and appearance? Students read primary sources ranging from patristic theology to werewolf stories, as well as important works of scholarship. No prerequisites. (This course satisfies Global Perspective and Writing Intensive.)
cross listed: GSWS 232, RELG 282
HIST 283: History of Emotions in the West
(Thinking about Feeling: History of Emotions in the West.) Emotions were once considered stable and universal: love was always love, and fear always evidence of irredeemable cowardice. Recently, however, historians have found significant variations in expression and regulation of emotions in different periods and cultures. This course will examine ideas surrounding emotion in the West from Late Antiquity through the Early Modern period. The study of emotions raises a variety of historical questions: how do we research the history of something as intangible as emotions? Should historians use the theories and methodologies of other disciplines? Have institutions and belief systems mobilized particular emotions? Have norms and expectations for emotion changed over time? What is the relationship between the experience and expression of emotion? We will also explore some of the established narratives in the history of emotions, such as the "hydraulic model" and the rise of the affectionate family. No prerequisites.
HIST 284: Epidemic Disease in European Histor
This course focuses on four epidemic diseases that caused widespread death and destruction in Europe and the Americas from the fourteenth to twentieth centuries: the Black Death, smallpox, cholera, and the mosquito-borne "tropical diseases" of malaria and yellow fever. In each case, after learning about the symptoms of the disease, the progression of the epidemic(s), and the identity of the victims, we explore multiple facets of the human response to these natural disasters, including: theories of disease; religious responses; medical measures; artistic representations; and the intersection of state power and public health efforts. We also study key figures in the history of medicine. A significant portion of the course is devoted to the impact of disease in European imperial possessions (such as India and the Americas), violence against minority groups (notably Jews) in Europe in the wake of epidemics, and the ways in which theories of class and race influenced European thinking on disease. No prerequisites. (This course satisfies Global Perspective and Writing Intensive.)
HIST 285: Public History
Public history is the practice of history outside the academy. Public historians record and preserve evidence of the past in many formats, analyzing and interpreting their findings to general and specialized audiences beyond the traditional classroom setting. This course will survey the theory and practice of various professional historical specialties - ranging from archival administration to historic site management, museum exhibitions, and historical reenactment. Institutional constraints, audience development, and conflicts between history and public memory will be major thematic issues. Field trips to institutions and sites in the Chicago metropolitan area. No prerequisites.
cross listed: AMER 240
HIST 288: Gender, Sex, Power in U.S. History
(Gender, Sex, and Power in U.S. History) From slave-holding plantations to tech company offices, from bedrooms to the halls of government, gender has fundamentally shaped the historical experiences of those living within the United States. This course explores the role of gender and sexuality in shaping U.S. politics, economy, and society. In particular, we examine the way that power itself is "gendered," and explore expressions of gendered power from intimate interpersonal interactions to global foreign policy. In this course we will not assume "women" or "men" have been solid blocks with unified interests over time, but rather have always been divided along lines of class, race, ethnicity, sexuality, and political ideology. We explore these divisions by looking at political movements throughout U.S. history, including women's suffrage, feminism, gay liberation, reproductive rights, sex-workers' rights, contemporary LGBTQ rights, and the #MeToo movement. No prerequisites. (This course satisfies Domestic Pluralism and Speaking Intensive.)
cross listed: GSWS 271
HIST 300: The Historian's Workshop
How do we know what actually happened in the past? What is a "reliable source" and where are they found? Whose history deserves to be written and who gets to write it? This course examines how these questions have been answered by different schools of historical thought and considers the purpose and value of studying history in today's world. The course consists of three main components: first, charting the development of the discipline of history; second, acquiring hands-on experience in archives at the College and elsewhere; third, understanding the many possible applications of the study of history in various careers. Prerequisite: an introductory history course. Required of all history majors. (This course satisfies Writing Intensive.)
HIST 306: Civil Rights Movement
This course focuses on the origins, development, and accomplishments of the civil rights movement in post-World War II America. Particular emphasis will be given to the differences between the struggle for black equality in the south and its northern counterpart. Taught in a seminar format, the class will be both reading- and writing-intensive. Course readings and paper assignments are designed to help students develop a comparative analytical framework and to illuminate the following lines of inquiry: What caused and what sustained the civil rights movement? What changes took place within the movement over time, particularly at the level of leadership? What underlay the radicalization of the movement and what were the consequences? To what extent did the civil rights movement succeed and how do we measure that success today? Finally, how did the black civil rights movement inspire other groups and minorities in American society to organize? Prerequisite: History 200 or History 201. (This course satisfies Domestic Pluralism and Speaking Intensive.)
cross listed: AFAM 361, AMER 361
HIST 308: Sport and Spectacle Modern America
This course considers the history of sport as mass entertainment from the mid-nineteenth century to the present. More than an escape from everyday life, the games Americans have played and watched have been thick with social, cultural, and political meanings. Athletes and spectators alike have defined and challenged ideas of gender, race, and the body; they have worked out class antagonisms, expressed national identities, and promoted social change. Topics include: the construction of race; definitions of manhood and womanhood; industrialization, urbanization, and the rise of modern spectator sport; media and mass spectacle; fitness and athletic reform movements; collegiate athletics; sports figures and social change. Prerequisite: History 200 or 201, or permission of the instructor.
cross listed: AMER 308
HIST 312: Immigration in U.S. History
The United States has had exceptionally high levels of immigration and internal geographic mobility from the colonial period to the present. Placing the geographic area that would become the United States into a global frame, this course explores patterns of European, Asian, and Latin American migration into a land already inhabited by mobile indigenous populations, the forced migration of enslaved Africans to the U.S. and later migration of black citizens northward, as well as the movement of migrants over the long-contested (and moving) U.S.-Mexico border. We learn about the politics of migration, including the long history of anti-immigrant nativism and xenophobia in the United States, as well as the role of migrants in shaping major U.S. social and political movements. We also examine how ethnic, racial, and national identities - including "American"-are not fixed categories, but rather constructed and reconstructed over time. No prerequisites. (This course satisfies Domestic Pluralism and Speaking Intensive.)
cross listed: AMER 355
HIST 313: Latinx Oral History
One of the best ways to understand the history of a community is to talk to those who have lived it. The history of people of Latin American descent is a growing subfield of history, but much remains to be learned about Latinx migration, employment, politics, and culture; differences along lines of class, race, gender, region, and nationality; and how these experiences have changed over time. This course introduces you to the practice of oral history, or recording an individual’s personal story, which is a method often used to collect voices left out of dominant narratives. The course also draws on the narrative tradition of “testimonio,” with roots in Latin American liberation and anti-imperialist movements, in which the narrator is empowered by voicing their experience. This course guides you in conducting your own interviews with Latinx individuals. The ability to speak Spanish is helpful but not required. (This course satisfies Experiential Learning and Domestic Pluralism.)
cross listed: LNAM 313
HIST 315: US Catholic Immigrant Experience
From the Irish who arrived before the Civil War to the Mexicans and Vietnamese who have come recently, the Catholic experience in the US has been a continuing story of immigration. This course examines how succeeding immigrant groups have practiced and lived their Catholic faith in different times and places. Religion cannot be separated from the larger social and economic context in which it is embedded, so the course will also pay attention to the ways in which the social and economic conditions that greeted the immigrants on their arrival shaped how they went about praying and working. Finally, the changing leadership of the Catholic Church will be taken into account, since it provided the ecclesiastical framework for the new Catholic arrivals. Prerequisite: HIST 200 or HIST 201 or permission of the instructor.
cross listed: AMER 315, RELG 315
HIST 317: History of Black Television
This course connects late 20th-century African American history to the development of black television, focusing on themes of activism, family, politics, economics, standards of beauty, and culture. Critics and audiences have noted that we are in a golden era of black television, with an upsurge of shows over the last few years that display the multiplicity of black life in the United States. And yet, this is not the first time this has happened. Since the 1950s, African Americans have been depicted on the small screen in both regressive and progressive ways. How have these images changed over time? How do these depictions impact the way people see African Americans and how African Americans see themselves? No prerequisites. (This course satisfies Humanities and Domestic Pluralism.)
cross listed: AFAM 317
HIST 319: Protest and Police in U.S. History
This course examines historical instances of policing, inequality, and protest, including mobs in the American Revolution, abolitionist direct actions, the terror of the Klu Klux Klan, sit-ins against Jim Crow, protest against military action, and the #BlackLivesMatter movement. Throughout U.S. history, Americans have been committed both to protest and disruption in order to advance their causes, and to stability, security, and the maintenance of order. Despite widespread fears about disorder and crime today, Americans in the past were far more violent. In this course, we will trace how ordinary people came together to challenge authority, and how those with power built state structures that could legitimately use violence. We will see how policing was shaped by fears of newly- arrived immigrants, the demands of a slave economy, and entrenched racism. We will study the intersecting histories of race, inequality, and state power across the American past. Students will develop a major research project on a particular historical instance of policing, inequality, and protest. Prerequisite: HIST 200 or HIST 201 or permission of instructor. (This course satisfies Domestic Pluralism and Writing Intensive.)
cross listed: AMER 319, AFAM 319
HIST 322: Saints/Blood/Money Mdvl Christianty
(Saints, Blood, and Money in Roman and Medieval Christianity.) This course will examine key questions debated by Christians from the origins of the faith in the Roman era to the end of the Middle Ages, many of which continue to be discussed today. These may include: should Christians use violence at all, and if so, under what circumstances? What is the correct relationship between the Church and the government? What makes a person a saint - celibacy? Harsh asceticism? Aiding the poor? Preaching the Gospel? What is the appropriate role of wealth and property in the life of a dedicated Christian? Should a Christian seeking religious truth rely only on the Bible and revelation, or do logic and scientific inquiry have a role to play? Students will work extensively with primary sources in translation and significant works of modern scholarship. No prerequisites. (This course satisfies Global Perspective and Writing Intensive.)
cross listed: RELG 307
HIST 324: Medieval Disasters & Climate Change
In the fifth century, a cooling climate and epidemics accelerated the collapse of the western Roman state; while in the fourteenth century, worsened by the onset of the "Little Ice Age," the Black Death reduced populations in Eurasia by half and laid the groundwork for the changes of the early modern world. This course teaches the history of environmental transformations and human adaptation through an exploration of some of the natural disasters and climate changes that impacted Europe and the Mediterranean world c. 300-1500 CE. Using specific case studies (including episodes like the so-called "mystery cloud" that troubled Levantine communities in 536 and the unusually well-documented 1348 earthquake in central Europe), the course evaluates how medieval people thought about nature, and how moments of crisis shaped individuals, communities, and larger ecosystems. Students learn to use Geographic Information System (GIS) software to analyze, track chronologically, and map spatially a specific disaster or environmental event. No prerequisites. (This course satisfies Global Perspective and Technology Intensive.)
cross listed: ES 324
HIST 325: Writing History: Docs & Manuscripts
This course uses writing traditions and documentary culture as a lens for understanding medieval and early modern European history. We discuss core issues in writing and textual culture, such as language, orality, transmission, translation, gender, genre, communication, and visuality. A complementary emphasis on how we interpret and use written materials offers new strategies for thinking about how history is recorded, consumed, and evaluated. Additionally, we develop paleographic skills involving identification, dating, and transcribing of medieval and early modern documents. We begin with facsimiles before shifting course to Chicago's Newberry Library, which holds extensive collections of medieval and early modern manuscripts. The culminating project involves the physical examination, transcription, and historiographical situating of a manuscript or series of manuscripts from the Newberry’s collection. No previous knowledge of any non-English language is necessary. No prerequisites. (This course satisfies Experiential Learning and Humanities.)
HIST 328: European Reformations, 1200-1600
The Protestant Reformation and Catholic Church's response were a major turning-point in the political, social, and religious history of Europe, with implications for the entire world. This period saw clerics, rulers, and ordinary people wrestle with profound and eternal questions: what does a person need to do to save their soul? Who can claim to mediate between God and humanity? What is the role of family, sex, and marriage in a pious life? What gives a ruler the right to rule? When is violence justified in the pursuit of faith? This course examines the answers that were offered to these questions, as we study: the background to the Reformations in the ideas of Paul, Augustine, and medieval reformers; writings of key figures, including Luther, Calvin, Loyola, and Teresa of Avila; political ramifications of the Reformations; the impact of the Reformations on European society, notably those who were among the most marginalized—the poor, Jews, sex workers, and "witches". Students read primary sources in translation as well as important works of scholarship. No prerequisites. (This course satisfies Global Perspective and Writing Intensive.)
cross listed: RELG 319
HIST 330: The Enlightenment
Readings and discussions of the central ideas of Europe in the eighteenth century, with emphasis on Britain and France. Topics include the social and political context of the Enlightenment, the impact of science, and the development of notions of tolerance, freedom, and rationality. No prerequisites.
HIST 332: European Romanticism
Intellectual and social origins of Romanticism, with emphasis on Germany and England; impact of the French Revolution; individualism in poetry and art; and the rise of historicism. Works discussed will include those by Goethe, Wordsworth, Keats, Hugo, Constable, and Schleiermacher. No prerequisites.
HIST 335: 20th Cent British Culture
(20th Century British Culture) British culture since 1900. Topics include the impact of World War I; the Bloomsbury circle; documentary writing and film; working-class realism in the 1950s; youth culture; the New Left; postimperial culture; and postmodernism. No prerequisites. (This course satisfies Global Perspective.)
HIST 337: The Russian Revolution
This course provides a close study of the causes, processes and results of the Russian Revolution. Topics to be considered include: the broad historical background needed to understand the Russian revolutions of the 20th century; the causes and results of the 1905 Revolution; the impact of World War I; a close look at both the February and October revolutions of 1917; the creation of the new Soviet regime and the Civil War that shaped it; the ambiguous era of the 1920s; Stalin's 'Second Revolution' and the era of the Five Year Plans and collectivization of agriculture; the bloodletting of the Great Purges of the 1930s. Prerequisite: History 209 or 255 or permission of the instructor.
cross listed: IREL 327
HIST 338: Literature and Society in Russia
Aspects of the social and intellectual history of tsarist and Soviet Russia through the prism of nineteenth- and twentieth-century fiction, mostly novels. Readings will include major works by such authors as Pushkin, Turgenev, Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, Chekhov, Gorky, Pasternak, Akhmatova, Babel, Kataev, Bulgakov, Solzhenitsyn, Yevtushenko, and Tolstoya. Films will also be used. No prerequisites.
HIST 340: Topics in East Asian History
(Topics in East Asian History). Fall 2023 Topic: China's Cultural Revolution.The Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, broke out more than forty years ago (1966-1976), has been recognized as the darkest era in the history of the People's Republic of China. A comprehensive mass movement initiated by Mao Zedong to eliminate the so-called 'counterrevolutionary elements' in the country's institutions and leadership, the revolution was characterized by nationwide chaos, ultra-leftist frenzy, political zealotry, purges of intellectuals, extreme social turmoil, and ultimate economic collapse. This course intends to reconstruct the history of the Cultural Revolution by revealing the causes of the calamity and prevent human disaster from repeating itself in the future. Prerequisite: One course in Asian history or permission of the instructor. (This course satisfies Global Perspective.)
cross listed: ASIA 307
HIST 341: Doing Business in/with China
This course is aimed at students who are interested in a career involving business in China, who plan to apply to business school, or who are interested in Chinese business history. The course offers a theoretical framework for understanding Chinese business, commercial culture, and entrepreneurship patterns, as well as a practical guide to business practices, market conditions, negotiation techniques, and relevant organizations and networks in China. The course utilizes an interdisciplinary approach to examine China's business history, focusing on three separate but interrelated themes: America's "China Dream" in the past; doing business in China in the 21st century; and the "Panda Huggers' dilemma" in the future. The ultimate goal of the course is to equip students who are interested in doing business in or with China with the background knowledge and analytical skills to aid future careers and business endeavors. The course is open to all majors in the College with no prerequisites. (This course satisfies Global Perspective.)
cross listed: IREL 333
HIST 342: Problems Modern Chinese Hist: Film
(Problems in Modern Chinese History: Film) What are the enduring problems of modern China? How have different Chinese governments confronted them? We will study twentieth-century transformations in Chinese society, politics, and culture on the mainland and Taiwan in the light of modern Chinese and international history through film and discussion of the major issues addressed by Western scholarship. Basic topics to be covered include Sino-Western relations; tradition and modernization; peasant rebellions; revolution and reforms; religion; culture and society; modern science; and intellectuals and the state. No prerequisites. (This course satisfies Global Perspective.)
cross listed: ASIA 309
HIST 360: History and the Moving Image
This course explores the role of moving images (film, television, internet) in understanding history as both collective process and contested interpretation. The course will integrate a discussion of recent historical methodologies concerning moving images, with examples from a variety of forms, including historical epics, documentaries, propaganda, television series, literary adaptations, and biographies. Special emphasis will be placed upon the ambiguities of historical context, including the time of production, the period depicted, and changing audiences over time. Topics include: 'Feudal Codes of Conduct in Democratic Societies,' 'Film as Foundation Myth for Totalitarian Ideologies' and 'Situation Comedy of the 1970s as Social History.' Prerequisite: Two history courses or permission of the instructor.
cross listed: AMER 340, CINE 360
HIST 364: Women in Global History
Around the year 1450, the world simultaneously grew bigger and smaller, as peoples and societies that had never before come into contact were transformed by new economic, cultural, and religious connections. Empires asserted dominance over far-flung colonies, while technology and innovation churned to keep up with new demands. The era of colonization and expansion set the stage for further conflict and bloodshed in recent centuries, along with the emergence of new ideological assertions regarding individuals, liberty, and globalization. Although understanding the trends in modern global history is a massive undertaking, one group is frequently underrepresented or ignored: women. This course examines the history of the world from 1450 to the present with a special focus on women and gender. It seeks to broaden our understanding of participants in world history and identify ways that women helped shape the development of societies and ideologies around the globe. We also learn more about the everyday lived experiences of women in various cultures and nations. How have ideas of men's and women's roles, as well as conceptualizations of masculinity and femininity, shaped modern life? How does our understanding of history change when we focus on women? No prerequisites. (This course satisfies Humanities and Global Perspective.)
cross listed: GSWS 347
HIST 368: Museums and Exhibitions
History is an academic discipline but it also has a public face. 'Public history,' through museum exhibitions, historical sites, the Internet, and other venues, is a growing career field. Students in this class will learn the communication tools necessary to produce an engaging and intellectually sound exhibit, including the techniques of oral history. The class will develop a concept, research in local archives, write label copy, and design and install an exhibit. We may use audio, video, photography, and the web to tell our story. The exhibition will be presented in the Sonnenschein Gallery or a local history museum, such as the Lake County Museum. The course will include field studies to Chicago-area history museums. Prerequisite: Junior or senior standing, or permission of the instructor. (This course satisfies Experiential Learning.)
cross listed: AMER 348
HIST 369: Capitalism: A Global History
This course explores the global history of the rise and transformation of capitalism, from the chartering of the British East India Company to the present world of multinational high tech corporations. The course begins with an introduction to some of the major theorists of capitalism: Adam Smith, Karl Marx, Max Weber, and Karl Polanyi. Over the semester, we will explore a series of questions using empirical research from leading scholars: What are the origins, consequences, and the future of capitalism? Why did some states and nations become so powerful, some economies so wealthy? Who benefited from economic growth and expanding trade? How did government and private entrepreneurs contribute to economic development? Assessment will be primarily based on papers analyzing the assigned readings and in class discussion. Prerequisite: Any two History classes, or HIST 2XX Introduction to Economic History. (This course satisfies Social Science and Global Perspective.)
HIST 399: Inter-Text Journal
(Inter-Text Undergraduate Journal for Social Sciences and Humanities.) This course is a practicum aimed at engaging students in the process of scholarly peer-review, academic journal production, and print and digital publishing. Students learn how to use InDesign, an important software suite for visual communication. This 0.25 credit course is graded on a Pass-No Pass basis and requires enrolled students to complete forty (40) hours of work as Editorial Board members while contributing to the production and selection of feature essays, peer review, editing, layout and formatting of the journal, and release of the journal at the annual publication party. Inter-Text aims to publish exceptional student work and foster community among students inside and outside of the classroom in the humanities and social sciences.
cross listed: POLS 399, ENGL 399, ART 399
HIST 420: China, Japan and the West
This seminar situates the long history of China, Japan and the West in a world historical context, examining the multiple interactions between China and its partners and adversaries in the past. We will touch on sweeping themes, such as the traditional Chinese tribute system, the formation of empire and efforts to create modern nation-states in China and Japan, industrialization and capitalism, Western imperialism, and cultural interchange between China and Japan and the West, through specific historical topics, using primary sources where possible. The goal of this course is to encourage students who are interested in History to develop their capacity to use analytical skills in historical research. (This course satisfies Global Perspective.)
cross listed: ASIA 420