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Spring 2022 Recommended Liberal Learning Courses for the History Major
| Course Number | Class Number (PAWS) | Course Name | Professor | Days | Times | Pre-Modern? | Region | Liberal Learning |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HIS100-01/ CLS170-03 | 41959 | Greek and Roman Society | Arthur Jones | Monday/Wednesday | 7:00pm-8:20pm | Yes | None | Global |
| HIS100-02/ CLS170-01 | 41960 | Warfare in Ancient Greece and Rome | Emyr Dakin | Tuesday/Friday | 9:30am-10:50am | Yes | None | Global |
| HIS108-01/CLS108-01 | 41961 | Late Antiquity | Dobrinka Chiekova | Monday/Thursday | 12:30pm-1:50pm | Yes | None | None |
| HIS130-01 | 41962 | Key Moments in Russian History Through Film | Roman Kovalev | Tuesday/Friday | 11:00am-12:20pm | No | None | Global |
| HIS130-02 | 41963 | Key Moments in Russian History Through Film | Roman Kovalev | Tuesday/Friday | 3:30pm-4:50pm | No | None | Global |
| HIS165-01 | 41964 | The Vietnam War | Michael Zvalaren | Tuesday/Thursday | 5:30pm-6:50pm | No | None | None |
| HIS165-02 | 41965 | The Body in American History | Timothy Holliday | Monday/Thursday | 11:00am-12:20pm | No | None | Gender |
| HIS165-03 | 41966 | The Body in American History | Timothy Holliday | Monday/Thursday | 12:30pm-1:50pm | No | None | Gender |
| HIS165-04 | 41967 | Disease and Health in US History | Simon Finger | Tuesday/Friday | 9:30am-10:50am | No | None | None |
| HIS165-05 | 41968 | Disease and Health in US History | Simon Finger | Tuesday/Friday | 11:00am-12:20pm | No | None | None |
| HIS177-01 | 41969 | 20th Century US History | Christopher Fisher | Tuesday/Friday | 9:30am-10:50am | No | None | None |
| HIS177-02 | 41970 | 20th Century US History | Michael Zvalaren | Tuesday/Thursday | 7:00pm-8:20pm | No | None | None |
| HIS187-01 | 41973 | Memory and World War 2 | Joseph Campo | Monday/Thursday | 9:30am-10:50am | No | None | None |
| HIS190-01/ AAS282-01 | 41971 | US Race Relations | Christopher Fisher | Tuesday/Friday | 11:00am-12:20pm | No | None | Race and Ethnicity |
| HIS190-02/ AAS282-02 | 41972 | US Race Relations | Christopher Fisher | Tuesday/Friday | 2:00pm-3:20pm | No | None | Race and Ethnicity |
| HIS210-01 | 41974 | The Craft of History | Jodi Weinstein | Monday/Thursday | 12:30pm-1:50pm | No | None | Global |
| HIS220-01 | 41975 | Ancient Empires | Dina Boero | Tuesday/Friday | 2:00pm-3:20pm | Yes | None | Global |
| HIS220-02 | 41976 | Ancient Empires | Dina Boero | Tuesday/Friday | 3:30pm-4:50pm | Yes | None | Global |
| HIS260-01 | 41977 | Histories Past and Present | Robert McGreevey | Monday/Thursday | 2:00pm-3:20pm | No | None | None |
| HIS300-01 | 41978 | The Greek Polis | Dobrinka Chiekova | Monday/Thursday | 9:30am-10:50am | Yes | Europe | None |
| HIS304-01 | 41979 | Roman Empire | Arthur Jones | Monday/Wednesday | 5:30pm-6:50pm | Yes | Europe | Global |
| HIS316-01 | 41981 | Nazi Germany and Big Business | Barbara Krasner | Monday/Thursday | 8:00am-9:20am | No | Europe | Global |
| HIS330-01 | 41980 | A History of the Koreas Since 1600 | Jodi Weinstein | Monday/Thursday | 2:00pm-3:20pm | No | East Asia | Global |
| HIS350-01 | 42000 | Race and Gender in Latin America | Miriam Shakow | Tuesday/Friday | 2:00pm-3:20pm | No | Latin America | |
| HIS350-02 | 42001 | Race and Gender in Latin America | Miriam Shakow | Tuesday/Friday | 3:30pm-4:50pm | No | Latin America | |
| HIS365-01 | 41982 | Baseball in American History | Craig Hollander | Monday/Thursday | 11:00am-12:20pm | No | North America | None |
| HIS365-02 | 41983 | Latinas, Asian Americans, and Native Women in US History | Leigh-Anne Francis | Thursday | 5:00pm-7:50pm | No | North America | Gender |
| HIS366-01/ POL365-01 | 42274 | Origins of the US Constitution | Jeffrey Brindle | Tuesday | 5:30pm-8:20pm | No | North America | None |
| HIS373-01/ AAS373-01/ WGS363-01 | 41984 | Slavery and Black Womanhood | Mekala Audain | Monday/Thursday | 11:00am-12:20pm | No | North America | Gender, Race and Ethnicity |
| HIS374-01 | 41985 | Civil War America | Craig Hollander | Monday/Thursday | 2:00pm-3:20pm | No | North America | None |
| HIS389-01 | 41986 | War in Western Society | Joseph Campo | Monday/Thursday | 12:30pm-1:50pm | No | Europe | None |
| HIS390-01 | 41991 | Race, Gender and the Visual Culture of Domestic Labor | Satyasikha Chakraborty | Tuesday | 5:30pm-8:20pm | No | Variable (See Course Description Below) | None |
| HIS460-01 | 41987 | Internationalizing US History | Robert McGreevey | Monday/Thursday | 3:30pm-4:50pm | No | North America | None |
| HIS460-02 | 41988 | Old New Jersey | Craig Hollander | Monday | 5:30pm-8:20pm | No | North America | None |
| HIS463-01 | 41989 | Secrets, Knowledge, and Secret Knowledge of the Early Modern World | Roman Kovalev | Tuesday/Friday | 2:00pm-3:20pm | Yes | World | None |
| HIS465-01 | 41990 | Beyond Ars Erotica: Gender & Sexuality in South Asian History | Satyasikha Chakraborty | Thursday | 5:30pm-8:20pm | No | South Asia | None |
| HIS499-01 | 41992 | Senior Capstone Seminar | Mekala Audain | Monday/Thursday | 2:00pm-3:20pm | No | None | None |
| HIS499-02 | 41993 | Senior Capstone Seminar | Mekala Audain | Monday | 5:30pm-8:20pm | No | None | None |
History Course Descriptions
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- 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.
HIS165-04 and-05 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.
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 -02 Ancient Empires of the Mediterranean and the Middle East- Dina Boero
This course explores pre-modern human history from a global perspective, between the years 900 BCE to 650 CE. It takes a comparative approach to world history, focusing on ancient empires in the Mediterranean and the Middle East. Thematic issues include: war, conquest, and its impact on society; imperial strategies for managing diverse populations; imperial ideology and resistance to it; borderland communities; and cross-cultural connections. Students will gain an understanding of the human past which emphasizes global connectedness but also how different communities and societies developed their own ways of handling or resisting connections and change.
HIS260-01- Histories Past and Present- Robert McGreevey
The great American intellectual James Baldwin wrote in 1965, “history is literally present in all that we do.” This foundational course for history majors takes seriously Baldwin’s notion that the past continually shapes current-day struggles for social justice. Drawing on newspapers, letters and oral histories from local archives, we will explore questions of history and justice at the core of ongoing national debates, including the legacies of redlining, school segregation and white flight. Students will practice the skills of primary source analysis and historical writing.
HIS300-01 The Greek Polis- Dobrinka Chiekova
This course will examine the fascinating history of the Ancient Greek polis (the independent City-state) from 9th century BCE through 5th century BCE. We will discuss the roots of Greek civilization in the Bronze Age and the cultural legacy of the Homeric poems, the critical economic, political and cultural changes which created the Greek polis, colonization, cultural interactions, the birth and the evolution of democracy in Athens, the polis of Sparta, warfare, theater, and more.
HIS316-01-Nazi Germany and Big Business- Barbara Krasner
This course will examine the cooperation between industry and the Nazi regime with a focus on the quest for German economic independence, the exploitation of laborers, and the significance of free slave labor for the Nazi economy. Special attention will be given to German companies such as I.G. Farben (including Bayer), Krupps, BMW, and Volkswagen and American companies, such as IBM, Ford, Coca-Cola, and Eastman Kodak.
HIS330-01- A History of the Koreas Since 1600- Jodi Weinstein
This course examines major events in Korean history from the mid-Joseon (Chosŏn) Dynasty through the present. Using a combination of primary sources, historiography, memoirs, and other writings, we will explore the the political and social history of the Joseon (Chosŏn) Dynasty; the Chinese/Confucian imprint on Korean cultural and political institutions; Japanese colonial rule in Korea (1910-1945); the Korean War and partition; major events in North and South Korea since the 1950s; and prospects for reconciliation and unification on the Korean peninsula.
HIS350-01 and -02 Race and Gender in Latin American History- Miriam Shakow
This course examines the historical and cultural formation of race and gender in Latin America. Since the European Conquest, concepts of race and gender have been central to Latin Americans’ identities, social hierarchies, and everyday understandings of social life, as they are for people in the United States. We will trace the ways in which Latin American constructions of race and gender diverge and converge with those in the U.S. and how these ideas have changed over time. We will also study the ways in which Latin Americans have challenged racialized and gendered oppression.
HIS365-01 Baseball in American History- Craig Hollander
Scholars often use baseball as a lens for examining American history. And with good cause. After all, the game evolved during America’s formative years and had to contend with sweeping changes in American society. Students in this course will therefore use the history of baseball to explore how the game reflected and resisted broader societal trends, especially with regard to the labor movement, urbanization, immigration, and civil rights. In the process, they will learn not only about the history of the National Pastime, but the history of the United States itself.
HIS365-02- Latina, Asian American and Native Women’s History – Leigh-Anne Francis
Examining the intersection of Women’s and Gender, Ethnic/Multicultural, Queer and Trans Studies, this course centers Latina, Asian American, and Native Womxn in United States history from the 1600s to the present. We will consider how race, class, assigned sex, gender identity, sexuality, dis/ability, national identity, immigration status, and religious affiliation intersect in womxn of colors’ lives at a personal, interpersonal, communal, and systemic level. Among the topics we will explore are wage labor, family, sexuality, gender nonconformity, organized and informal resistance, internalized oppression, cross-racial alliances and conflicts, state violence, policing and prisons.
HIS390-01-Race, Gender and the Visual Culture of Domestic Labor Satyasikha Chakraborty
In this Group Research seminar, a small group of students will have the opportunity to work with a visual archive of tradecards and postcards from the late 1800s and early 1900s. This unique collection of more than 250 visuals focuses on the representations of a range of gendered and racialized domestic workers and care-workers from across the world: African American “mammies”, South Asian “ayahs”, Chinese laundry”boys”, Jewish, Irish and working-class white maidservants etc. The first half of the course will focus on readings & seminar-style discussions around the history of domestic labor, race and gender in a global context. The second half of the course will involve researching the companies that produced these trade-cards and postcards, how these ephemeral visuals circulated globally, how they were consumed, collected etc. The final goal of this research course is the creation of a digital humanities exhibition (in collaboration with a computer science student and professor from StonyBrook University who will handle the tech/coding aspect of the project). Students in this course will have considerable creative freedom in collaborating and designing the exhibition and in presenting the historical research. In addition to the virtual exhibition, if possible, there will also be a physical exhibition of the tradecards and postcards at TCNJ (not confirmed yet). Please note that the postcards and tradecards from the period of European high imperialism and American Jim Crow segregation racialize and (de)sexualize domestic workers in really dehumanizing ways. The purpose of this project is not only to present the visual objects in their historical context, but also to interrogate the pedagogical value of these degrading historical objects. How can historians use explicitly racist and sexist objects to critique histories of injustice and to teach tolerance and social justice? Please reach out to me (Prof. Chakraborty, chakrabs@tcnj.edu) if you are interested and wish to register for this course. This course can be counted for a Reading Seminar Requirement, and the geographic region will depend on your research.
HIS460-01 Internationalizing US History- Robert McGreevey
This seminar explores historical scholarship in the new field of the U.S. in the World. Focused on situating the modern history of the United States within transnational and global frameworks, the seminar will pair classics in the field with the most significant new work in order to track recent changes in how U.S. history is being taught and written. In analyzing changes in both U.S. history and historiography, students will develop their own critique of the readings and identify new contributions to scholarship. Our goal is to identify, compare and evaluate recent scholarly attempts to globalize U.S. history. Because this is a seminar, engaged and active participation is required. You are expected to do all assigned readings in advance and come prepared for discussion. Attendance is mandatory and all absences must be excused in advance.
HIS460-02 Old New Jersey- Craig Hollander
Benjamin Franklin snidely described New Jersey – with New York City to the North and Philadelphia to the South – as “a barrel tapped at both ends.” This course will disprove the validity of Dr. Franklin’s aphorism by examining the fascinating history of New Jersey. In the process, we will consider how New Jersey’s early development continues to influence its communities today. Please note that students who enroll in this course must be prepared to conduct research and visit sites beyond the TCNJ campus and outside of scheduled class times.
HIS463-01 Secrets, Knowledge, and Secret Knowledge of the Early Modern World- Roman Kovalev
The course seeks to explore the advent of empirical and rational (“scientific” or “factual”) knowledge that was used to construct early modern European (1500-1750) states and their empires. It shall examine how early modern ruling elites created information and disinformation derived from surveillance, espionage, intelligence gathering, mapping, drawing-painting, cataloging, indexing, academic research, and experimentation with the larger goals of gaining political, diplomatic, economic, military, technological, and scientific/medical advantages over their competitors.
HIS465-01 Beyond Ars Erotica: Gender & Sexuality in South Asian History-Satyasikha Chakraborty
Michel Foucault’s History of Sexuality sets up a contrast between scientia sexualis (science of sexuality) in the West and ars erotics (erotic arts) in the East. This course moves beyond the Eurocentric ars erotica framework to examine how gender and sexuality shaped South Asian history. How does South Asian history in turn complicate the very categories of “gender” and “sexuality” which emerged in the context of Western history? In this course we will examine the gendered pasts of South Asian politics and society from the Vedic age to the Mughal period, and from British colonialism to the postcolonial contemporary. Challenging the pervasive Hindu nationalist myth of a “glorious ancient Hindu India” that empowered women, we will proceed to deconstruct Western exoticization of the medieval Islamic harem as an erotic and oppressive space. We will learn how European colonialism created new forms of inter-racial polygamous households in South Asia and why such “mixed” relationships eventually came to be strictly regulated. European colonialism also led to the criminalization of trans bodies, queer desires, and homoerotic friendships that had a long history in South Asia – from the Kamasutra (200 CE) to early modern Persian poetry & miniature paintings. How was European imperialism itself a gendered project? We will examine British racialized self-projections of masculinity through legal reforms to “save” women from South Asian patriarchy. Anti-colonial nationalist movements in South Asia were also gendered. The nation itself was worshipped as a mother goddess. However, women who did not fit the Hindu upper-caste mold of “Mother India” were forced to labor in factories, brothels and plantations. Women were not just passive symbols of the nation, but active participants in nationalist and postcolonial South Asian politics and civil society. In the concluding weeks of the course, we will connect the colonial with the contemporary by analyzing debates over the uniform civil code, decriminalization of homosexuality, and sexual violence legislation.