History Major

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HISTORY (History)
Offered by the Department of History.

History 101. Modern World History. Surveys major pre-modern civilizations and the development and diffusion of modern cultures throughout the world. Examines the interaction of traditional and modern cultures culminating with the turbulent twentieth century, and highlights the global impact of political, religious, ideological, military, economic, and social development.

History 202. Introduction to Military History. Surveys the history of western warfare from the gunpowder age to the present. Focuses on the evolving methods and theories of warfare in Europe and the United States and emphasizes how political, social, economic and technological factors have combined to shape both changes and continuities in the nature of western warfare.

History 320. History of Technology and Warfare. Examines the relationship of technology to warfare on land, at sea and in the air from antiquity to the present. Investigates the roots of weapons technology in social, political and engineering contexts. Affords special treatment to the impact of engineering and the industrial revolution on the development of technology and subsequent impacts on warfare. The interrelationship of technology, tactics and strategy provides the thematic framework. Devotes several lessons to case studies of battles and campaigns that illustrate significant developments.

History 325. History of Christianity.  Surveys the history of the Christian church from its ancient Jewish roots to the modern period. The course will examine the significant changes and continuities of Christianity since its founding. Topics include the ancient Jewish  kingdoms, the Church’s beginning under Jesus and the Apostles, the Age of Martyrs, the writings of the Church Fathers, the Christianization of the Roman Empire, the medieval civilization of Christendom, the Crusades, the Reformation, the effects of the Enlightenment, and the global spread of Christianity.

History 330. Historiography and Methodology. A history practicum that is the “how to” course for history majors. The course begins with a survey of historiography, or “the history of historical writing.”  Most of the course is devoted to practicing historical methodology (historical “detective work,” critical analysis of evidence, asking and answering historical questions, and oral and written presentation skills). Each student will write and present a major research paper on a topic of their choosing.

History 332. History of U.S. Foreign Policy. Examines major developments in U.S. foreign policy from colonial times to the present, with particular emphasis on the twentieth century. The course will focus on the motives behind the conceptualization of diplomatic goals, the search for appropriate tactics to achieve policy objectives and the consequences of U.S. foreign policy at home and abroad. Course work centers on classroom lecture and discussion and extensive analysis of interpretive essays and primary documents.

History 335. History of the American West. A study of the special contributions of the American West to the evolution of the United States. Throughout their history, Americans have been intrigued and fascinated by their vast frontier. The American frontier served as a granary and a safety valve while helping to shape the American character. This course will explore the validity of Frederick Jackson Turner’s frontier thesis and the events that made the West unique.

History 336. History of the American South. Examines the special contributions of the South to the evolution of the United States and analyzes the major themes of Southern history in the eighteenth, nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Emphasis will be placed on understanding ideas and values, especially as the people of the South have perceived them and their role in Southern society. This course will focus on how Southern society evolved differently from the rest of the United States and seemingly over a century and a half merged with a mainstream America while maintaining a unique identity.

History 338. Colonial Warfare. Examines comprehensively the competition and conflicts that resulted from European explorations and conquests of the fifteenth, sixteenth and seventeenth centuries that erupted into serial warfare in the eighteenth century. These conflicts exposed all sides to different modes of warfare that shaped future combat. The course examines the causes for these wars (with an emphasis on the conflicts in North America), the changes in tactics and strategy that resulted from the clash of cultures and the ideologies that sprang from colonization.

History 339. The American Civil War. A multidimensional examination of the causes, conduct and legacy of the American Civil War. An in-depth analysis of Southern sectionalism will lead into a comprehensive discussion of all aspects of the war itself: military, economic, cultural, social, political, technological and ideological. The course will conclude by describing the short- and long-term effects of the war on the American military establishment.

History 340. History of Colonial Latin America. Examines the Native American, Iberian and African origins of colonial civilization, with special emphasis on the colonial society that evolved after the Spanish and Portuguese Conquest. Students will understand the nature of pre-Columbian societies, colonial government, labor systems, landholding patterns, the role of the Church in society and the forces that led to Latin America’s independence.

History 341. History of Modern Latin America. Examines the post-1825 period of Latin American history. Explains the independence process and the formulation of major nation states and other major facets of the nineteenth century. Treats major issues of the twentieth century, including political change, industrialization, foreign power influence, military institutions, social and demographic pressures and the roles of the United States within national contexts.

History 342. History of Traditional Asia. A survey of the major political, economic and socio-cultural developments in Asia (primarily China, Japan, India and Southeast Asia) from prehistoric times to the arrival of the Europeans in the sixteenth century. Explores the major themes of the traditional foundations of Asia, change and continuity, the structure of the traditional Asian world order and the impact of contact with the European maritime powers.

History 343. History of Modern Asia. A survey of the major political, economic and socio-cultural developments in Asia (primarily China, Japan, India and Southeast Asia) from roughly the sixteenth century to the present day. Explores the major themes of the traditional foundations of Asia, the impact of Western ideologies on Asian thought, the impact of Western imperialism, the importance of technological change and the significance of political, economic and cultural leaders.

History 344. Foundations of European History. How did the European continent rise from being a cultural and intellectueal backwater to become a political and military powerhourse which eventually extended its influence across the globe? What powerful connections link the ancient world with the present government, religion and culture of the West? Through this survey of European history from Antiquity to 1789, discover how the continent was transformed. Analyzes the major aspects of European development, including ancient Greece, the Roman Republic and Empire, the advent of Christianity, feudalism, the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, the Reformation, the rise of the nation-state and the Enlightenment.

History 345. Modern European History. A survey of the political, social, and cultural history of modern Europe, beginning with the French Revolution and continuing through both world wars to contemporary Europe. Major themes include Napoleonic Europe, the industrial revolutions, European nationalist movements, World War I, the Inter-War Years, World War II, the decline of European empires, the Cold War and the demise of monolithic regimes. It concludes with a study of the legacies of the Cold War and the advent of the European Union.

History 346. History of Russia. Survey of Russian domestic and foreign affairs from the ninth century to 1861. Emphasis on the ways in which Eastern, Western and native influences promoted continuity within the Tsarist Russian state, to include: autocracy, church-state relations, imperialism, great-power status, foreign power intervention and modernization.

History 347. History of Modern Russia. Survey of domestic and foreign affairs from 1861 to the present. Focuses on the dynamics of Russian society and government from the Great Reforms through the Bolshevik seizure of power. Communist attempts and the final failure to develop a legitimate Soviet state are reviewed. The unique synthesis of military and economic power leading to “superpower” status and its eventual demise.

History 351. The Foundations of Modern America. Examines the political, intellectual, social and economic origins and development of the United States from the first settlements through the Reconstruction period (1865 - 1877). Emphasizes the importance of the colonial experience, the Revolution, the national period, the growth of democracy, westward expansion and the Civil War and Reconstruction in shaping modern America.

History 352. The History of Modern America. Continues the examination of the political, intellectual, social and economic development of the United States from the late nineteenth century to the present. Concentrates on the growth of the United States as a major economic and political power. Special attention is given to the impact of industrialization, urbanization, immigration, reform movements, mass culture, domestic economic fluctuations, governmental expansion and military involvements during the twentieth century.

History 363. Unconventional Warfare. Surveys the evolution, theory and practice of insurgent and revolutionary warfare throughout the world from the seventeenth century to the present. Special attention is given to the twentieth century. Examines counterinsurgency operations in various areas and circumstances.

History 367. Ancient, Medieval and Early Modern Warfare. A broad survey providing a deeper background for the understanding of modern war. The course begins with the rise of organized warfare in the Near East, focusing on the Assyrian and Persian military systems, traces the development and operations of the Greek and Roman military systems, and then moves to the evolution of feudal warfare and its eventual metamorphosis into the earliest forms of modern war, culminating in the Thirty Year War. Moslem, Byzantine, Chinese, and Japanese forms of warfare are also addressed to complete a general survey of the roots of modern warfare.

History 368. World War II. A study of the largest conflict in human history, including a detailed analysis of the causes, ideologies, strategies, technologies and campaigns of the war. Students also examine the economic and social implications of the war on various nation states. Major themes include the role of military and political leadership, the nature of coalition warfare and the role of the modern officer in combat.

History 369. Limited War in the Twentieth Century: Korea and Vietnam. America’s wars in Korea and Vietnam established new patterns of limited warfare.  Within the context of superpower conflict and a nuclear arms race, the United States tried to fight wars that would achieve limited aims with limited means. This military history course examines the forces and campaigns of the Korean and Vietnam Wars. Students will also consider the effects of technology, foreign policy, domestic social and political climates and the long-term implications of American strategy and policymaking.

History 370. World War I. A detailed analysis of the epochal event of the twentieth century. Students explore the role of ideology, military and social doctrine, alliance systems and European militarism on the outbreak and conduct of total war in Europe. Detailed analysis of the disparate military environments of stalemate on the Western Front, deadlock on the high seas and maneuver warfare on the Eastern Front illustrate the struggle between military doctrine and emerging technology. Special emphasis is placed on the integration of airpower and the emergence of modern paradigms for conducting warfare.

History 371. Airpower and Modern Warfare. History of the air weapon with primary emphasis on leadership and tactics as they evolved during the twentieth century. Covers global development of military airpower, stressing the constant interplay among personalities, institutions, theories, technology, combat experience and evolving doctrine.

History 372. Seapower and Modern Warfare. History of sea weapons with primary emphasis on technology, tactics, and leadership as they evolved from 1000 BC to the present. Global treatment stresses the constant interplay among personalities, institutions, theories, technology, combat experience and evolving doctrine.

History 373. History of Sub-Saharan Africa. What important roles did the peoples of Africa play in the unfolding story of humankind? Why was the continent ignored by Western Europeans for so long before being suddenly attacked in a “frenzy” of imperial conquests? How did Africans cope with radical changes to their political, economic and social institutions in the nineteenth century? This course addresses these questions and discusses the theories behind the origins of Africa's civilizations. Examines the extensive Berber trading networks of North Africa; compares the Swahili city-states of East Africa with those of ancient Greece, and looks at why the Kingdome of Dahomey built its wealth and power in the African slave trade. It shows how Africa’s past influenced its response to colonial rule and how Africans threw off colonial domination in the twentieth century. The course introduces you to modern-day problems of environmental degradation, population growth, debt crisis, security issues and medical challenges in Africa. Uses primary documents on Africa and a rich abundance of historical novel written by African authors.

History 374. Foundations of Middle Eastern History. Surveys early civilizations in the Middle East and North Africa from the dawn of civilization to the fall of Constantinople to the Ottoman Empire in 1453. Emphasizes the classical empires of the Near East, developments and contributions of Judaism and Christianity, the birth and spread of Islam, the impact of the Crusaders and Mongols on the region and the rise to dominance of the "gunpowder" empires.

History 375. Modern Middle Eastern History. Surveys domestic and foreign affairs of the  Middle East and North Africa from the Ottoman Empire to the present. Emphasis on the impact of imperialism, nationalism, constitutionalism, modernization and reform, independence movements of the twentieth century, the Arab-Israeli conflict, the Zionist and Islamic fundamentalist movements, the Gulf War and other contemporary trends and problems.

History 376. A History of Space Power: Conquest of the New Frontier. History of space power with primary emphasis on the U.S. and Soviet space programs during the Cold War and beyond (ICBMs to satellites; the electronics revolution to manned space programs) and their origins in the German V-programs of World War II. Examines the interplay between leadership, politics, society, technology, the USAF's ambivalent relationship with this new expression of military power and the associated doctrinal challenges.

History 394. The American Way of War. This course surveys the history of American warfare from the colonial period to the present. It focuses primarily on the nature of American warfare and addresses the question of whether there is a peculiar American way of war. The course deals with such issues as the American attitude toward war, civil-military relations, force structure, the role of professional leadership and the impact of technology.

History 457. History of Military Thought. Historical investigation of the ideas of selected major military thinkers from the time of Machiavelli to the present. Emphasis is on those writers whose impact on evolving strategy and doctrine, whether on land, sea or in the air, has been most far-reaching.

History 480. Studies in American Civilization. Examines conflict and stability at various historical periods in American society, emphasizing such institutions as government, education, religion, the military, business, the family, media and sports. Course focus changes each semester.

History 482. History of Science and Technology. Examines contemporary science in terms of its historical antecedents. Addresses science from the pre-Socratic Greeks to the present and traces the intellectual development of scientific revolutions in the seventeenth and twentieth centuries. Interrelationship of physics, mathematics and cosmology provides thematic continuity in addressing chemistry and the life sciences. The historical relationship between science and technology receives special treatment. Course is designed to suit engineering and science majors as well as those in the humanities. Research projects will be tailored to the disciplinary interest of students and the expertise of instructors.

History 483. Great Americans. Examines the role of the individual in American history. Through the illuminating prism of biography, the lives of selected prominent Americans will be studied in order to understand the unique personal qualities that contributed to their success and to determine the extent to which individual actions impact on the course of history. Political, military, business, labor, scientific and literary figures will be featured.

History 495. Special Topics. Selected topics in history.

History 498. Global Dimensions in History. Examines the dynamic forces that shaped global history. Explores time, space, geography, politics, economics and society in the context of universal and world history. Special emphasis is given to the impact of varying cultural perspectives upon individual historical understanding. Also explores the current process of globalization and its many challenges.

History 499. Independent Study. Reading and research in any recognized area of historical study.