Course Descriptions – Fall, 2010
UCG 111R
World Civilization I
Professor Sreenivasan
MW 11:00-11:50 Reg. # (recitation section)
This course introduces students to the development of world civilizations from prehistory to about 1500, and
concerns the peoples, forces, and ideas that have shaped the way individuals have experienced (and still experience)
the world. In this course we will focus on the origins and development of states, economies, and cultures in different
parts of the world, and their interactions with each other. The course will emphasize the common threads in the
emergence of early human societies, and then explore how and why their paths diverged. The emergence and
evolution of the world‘s major religious traditions will be a running theme, as will the changing position of women
and social inferiors in different geographical and historical contexts.
Recitation sections: (registration in a recitation section gives automatic registration in the lecture)
R1 M 3:00 - 3:50 Reg. #139868 (111 Baldy) R8 F 10:00 -10:50 #036342 (102 Clemens)
R2 T 3:00 - 3:50 #010342 (104 Clemens) R9 T 9:00- 9:50 #109168 (111 Baldy)
R3 T 1:00- 1:50 #029354 (106 Clemens) R10 F 11:00 -11:50 #149359 (104 Clemens)
R4 F 9:00 - 9:50 #100181 (102 Clemens) R11 W 9:00- 9:50 #445030 (111 Baldy)
R5 W 12:00- 12:50 #302130 (102 Clemens) R12 W 2:00 - 2:50 #109317 (111 Baldy)
R6 M 9:00- 9:50 #458320 (111Baldy) R13 M 10:00- 10:50 #344301 (104 Clemens)
R7 M 10:00- 10:50 #172370 (102 Clemens)
UGC 111A
World Civilization 2
Professor McGuire
TR 9:30-10:20 Reg. # (recitation section)
Mere coincidence??--7000 years; 7 continents; 7 seas; 7 Wonders of the Ancient World; 7 Hills; Septuagint; 7
Sages; 7 Pillars of Wisdom; 7 Deadly Sins; 7 Against Thebes; 7 Liberal Arts . . . . Actually, this course will ignore
the world of numerology almost entirely--like other sections of UGC 111, ours will examine the major
civilizations that developed around the world between prehistoric times and 1500 CE. As often as possible we
will use original literary, artistic and archaeological material as our windows into these past cultures. Along the
way we will try not only to define the distinguishing features of several civilizations, but also to assess the
accuracy of the various generalizations on which a course of this nature must inevitably depend. Attention will be
given as well to social status and the tensions that exist between "higher" culture and ―popular‖ culture. We will
also turn frequently to the different ways in which modern cultures reconstruct and appropriate earlier cultures for
their own agendas.
Recitation sections: (registration in a recitation section gives automatic registration in the lecture)
A1 M 3:00 - 3:50 Reg. #075985 (104 Clemens) A8 F 9:00- 9:50 #480895 (111 Baldy)
A2 M 2:00 - 2:50 #265770 (111 Baldy) A9 F 11:00 -11:50 #297518 (111 Baldy)
A3 M 12:00 -12:50 #291294 111 Baldy) A10 F 10:00- 10:50 #068895 (111 Baldy)
A4 T 11:00 -11:50 #181837 (111 Baldy) A11 R 11:00 -11:50 #435389 (111 Baldy)
A5 T 10:00- 10:50 #276728 (111 Baldy) A12 R 12:00- 12:50 #057676 (111 Baldy)
A6 R 3:00 - 3:50 #370347 (206 Clemens) A13 R 3:00- 3 :50 #261936 (104 Clemens)
A7 T 12:00 -12:50 #025316 (102 Clemens)
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UGC 112B
World Civilization 2
Professor McDevitt 112 Norton
MW 9:00-9:50 Reg. # (recitation section)
It is a truism that multiple witnesses to a car crash will produce drastically different, and at times conflicting,
interpretations of what they saw. History is no different. When we look at the world today, we see something
different from what someone on the other side of the world sees, even though we're looking at the same world. This
course will attempt to examine the world system today and historically explore how we got here. Through a variety
of sources and by looking at a number of different civilizations, we will trace over time the changing manner in
which the major civilizations of the earth have interacted with one another. Rather than viewing politics, economics,
history, culture, religion and race as distinct from one another, we will examine the ways in which they interrelate.
Topics which will be explored include the inequality in wealth and power between Western and non-Western worlds
and the role of religion, gender and culture in shaping the modern world. In this way, the course intends to help
students to draw connections between the world today and its historical roots. Students will be expected to write
short, critical essays in response to various readings. There will also be two tests and a final exam.
Recitation sections: (registration in a recitation section gives automatic registration in the lecture)
B1 R 9:30- 10:20 Reg. #202253 (102 Clemens) B8 W 12:00 -12:50 #418286 (104 Clemens
B2 M 11:00- 11:50 #030233 (111 Baldy) B9 W 10:00-10:50 #069465 (111 Baldy)
B3 M 9:00- 9:50 #169477 (102 Clemens) B10 R 1:00 - 1:50 #136310 (117 Clemens)
B4 M 3:00- 3:50 #321213 (102 Clemens) B11 W 1:00 -1:50 #297405 (111 Baldy)
B5 R 2:00 - 2:50 #261470 (125 Baldy) B12 T 12:00-12:50 #100738 (104 Clemens)
B6 R 12:00-12:50 #377106 (102 Clemens) B13 T 2:00- 2:50 #359024 (214 O’Brian)
B7 T 9:30-10:20 #048551 (102 Clemens)
HIS 113
Myth and Religion in the Ancient World
Professor Woodard 225 NSC
MWF 12:00-12:50 Reg. # 198314
Myth and Religion in the Ancient World provides a comparative analysis of the mythic and religious traditions of
various early Indo-European peoples, in coverage extending chronologically and geographically from Vedic India to
Medieval Ireland and Scandinavia, focusing on ancient Greece and, especially Rome. The analytic model used is
that of, chiefly, Émile Benveniste and Georges Dumézil. Cross listed with CL 113 (Reg. #321633), APY 168 (Reg.
#348430), and RSP 113 (Reg. #012139) EAR
HIS 161
U.S. History I
Instructor Eager 10 Capen
MW 7:00-8:20pm Reg. #130405
This course focuses on U.S. history from British settlement to the end of the Civil War. Some of the broad topics to
be addressed include the contact and conflict between colonists and indigenous peoples, the American Revolution
and the founding of the United States, the Constitutional debates of the 1780s, the rise of Jacksonian Democracy, the
debate over slavery, and the Civil War. Particular attention will be paid to the ways in which issues of race, gender,
and class impacted these historical developments. USH
HIS 161
U.S. History I
Instructor Lempke 10 Capen
TR 7:00-8:20 Reg. #319173
This course serves as the first half of the undergraduate survey of United States history. Chronologically, it will
span from the voyages of discovery to the end of Reconstruction in 1877. A course encompassing such a broad and
dynamic era must necessarily be selective. Accordingly, this class will strongly emphasize three themes: the diverse
character of American society, the role of religion in public and private life, and the development of our political
system. This approach will allow us to explore not only familiar figureheads such as Jefferson and Lincoln, but also
the contributions of laborers, farmers, soldiers, slaves, goodwives, and Native Americans. Assessment will consist
of two exams, three short papers, and the quality of one‘s classroom participation. USH
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HIS 161
U.S. History I
Instructor Kohler 14 Knox
TR 7:00-8:20 Reg. #190974
This course will span the time period between European colonization in the New World through the Civil War.
Major topics will include the English colonies in North America, the American Revolution and emerging republic,
Constitutional formation, the Market Revolution and the Jacksonian Era, the antebellum period and the road to the
Civil War. Assessments will include papers, exams, and class participation and discussion. USH
HIS 161
U.S. History I
Professor Thornton 110 Knox
T R 12:30-1:50 Reg. # (recitation section)
This course is an introduction to American history from the first contacts between Europeans and Native Americans
through the Civil War. We cover major events like the American Revolution, but the main emphasis is on the way
Americans of diverse backgrounds and outlooks experienced change and perceived their world. In addition to tests,
students will be expected to write a number of brief papers geared to the weekly readings in recitation sections. USH
Recitation Sections: (registration in a recitation section gives automatic registration in the lecture)
E1 R 2:00-2:50 Reg. #482944 (110 Baldy) E6 F 8:00- 8:50 Reg. #109293 (250 Park)
E2 R 2:00-2:50 #234944 (88 Alumni) E7 F 9:00- 9:50 #318445 (250 Park)
E3 R 3:00-3:50 #407034 (88 Alumni) E8 F 10:00-10:50 #289165 (250 Park)
E4 R 3:00-3:50 #040111 (107 Clemens) E9 F 11:00-11:50 #369786 (250 Park)
E5 F 8:00-8:50 #454564 (146 Park) E10 F 12:00-12:50 #205518 (250 Park)
HIS 181
Asian Civilization I
Professor Sreenivasan 216 NSC
MWF 2:00-2:50 Reg. #115100
This course provides an introduction to the history of East and South Asia from the beginnings to roughly the early
sixteenth century. We will acquaint ourselves with significant events in the region‘s history, including the
emergence of territorial states, the formation and transmission of major religious traditions, and the emergence and
transmission of significant intellectual and cultural traditions. We will also explore the impact of the durable
tensions between nomadic pastoralists and settled agriculturalists as these shaped the politics, economies, societies
and cultures of China, Japan and India from the beginnings to circa 1600. AAL
HIS 203
Greek Civilization
Professor Barry 322 Fillmore
MWF 2:00-2:50 Reg. #067032
This course will offer students the opportunity to examine in considerable breadth the cultural heritage left to us by
Greek civilization. The intimate connection of all aspects of ancient Greek culture will be emphasized. Among
these will be visual art, historical events, philosophical experimentation, religious beliefs, literature, custom, myth
and architecture. All such elements of Greek civilization will be analyzed from a synchronistic and developmental
point of view in so far as is possible in order to produce a coherent image of that culture as a living and expanding
entity. Students will also be provided with sufficient primary (in English translation) and secondary reading to
ponder intelligently the conclusions reached in class. Cross-listed with CL 222 (Reg. #442468) EAR
HIS 205
Ancient Near East & Egypt
Professor Paley 355 Fillmore
T R 9:30-10:50 Reg. #481307
This is a topical survey of the contribution of ancient Near Eastern and Egyptian cultures to Western History and
thought, from the ―invention‖ of writing to the fall of the Assyrian Empire. After a discussion of the origins of what
civilization is in the context of the urbanization of Egypt and Mesopotamia, we will then continue on to study the
nature of kingship, religion (including church vs. State issues, approaches to divinity), trade and economy, and the
development and pursuit of empire. There is a short, summarizing textbook and collateral readings of original
documents in translation. Several videos and access to WEB-based tools will be made available for the course.
Assignments include a mid-term, final and a short paper on an approved topic. Cross-listed with CL 211 (Reg.
#05588.) EAR
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HIS 206
Medieval Judaism
Professor Hughes 107 Talbert
T R 5:00-6:20 Reg. #294662
This course will examine Jewish beliefs, texts, and society in the Middle Ages from a historical perspective. Topics
to be covered include the formation of rabbinic Judaism, the Crusades, and the so-called ―Golden Age‖ of Muslim
Spain. Cross-listed with JDS 229 (Reg. #090202) EAR
HIS 208
U. S. in the World
Professor Meyerowitz 97 Alumni
TR 12:30-1:50 Reg. #492117
Utilizing a global and comparative perspective, this course will explore four main aspects of the U.S. presence in the
world in the 20th and 21st centuries: the U.S.‘ current and recent rankings in the world particularly in relation to the
industrialized and industrializing nations; U.S. foreign policy in the 20 th and 21st centuries, focusing on Vietnam, the
Middle East, Iraq and Afghanistan; a selected comparison of the impact of economic globalization on the U.S. and
on third world nations; and the experiences of soldiers on active duty in the U.S. military in Vietnam, Iraq and
Afghanistan. In all four areas we will look at the political and economic explanations and rationales for these
policies and how they actually worked, or work. We will have speakers, provocative readings, critical videos, much
discussion, dialogue and lively debate. Cross-listed with AMS 207 (Reg. #206611) USH
HIS 209
The American Civil War
Professor Emberton 215 NSC
T R 3:30-4:50 Reg. #135080
This lecture course will serve as an introduction in to the causes of the American Civil War, its impact on the
American nation, and its continued significance for American politics and society. Topics to be covered include: the
role of slavery in antebellum politics and the crisis of the 1850s, army life, the changing nature of warfare and
introduction of ―total war‖ tactics, changes in gender relations and women‘s political activism, Abraham Lincoln
and his assassination, slave emancipation, Reconstruction, and the memorialization of the war from the nineteenth
century to the present day. We will read a variety of primary and secondary source documents, as well as literary
treatments of the period and films, in order to obtain a fuller cultural understanding of this pivotal moment in
American history. USH
HIS 211
History of Poland
Professor TBA 106 Talbert
T R 9:30-10:50 Reg. #016268
Cross-listed with POL 210 (Reg. #243252)
HIS 220
Culture and the Arts in East Asia
Professor Burkman 123 Baldy
T R 2:00-3:20 Reg. #195560
This interdisciplinary, humanities course will treat prominent features of the arts and cultures of China, Japan, and
Korea - both past and present. The approach will be cultural/historical. The course will be divided into units
addressing the civilization settings, patterns of thought and belief, art, literature, and theater. Format includes
lecture, video, discussion of readings, essays on literary works, and guest presentations by Asian scholars. Cross-
listed with AS 220 (Reg. #195560) AAL
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HIS 237
History of Israel & Zionism
Professor Kotzin 108 Baldy
MWF 10:00-10:50 Reg. #445369
This course will examine the development of the Zionist idea from its ancient and rabbinic origins to its modern
political implementation. A particular area of focus will be on the modern Zionist movement, the variety of
perspectives on Zionism within the movement, their conflicting visions, and the various ways in which Zionists
sought to approach the Arab population. The history of Israeli politics, culture, and society since 1948 will also be a
central element of the course. Cross-listed with JDS 237 (Reg. #461518) and RSP 237 (Reg. #246733) AAL
HIS 306
Alexander the Great
Professor Teegarden 322 Fillmore
MWF 1:00-1:50 Reg. #318901
In the course, we will examine the life and world of Alexander the Great, beginning with his father, Philip, and
concluding with the division of his kingdom among is lieutenants. An important topic will be analysis of the
sources for Alexander's life: we will use both literary and archaeological evidence in the process. Students will be
expected to read both primary and secondary sources, and to learn to evaluate the evidence. Cross-listed with CL
381 (Reg. #375499) EAR
HIS 307
History of Paris
Professor Vardi 209 Norton
TR 12:30-1:50 Reg. #452175
The objectives of the course is to provide students with insights both into European urbanization and the specific
development and cultural importance of Paris. The course covers four different time periods: the Middle Ages, the
eighteenth century, the second half of the nineteenth century (from Haussmanization during the Second Empire to
the 1889 World‘s Fair and the Eiffel Tower), ending with the post-WWI influx of Americans, known as The Lost
Generation. The main text for the course will be Colin Jones' History of Paris. Students will be encouraged to write a
research paper on an American in Paris from a list of important visitors. MOD
HIS 308
Jewish Civilization I: From Biblical Times Until 1492
Professor Hughes 103 Talbert
T R 2:00-3:20 Reg. #203845
This course will examine the social, economic, religious and political experiences of the Jewish people from the
biblical period until the end of the fifteenth century. The religious and social expressions of Jews will be discussed
within the broader context of the cultures in which they found themselves. The course will begin with an exploration
of major themes within the culture of biblical Israel, and then trace the history of the Jews from the Babylonian exile
through the Bar Kochba revolt, focusing on the confrontation between Hellenism and Judaism, the Maccabean
conflict, the destruction of the Second Temple, and the emergence of rabbinic Judaism. In the study of the medieval
era, the course will explore the consolidation and expansion of rabbinic Judaism in Babylon and then trace the
history of the Jews in Christian and Muslim civilizations in both Europe and North Africa. Topics will include the
legal foundations of Jewish life, theological conflicts, philosophic and poetic cultural exchange, Jewish communal
organization and economic activities, and anti-Judaism. The course will conclude with the emergence of ―Marranos‖
and the expulsion of the Jews from the Iberian Peninsula. Primary and secondary readings will be used. Cross-listed
with JDS 306 (Reg. #399771) EAR
HIS 329
U. S. History Since 1945
Professor Herzberg 214 Norton
MWF 2:00-2:50 Reg. #063232
This course is a survey of modern United States history from World War II to the end of the millennium—and a
peek after that, too. It‘s been a busy half-century, encompassing the Cold War and Vietnam; freedom rides and rock
music; the fall of the Berlin Wall and the rise of the new right; and much more. We‘ll examine popular culture,
social movements, foreign and domestic politics, and economic developments in three broad units: the Cold War
and superpower America; civil rights movements and cultural rebellions; and society, culture, and politics in the
post-industrial economy. Through scholarly histories and historical materials we‘ll seek to understand how diverse
groups of Americans have transformed the nation through conflict and cooperation in the decades since World War
II. USH
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HIS 335
Culture, Memory & Uses of the Past
Professor Gaynor 209 Norton
WF 9:30-10:50 Reg. #284886
History is not something that simply happened but is produced, crafted and contested in different ways throughout
the world. Such variety reflects different methods of recording and remembering the past, and different ways of
organizing the past to make it culturally sensible. This course explores how the past is produced, who its
practitioners are, and what counts as evidence and proof. Above all we will consider how the past is utilized toward
a range of aims that make it capable of speaking to what matters in the present. Our examination will extend from
state archives and other written sources such as letters and diaries, to monuments, photographs and paths through the
forest. Each source reflects different notions of a usable past, and different cultural and political reasons why a
particular past is worth remembering. At every stage of the course we will ask how the past matters, we will
examine the ways it is represented, and we will probe how claims about it imply different stakes and satisfy different
ends. AAS
HIS 336
History of the Old South
Professor Emberton 6 Clemens
T R 9:30-10:50 Reg. #233341
The supposed social, political, and economic peculiarities of the Old South fascinated Americans in the antebellum
period and continue to animate historians who debate the question of southern distinctiveness. This class will
explore those debates as we endeavor to understand the position of the Old South within America and the world. We
will interrogate the very idea of "the South" and explore how that concept both illuminates and obscures the
relationship between the region and the nation. Indeed, one major argument of this course is that to understand
American history one must first comprehend the rise (and fall) of the Old South. Furthermore, this class places the
experiences of black southerners, both slave and free, at the center of southern history. Other topics to be covered
include: the expansion of slavery in the Deep South, the intersection of class and race in the yeoman world, sex and
gender on the plantation, the law of slavery, the secession crisis, and the growth of Confederate nationalism. USH
HIS 338
Korean History up to 1864
Professor Nathan 440 Park
MWF 11:00-11:50 Reg. #182247
This course traces roughly two thousands years of Korean history, from tribal federations to the rise of early states
that vied with one another for supremacy and the eventual establishment of political rule over the entire peninsula by
a succession of dynastic states—Silla, Koryŏ and Chosŏn. The goal is to familiarize students with the major social,
cultural, political, intellectual and religious developments in the Korean peninsula up to the late nineteenth century,
while at the same time placing these historical developments within the wider regional context of Korea‘s relations
with China and Japan. For most of East Asia‘s history, the people of Korea had more culturally extensive and
historically significant contacts with each of its two neighbors than they had with each other, and arguably more
than they had with any other group of people prior to the modern period. For this reason learning about Korea‘s
history provides a unique window onto pre-modern East Asia, and the history of these interconnections in turn
reveals something important about the formation of a distinctive Korean identity. In addition to reading primary and
secondary sources on Korean history, students will be expected to demonstrate their ability to discuss and think
critically about the material through written assignments and discussion board posts. AAL
HIS 340
Topics in Modern Germany History: “Germany, 1945 to the Present”
Professor Mazon 209 Norton
MWF 2:00-2:50 Reg. #475865
Today, a united Germany struggles with a legacy bequeathed it by both Hitler's Third Reich and Communist East
Germany. How did Germans experience the rapid political, social, and cultural changes that marked their lives
throughout this period?
This course will use literary texts, historical writings, and films to illuminate episodes in Germany's turbulent history
since 1945. Changes in German identity will be examined in the following areas: gender and sexuality; the
experience of Jews and other minority groups; the rise of the working class and social democracy; militarism and
war; and conservative and nationalist groups.
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Our readings will include classics by the Nobel-Prize-winning author, Heinrich Böll, such as The Lost Honor of
Katherina Blum. We will also read more contemporary works by the Afro-German poet May Ayim, Blues in Black
and White. Among the films to be shown are "The Destinies of Women" and "The Nasty Girl." A highlight of the
class will be a visit and special screening with the noted award-winning German filmmaker Andreas Voigt.
Assignments include three two-page papers, a midterm paper, and a final paper. MOD
HIS 356
Social History Women 1875-Present
Professor Cahn 17 Clemens
TR 9:30-10:50 Reg. #145844
How much have women‘s lives changed since the late 19th century? Have women of varied ages, racial/ethnic
communities, and social class been empowered by these changes? This class will try to answer such questions by
examining women as political activists, women in popular culture, and women‘s diverse experiences of work,
family and sexuality. We will compare late 19th-century women‘s reform movements, culminating in the successful
drive for women‘s suffrage in the 1910s, to the second wave feminist movement spawned in the 1960s and 1970s.
We will also explore women‘s increased participation in the paid labor force and consequent changes in family life.
Beyond work, we will look at popular culture as another public realm of women‘s activity and a powerful site for
the creation of female images and ideals. Finally, we will examine women‘s efforts to take control over their
reproductive and sexual life. As we proceed, we will investigate how to assess or measure social change, power, and
gender hierarchy, asking as well what relevance historical issues have for our own time. The class will require active
reading, discussion, and several writing assignments. USH
HIS 379
African American History from 1877 to Present
Professor Young 214 Norton
MWF 12:00-12:50 Reg. #391784
This course analyzes the history of African-Americans from 1877 to the present. We will delve into the experiences
of newly freed persons, only recently removed from the brutalities of slavery; the legal and socio-economic
development of racial segregation; and the varied and persistent forms of resistance that African-Americans engaged
in as avenues of redress. This period marks a shift for African-Americans from the threat of being lashed to the
threat of being lynched; where a predominantly agricultural sharecropping class came to be an overwhelmingly
urban underclass. We treat the massive migrations of African-Americans to westward lands and into northern cities,
the strange career of ‗Jim Crow‘, and the Civil Rights Movement. In addition, the course treats African-American
artistic production throughout the period, linking, for example, the rise of the Blues and Jazz to the Harlem
Renaissance and the Black Arts Movement. Students will be encouraged to work with primary source documents in
order to develop a better sense of history as lived experience. USH
HIS 386
New Deal America
Professor Radford 97 Alumni
T R 5:00-6:20 Reg. #155971
When the bottom dropped out of the economy and huge dust storms blew across the prairies in the 1930s, it seemed
as if the social world and nature alike had turned against Americans. But the country fought back against depression
and drought in this creative and conflict-filled period. In this course we will explore the ferment of experimentation
in politics and culture that marked this era, when ordinary people as well as national leaders forged new directions
for American life that continue to affect our lives today. We will consider the implications of the "New Deal
coalition," the rise of a strong national government, the development of the Social Security system, the construction
of public works, the impact of protest movements and massive strike waves, and the response of artists, writers, and
the commercial entertainment industry. USH
HIS 394
Medieval Civilization 2
Professor Stinger 209 O‘Brian
MWF 9:00-9:50 Reg. #448124
History 394 forms the second semester of a yearlong sequence devoted to an exploration of the medieval European
world. It is not assumed, however, that students enrolled in the course have previously taken HIS 393 Medieval
Civilization I. HIS 393 examined the earlier Middle Ages, from c.450 to c.1100. HIS 394 will consider the later
period, from c.1100 to c.1500. This period was marked by new patterns of spiritual and intellectual life, by the
emergence of new ideals of aristocratic demeanor and behavior (chivalry and courtly love), by the growth (and
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the decline) of papal authority, by the re-emergence of cities, and the revival of monarchical power.
This course will focus on certain kinds of historical themes and issues and will adopt a certain approach to historical
inquiry. The main purpose is to understand the culture and society of the medieval world. How was society
organized? What was the mental outlook? What values were assumed or articulated? A particular focus will be the
role and significance of Christianity. How did Christianity as a set of beliefs and as a set of institutions influence,
and in turn become influenced by, medieval society? In considering these matters, less attention will be paid to a
narrative of events than to a scrutiny of key developments and transformations. The primary readings for this course
will involve spiritual writings, literary works, and historical texts. We will also read significant portions of Le Roy
Ladurie's Montaillou, a study based on the testimony of peasants and shepherds, giving us some access to the
world of the "inarticulate."
Course requirements: Midterm (20%), term paper (40%), and a final (40%).
Readings may include: Chretien de Troyes, Arthurian Romances; Jean
Froissart's Chonicles, Maurice Keen, Chivalry, Emmanuel Le Roy Laudrie,
Montaillou: The Promised Land of Error, Pauline Matarasso, The
Cistercian World: Monastic Writings of the Twelfth Century; and R.N.
Swanson, Religion and Devotion in Europe, c.1215-c.1515. EAR
HIS 395
Poland Today
Instructor Cieslak 125 Baldy
TR 11:00-12:20 Reg. #389553
This course will examine selected concepts and myths that are important to understanding Poland today. Through
the works of widely recognized writers, artists, politicians, social activists, as well as through the testimony of
anonymous Poles whose lives were intertwined with either events crucial for Polish history or were simply marked
by unique personal experience, we will discuss and try to find sources for some of the characteristics describing
Poles and Poland. The starting point of every unit will be a story of an individual that should help us understand the
factors shaping present-day Poland. Through the unique stories of particular Poles, we will investigate various
concepts revolving around the changing meanings of the term national, including national mythology, history
making for the sake of national pride, (re)defining national and ethnic identity, and national memory or the
specificity and universality of national experience. We will also look into some artistic phenomena in post-war
Poland, such as animation and documentary, and try to answer the question of the extent to which they are
particularly Polish or are built on more universal human experience. Cross-listed with POL 324 (Reg. #067236)
MOD
HIS 396
History of Roman Republic
Professor Dyson 352 Fillmore
T R 11:00-12:20 Reg. #432104
A survey of Roman history from the foundation of the city to the death of Julius Caesar. The political and military
developments will be related to social, economic, and cultural changes in Roman society. Three credits. No
Prerequisites. Cross listed with CL327 (Reg. #109088) EAR
HIS 400
Comparative Fascism
Professor Pack 532 Park
M 1:00-3:40 Reg. #267818
Fascism was the most novel political phenomenon of the twentieth-century. It remains one of the most widely
known and yet least understood terms in the modern political lexicon. This seminar will examine the origins and
development of fascist ideology and practice, analyzing the various classic fascist movements to emerge throughout
Europe in the 1920s and 1930s and considering their influence on a number of post-1945 revolutionary movements
worldwide. The course will consider from several perspectives the fundamental questions of definition and
interpretation: Is fascism best thought of as an ideology of aggression and intolerance, a reactionary political culture,
a revolutionary ethic or morality, a historical era limited to Europe between the world wars, or is the term a useful
analytical device at all? Readings and seminar discussions throughout the semester will consider diverse historical
interpretations of fascism, seeking to understand the social, political, and cultural origins of fascist movements and
the processes by which they led to such devastating consequences. Students will be asked to assess not only why
fascist movements took over in Germany and Italy, and exerted powerful influence in other countries, but also to
consider what the allure of fascist and fascist-inspired movements throughout the twentieth century world may
reveal about the modern condition. MOD
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HIS 401
Alcohol and Drugs in U.S.
Professor Herzberg 532 Park
M 9:00-11:40 Reg. #028397
Alcohol and other drugs have always been ubiquitous and controversial in America. The early U.S. was so
thoroughly soaked with booze that one historian has labeled it "The Alcoholic Republic." The 19th century's
Temperance movement--the nation's first anti-drug crusade--pitted native-born Protestant middle class "teetotalers"
against largely immigrant working class "topers." The anti-narcotic campaigns of the 20th century followed a
similar line, marshalling state police power to combat a drug menace blamed on (usually nonwhite) "dangerous
classes" and foreigners. Starting in the 1960s, new drug cultures flourished: "counter-culture" youths embraced
drugs as a rebellion against "conformity," and millions of Americans (especially women) took Miltown, Valium,
Prozac, and other prescription medicines each year. This course examines these "drug wars" as an important but
often overlooked element of American cultural, political, and economic history. From "Demon Rum" to Listening to
Prozac, we will explore the worlds of drug users and traffickers; the cultural politics of anti-drug campaigning and
enforcement; the central and changing role of organized medicine; and the impact of globalization on drug trade and
control. USH
HIS 403
Piracy and the Sea
Professor Schen 532 Park
T 9:00-11:40 Reg. #316498
The notoriety of pirates lives on in the twenty-first century, in no small part because of piracy‘s resurgence on the
world‘s seas. While the swashbuckling pirate with a parrot on his or her shoulder may be a stock image, the culture-
crossing one of history may be less familiar to us. In this seminar we will study pirates, privateers, sailors,
merchants, and navies plying the global seas. We will also consider how they were represented and received at
home, in coastal communities and in the royal courts of the day. Piracy and related historical problems by definition
fall under ―world history.‖ The geographical range may stretch from the Caribbean to Mediterranean Seas and from
the Atlantic to Pacific and Indian Oceans. We will focus on pirates active between c. 1500 and c. 1800, analyzing
modern film representations of pirates, historical studies about them, and contemporary dramas and sources that
played on the fear of piracy and the risks and benefits of licit and illicit trade. Students will write a research paper
on topics such as piracy or pirates, trade, the sea itself, naval history, and early empire. EAR
HIS 420
France
Professor Dewald 113 Baldy
R 2:00-4:40 Reg. #127795
Since the eighteenth century, France has had a big, complicated place in American imaginations. In many ways
French society and culture resemble our own. Like the U.S., France is a liberal democracy whose political culture
was shaped by an eighteenth-century revolution; and it too sees itself as an exceptional society, whose ideals deserve
attention elsewhere in the world. Yet French values and practices differ radically from ours on many important
issues—among them sexual morality and religious belief, the form and importance of high culture, and the role of
government in daily life. France and the U.S. seem to offer competing answers to the question, what does it mean to
be modern?
This seminar explores the French version of being modern, by looking closely at a few moments in French history
since the eighteenth century. We'll consider the events and traditions surrounding the French Revolution, the role of
intellectuals in French society, the practices of empire, and the social changes that have marked France since World
War II. The seminar won't require previous knowledge of France; lectures in class will provide the background
needed to understand the issues. But the seminar's main emphasis will be on reading and discussion. About 120
pages of reading will be assigned each week, and about 10 percent of students' final grades will be based on seminar
contributions. Three short (about eight pages) essays dealing with the assigned reading will also be required. MOD
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HIS 423
Problems in Modern European History: “The Great War, 1914-1918: European Society and the
Crisis of Modernity”
Professor Mazon 532 Park
W 9:00-11:40 Reg. #386856
This class will examine the causes of World War I and its consequences for European society and culture. Students
will learn to evaluate a variety of historical sources and will become acquainted with different historical analyses
and interpretations of the war. The first two parts of the course will explore the causes and course of the war, as
well as the political upheavals that followed in the war's wake. Finally, we will turn to WWI's impact on European
culture and the way in which the memory of the war has been shaped.
Readings include the classic memoirs of Vera Brittain and Robert Graves. We will also view films, among them
Jean Renoir's "Grand Illusion."
Assignments include three short papers and one longer research paper (10-12 pages). Students will get a chance to
engage in (and benefit from) peer review of the longer paper.
Questions? Contact Prof. Mazon, mazon@buffalo.edu MOD
HIS 424
Topics in American Social History: Sexuality, Culture and the Law in American Society
Professor Cahn 532 Park
R 1:00-3:40 Reg. #471565
This course will examine sexuality in 20th-century American history. We will pursue two interrelated themes.
First, we will focus on how changes in the broader culture—such as new technology, the Cold War, consumer
society, new medical knowledge—influenced sexual beliefs and practices, and conversely, how sexuality influenced
these broader cultural developments. Second, the course will examine the relation between sexuality and the law.
How has the legal system attempted to regulate sexuality, while at the same time charting out the emerging notion of
―sexual rights‖—laws protecting the right to life, the right to choice, or gay rights, for example. Over the semester,
we will examine both primary and secondary readings on topics like eugenics, interracial marriage, controversies
over abortion, and the development of lesbian, gay, and transgender identities and social movements. Several short
papers and one final paper are required. USH
HIS 429
History of the American Landscape
Professor Thornton 113 Baldy
T 2:00-4:40 Reg. #166190
Why does America look the way it does? What factors account for the ways Americans have shaped the man-made
environment, from colonial farmsteads to urban parks to Niagara Falls Boulevard? This course encourages students
to think of the human-made landscape as the historical artifact of human activity and human choices, shaped by a
shifting mix of cultural values, economic patterns, technological developments, and government policies. Among
the topics we will cover are the nature of Native American and colonial settlement patterns; the layout, division, and
sale of land; the development of towns, cities, and suburbs; industrial landscapes; and the impact of the automobile.
You will read important books and essays in the field of American landscape history, but you will also learn how to
"read" the landscape itself, through study of visual materials and the places you grew up and live in. Special
emphasis will be put on Buffalo and its surroundings. Expect a class that covers everything from the Northwest
Ordinance of 1785 to Forest Lawn Cemetery to gas station architecture. USH
HIS 431
Myth and History
Professor DesForges 532 Park
T 1:00-3:40 Reg. #485334
This seminar examines the relationship between myth and history around the world from early times to the present.
Challenging the common- sense definitions of myth as false stories and history as true accounts, we shall attempt to
arrive at more capacious concepts of the two phenomena and to trace their interaction over time with particular
attention to the Chinese case. Readings will include Eliade, Sima Qian, Geertz, Bloom, Chan, Ashe, Waldron,
Schneewind, Gould, McNeill, and White. AAL
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HIS 468
Black Women in U.S. History
Professor Williams 210 NSC
T 4:10-6:50 Reg. #343355
This reading and research seminar will examine the history of black women in the United States from the slave era
through the reform movements that occurred after World War II. It will focus upon the range of demands placed on
black women during the Gilded and Progressive eras – the founding of the National Association of colored Women
in 1896, their participation on the women‘s suffrage movement – black struggles for liberation in the United States
and in the African Diaspora, cultural movements, war, labor force participation, and health. It also will explore
black women‘s interaction with male-dominated groups and feminists from other racial and ethnic groups. Students
will analyze black women as leaders, their leadership styles and their impact. Cross-listed with AAS 460 (Reg.
#110456) USH
HIS 475
War & European Society: The Thirty Years War 1618-1648
Professor Vardi 532 Park
W 7:00-9:40 Reg. #014982
The subject of this seminar is the European war that involved (directly or indirectly) every country in Europe,
leading to religious and political realignments, rebellion and civil war, and huge civilian losses. It brought the
existing system of governance into question and opened the way to what we know as the Age of Absolutism. The
readings for the course will cover the center of the conflict, Germany and the Holy Roman Empire, but also France,
Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden, and England. Requirements, besides the weekly readings, will include a short
historiographical paper and a longer research paper. EAR
HIS 496
Public History Internship
ARR
In this course students learn to connect their historical studies with the world outside the academy by doing an
internship at a historical site or museum. Students may get credit for one three-credit course by participating in a
semester-long public history internship. The internship site must have a strong connection to history. Typical local
examples include the Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society, Old Fort Niagara, the Amherst Museum, and the
Roosevelt Inaugural Site, though others are possibilities. Students must arrange the internship themselves. Students
must work 8-10 hours per week for the duration of the semester and submit a 7-10 page paper at the end of the
internship detailing the intern‘s responsibilities and the connections between the internship and the student‘s
program of study. The intern also must submit a letter from a supervisor describing the intern‘s responsibilities.
The student will receive a letter grade based on the quality of the work and the paper. This course does not count
toward one of the two 400-level seminars required for History majors. To register, contact the History Department‘s
Director of Undergraduate Studies.
HIS 497 SEM
Honors Thesis 1 Seminar
Professor McDevitt 532 Park
F 9:00-11:40
This weekly seminar is required for all seniors in the history department honors program. It serves as the first of the
two-semester thesis process and will help students choose and develop a thesis topic. Students will learn about
research strategies and working with primary and secondary sources. The final product of the seminar will be a
working bibliography and a 15-page prospectus for the honors thesis. This prospectus, which will include a review
of the relevant secondary literature and a preliminary examination of primary sources, may be included in part or in
whole in the honors thesis.
This course counts as one of the three 400-level seminars required for the honors program.
To register, email Gloria Paveljack gep@buffalo.edu (the course will show up as ―closed‖ on the computer). In
addition to registering, by the second week of the Fall semester you are required to get written confirmation (email
is fine) from a UB History faculty member in your area of interest who agrees to be your faculty mentor. Mentors
will help students choose their topics and locate sources and will direct independent research and writing in the
second semester.
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HIS 497 TUT
Honors Thesis 2 Tutorial
ARR
This three-credit course is the second semester of the two-semester honors thesis sequence. Students register for this
course under the name of their faculty mentor. Students complete a research paper of roughly thirty pages based on
primary sources.
This course does not count as one of the three 400-level seminars required for the honors program.
HIS 498 SEM
Undergraduate Research Seminar
Professor McDevitt 532 Park
F 9:00-11:40
This class meets concurrently with HIS 497 and is aimed at History majors who wish to do research in primary
sources but who are not in the History honors program. Students will write a research paper on topics of their
choosing under the direction of the professor leading this class and a faculty mentor. Writing assignments will
include short papers, bibliographies, and a 15-page research paper based on primary sources.
To register, email Gloria Paveljack gep@buffalo.edu (the course will show up as ―closed‖ on the computer). But
before you do that, you must email Dr. Seeman seeman@buffalo.edu to set up a meeting to discuss your project. In
addition to registering, by the second week of the Fall semester you are required to get written confirmation (email
is fine) from a UB History faculty member in your area of interest who agrees to be your faculty mentor. Mentors
will help students choose their topics and locate sources.
This course counts as one of the two 400-level seminars required for the History B.A.
HIS 498 TUT
Undergraduate Research Tutorial
ARR
This class (usually three credits) is aimed at History majors who wish to do research in primary sources but who are
not in the History honors program. Unlike HIS 498SEM, this course does not meet regularly. Instead, meetings are
by arrangement with a faculty mentor. (This course used to be numbered HIS 499, Independent Study.)
Students write a research paper on a topic of their choosing under the direction of a faculty mentor. The main
requirement for the course is a roughly 15-page research paper based on primary sources.
This course does not count toward the two 400-level seminars required for the History B.A.
HIS 499
Independent Study
ARR
Students register for this course (usually three credits) when they wish to do a semester-long reading project with a
faculty member. Students ordinarily read a number of books and articles, meet occasionally with the faculty
member, and write a paper of roughly 15 pages based on secondary sources (all requirements at the discretion of the
professor).
This is not a course in which to do a research paper in primary sources. For that, please register for HIS 498 TUT.
This course does not count as one of the two 400-level seminars required for the History major.
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