History Degree
Curriculum
History Major (36 Credits)
HI 111, 112 Western Civilization
A survey of European cultures since the Renaissance designed to give an understanding of the major forces and events which have shaped the modern world. The first semester covers the period from the Renaissance to the French Revolution, including the Reformation, the age of religious wars, the rise of absolutism, and the Enlightenment. The second semester covers from the era of the French Revolution to the present, including romanticism, nationalism, industrialization, imperialism, fascism, and the two world wars. General education choice for Part B. 3 credits each
HI 121, 122 United States History
A survey of United States history from the colonial period to the present. The first semester covers U.S. History through Reconstruction, including the colonial era, the age of the American Revolution, the early republic, and the sectional conflict. The second semester studies from Reconstruction to the present, including social and economic development in the late nineteenth century, populism, progressivism, the two world wars and the interwar period, as well as developments in American life since 1945. General education choice for Part B. 3 credits each
HI 385 Historiography
An examination of the nature of the historical enterprise and historical methodology as well as prominent interpreters and interpretations of the past. Much of this seminar style course is devoted to critical analysis of the writings of historians and the preparation of an historiographic essay. 3 credits
HI 391 Senior Research Seminar
Required of all senior majors, students will research and write a significant essay based upon primary source material to the degree possible, in which they will demonstrate their mastery of the craft of History. Prerequisite: HI 385"”Historiography. 3 credits
Six courses from among the following: (18 credits)
HI 252 Topics in Historical Study
A course in European, American or world history which will focus on a single topic or theme. P: Sophomore standing. 3 credits
HI 253 Topics in Historical Study
A course in European, American or world history which will focus on a single topic or theme. P: Sophomore standing. 3 credits
HI 302 Women and Society in Early Modern Europe
A study of women and their various roles in the society of early modern Europe. P: Sophomore standing. General education choice for Part C. 3 credits
HI 304 History Through Biography
This course will focus on biography as a form of historical inquiry, presenting examples of biography from diverse eras and with various approaches as well as subjects with distinctive problems. Additional readings from historians and writers will also help each student clarify a position on the nature of biography. General education choice for Part C. 3 credits
HI 311 Renaissance and Reformation
An in-depth study of the European cultural reawakening of the 15th century and of the religious, intellectual, social, and political ferment of the era of the Reformation. P: Sophomore standing. General education choice for Part C. 3 credits each
HI 315 Nineteenth-Century Europe
A study of continental European history from the Congress of Vienna to World War I. P: Sophomore standing. General education choice for Part C. 3 credits
HI 316 War and Peace in 20th Century Europe
A study of European history from World War I through the decades of Fascism and depression to the end of World War II. P: Sophomore standing. General education choice for Part C. 3 credits
HI 320 History of Colonial America
A survey of early America from the late fifteenth century to the mid-eighteenth century. The course looks at Native American peoples and their initial contact with explorers and settlers and the continuing interactions of Americans, Europeans, and Africans throughout the era. Particular attention is given to comparative analysis of selected colonies and the types of social, economic, political, and cultural institutions that emerged. P. Sophomore standing. General education choice for Part C. 3 credits
HI 321 The American Revolution
A study of the origins, character, and consequences of the struggle for American independence. Major emphasis is given to matters of interpretation and to social, economic, and cultural developments. P: Sophomore standing. General education choice for Part C. 3 credits
HI 324 American Civil War
A study of the causes, ideas, and personalities involved in the struggle between North and South as well as a consideration of the era of Reconstruction. Major emphasis is given to matters of interpretation and to social, economic, and cultural aspects of the conflict. P: Sophomore standing. General education choice for Part C. 3 credits
HI 334 The Sixties: From Kennedy to Vietnam
A study of the domestic and foreign policies of the Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon administrations with attention to the social, economic and cultural changes of the decade. Major emphasis is given to the question of economic prosperity and its impact upon society, the rights revolutions, youth culture, and Great Society programs. The course concludes with a study of American withdrawal from Vietnam, Watergate, and stagflation. P: Sophomore standing. General education choice for Part C. 3 credits
HI 341 World Revolution in the Twentieth Century (Same as PO 341)
A study of the major revolutions of the twentieth century with special attention to the theoretical approaches to the nature of revolution. Primary attention will be given to the Mexican Revolution of l9l0, the Russian Revolution of 1917, the Chinese Revolutions of 1911 and 1949, and the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution. P: Sophomore standing. General education choice for Part C. 3 credits
HI 343 Imagining Heaven and Hell: Utopias and Dystopias in Theory and Practice (Same as PO 343)
An examination of conceptions of utopia and dystopia throughout history and of efforts to bring utopian visions into practice. Utopian visions read and discussed will be both literary and political. In examining efforts to create ideal worlds, focus will be on what worked, what didn't, and why. P: Sophomore standing. General education choice for Part C. 3 credits
HI 344 Slavery in the Atlantic World
The development of slavery in the Atlantic basin from its fifteenth-century beginnings through the nineteenth-century era of abolition with particular emphasis on the development of the slave trade, the evolution of slave cultures, economies, and societies in the New World and the impact of these on the old world. The course will also explore the development of anti-slavery movements and demise of slavery. P: Sophomore standing. General education choice for Part C. 3 credits each