History
Chair: Anni Baker
The History Department offers a variety of courses grouped in three categories: general interest courses, national histories and advanced courses.
Major
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The major program in history requires a minimum of 10 courses. These include:
Area of concentration
Five courses in an area of concentration--America, Asia or Europe. At least two of these five courses must be at the 300 level or above.
Outside the concentration
Three courses outside the area of concentration, one of which must be in each of the other two areas. One of the three courses may be in Latin American history, if the other two courses are in the two areas outside of the area of concentration.
Junior colloquium
Hist 302 is required of all majors in the first semester of the junior year, except those on LOA or approved study away, who must take it in the senior year.
Seminar
Hist 401 Seminars
No more than three 100-level courses shall be counted toward the major.
Occasionally, by permission of the department chair, students may substitute as an elective a course offered by another department.
Guidelines have been established for interdepartmental major programs combining history with art, economics, political science, philosophy or religion. The department also participates in a number of other interdepartmental or combined major programs including American Studies, Asian Studies, German, International Relations, Russian and Russian Studies, and Women's Studies.
Minor
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The history minor consists of at least five courses. Four courses must be in a single area. One course must be outside the area of concentration. At least one of the four courses of concentration must be at the 300 level or above. No more than two 100-level courses may count for the minor.
History courses are also included in the following special minor programs: African, African American, Diaspora Studies, Development Studies, Latin American Studies and Management.
Courses
Explorations in history--Courses of general interest
100. Ancient Western History
A survey of all pre-Christian Western societies and cultures, including Neolithic, Celtic, Egyptian, Greek and Roman, up to the advent of Christianity and the collapse of the Roman Empire in the West. Topics covered will include women, family, religious beliefs, and the development of the arts and ideas.
Connections:
Conx 20039 Ideas of Antiquity
101. The Development of Modern Europe from the Medieval Era to 1789
A study of the foundations of modern Europe. Among the topics examined are the development of modern states, the emergence of a capitalist economy, the Renaissance, the Reformation, overseas expansion, the Scientific Revolution and the Enlightenment.
(Yuen-Gen Liang)
Connections:
Conx 20040 Political Theories, Political Realities: Ideas and Practices in Past Politics
102. The Development of Modern Europe since 1789
Europe from the French Revolution to the present. Topics include: the industrial revolution, nationalism, romanticism, imperialism, democracy, socialism, communism and fascism; the impact of two world wars; totalitarianism; and Europe's post - World War II renaissance.
(Anni Baker)
Connections:
Conx 20007 German Language in European History
143. Africans on Africa: A Survey
Africa's development paralleled European development up to the eve of European colonization of the continent. Whereas the African slave trade robbed the region of millions of her people, a distinctly African holocaust, the slave trade, and its eventual demise in the early 19th century, also set the stage for European colonization. This course is a broad survey of the history of the African continent prior to colonization, during colonization and through the postcolonial period to the present. Its perspective will be uniquely African. We will focus on the interruption of African development and the strategies of resistance and accommodation adopted by various groups through an examination of selected texts, literature and film.
(Dolita Cathcart)
Connections:
Conx 23001 African Worlds
Conx 23016 Race as a Social Construct
207. Medieval Europe
A survey of the history and culture of Europe, 300-1300. The institutions of feudalism, monarchy and the church will be examined; the development of monasticism and Christian philosophy. Throughout the basic narrative of events, the course will focus on the medieval outlook as expressed in philosophy, art, literature and music.
213. The History of the Civil Rights Movement
This course will examine, through readings and films, those events that led up to and included the civil rights movement in the United States, as well as those mass movements it inspired throughout the 1960s and the 1970s. We will explore the hopes and dreams, actions and strategies, of the progressive members of this movement, which began decades before sit-ins galvanized student activism. This course will center on the historical context which helped to shape the political and social reality of the times. We will examine how the basic tenets of this movement continue to influence us today.
(Dolita Cathcart)
214. European Military History
An introduction to the history of war and the armed forces in Europe. We will begin in the 1400s with the technological and tactical developments that led to "modern warfare." We will discuss the development of 18th century military states such as Prussia, and the 19th century "people's army" of Napoleon. We will explore the impact of the Industrial Revolution on European warfare, and the development of new military technology. We will end the course with an in-depth study of the First and Second World Wars.
(Anni Baker)
215. History of Russia
A survey of the growth and development of Russia from its medieval foundations to the recent breakup of the Soviet Union. Topics include: political, social, religious and economic developments; the conflict of Eastern and Western traditions; Russia's emergence as a European power; 19th-century revolutionary and reform movements; the creation of the Soviet Union and its flawed drive for modernization and domination in global politics.
(Anni Baker)
Connections:
Conx 20051 Russian History and Culture
Conx 20055 Russia: Challenge and Opportunity
Conx 20064 Russian History and Politics
217. Mundo Brasileiro
Explores construction of Brazil and its diaspora since 1500 through documents, scholarly works, fiction, music and film. Topics include: environmental change, colonization and its impact on indigenous peoples, African slavery and its legacies, migration to and from Brazil, gender norms, politics and economic development, rise of mass culture, urbanization and industrialization, how outsiders have viewed Brazil, and impact of all these on Brazilians' struggle to define what is "Brazilian." Course will try to connect class and campus to Brazilian communities of southern New England.
(John Bezis-Selfa)
218. First Global Societies: Colonial Latin America
Provides introduction to early modern history of the Hispanophone and Lusophone Americas, principally through interpretation of documents. Topics include: indigenous societies before contact with Europeans; conquest and colonization of Americas by Iberians; rise of African slavery; social, economic, political, and cultural developments under colonial rule, and revolutions for national independence.
(John Bezis-Selfa)
219. Norte y Sur: Modern Spanish America
Explores key themes in modern Spanish America's history through focus on Mexico, Argentina and one other nation-state. Topics include: nation-building and economic development in the 19th century; the decline and abolition of slavery; the experience of indigenous peoples under national rule; roles of western Europe and the U.S. in shaping political, economic, and cultural development; Mexican Revolution, Cold War and Socialist Revolutions, and recent efforts at economic and political reform.
(John Bezis-Selfa)
Connections:
Conx 23003 Modern Latin America
222. Introduction to Chinese Civilization
This course examines the main political, social, intellectual, and cultural events and currents of China from ancient times to the present in the context of changing territorial and economic realities.
(Vipan Chandra)
223. Introduction to Indian Civilization
This course examines the main political, social, intellectual, and cultural events and currents of India from ancient times to the present in the context of changing territorial and economic realities.
(Vipan Chandra)
224. Introduction to Japanese Civilization
This course examines the main political, social, intellectual and cultural events and trends of Japan from ancient times to the present in the context of changing territorial and economic realities.
(Vipan Chandra)
225. Women in East Asia: Japan and Korea
This course examines the influence of Shintoism, Confucianism, Daoism, Buddhism, colonialism, communism, democracy, feminism and changing economic forces in shaping women's lives from ancient times to the present.
(Vipan Chandra)
227. Women in East Asia: China
This course examines the status roles of women in Chinese society from ancient times to the present. The influence of Confucianism, Daoism, Buddhism, modern nationalism, communism, and contemporary liberal and feminist ideas as well as changing economic forces in shaping women's lives is the main focus of the course.
(Vipan Chandra)
228. European Jewish History
This course is a survey of the history of Jewish communities in Europe, from the Middle Ages to the present. Topics include the Jewish experience during the Crusades; the expulsion of Jews from Spain; the Jewish Enlightenment; Jews in Eastern Europe and Russia; assimilation and anti-Semitism; the Holocaust and the creation of the state of Israel.
(Anni Baker)
Connections:
Conx 20062 Jews in Modern Europe
240. German History: 1648 - Present
A survey of German history from the end of the Thirty Years' War to national reunification in the 1990s. Topics include: absolutism, the unification of Germany under Bismarck, Germany and World War I, the Weimar period, the rise of National Socialism, the Holocaust and World War II, division and the problems of a newly reunited Germany.
(Anni Baker)
Connections:
Conx 20028 Germanies: History vs. Culture
251. Early Islamic Societies
Surveys Islamic history from 600s C.E. to the end of the 18th century. Begins with the late-antique world of the Byzantine and Sasanian empires and progresses to the life of Muhammad, the establishment of the Umayyad and Abbasid Caliphates, political disintegration during the Crusader and Mongol invasions, and the rise of the Ottoman Empire. Explores the emergence of Islamic culture through such topics as religious practice and law, gender and minority relations, literature, and art and architecture.
(Yuen-Gen Liang)
252. The Modern Middle East 1800-1992
Surveys the history of the Middle East from 1800-1992. Major themes in the nineteenth century include the internal reform efforts under Ottoman and Egyptian regimes; European military, political, economic, and cultural intervention; the evolution of new paradigms in politics and society; and the emergence of Islamic modernist and reform intellectuals and movements.
In the 20th century, this course will focus on the rise of nationalism; WWI and the partition of the region; the settlement and establishment of Israel; independence movements and the establishment of nationalist states; globalization and the industrialization; Islamic social and potitical movements; the Arab-Israeli conflic; and European and American intervention in the post-colonial period.
(Yuen-Gen Liang)
285. History of Science to the Scientific Revolution.
Current dominance of "science" as a symbol of progress and prosperity has its roots in the cultural traditions of medieval Christian Europe and its selective appropriation of a Greek heritage. This course addresses the historical context, structure and development of science, and explores science as a cultural and sociological phenomenon while tracing changes in the perception of nature and human knowledge over time.
Connections:
Conx 23017 Forbidden Knowledge
298. Experimental Course
The Crusades
Through accounts by Jewish, European Christian, Byzantine, and Muslim writers, we will explore the events, attitudes, and cultural interchanges of the Crusades. The ideology of crusade was applied in many locations--such as the Holy Land in the Middle East, the Iberian peninsula, southern France, and northeastern Europe--and to many different foes--including infidel Muslims, pagan Slavs, and heretical Christians. A primary goal of the course will be to define the term crusade.
National histories
201. American Colonial History
Provides introduction to colonial history of North America. Topics include: indigenous societies before contact with Europeans and Africans; European reconnaissance and colonization; rise of indentured servitude and racial slavery; social and cultural exchange among and between native peoples, Africans, and Europeans; connections of North America to the Caribbean Basin and Atlantic world; conflicts between European colonizers for dominance of North America; and social, political and economic development of mainland British North America in 18th century.
(John Bezis-Selfa)
Connections:
Conx 20057 Early American Studies
202. America: The New Nation, 1776 - 1836
Considers the process by which Americans created a new nation and forged a national identity from the period of the Revolution through the Jacksonian era. Topics include: the course of American political growth; the experiences of Native Americans, African Americans and women in the new republic; the beginnings of northern industry; and the flourishing of reform movements.
(Kathryn Tomasek)
Connections:
Conx 20057 Early American Studies
203. America: The Nation Divided, 1836 - 1876
Explores the development of divergent patterns of life in three distinct regions of the United States (the West, North and South) in order to comprehend the emergence of sectionalism, the violent struggle of the Civil War and the readjustments of the Reconstruction years.
(Kathryn Tomasek)
Connections:
Conx 20057 Early American Studies
204. Industry and Empire: The United States, 1876 - 1914
Examines how industrialization in the late 19th century transformed work, home life, class dynamics, ethnic diversity, gender relations, race relations, politics and foreign policy. Such changes redefined what it meant to be American and led to the creation of the modern nation.
(Dolita Cathcart)
205. America between the Wars: 1914 - 1945
The two world wars bracket a period of extremes in American history: the Roaring Twenties and the Great Depression of the thirties. This course will follow the political and social history of these years, with special attention to the lives of individual Americans, the artistic creations of the period and the diplomatic questions which begin and end the era.
(Alexander Bloom)
206. Modern America: 1945 to the Present
Despite America's preeminent position in the world since 1945, the anxieties of the Cold War and the nuclear age pervaded postwar life. Issues such as civil rights, McCarthyism, Vietnam, the counterculture, Watergate, economic fluctuations and political cynicism all raised particular concerns. This course will trace American history in these years--political, social and cultural.
(Alexander Bloom)
Connections:
Conx 20033 History and Politics of U.S. Foreign Policy
Conx 20034 The Historical Context of Contemporary American Culture
Conx 20053 Schooling in Modern Society
209. African American History to 1877
Examines the early history of people of African descent in North America, placing the experiences of African Americans at the center. Includes a survey of African history before European incursions and attention to enslavement, culture, women's experiences, community and family life among both free and enslaved blacks, and the role of African Americans in the American Revolution, the Civil War and Reconstruction.
(Dolita Cathcart)
Connections:
Conx 23007 African Diaspora in New World
Conx 23010 Black Aesthetics
210. African American History: 1877 to the Present
This course follows the freed slaves and other African Americans from the end of Reconstruction through the institution of segregation, the migrations north, life in urban America, the civil rights movement after World War II and the contemporary realities of race in the United States. Particular interest will be paid to cultural history, family life, gender roles and identity.
(Dolita Cathcart)
Connections:
Conx 23007 African Diaspora in New World
Conx 23010 Black Aesthetics
232. Women in North America to 1790
This course surveys the history of women in colonial North America. The course begins by examining interactions among indigenous inhabitants; colonizers from Spain, France, and Great Britain; and enslaved Africans. The focus then narrows to the British North American colonies and the experiences of women of Native American, European and African descent through the period of the American Revolution and its immediate aftermath. Throughout the course, particular attention is paid to changing contructions of gender and race, exploring their intersections with class, religion and region.
(Kathryn Tomasek)
Connections:
Conx 23005 Women in the United States
233. U.S. Women, 1790-1890
This course surveys the history of women in the 19th-century United States, exploring changing constructions of gender, race, and class during a period of significant economic and political development. The course examines the emergence of the women's rights movement among members of the emerging white middle class as well as the changing experiences of free and enslaved African American women. Students complete original research in diaries held in the Wheaton College Archives and Special Collections.
(Kathryn Tomasek)
Connections:
Conx 23005 Women in the United States
234. U.S. Women since 1890
This course surveys the history of women in the United States in the 20th century. Beginning with an examination of suffrage and numerous movements for social and economic change, the course challenges students to explore the complexities of women's experiences. Throughout the course, particular attention is paid to intersections among multiple identities grounded in social constructions of gender, race, class and sexual orientation in local, national and international contexts.
(Kathryn Tomasek)
Connections:
Conx 23005 Women in the United States
Advanced courses
050. Senior Colloquium in American Studies
Through readings and discussion the course will seek to bring together the various disciplines and methodologies pertinent to the American studies major. Required of and limited to senior American studies majors.
(Alexander Bloom)
302. The Junior Colloquium
This course serves as an introduction to the study of history. It examines the ways in which historians have viewed the past over the centuries. Readings are from several areas of history, including America, Asia and ancient, medieval and modern Europe. Special attention will be given to the newer historical approaches to the past: these include women's history, black history, psychology and history and social history.
313. Issues in the History of Women in Europe
A thematic approach to issues within the broad perspective of women's experiences in Europe from prehistory to the present. Topics will include matriarchal, goddess-worshipping cultures; women within patriarchy; women and Christianity; the education of women; development of women's political and legal rights; and debates concerning reproductive freedom.
314. Renaissance, Reformation and Revolution: Europe 1350 - 1650
The dissolution of the medieval synthesis and the rise of humanism; developments in culture and thought in Italy and on the Continent; religious Reformation. Includes an examination of the impact of intellectual changes on popular classes and issues of gender.
321. European Imperialism, 1757-1939
An examination of European imperialism from the late 18th to the early 20th century. We will consider the factors that led to imperial expansion in the late 18th century and study the colonial experience from the point of view of those who lived it. We will examine how imperialism changed colonized societies; how imperialism influenced culture in Europe; and the development of resistance and opposition in the colonies.
(Anni Baker)
Connections:
Conx 20065 Theories of Imperialism
331. Social and Intellectual History of the United States to the Civil War
The evolution of American society from the colonial period to the Civil War and how various Americans attempted to describe, explain or alter the world in which they lived. Readings will come from primary sources, such as Franklin, Paine, Douglass, Emerson and Thoreau, as well as works of contemporary social history.
(Alexander Bloom)
332. Social and Intellectual History of the United States since 1876
The response of American intellectuals, analysts and writers to the changes accompanying the growth of modern American society from the Industrial Revolution to the present day. Readings will include William James, Emma Goldman, Henry Adams, Jane Addams and Richard Wright, as well as contemporary analysts of modern American life.
(Alexander Bloom)
337. Power and Protest in the United States
Democracy, citizenship and civil rights in the United States are not static concepts unaffected by societal change, nor apt to be changed without pressure from marginalized populations. In this course, we will examine how the growing consciousness and activism of several marginalized populations during the 20th century developed into social movements that changed the meaning and the delivery of democracy, citizenship and civil rights. These changes directly affected the lives of marginalized populations in the United States, and indirectly the lives of the majority population and global communities as well.
(Dolita Cathcart)
Connections:
Conx 23011 Revolution!
Conx 20053 Schooling in Modern Society
338. U.S. Labor History
Explores history of work and working Americans from colonial era to present. Examines how race, technology, politics, gender, organizational innovations and global economic changes have shaped workers' consciousness and their experience of work.
(Dolita Cathcart)
339. Slavery in the Americas
Examines slavery and slave societies in the Americas (mainly colonial British North America and the United States, Caribbean and Brazil) from rise of Atlantic slave trade to abolition. Emphasizes understanding of slavery and enslavement through interpretation of primary sources.
(John Bezis-Selfa, Dolita Cathcart)
340. Gender and Work in the 19th-Century U.S.
What is work and who is a worker? Have the answers to these questions changed over time? This course examines the persistence of a gender division of labor that has differentiated women's work from that of men; that division's organization over time, place and occupation; and its variations by race, class and region.
(Kathryn Tomasek)
341. Sex and Culture in the 19th-Century U.S.
Examines the history of thinking about the nature and meaning of sexuality, with particular attention to the religious, medical, psychiatric and sexological discourses in the United States and Europe; popular responses to these discourses; and the changing boundaries between "normality" and "deviance."
(Kathryn Tomasek)
Connections:
Conx 23006 Sexuality
351. War and Peace in the Mediterranean World 1400-1700
This course compares the histories of the Spanish and Ottoman empires, two hegemonic states that emerged simultaneously on opposite ends of the Mediterranean. Studies the formation of political institutions, society, and cultures in each community and the political military conflicts that divided the two from each other. Also focuses on the different ways that Christians, Muslims and Jews interacted in these two empires.
(Yuen-Gen Liang)
352. Social Movements in Modern Islam
Analyzes the historical development of Islamic reform, modernism and political movements from 1800 to 1992. Contextualizes movements in Islamic societies undergoing colonialization, modernization, Europeanization and globalization. Compares such movements to other contemporaneous ones, including nationalism, liberalism, feminism and authoritarianism. Studies the development of diverse notions in "Islam" espoused by these movements.
(Yuen-Gen Liang)
365. Modern China
A close look at China's political, social and cultural development from 1842 to the present. Focus will be on both the foreign and domestic factors in China's transition from its imperial past to a modern nation-state.
(Vipan Chandra)
Connections:
Conx 20024 Modern China: Tradition and Contemporary Politics
367. Modern Japan
A detailed look at the multifaceted transformation of Japan since the Meiji Restoration of 1868. Japan's ambitions, achievements and problems will be closely examined. The major focus will be on political change, but attention will also be directed to intellectual, social and economic questions.
(Vipan Chandra)
370. European Radical Movements
A thematic examination of political movements, social groups and cultural trends through which Europeans searched for new understandings of the world, before and after the devastation of World War I. The course examines relatively beginning movements such as pacifism, health and new religions as well as the more infamous ideologies of racism, fascism and Stalinism.
(Anni Baker)
398. Experimental Course
After the '60s: Social Movements in the Americas
This course examines the histories and cultures of social movements in the Americas by focusing on race, gender and globalization. The course will consider, through readings and documentaries, movements in the U.S. and Mexico, and will conclude by examining hemispheric "globalization movements." We will analyze how racial and gender hierarchies changed, and were challenged, in an epoch of contested democracies, mass migration and neocolonial economic relations.
399. Selected Topics: Independent Work
Offered from time to time to allow students to study a particular topic not included in regular courses or to engage in field work programs for credit in conjunction with the Filene Center for Work and Learning.
401. Seminars
Designed to allow intensive investigation of a limited period or topic in history; subjects to be offered are reviewed annually. A minimum of three courses are offered each year, the titles to be announced each spring.
500. Individual Research
Offered to selected majors at the invitation of the department with a view toward developing a program leading to consideration for departmental honors. Students interested in being considered for such a program should contact the department chair at any time during the junior year or at the beginning of the fall semester in the senior year.