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Fall 2022 Advising Guide

General Advising Reminders

Advising FAQ, Tips, Tricks, and Reminders

Recommended Liberal Learning Courses for the History Major

Program Planners

Course Number Class Number (PAWS) Course Name Professor Days Times Pre-Modern? Region Liberal Learning
HIS100-01 82195 Greek and Roman Society Dr. Arthur Jones Monday/Wednesday 5:30pm-6:50pm Yes N/A SCHP
HIS108-01 82196 Late Antiquity Dr. Dobrinka Chiekova Monday/Thursday 12:30pm-1:50pm Yes N/A SCHP
HIS111-01 82197 Rome and Barbarians Dr. Celia Chazelle Tuesday/Friday 2:00pm-3:20pm Yes N/A SCHP
HIS130-01 82198 Key Moments in Soviet History Through Film Dr. Roman Kovalev Tuesday/Friday 11:00am-12:20pm No N/A Global, SCHP
HIS130-02 82199 Key Moments in Soviet History Through Film Dr. Roman Kovalev Tuesday/Friday 3:30pm-4:50pm No N/A Global, SCHP
HIS165-01 82200 The Vietnam War Dr. Michael Zvalaren Tuesday/Thursday 5:30pm-6:50pm No N/A SCHP
HIS165-02 82201 Disease and Health in US History Dr. Simon Finger Tuesday/Friday 9:30am-10:50am No N/A SCHP
HIS165-03 82202 Disease and Health in US History Dr. Simon Finger Tuesday/Friday 11:00am-12:20pm No N/A SCHP
HIS165-04 82203 Gender and the Body in US History Dr. Timothy Holliday Thursday 5:30pm-8:20pm No N/A SCHP
HIS165-05 82204 America and the Holocaust Dr. Barbara Krasner Monday/Thursday 9:30am-10:50am No N/A SCHP
HIS165-06 82205 American Constitutional History Dr. Marc Lifland Wednesday 5:30pm-8:20pm No N/A SCHP
HIS177-01 82206 20th Century US History Dr. Michael Zvalaren Tuesday/Thursday 7:00pm-8:20pm No N/A SCHP
HIS179-01 82207 African American History to 1865 Dr. Grant Stanton Monday/Thursday 2:00pm-3:20pm No N/A Race and Ethnicity, SCHP
HIS180-01 82208 African American History 1865-Present Dr. Christopher Fisher Tuesday/Friday 11:00am-12:20pm No N/A Race and Ethnicity, SCHP
HIS180-02 82209 African American History 1865-Present Dr. Christopher Fisher Tuesday/Friday 2:00pm-3:20pm No N/A Race and Ethnicity, SCHP
HIS187-01 82210 Memory and WW2 Dr. Joseph Campo Monday/Thursday 11:00am-12:20pm No N/A SCHP
HIS189-01 82211 World History from the Margins Dr. Satyasikha Chakraborty Monday/Thursday 2:00pm-3:20pm No N/A Gender, Global, SCHP
HIS210-01 82215 The Craft of History Dr. Robert McGreevey Monday 2:00pm-4:50pm No N/A Global, SCHP
HIS210-02 82216 The Craft of History Dr. Robert McGreevey Thursday 2:00pm-4:50pm No N/A Global, SCHP
HIS210-03 82217 The Craft of History Dr. Jodi Weinstein Monday/Thursday 12:30pm-1:50pm No N/A Global, SCHP
HIS220-01 82218 Herodotus: The Father of History Dr. Dobrinka Chiekova Monday/Thursday 9:30am-10:50am Yes N/A SCHP
HIS230-01 82219 Imperialism and Colonialism 1500-Present Dr. Satyasikha Chakraborty Monday/Thursday 3:30pm-4:50pm No N/A SCHP
HIS300-01 82220 Rome and the Early Medieval West Dr. Celia Chazelle Tuesday/Friday 11:00am-12:20pm Yes Europe SCHP
HIS303-01 82221 History of the Roman Republic Dr. Arthur Jones Monday/Wednesday 7:00pm-8:20pm Yes Europe SCHP
HIS304-01 82224 History of the Roman Empire Dr. Dina Boero Tuesday/Friday 2:00pm-3:20pm Yes Europe Global, SCHP
HIS324-01 82223 Women in Eastern Europe 1848-Present Dr. Cynthia Paces Monday/Thursday 11:00am-12:20pm No Europe Gender, SCHP
HIS325-01 82225 Modern Germany Dr. Joseph Campo Monday/Thursday 9:30am-10:50am No Europe Global, SCHP
HIS336-01 82386 Late Imperial China Dr. Jodi Weinstein Monday/Thursday 2:00pm-3:20pm No East Asia SCHP
HIS351-01 82227 Ancient and Medieval Africa Dr. Matthew Bender Monday/Thursday 11:00am-12:20pm Yes Africa Race and Ethnicity, Global, SCHP
HIS366-01 82330 Origins of the US Constitution Dr. Jeffrey Brindle Tuesday 5:30pm-8:20pm No United States None
HIS370-01 82228 The US in World History Dr. Christopher Fisher Tuesday/Friday 9:30am-10:50am No United States Global, SCHP
HIS460-01 82230 History in Hollywood Film Dr. Celia Chazelle Tuesday 5:30pm-8:20pm No United States SCHP
HIS460-02 82231 Urban History Dr. Robert McGreevey Monday/Thursday 11:00am-12:20pm No United States SCHP
HIS461-01 82232 Women Writing War Dr. Cynthia Paces Thursday 2:00pm-4:50pm No Europe SCHP
HIS461-02 82233 Magic, Paganism, and Witchcraft in Early Modern Europe Dr. Roman Kovalev Tuesday/Friday 2:00pm-3:20pm No Europe SCHP
HIS464-01 82234 Happiness and the History of Emotion Dr. Qin Shao Wednesday 5:30pm-8:20pm No World SCHP
HIS498-01 82235 Senior Honors Capstone Seminar Dr. Dina Boero Tuesday 3:30pm-6:20pm No N/A SCHP
HIS499-01 82237 Senior Capstone Seminar Dr. Qin Shao Tuesday 3:30pm-6:20pm No N/A SCHP
HIS499-02 82238 Senior Capstone Seminar Dr. Matthew Bender Monday 2:00pm-4:50pm No N/A SCHP

History Course Descriptions

HIS100-01 Greek and Roman Society- Arthur Jones

“What have [the Romans] ever given us in return?” is the question posed by the People’s Front of Judaea in Monty Python’s Life of Brian. As enumerated by the responses given in the scene, we see that the Romans have influenced many aspects of culture around the Mediterranean in the ancient world as well as in our society today. This course will explore the Romans in their own words and those of their contemporaries around the Mediterranean. Through their writings we will trace the growth of Rome from village to empire (c. 800 BCE to 300 CE) and examine their ideas on the military, gender and sexuality, ethnicity, government, religion, entertainment, and life in a bustling metropolis.

HIS130-01 and -02 Key Moments in Soviet History Through Film- Dr. Roman Kovalev

The course will examine a number of major themes of Soviet history through screening films and placing them in their historical context. To achieve these aims, students will screen films, attend lectures, as well as read select books and articles dedicated to various larger themes of the topic and discuss them in class. No knowledge of Russian is required, although students with Russian-language expertise can opt to take the course for LAC credit.

HIS165-01 The Vietnam War- Michael Zvalaren

This course will cover the Vietnam War from 1945 to 1975, beginning with the French occupation following World War Two and concluding with the final phase in 1975 and the war’s aftermath in the American consciousness. The reading material will cover a broad spectrum, from autobiography to journalism to fiction. Particular attention will be paid to the socioeconomic status of the soldiers, the political climate in the United States during the era, and the cultural texts produced about the war. This course will seek to enhance the understanding and appreciation of students for one of the more contentious moments in American history.

HIS165-02 and-03 Disease and Health in American History- Simon Finger

This course will explore changing American understandings of what it means to be healthy or sick, and how the quest to promote healthiness and avoid disease shaped American history and culture from the colonial era to the 21st century. Using a variety of sources and an interdisciplinary approach, we will examine the relationship of health and environment, disease outbreaks and the responses to them, and battles over health policy. Topics will include the role of disease in American aboriginal depopulation, the catastrophic outbreaks of Yellow Fever and Cholera in the Early Republic, the doctor-patient relationship, the role of medicine in sustaining slavery, movements for dietary and health reform, the effects of urbanization on American health, debates over quarantine and immigration policy, and the role of the media in spreading information and misinformation about preserving health.

HIS165-04- The Body in American History- Timothy Holliday

What does it mean to say that the body has a history? This course examines the history of the human body in America from the seventeenth century to the present (and future). Through a combination of primary and secondary literature, the course highlights several prominent themes in that history, including: the racialization, sexualization, and gendering of bodies; the scrutiny of bodies; the definition of “perfect” bodies; the cultural significance of bodies; and, above all, the lived experience of embodiment.

HIS165-05- America and the Holocaust- Barbara Krasner

In this course, we examine the roles of various branches of the American government, including Franklin Delano Roosevelt and his advisors, Congress, the State Department, and other Cabinet secretaries, and their understanding of what was happening to the Jewish population of Europe.  Students will analyze the impact of public opinion, the press, religious groups, and private agencies on governmental policies related to rescue. Particular emphasis will be placed on the American Jewish community’s reaction to the tragedy, and the factors influencing that reaction.

HIS165-06- American Constitutional History- Marc Lifland

HIS187-01 Memory and World War Two- Joseph Campo

This course is designed to give students an appreciation for how the history of the Second World War unfolded and to explore how different groups of peoples at different periods after 1945 have contested the memories of those events.  It pays particular attention to three themes: those wars and experiences that history seemingly forgot, crucial/controversial developments that have competing interpretations, and how even after the war was “over,” it has been (and still is) very much a central part in many people’s lives.   Its main objective is to get students to comprehend that this was indeed a world war, that is, it had an impact on the entire globe.

HIS220-01 and Herodotus: The Father of History- Dobrinka Chiekova

This course will explore the ancient world through the eyes of Herodotus, traveller, explorer, and collector of stories. He is known as “Father of History” and the word historia appears in the first sentence of his work. But Herodotus is also dismissed sometimes as “Father of Lies” who mixes up reality and fiction. We will ponder which of these titles describes him better. We will learn about the ancient Greeks, Persians, Egyptians, Scythians and other ancient peoples, about their environment and customs, the ways they interacted with each other, went to war with each other, and, as Herodotus himself says, “accomplished great and marvelous deeds.”

HIS230-01- Imperialism and Colonialism 1500-Present- Satyasikha Chakraborty

How did empire-building, colonialism, trans-oceanic trade and migrations transform the world into the globalized space we inhabit today? How have notions of the world itself changed in the last six centuries? This course offers a broad historical foundation of the modern world from the late 1400s, while trying to curtail Eurocentric assumptions from the narrative of world history and the history of empires. We will begin by exploring the powerful Islamic gunpowder empires such as the Ottomans, Safavids, and Mughals, and their struggles with rising European powers hungry for colonial expansion. What made European colonialism and global hegemony eventually possible, and how did various local cultures respond? Spanish, Portuguese, French, Dutch, and British imperialists not only imposed European norms and systems on the new territories they colonized, but also adapted to American, African and Asian forms of science and governance, and forged domestic ties with local people. This hierarchical cultural interaction not only changed the political, economic and knowledge structures of non-Western societies, but in the process also transformed Europe.

In this course, we will look at the crucial role played by ideologies of race, gender, class, religion, sexuality and morality in sustaining imperialism and colonialism. How were these ideologies naturalized by colonial science? Both Western and non-Western imperialism were legitimized through cultural products which permeated the everyday lives of ordinary people. We will explore how imperialism led to the world wars and how colonized people were dragged into the wars. We will look at anti-colonial nationalist struggles that led to decolonization, as well as transnational collaborations against Western imperialism and neo-colonialism. This course will not only enable us to understand imperial motives and methods, but also how ordinary people experienced empire. Finally, this course will help us think over the relationship between imperial history and memory – why certain events/individuals are remembered and memorialized, while others are forgotten.

HIS300-01 Rome and the Early Medieval West- Celia Chazelle

Continuities and change among institutions and peoples in Europe, the Mediterranean regions, and western Eurasia between c. 200 and c. 900 CE (AD). We will pay particular attention to the transformations of social institutions, cultures, and ethnic identities during this vibrant period of contacts between Rome, indigenous populations, and new groups that moved in and around these areas. 

HIS460-01- History and Hollywood Film- Celia Chazelle

This readings seminar will explore a range of historical themes and issues through discussion and analysis of a selection of older and modern films, and related textual sources. The choice of movies is TBD. 

HIS460-02- American Urban History- Robert McGreevey

This seminar explores the history of cities as a window onto the major patterns of development in modern America.  Focused on the methods of historical research, analysis, and writing, we will begin by examining recent works by established scholars, paying particular attention to how historians build an archive of primary sources, interpret evidence, and develop and sustain arguments.
*Students must buy or rent hard copies of the books required for this course. Ebooks, Kindles and PDFs are not acceptable.*

 

HIS461-01 Women Writing War- Cynthia Paces

War is often considered a male domain. Yet, women also shape the experiences and memories of war as soldiers, nurses, workers, mothers, lovers, perpetrators, and victims. This course examines European women’s writings from the First and Second World Wars to uncover the complex relationship of gender and war. We will read memoirs as well as historical and theoretical works, and each student will have the opportunity to conduct original research. 

 

HIS461-02 Magic, Witchcraft, and Paganism in Early Modern Europe- Roman Kovalev

This course shall explore popular culture of Europe during its first continental crisis: the rise of capitalism, the Reformation, the Age of Reason, the Scientific Revolution, and the advent of Absolutism (1500-1700). Means and way of battling and subduing the vast majority of the nonconformist population of Europe by its elites was through seeking and finding magic, witchcraft, and paganism amongst them, some of which was real, other not. This course shall explore all these topics through an examination and study of primary written documents, secondary literature, and visual sources.

HIS464-01 Happiness and the History of Emotion- Qin Shao

What is happiness? What is an emotion? This reading seminar focuses on this hot emerging new topic in history that has captivated human being for centuries. Based on primary and second literature, the seminar studies the role emotions have played in social change and also provides perspectives on happiness in personal life.

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