The Making of Europe This course covers the history of Western Europe from the death of Caesar in 44 B.C. to the Peace of Westphalia in A.D. 1648. We will examine three interrelated themes: political authority within European society, the development of the religious culture of the West and the challenges to that culture, and the ways in which the development of a European economy contributed to the making of Europe itself. While examining these questions from the Roman Empire to early modern Europe, students will focus on the use of original sources, and on how historians interpret the past. Pre-1800. Not open to seniors.

Themes in the Atlantic World, 1492-1900 Linking the Americas with Europe and Africa, the Atlantic has been a major conduit for the movement of peoples, ideas, technology, foods, and customs.  This course will explore four themes from the rise of European imperialism and African Slavery to the dawn of national consciousness and minority rights across the Americas. We will study four major themes: (1). Comparative European Colonization and the First Peoples; 2) Comparative Slavery and the Black Experience (3) Decolonization, National Consciousness, and Ideas of Freedom; and (4) Pseudoscience, Migrations and Creolization. We will draw on primary and secondary sources from the Anglophone, Francophone, Lusophone, and Hispanophone worlds to give us a broad comparative perspective. Pre-1800. 2hr/disc. with periodic film screenings.

History of Islam and the Middle East, Since 1453 This course is an introduction to the major institutions that evolved under the aegis of what we might call Islamic civilization since the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople in 1453. The principal geographic areas covered are the Middle East and North Africa. Major topics include the rise of the Ottoman and Safavid Empires, Western intervention and colonialism, nationalism and state formation, and the challenges of and responses to modernization. Pre-1800.

Modern South Asia This course is an introduction to the history of South Asia. We will examine such events as the remarkable rise and fall of the Mughal empire (1526-1700s), the transformation of the once-humble English East India Company into a formidable colonial state (1700s-1858), the emergence of nationalist and anti-imperialist movements led by people such as Mahatma Gandhi and M.A. Jinnah (1858-1947), and the establishment and recent histories of the new nations of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka. Readings will include primary sources, history textbooks, historical novels, and newspaper articles. We will also watch at least one historical film. Pre-1800.

Modern East Asia In this course we will examine East Asian history from 1800 to the present. We will study the “Chinese World Order,” the patterns of European imperialism that led to this order’s demise, the rise of Japan as an imperialist power, and 20th century wars and revolutions. We will concentrate on the emergence of Japan, China, and Korea as distinct national entities and on the socio-historical forces that have bound them together and pried them apart. We will seek a broader understanding of imperialism, patterns of nationalism and revolution, and Cold War configurations of power in East Asia.

History of Modern Africa We begin looking at revolutions in the early 19th century and the transformations surrounding the slave trade. Next we examine the European colonization of the continent, exploring how diverse interventions into Africans' lives had complex effects on political authority, class and generational dynamics, gender relations, ethnic and cultural identities, and rural and urban livelihoods. After exploring Africans' struggles against colonial rule in day-to-day practices and mass political movements, the last few weeks cover Africa's transition to independence and the postcolonial era, including the experience of neo-colonialism, ethnic conflict, poverty, and demographic crisis.

The History of Medicine: 1700 to Present In this course we will examine how conceptions of sickness, its causes, and its treatment have 	developed over time.  In particular, the emphasis will be on considering not only how advances in 	science and technology have spurred changes in thought and practice but also how larger societal 	factors like religion, economics, and politics have influenced the course of medicine.  We will 	focus on Europe from the eighteenth century onwards, but important comparisons will be drawn to 	earlier periods and other geographic areas including the United States.

Archaic and Classical Greece A survey of Greek history from Homer to the Hellenistic period, based primarily on a close reading of ancient sources in translation. The course covers the emergence of the polis in the Dark Age, colonization and tyranny, the birth of democracy, the Persian Wars, the interdependence of democracy and Athenian imperialism, the Peloponnesian War, and the rise of Macedon. Authors read include Herodotus, Thucydides, Aristophanes, Plutarch, Xenophon, and the Greek orators.

History of Rome This course is an introductory survey of Roman history, from the emergence of the Republic to the influence of Rome on the western world. In the first half of the course we will study the origins of Rome's rise to dominance, the conquest of the Mediterranean and its effect on Roman society, and the crumbling of political structures under the weight of imperial expansion.  In the second half, we will study the empire more broadly, starting with the emperors and moving out to the daily lives of people around the Mediterranean.  The course will end with the importance of Rome for the Founding Fathers.  We will read from authors including Polybius, Plutarch, Appian, Caesar, Suetonius, Tacitus, Juvenal, and Pliny.

Modern American Jewish History What characterizes the modern American Jewish experience? Is it the effort to assimilate into the American mainstream? Is it about the struggle to preserve Jewish distinctiveness? Drawing on historical scholarship and primary sources (films, art, cartoons, newspapers, literature), we will consider the many meanings of American Jewish identity, particularly its religious, racial, ethnic, and national connotations. We will begin in the 1880s, during the largest wave of Jewish immigration to the U.S. Topics will include “Americanization,” labor, political activism, religious reform, World War II and the Holocaust, “Jewish continuity,” gender roles, race relations, urbanization, suburbanization, and the relationship of Jews to white flight, Zionism, anti-Semitism, and philanthropy.

A History of “American Freedom” From the Progressive Era to 9/11 The goal of “freedom” has commanded the attention of the most elite Americans as well as the most  oppressed, eliciting a range of strategies for achieving it and an array of visions about how it should  look. In what contexts have Americans sought the “freedom to,” as opposed to “freedom from”? We  will explore the valences of “freedom” starting in the Progressive Era, at the conclusion of the nineteenth  century, and end with the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center. We will use primary and secondary  sources to examine this history across the political spectrum.

The United States and the World Since 1898 This course serves as an introduction to the history of American foreign relations from the Spanish-American War of 1898 to the turn of the 21st century. Through lectures, discussions, and a variety of readings, we will explore the multi-dimensional nature of the nation's rise to power within the global community, as well as the impact of international affairs upon American society. In addition to formal diplomacy and foreign policy, this course addresses topics such as immigration, cultural exchange, transnationalism, and globalization.

History of US Food Politics In this course we will use U.S. food politics as a lens for understanding developments in political economy, changes in the role of the state, and evolving attitudes toward gender, race, labor, childhood, citizenship, health, and the body during the twentieth century. How have government, corporations, and scientists shaped U.S. foodways? How have people been affected by broad trends in food politics, and how have they resisted, as consumers, citizens, and activists? To answer these questions, we will use methods of social and cultural history to explore food politics from the top down and the bottom up.

History of Sexuality in the United States In this course we will explore sexuality in relation to race, class, gender, and religion in US history using primary and secondary sources. We will study indigenous sexualities and the impact of settler colonialism, sex work during the American Revolution, sexuality under slavery, the medicalization and criminalization of homosexuality, urban gay subcultures, Cold War sexuality, the politics of birth control, sex during the AIDS epidemic, and sexuality from transgender and non-binary perspectives.  Beyond learning historiography, we will examine methodological issues with writing histories of sexuality. When relevant, we will study examples from Europe and Canada.

Civil War and Reconstruction: 1845-1890 This course explores the era of the American Civil War with an emphasis on the period 1861-1865. It combines lectures, readings, class discussion, and film to address such questions as why the war came, why the Confederacy lost, and how the war affected various elements of society. We will also explore what was left unresolved at the end of the war, how Americans responded to Reconstruction, and how subsequent generations have understood the meaning of the conflict and its legacy. We will make a special effort to tie military and political events to life on the home front.

Cold War America This course examines the history of the United States during the Cold War (1945-1991). From the immediate post-WWII period through the Reagan era, we will investigate widely varied manifestations of anti-communism, paying special attention to how international affairs shaped Americans’ engagement with domestic developments, and vice versa. Topics include the social welfare state, Eisenhower’s New Look and Kennedy’s New Frontier, suburbanization, the Vietnam War, civil rights activism, the conservative movement, feminism, and the politics of globalization. Our goal is to reconsider these transformative changes in context with the Cold War’s geopolitical and ideological conflict. We will use many tools to do so: primary sources like state documents, essays, visual texts, and political tracts, as well scholarly monographs, documentaries, and discussion.

History of the American West This is a survey of the history of the trans-Mississippi West from colonial contact through the 1980s. It explores how that region became known and understood as the West, and its role and meaning in United States history as a whole. The central themes of this course are conquest and its legacy, especially with regard to the role of the U.S. federal government in the West; human interactions with and perceptions of landscape and environment; social contests among different groups for a right to western resources and over the meanings of western identity; and the role of the West in American popular culture.

Slavery and Freedom in the American North In this course we will study how the “American North,” constituted by New England, New York,  New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, became a place of enslavement. Although often treated as a cradle  of freedom, we will explore how the region’s colonists imported African slaves and enslaved and  exported Native Americans. Through lecture, discussion, and primary sources, we will examine the transatlantic slave trade of Africans and Native Americans, the communities built by enslaved  and free people, the impact of the American Revolution, the creation of gradual abolition statues,  and the perpetuation of enslavement until the Civil War. We will also grapple with the role of  memory in history, as the region’s slaveholding past is often ignored by its inhabitants.

Students who register for HIST 0222 B can only register for the HIST 0222 Z discussion section.

African American History In this course we will examine the history of African Americans from the rise of the transatlantic slave trade  to the present. The course will reveal how African Americans actively shaped their history and the history  of the United States as an American nation. We will explore topics such as the Middle passage, African American slave cultures, enslaved resistance, emancipation, the rise of legalized segregation, mass migrations, and the  continuing struggles for equality. We will approach the subject matter using a variety of primary and secondary sources that focus on the experiences of individuals such as enslaved narratives, autobiographies, documentaries, and oral histories.

Imperial China China’s is the world’s oldest continuous civilization, and we will survey the history of the Chinese empire from its cultural beginnings until the conflicts with the West in the 1840s and the internal unrest of the 1850s and 1860s. Our study of China’s political progression through successive dynasties will reveal archetypal patterns of historical disruption amidst continuity. We will also examine those perennial social, institutional, and intellectual forces — such as the stratification of the classes, the absolutist tendencies of monarchy, and the civilly-focused yet competitive atmosphere fostered by a state-sponsored examination culture — that proved determinative in shaping China’s traditional development. Pre-1800

Modern China In this course we will examine the history of China from the early 19th century through the end of the Maoist period. Readings, lectures, and discussions will familiarize students with the cultural and social structures of the late Qing Empire, patterns of semi-colonialism, the rise of nationalist, feminist, and Marxist movements, and key events in the People’s Republic of China. Students will emerge from the class with a broader understanding of forms of empire and imperialism, anti-colonial nationalism, non-Western Marxism, and the tendencies of a post-socialist state.

History of Pre-Modern Japan In this course we will explore the social, cultural, and institutional history of Japan from the eighth century up through the rise of the Tokugawa shogunate in the 17th century. The course is organized thematically to illuminate the different periods of Japanese history, including the imperial origin myth and Heian culture, the frontier and the rise of samurai government, localism and the warring states period, and finally the Tokugawa settlement and the paradoxes of centralized feudalism.  Pre-1800.

Medieval Cities This course will examine the economic, social, topographical and cultural history of the medieval city. We will study the transformation of urban life from the Roman period through the dark years of the early Middle Ages in the West into the flourishing of a new type of European city life in the High Middle Ages. The development of urban institutions, the building of cathedrals, universities and fortifications, and the growth of trade will all be considered, as will the experience of groups such as Jews, women and intellectuals. Although the class will focus on the medieval European city, we will also draw comparisons with cities of the Muslim East. Pre-1800. 3 hrs lect/disc.

History of Pakistan This course is a political and cultural history of Pakistan. Topics to be discussed include: the pre-independence demand for Pakistan; the partitioning of India in 1947; literary and cultural traditions; the power of the army in politics; the civil war that created Bangladesh; the wars with India; the wars in Afghanistan; the rise of Islamist parties and militant groups; the significance of the Taliban and al Qaeda; and Pakistan's relations with the US, China and India. Readings will include histories, autobiographies, novels, and newspaper and magazine accounts. Several documentary films will also be shown.

Europe in the Early Middle Ages This course covers the formative centuries in European history which witnessed the emergence of Western Europe as a distinct civilization. During this period, A. D. 300-1050, the three major building blocks of Western European culture: the classical tradition of Greco-Roman antiquity, the Judeo-Christian tradition, and Germanic tradition, met and fused into an uneasy synthesis that gave Western Europe its cultural, ethnic, linguistic, and religious foundations. Pre-1800.

Europe in the High Middle Ages This course covers the development and expansion of Western European civilization from approximately 1050 to 1300. This period witnessed the rise of towns, commerce, universities, and cathedrals, as well as important developments in the areas of politics, philosophy, and Western culture. Together, these achievements represent a fundamental shift in Western Europe from an impoverished, besieged society to a dynamic civilization that established the institutions and assumptions on which the modern West is based. The goal of this class is to view these achievements of medieval Europe in their own context, with appreciation of the methodological problems presented by medieval sources. Pre-1800.

The Mediterranean World, 400-1600 The Mediterranean has long been a crossroads between East and West and North and South, a meeting point of the Middle East, Northern Africa, and Southern Europe. Merchants and armies have plied the seaways carrying with them their religions and cultures. The pre-modern Mediterranean offered an exhilarating but, at times uncomfortable, mix of Jewish, Christian, and Muslim cultures. Starting from Fernand Braudel's conceit, we will consider the Mediterranean itself as an important character in the narrative of history. We will study the geography of the Mediterranean as well as its religious, economic, environmental, and cultural history with a view to bringing together different understandings of Mare Nostrum (our sea). Pre-1800. 2 hrs lect./1 hr. disc.

Society and Culture in Early Modern Europe War, famine, and disease marked the terrible "iron century" of European history, from 1550 to 1660. Out of this frightful crucible, modern society was created. We will trace this troubled genesis from the aftershocks of the Reformation to the first rumblings of the French Revolution, stressing the conflicts that gave rise to the modern world: monarchy vs. "liberty," religion vs. "enlightenment," elite vs. popular culture. Topics such as the family, witchcraft, warfare, and fashion will be given special attention. Pre-1800 3 hr lect/disc.

History of Modern Europe: 1800-1900 This course will trace several complex threads across the nineteenth century, a period that saw enormous changes in economic structures, political practices, and the experience of daily life. We will look specifically at the construction of nation-states, the industrial revolution and its effects on the lives of the different social classes, the shift from rural to urban life, and the rise of mass culture and its political forms. Taking a cultural perspective, we will consider, for example, the language of working-class politics, the painting of modern urban life, and imperialism in popular culture.

Russia: Tsars, Tsarinas, and Terrorists In this course we will follow Russia’s development, expansion and transformation from its earliest beginnings to the revolutionary cataclysms of the early 20th century. How and why did Russia come to dominate a vast Eurasian space? How did Russia’s Tsars and Tsarinas exert control over diverse cultures, languages, religions and peoples? What impact did this have on the lives of their subjects? How was Russian identity defined within the context of a multi-ethnic, multi-confessional empire? Central themes will include political governance, imperial expansion, ethnic relations, religious identity, social upheaval, and the emergence of the radical intelligentsia. Pre-1800 3 hrs lect./disc.

The Soviet Experiment In this course we will explore the Soviet attempt to forge a fundamentally new form of human life. Starting with the revolutionary movement of the early 20th century, we will examine the development and ultimate downfall of the USSR. What was Soviet communism (both in idea and in practice)? How did its implementation and development transform local identities (religious, ethnic/national, social)? How did internal and external factors (political, social, economic) transform Soviet policy and life? Was the collapse of the USSR inevitable? Special attention will be paid both to political leaders and ordinary people (believers, collaborators, victims, dissidents, outcasts). 3 hrs lect./disc.

British History: 1603-1815 The medieval pattern of English and Scottish society began to implode in the seventeenth century. The unity of the Church, the relationship between Crown and Parliament, even the social hierarchy, were shaken to their foundations. After generations of civil war, revolution, and party strife, the eighteenth century saw the establishment of a flexible, oligarchic order, able to fight off the challenges of radicalism and the American and French revolutions. By 1815 Britain, at the peak of its power in Europe, was already beginning to experience the tensions incumbent on becoming the first industrial nation. Pre-1800

British History 1815-Present The spectacular rise and dramatic decline of Britain’s imperial and industrial power is the central theme of this course. The century after 1815 brought political and social reform and the apogee of middle class culture, but in 1914 the crucial problems of women's rights, labor against capital, and Irish nationalism remained unsolved. War, economic depression and the loss of empire followed. The Labour Party envisaged a welfare state and social contract for post-war Britain; the conservative response was free-market Thatcherism. Today, Britain continues to exemplify the promise and perils of what can be called modernity.

The Holocaust Why did the Holocaust happen? How could the Holocaust happen? In this course we will consider several aspects of the Holocaust, including the long-term conditions and events leading up to it, the measures employed in undertaking it, and the aftermath of the atrocities. Beyond a general survey, this course introduces students to the many varying interpretations and historical arguments scholars of the Holocaust have proposed and invites them to discuss and debate these issues in class.

Chicagoland In this course we will explore Chicago’s significance by focusing on its physical and spatial character. Moving from the 19th to the 21st century, we will examine the 1871 fire; the 1893 World’s Fair; the settlement house movement; the rise of modern architecture; the emergence of Black Chicago and development of a multi-ethnic, multi-class metropolis spread across various neighborhoods and suburbs; and recent planning efforts to revitalize the city as a space for all Chicagoans. Interdisciplinary in scope, the course will draw on a range of texts and theoretical perspectives to show the generative importance of Chicago’s rich and varied landscape.

Modern Brazil Brazil is the Portuguese-speaking power of Latin America. The country is also home to the largest number of African descendants in the Americas. In this course, we will study the history of modern Brazil from independence to the present day, and discuss the contemporary developments that have transformed Brazil into an international force today. The class will pay close attention to the construction of national institutions, racial and national ideologies, and the celebration of national culture. We will also study Brazil’s impact on the world, from its export of cultural products in cinema, music, and literature in translation, to soccer. It will be important to study the communities of Brazilians in diverse places such as Miami, New York, London, and Paris. We will utilize various writing, oral, and digital methods to examine the major political, economic, and cultural movements that defined Brazilian history from the creation of the empire in the 1820s to the political and cultural tensions of the current regime 3 hr. lect.

African Diaspora and the Sea In this course we will study the diversities and commonalities of African diaspora communities from a global perspective. We will focus on the enduring cultural monuments, legacies and other signposts and migrations across global empires and national borders. We will study issues of belonging, and the economic and cultural imprints in the modern era (1800-present). Examples will be drawn from three geographical regions:  1. North American coastal cities such as New York, Miami, and Halifax 2. Caribbean and Latin American coastal cities from Havana to Rio de Janeiro 3. Mediterranean and Euro-Atlantic ports such as Bristol and Marseille While most of our case studies focus on sub-Saharan African diasporas, (including Afro-Caribbean, African-American, and Afro-Latin@s), the class will also make comparisons with North African diasporas. Students will be able to apply the themes of the class to African diasporas in other geographical regions around the world including Eastern Europe, China, and Southeast Asia.

Oil, Opium, and Oligarchs: Modern Asian Empires In this course we will examine dynamics and legacies of imperialism in East and Southeast Asia from the nineteenth century through the present. We will consider the role of opium in securing British influence, the rise of Japan as an imperialist power, struggles to control regional markets and natural resources, and China’s expansionist efforts past and present. By engaging with novels, films, treaties, and historical scholarship, class participants will gain a broad understanding of empires and imperialism, and how this heritage continues to inform Pacific-regional relations.  Not open to students who have taken IGST/HIST 0475.

Confucius and Confucianism Perhaps no individual has left his mark more completely and enduringly upon an entire civilization than Confucius (551-479 B.C.) has upon that of China. Moreover, the influence of Confucius has spread well beyond China to become entrenched in the cultural traditions of neighboring Japan and Korea and elsewhere. This course examines who Confucius was, what he originally intended, and how the more important of his disciples have continued to reinterpret his original vision and direct it toward different ends. Pre-1800.

Global Fascism What was, or is, fascism? How do we know it when we see it? Can fascism be understood as an exclusively European phenomenon, or did it become manifest in movements and regimes in other parts of the twentieth-century world? In this seminar, we will engage with such questions via a range of texts including manifestos, films, and scholarly works. The first part of the course will interrogate seminal theories of fascism, the second will examine historical instances of fascism with particular emphasis on East Asia, and the final part will engage with debates about the contemporary resurgence of authoritarian populism. 3 hrs. Sem.

Music, Power, and Resistance in World History This class examines the conflicting relationship between music, power and resistance in world history. Beginning with ancient Greece, we will discuss the relationship between music and power in a wide range of cultural and historical contexts, including music’s relation to religious power (Christianity, Judaism, Islam), political power (China, Europe, North and South America, Africa), and social power (gender, ethnicity, class). Questions of state censorship, propaganda and musical expressions of dissent will be highlighted, as well as the interconnection between aesthetic choices, social status and political views. Musical sources will range from classical to popular forms. No prior musical training required. (formally HIST 0116) 3 hrs sem.

Tokyo: Between History and Utopia In this course we will explore the history of Tokyo—from its "prehistory" as a small castle town in the 16th century to the cosmopolitan metropolis of the 20th century—and trace how Tokyo has captured the imagination as a space of possibility, of play, and for many, of decadence. Through a range of sources, including films, novels, ethnographies, and historical essays, we will use Tokyo as a "site" (both urban and ideological) through which to explore broader questions related to capitalist modernity, the formation of the nation-state, cultural identity, gender politics, and mass-culture.

Revolutionary Russia The Russian Revolution was a continuum of violence that, through years of civil war and political, social and cultural revolutions, sought to transform the basis of human existence and usher in a utopian future, imposing “Marxist” values upon diverse local cultures and contexts. We will examine the rise and fall of revolutionary sentiment from late-imperial terrorism through the establishment of Stalin’s dictatorship. Through analysis of primary and secondary sources, students will assess both the manifold ambitions of the revolutionary years and how memory of 1917 has been used to justify, critique and at times repossess aspects of Russian/Soviet history. This course is part of the Public Humanities Labs Initiative administered by the Axinn Center for the Humanities. 3 hrs sem.

Health and Healing in African History In this course we will complicate our contemporary perspectives on health and healing in Africa by exploring diverse historical examples from the continent's deep past.  Our readings, discussions, and papers will cover a range of historical contexts and topics, such as the politics of rituals and public healing ceremonies in pre-colonial contexts, state and popular responses to shifting disease landscapes in the colonial era, long-term cultural and economic changes in healer-patient dynamics, the problematic legacies of environmental health hazards in the post-colonial period, and Africans' engagement with global health interventions in recent decades.

Readings in the Philosophy of History Even before the appearance of Georg W. F. Hegel's classic study The Philosophy of History, a heated debate was being waged concerning the nature and substance of history. Is history, like science, expressible in predictable patterns or subject to irrevocable laws? What factors distinguish true history from the mere random succession of events? What should we assume to be the fundamental nature of historical truth, and are we to determine it objectively or subjectively? Is it possible to be human and yet be somehow "outside of" history? These are among the questions we will examine as we read and deliberate on a variety of philosophies of history, while concentrating on the most influential versions developed by Hegel and Karl Marx.

Soviet Science from Sputnik to Chernobyl In 1957, the USSR launched the world’s first artificial satellite. Just four years later, Yuri Gagarin was the first human to orbit Earth. Yet by the 1980s, Soviet development had fostered environmental devastation, a crisis made manifest with the 1986 Chernobyl disaster. In this course we will explore the Soviet state’s fascination with science as a means through which to build a utopian future. How did science and technology interact with state power? How was science implicated in Cold War tensions? How did Soviet “atomic culture” affect ordinary citizens?

The 1940s The 1940s saw enormous and often violent change: a global, destructive war; ongoing privation after the formal end of hostilities; the intensification of national liberation movements; the founding of the United Nations and the establishment of a new global economic order; the beginnings of the Cold War; new artistic expressions; and the reconfiguration of sexual and cultural mores. In this course we will begin with an overview of the global scale of the second world war and, using a comparative approach, focus on examples of individual suffering. We will then study the war’s effects in select countries around the world.

Race, Medicine, and Health in U.S. History In this course we will explore the historical relationships between race, medicine, and public health in  the United States from colonial times to the present. Through a series of case studies that include  epidemics such as smallpox, yellow fever, and COVID-19, we will trace the origins of racial  classification and its impact on medical care. Our topics include the management of illness in colonial  times, the relationship between medical schools and slavery, the eugenics movement, immigration restrictions, the use of minorities as experimentation subjects, the fight against medical discrimination, and the current struggles for health care access. We will approach these subjects through sources such  as scholarly publications, diaries, documentaries, medical journals, oral histories, and print media. 2  hrs lect./1 hr. disc.

Histories of U.S. Radicalism, 1917-2017 From communism to libertarianism, Black Nationalism to radical feminism, this seminar examines the many facets of radical social movements in the United States during the twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. In particular, we will draw on individual and collective biographies of radicals to explore chronological linkages and social connections between apparently discrete political tendencies. We will also consider the political, social, cultural, and economic contexts that catalyzed these movements, the various forms of backlash and repression they faced, and the changing political uses to which these historical movements have been put.

Jewish Oral History In this weekly seminar students will learn the basics of oral history—research, interview skills, processing, archiving, and presentation—by conducting interviews with members of Kolot Chayeinu, a Brooklyn-based Jewish congregation. Students will work with congregants to create an oral history archive. Depending on student interests and abilities, additional outcomes may include films, audiowalks, social media presence, listening parties, or podcasts. Students will also study oral history theory, the evolution of American Jewish spirituality, and New York City social movements. An oral history of Kolot encompasses Jewish histories of feminism, LGBTQ and AIDS activism, peace and human rights work, death and dying, childhood and adult education, antiracism, theatre, art, music, nonprofit development, politics, rabbinical training, coalition work, and more.

Sparta and Athens For over 200 years, Athens and Sparta were recognized as the most powerful Greek city-states, and yet one was a democracy (Athens), the other an oligarchy (Sparta). One promoted the free and open exchange of ideas (Athens); one tried to remain closed to outside influence (Sparta). This course studies the two city-states from the myths of their origins through their respective periods of hegemony to their decline as imperial powers. The goal is to understand the interaction between political success and intellectual and cultural development in ancient Greece.

Roman Law The Romans' codification of civil law is often considered their greatest intellectual achievement and most original and influential contribution to the world. This course treats the four main divisions of Roman law (persons, property, obligations, and succession). Great emphasis is placed on the role of law in Roman society. How did the law influence the lives of Roman citizens living under it? How did ordinary Roman citizens shape the law? Students will come to understand the principles of Roman law through actual cases. Designed for students with some background in Roman history and/or literature.

Science and Empire In this course we will examine how science, medicine, and technology were used to create, manage, and justify empire. We will focus on the British empire of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, although the course will include comparisons to other European empires. We will also read critiques of colonial science and medicine, and learn how anti-colonial leaders and movements adapted and engineered technologies to help their efforts.

Contested Kyiv: Ukranian-Russian Relations in Historical Context Kyiv: capital of the Ukrainian nation? Or Kiev: cradle of Russian civilization? Russian President Vladimir Putin’s 2021 claim that “Russians and Ukrainians were one people – a single whole” was a geopolitical maneuver; nonetheless, it highlighted a deeply intertwined and contested history. In this course we will explore the multifaceted history of Kyiv from its founding to the present day in order to better understand the entangled histories of the contemporary Ukrainian and Russian states. Central to our discussions will be primary and secondary sources that offer conflicting dynastic, religious and national histories which have sought to claim Kyiv as their own. We will also probe Kyiv’s Jewish past to better understand the region’s complex multi-confessional and multi-ethnic past. 3 hrs sem.

Saints, Heathens and Heretics: Belief and Unbelief in Imperial Russia Though Orthodox Christianity is often viewed as synonymous with Russian culture, the Russian Empire was home to a dizzying array of religious faiths, including Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, and varying forms of Christianity. Through primary and secondary source analysis (including textual, visual and aural sources), we will explore the challenges and opportunities this multi-confessional reality posed to Russia’s rulers and the official Orthodox Church. We will also probe the question of what religious faith (in its multiple iterations) meant for subjects from across the social strata and geographic expanse of the empire. How did one lead a spiritually fulfilled life? How did members of different religious faiths interact? What was the relationship between religious and ethnic identities? 3 hrs sem.

Medieval Science, Technology and Magic Modern understanding may link science with technology, but leaves magic out as a world apart. In the Medieval West, where alchemy and the astrolabe comfortably shared a workroom, intellectuals pursued both with equal fervor and respectability. In this course we will explore the medieval meanings and context of “science” and “magic,” developments in technology, and the relationship of authority and religion to all three through readings in primary sources, critical essays and monographs, and Umberto Eco's historical novel, The Name of the Rose. Students will contribute to class understanding with frequent individual research, including a final research paper. Pre-1800

The East India Company In this course you will be introduced to the English East India Company, from the 17th-century until its dissolution in 1858. Much of our focus will be on the Company’s presence in India, and we will pay particular attention to its transformation from a maritime trading company into a territorial colonial state. We will read a number of controversial texts from the period, immerse ourselves in the worlds of Company and Indian politics, and do guided research using holdings in Middlebury’s Special Collections. Topics will include the rise of the Company as a trading concern, its aggressive competition with other European trading monopolies and South Asian kingdoms, and the importance of opium in its dealings with China. We will end with a discussion of the Indian rebellion of 1857. (Not open to students who have taken FYSE 1308 or HIST 1009) Pre-1800

The Long Struggle for Civil Rights and Black Freedom The modern civil rights movement is the central focus of this course, but it offers more than a survey of events from Montgomery to Memphis. It explores the pre-World War II roots of the modern black freedom struggle, the complex array of local, regional, and national initiatives in the 1950s and 1960s, the competing strategies for empowerment offered by Martin Luther King Jr., and Malcolm X, and developments since the 1970s, including the rise of Black Lives Matter.  This course employs a "race relations" perspective, stressing the linkages among the experiences of African Americans, whites, and other groups.  2. Hrs. lect., 1 hr. disc.

History of American Women: 1869-1999 This course will examine women's social, political, cultural, and economic position in American society from 1869 through the late 20th century. We will explore the shifting ideological basis for gender roles, as well as the effects of race, class, ethnicity, and region on women's lives. Topics covered will include: women's political identity, women's work, sexuality, access to education, the limits of "sisterhood" across racial and economic boundaries, and the opportunities women used to expand their sphere of influence. 3 hrs lect./disc.

Struggles for Change in Southern Africa In this course we will examine the tumultuous period of social struggle in southern Africa in the decades following World War II.  Major topics to be covered include the rise of apartheid and the mobilization of anti-apartheid resistance in South Africa and Namibia; the liberation struggle against white settler rule in Zimbabwe; the fight for freedom from Portuguese colonialism in Mozambique; and Mozambique's protracted civil war following independence.  A central purpose of this course is to explore how these different arenas of struggle transformed individual lives and social relations in complex and diverse ways, generating enduring impacts and challenges within the region.

With Friends Like These: A History of Modern US-China Relations Present-day dynamics between the United States and China appear particularly consequential, yet trans-Pacific relations have long shaped global affairs. In this seminar we will examine the history of China-US relations from the late 19th century into the 21st. Topics will include imperialism, American orientalism, the Cold War, trade wars, and shifting perceptions of hegemony. Through critical reading and discussion we will pay particular attention to how their “special” relationship has shaped China and the United States’ respective evolutions. Students who have taken HIST 479 should not register for this course. Course materials include memoirs, political tracts, Hollywood and Shanghai films, oral histories, and a variety of visual works in complement with scholarly texts. Seminar

“Mad Men and Mad Women” Are you a Don, a Roger, or a Pete? A Betty, a Peggy or a Joan? Using AMC's Mad Men as a visual and narrative foundation, we will examine masculinity and femininity in mid-20th century America. We will focus specifically on the connections between postwar mass communication and formation of gender roles, consumption, and cultural expectations. Our inquiry will then extend to recent discussions regarding the politics of historical representation. In addition to the television series, we will use a variety of both primary and secondary sources—including novels, magazines, sociological studies, and scholarly monographs—to achieve a multi-dimensional perspective.

America and the Pacific If the 20th century was "America's Century," then it could also be deemed "America's Pacific Century" as interaction with Asia fundamentally shaped the United States' political, social, and diplomatic development. In this course we will examine American foreign relations on the Pacific Rim from the Philippine-American War to the Los Angeles riots of 1992. Topics to be covered include: America's imperial project in Asia, the annexation of Hawaii, Wilsonian diplomacy, the reconstruction of Japan after World War II, the Korean and Vietnam Wars, Richard Nixon's visit to Communist China, and the immigrant experience. 3 hrs sem.

Race in the British Empire, 1580-1960 Race was a significant factor in the formation of Britain’s global empire.  Within the British Isles, the Irish and Highland Scots were racialized as “Celts.”  In the Americas, race shaped relations with indigenous peoples and defined systems of Black enslavement.  Later, it informed British expansionism in South Asia, the Pacific and Africa, as well as eugenics policies and responses to independence movements.  This course examines shifting interpretations of racial categories within Britain itself and the British empire overseas, from the Tudor period down to the beginning of large-scale immigration into Britain from South Asia and the Caribbean. 3 hr. sem.

Readings in Modern European History:  Enlightenment, Revolution, and Terror* The French Revolution provided a model for democratic political reform throughout the world, spreading new ideas about equality, national identity, and rights for minorities.  Although informed by the Enlightenment and progressive social thought, it led to the Terror, a period of violence and repression in the name of revolutionary change.   We will examine this attempt to create a just society and the corresponding violence against internal and external enemies.  We will also consider the Revolution’s origins, the events in France, the shock tremors throughout the world, and the long-term repercussions of change.

American Conservatism after 1932: Ideology, Politics, History “Let’s grow up, conservatives!” was Sen. Barry Goldwater’s dictum at the 1960 Republican convention. Once dismissed as practically extinct, American conservatism became the most enduring political movement of the 20th century. In this seminar we will trace conservative thought and politics from the New Deal era through the contemporary moment, highlighting both domestic and international developments that shaped the modern American right. Students will closely engage with recent scholarly works as well as primary sources such as speeches, magazines, campaign texts, and visual media to effectively understand conservatism’s historical evolution. 3 hrs. sem

Readings in African History: Women and Gender in Africa This course takes up the challenge of understanding women's experiences and the role of gender in Africa's past. We will read from a wide variety of disciplinary perspectives and literary forms, including ethnographies, life histories, and fiction, in order to explore different methodological and interpretive approaches to these subjects. Themes will include: changes in the structure of patriarchy and women's status in the pre-colonial period, the gendered impact of colonial rule on African economies and ecologies, historical identities of masculinity and femininity, and gendered experience of postcolonial "development." Prior experience in African history is not required.

Vermont Life’s Vermont: A Collaborative Web Project Students in this course will work collaboratively to build an online history project aimed at a wide audience.  Since 1946, Vermont Life magazine has created particular images of the landscape, culture, and recreational possibilities in the state.  Our goal will be to construct a website that examines the evolution of these images and the meaning of the state over time, paying particular attention to consumerism, the environment, tourism, urban-rural contrasts, local food movements, and the ways that race, class, and gender influence all of these.  The course is open to all students and requires collaborative work but not any pre-existing technological expertise.

Calderwood Seminar in Public Writing: Reporting Genocide While reports of atrocities and genocides have appeared frequently in the news, little has helped to effectively stop these acts.  Even the basic facts are often poorly understood by the wider public.  We will focus on a variety of atrocities and genocides, considering them from multiple angles and with a particular emphasis on prevention and resolution.  Using our knowledge, we will craft short pieces of public writing, such as op-eds, reviews, and briefings intended to inform and/or influence a general audience.

Black and Jewish Feminist Perspectives Feminism has a rich history in the United States. In this course we will study feminism from the perspectives of two distinct, sometimes intersecting groups: Black Americans and Jewish Americans. We will explore major feminist texts, writers, and collectives, from Angela Davis, bell hooks, Audre Lorde, and the Combahee River Collective to Shulamith Firestone, Judith Plaskow, B’Not Esh, and Di Vilde Chayes. Through their work and activism, we will study in this reading-intensive course how race, class, spirituality, and sexuality have shaped and reshaped feminist concerns.

Police Power: Theory and History As Egon Bittner once stated, the police are “at once the best known and the least understood” of the institutions of modern government.  In this seminar students begin by reading introductions to theories of modern state power, and then turn to exploring how the police manifest this power at the local level. In the second half of the semester, we will read histories of police forces with special emphasis on the formation of the police in East Asia. We conclude by reviewing recent theories of the police for the twenty-first century.

Universities and Slavery in America In this seminar we will explore and compare the different histories of enslavement at schools across the  country from colonial times to the present. Some of the questions we will answer include: what was the  importance of slavery in the development of higher education? How did people experience enslavement in  schools? How did universities perpetuate slavery culture? The class will also consider the emerging debates  over reparations and restorative justice and the role of students in these developments across the country. Using our knowledge of other institutions, students will research Middlebury’s place in this history. 3hrs  sem.

Nuclear Cold War: Americans, Soviets and the Fate of the World Fears of nuclear Armageddon gripped the world after 1945. How is it that nuclear war never broke out by the time the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991? This course traces the complex relationship between nuclear security, international relations, and domestic politics through the initial development of nuclear weapons, Cold War arms race, emergence of independent Russia, and contemporary tensions. How did shifting social and political environments shape nuclear security concerns? Why, despite the end of the ideological Cold War, did the early 21st century witness the collapse of bilateral arms control and nonproliferation cooperation between Russia and the USA? This course is part of the Public Humanities Labs Initiative administered by the Axinn Center for the Humanities.*

Animals in Middle Eastern History In this course we will examine attitudes towards animals in Middle Eastern history, with an emphasis on Muslim settings. We will survey the law and ethics of human-animal relations in religious sources and engage with issues such as how humans differ from non-human “animals,” how they should treat animals, and the overall place and roles of animals in divine creation as reflected within different historical periods. We will also consider the impact of the modern animal liberation movement in the Middle East and examine a variety of religious and secular positions formulated by Muslims that have recently prioritized animal welfare and promoted environmental consciousness. (Counts for HSMT credit) Pre-1800.

Approaching Historical Truth: Methods and Evidence in History Writing In this seminar we will learn about how historians have approached problems of evidence and explanation. We will consider methodologies that historians have adapted from other disciplines, including the natural and social sciences as well as literary and cultural studies. We will also consider what distinguishes historical from fictional narratives. In the first part of the course we will explore the role of social and institutional power in shaping historians’ approaches to evidence, with special attention to the role of archives. In the second, we will examine a recent historical controversy or a single historical study for its argument and presentation of evidence. In the final part, students will design and execute their own research projects. Seminar.

“The Religious Life”: Buddhist and Christian Monastic Traditions Compared Both Buddhism and Christianity include traditions of  monasticism, of men and women leaving home for “the religious life.” In this course, we will study and compare Buddhist and Christian monasticism from historical and religious perspectives. We will read primary sources, from the Life of St. Anthony and the Rule of St. Benedict to the verses  attributed to the first Buddhist nuns and a Zen monastic code. We will examine monastic vocation, the integration of monasteries into society, and the adaptation of monasticism to different cultures. Throughout, we will  highlight the role of gender. We will conclude with attention to contemporary manifestations of monastic culture. This course is equivalent to INTL 0472 and RELI 0472. Pre-1800 3 hr sem.

Writing History In this course students discuss historical methods and writing strategies to create convincing historical narratives. With the approval and guidance of the professor, students complete a 20-25-page research paper based on primary and secondary sources. Students take this course in the fall of their junior year or with permission in the spring.  If students are away for the entire junior year, they can take the course in the fall of their senior year. 3 hr. sem.

Practicing Oral History In this intensive, hands-on workshop, students will prepare for, conduct, and process their own oral histories. We will decide collectively on an overarching theme to investigate through the interviews, such as work, friendship, or mental illness. The first week will be introductory and theoretical. We will explore what oral history is, why historians do it, how the interview fits as an historical source among other sources, and the problem of memory. During the second week, students will focus on preparing for and conducting the interview. This will include conducting background research, developing consent forms, and refining interview techniques. The third week will be about making sense of the interview and exploring different ways to process it (indexing, abstracting, transcribing, storyboarding). Students will also write a reflective paper on the interview process. The fourth week will consist of historical presentations in which the interview is supplemented with other historical sources. The workshop will be grounded in the methodological concerns and questions of the discipline of history. It may also be of special interest to those interested in journalism, sociology, and anthropology (among other fields!). Students from any discipline, with prior oral history experience or none at all, are all welcome. This course is part of the Public Humanities Labs Initiative administered by the Axinn Center for the Humanities.*

Liberal Arts in Greco-Roman, Medieval, Renaissance History & Philosophy In this intensive reading course, we will explore the origins of liberal arts education in ancient Greek, Roman, medieval and Renaissance traditions. What sources and subjects have informed the evolution of liberal arts as an ideal for free citizens? What were the original meanings of artes liberales? What were the medieval liberal arts of trivium and quadrivium? How do these histories influence contemporary debates on education? Readings from Greco-Roman authors include the Pythagoreans, Plato, Aristotle, Cicero, and Seneca. Readings from medieval and Renaissance Europe include Boethius, Isidore of Seville, Herrad of Landsberg, the Scholastics, Leonardo Bruni, and Pier Paolo Vergerio.

Chronicling COVID-19: Capturing the Pandemic Experience in Vermont The COVID-19 pandemic has altered our lives and challenged the way our communities and institutions operate.  The availability of vaccines has made it possible to gain some perspective on COVID and its impact.  In this course we will work as chroniclers and interpreters of the local community’s responses to COVID.  In addition to situating COVID among other notable public health emergencies in Vermont – the 1918 pandemic, the 1927 flood, and the 2011 Irene disaster – we will explore the experiences of Addison County residents as they navigated this pandemic.  In collaboration with Special Collections, we will conduct oral history interviews and gather other historical materials for this multi-staged class research project.

Magic and the Occult in Early Modern Europe Magical and occult thinking have played central roles in Western European culture, a point often overlooked or downplayed by historians who have concentrated on the development of rational thought and the decline of “superstition.”  Belief in the ability of human beings to interpret or manipulate supernatural powers shaped popular practices aimed at dealing with everyday problems as well as intellectual theories designed to explain the world.  We will examine both the popular and intellectual sides of magic, and how they came together with brutal force in the witch hunts of the 16th and 17th centuries. Pre-1800

The Hard Frontiers of Interculturality, Land, Territory, and Indigenous Peoples of Chile This class will examine the traditional culture and worldview of three indigenous peoples of Chile: Aymara, Mapuche and Kaweshkar. Also, it will discuss the current situation of their population, especially regarding their complicated relationship with the Chilean society and how this affects the attempts to recognize the country's cultural diversity. Despite the existence of a national indigenous law, health, and court proceedings, constitutional recognition has been strongly resisted by some sectors of the country's population. Although indigenous peoples have made a notable contribution to the development of a Chilean national identity, their culture remains ignored by the majority of Chileans.

Refugee and Forced Migration Studies * Taught in English This course is an introduction to the foundational aspects of refugee and forced migration studies. Students will develop an understanding of the framework that forms the bedrock of the modern global refugee regime. They will look at root causes of displacement, the historical context of the system currently in place, and various international and domestic instruments that govern the rights and obligations of refugees and host states. Class discussions will call on students to understand and analyze concepts such as persecution, the protected grounds, non-refoulement, and durable solutions. Students will also look at the stories of real asylees and refugees, with a focus on those from the Middle East, including Palestinian refugees, and those who have fled to Jordan.

Alejandro Herrera

Amy Morsman

Darien Davis

Don Wyatt

Elizabeth Morrison

Elsa Mendoza

Febe Armanios

Ian Barrow

Jacob Tropp

Jane Chaplin

Jim Ralph

Joyce Mao

Kathryn Morse

Lana Povitz

Louisa Burnham

Maggie Clinton

Martha Woodruff

Max Ward

Paul Monod

Peter Stavros

Rebecca Bennette

Rebecca Mitchell

Tim Spears

Read 76 reviews for History courses at Middlebury College. Find the best History professors and courses.  Discover your new major today!

Lectures were taught half by Prof. Burham and half by Prof. Woodruff. It was pretty disjointed, in my opinion. We never got our essays graded and final grades were left somewhat a mystery. It's not a hard class, but I certainly don't have fond memories of this one.

The most no-frills lecture course I've taken here. This class had no discussion whatsoever. I thought Barrow was great at lecturing, and he was willing to help with specific questions. There's three major assignments, one or two of which can be essays – this was good for me as someone who prefers taking a test. The structure of the course meant that a lot of readings towards the end of the semester might not factor into your grade at all, since you can choose a paper topic which is unrelated. However, in early to mid semester, readings about the East India Trading Company and Gandhi are quite dense and involve reading whole books. I'd definitely recommend as a less writing-heavy history course.

Professor Bennette is so enthusiastic about the subject matter and was always willing to consider other opinions. However, this course was really heavy on boring reading and it was sometimes difficult to remain engaged for the entire class. I wish that it was a little less theoretical and a little more historical.