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Department of History

Richard Drake, Chair

For the student in search of a broad education rather than in training for a particular occupation, the History Department offers an exciting program of instruction. It is designed to provide a knowledge and understanding of the background and ramifications of present local, national, and world affairs. The program emphasizes understanding rather than the memorization of names and dates. Students are taught how to read critically, analyze thoughtfully, conduct research carefully, and write intelligently.

Toward this end, the department offers a wide variety of courses ranging in time, location, and subject. For those students interested in local history there are courses on Montana, the West and unique aspects of the frontier. Other classes stress the nature of early American society, the American Revolution, family and gender in America, the Civil War, and diplomacy in the Cold War. Still others emphasize European social, cultural, and intellectual history, European exploration, the French Revolution, Islamic civilization, Asian history, Russian history, and African history. Topical courses concentrate upon the European peasantry, documentary analysis, diplomacy, war and peace, terrorism, and environmental history.

The History Department helps to prepare men and women for many different kinds of occupations. Graduates are employed in federal, state or local government positions ranging from domestic to foreign service, from senators to research analysts. Many teach history in Montana or in other states while others pursue their educations at advanced graduate schools earning master or doctoral degrees. Several have been awarded Rhodes or Marshall Scholarships.

Lawyers, journalists and businessmen also are trained by the department; many combine history with political science, journalism, or business. History provides not only a basis for the pursuit of their chosen profession but also furnishes knowledge and perspective for intelligent leadership of citizens in community affairs.

The department offers the Bachelor of Arts, Master of Arts, and the Doctor of Philosophy degrees.

Special Degree Requirements

Refer to graduation requirements listed previously in the catalog. See index.

Requirements for a History Major

Students selecting a major in history must complete the following requirements:

I. Courses and credits

A.  A minimum of 40 credits in history, maximum of 60. Of the 40-credit total, 9 credits must be in European history, 9 in American history, and 9 in world history (Asian, Islamic, African, or Latin American). History majors must complete at least 21 upper-division credits.

B.  All history majors must take at least 2 or the following 8 courses:  HSTR 101H, 102H, 103H, 104H, (HIST 104, 105, 107, 108), HSTA 101H, 102H, 103H, 104H (HIST 151-154).

C. History majors must complete HSTR 300 (HIST 300), The Historian's Craft or a 400-level approved history writing course.

II. Languages

The Department requires competency in English and a proficiency in one foreign language. These requirements include:

A.  WRIT 101 (ENEX 101) or its equivalent.

B.  Foreign language requirements may be satisfied by completing anyone of the following options:

      1.  The 101-102 active skills sequence in any foreign language.

      2. Any single course at or above the 102 or 112 level in any foreign language.

      3. An equivalency test for (3) offered by the Department of Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures.

The Department of History does not allow credit for foreign languages taken in high school but students with high school backgrounds in a foreign language may wish to pursue options (2) or (3) above.

III. Upper-Division Writing Expectation

The Upper-Division Writing Expectation must be met by successfully completing an upper-division history writing course from the approved list in the Academic Policies and Procedures section of this catalog.  See index.

Requirements for a History Minor

To earn a minor in history, the student must complete the following:  (1) a minimum of 20 credits in history of which 6 credits must be in American history, 6 must be in European history, and 6 in world history (Asian, Islamic, or Latin American); (2) two of the following 8 courses:  HSTR 101H, 102H,103H, 104H (HIST 104, 105, 107, 108), HSTA 101H, 102H, 103H, 104H, ( HIST 151-154); (3) of the 20 credits at least 9 must be upper-division credits; and (4) WRIT 101 (ENEX 101) or its equivalent.

Teacher Preparation in History

Students who want to be licensed to teach history at the middle and high school level must complete the BA degree requirements in history.  They also must complete a teaching minor in a second field of their choice and the professional licensure program in the School of Education. Students may also earn a teaching minor in history.  See the Department of Curriculum & Instruction for information about admission to the Teacher Education Program and completion of these licensure programs.

Teacher Preparation in History and Government

Students who want to be licensed to teach history, government, and one additional social science at the middle and high school level must complete the BA degree requirements for the combined academic major in history and political science.  In completing this combined degree, students simultaneously satisfy the Comprehensive Social Science teaching major and the professional licensure program in the School of Education.  See the Department of Curriculum & Instruction for information about admission to the Teacher Education Program and completion of this licensure program.

Suggested Course of Study for History Majors

First Year A S
HSTR 101H, 102H (HIST 104-105) Western Civilization I & II or HSTA 101H, 102H American History I & II (HIST 151-152) 4 4
WRIT 101 (ENEX 101) Composition 3 -
Foreign language 5 5
Electives and General Education 3 6

15 15
Second Year A S
HSTR 240 (HIST 201) East Asia, HSTR 208 (HIST 208) Africa, HSTA 255 (HIST 269) Montana, HSTR 262, 264 Islamic, or HSTR 230H, 231H Latin America 6 6
Electives and General Education 9 9

15 15
Third Year A S
HSTR 300 The Historian's Craft or a 400-level approved history writing course. (3) (3)
HSTA OR HSTR upper division history courses 3-6 3-6
Electives and General Education 9 9

15 15
Fourth Year A S
HSTA OR HSTR upper division history courses 6 3
Electives, General Education, Broadfield Social Sciences and C&I courses (if applicable) 9 12

15 15

Courses

U = for undergraduate credit only, UG = for undergraduate or graduate credit, G = for graduate credit. R after the credit indicates the course may be repeated for credit to the maximum indicated after the R.  Credits beyond this maximum do not count toward a degree.

United States History (HSTA)

  • U 101H (HIST 151H) American History I 4 cr. Offered autumn.  A comprehensive introductory history of Colonial, Revolutionary and 19th century America, to 1877. Lecture-discussion. Credit not allowed for both 101H and 103H.
  • U 102H (HIST 152H) American History II 4 cr. Offered spring.  A comprehensive introductory history of the U.S. since 1877. Lecture-discussion. Credit not allowed for both 102H and 104H.
  • U 103H (HIST 154H) Honors American History I 4 cr. Offered autumn.  Enrollment by consent of instructor. A comprehensive introductory history of Colonial, Revolutionary, and 19th century America, to 1877. Lecture-honors discussion. Credit not allowed for both 103H and 101H.
  • U 104H (HIST 155H) Honors American History II 4 cr. Offered spring.  Enrollment by consent of instructor. A comprehensive introductory history of the U. S. since 1877.  Lecture-honors discussion. Credit not allowed for both 104H and 102H.
  • U 161 (HIST 161) 3cr. Same as AAS 141.  This course introduces students to the primary questions, themes, and approaches to African American Studies.  In addition to examining key historical periods such as Reconstruction, the Harlem Renaissance, and the Civil Rights era, students will encounter Hip-Hop, African-American film, African-American religion, and contemporary identity politics.  This course concludes by discussing the reasons for and new directions in African American studies, including diasporic studies, Pan-Africanism, and post colonial studies.
  • U 191 (HIST 195) Special Topics Variable cr. (R-6) Offered intermittently.  Experimental offerings of visiting professors, experimental offerings of new courses, or one-time offerings of current topics.
  • U 198 Internship Variable cr.  Offered intermittently.  Prereq., consent of department. Extended classroom experience which provides practical application of classroom learning during placements off campus. Prior approval must be obtained from the faculty supervisor and the Internship Services office.  A maximum of 6 credits of Internship (198, 298, 398, 498) may count toward graduation.
  • U 225 (HISTA 352) The American Revolution, 1763-1801 3 cr. Offered spring.  Dissent within the revolutionary movement; the different revolutionary traditions.
  • U 255 (HIST 269) Montana 3 cr. Offered autumn.  An introductory and interpretive history from Lewis and Clark to 2000.
  • U 262 (HIST 262) Abolitionism 3 cr. Same as AAS 262. Offered spring.  Interdisciplinary, historical perspective on early 19th century movement to abolish slavery and racial discrimination in the United States.
  • U 291 (HIST 295) Special Topics Variable cr. (R-12) Offered intermittently.  Experimental offerings of visiting professors, experimental offerings of new courses, or one-time offerings of current topics.
  • Although the department has no official prerequisites for 300-level courses, they generally rest on a modicum of survey knowledge or ability.
  • UG 311 (HIST 351) Early America 3 cr. Offered even-numbered years.  Emphasis changes from year to year. Can touch upon the political economy of Puritanism, through gender and family to the preconditions for the American Revolution.
  • UG 315 (HIST 353) The Early American Republic, 1787-1848 3 cr. Offered spring odd-numbered years. Democracy, nationalism and sectionalism, the War of 1812, the second party system, social order and disorder, the capitalist revolution.
  • UG 316 (HIST 355) American Civil War Era 3 cr. Offered autumn odd-numbered years.  Civil War and Reconstruction; the triumph of the industrialist and capitalist ethic.
  • UG 320 (HIST 356)The Birth of Modern America, 1877-1919 3 cr. Offered autumn odd-numbered years.  The history of the U.S. from 1877 to 1920 is largely the story of Americans responding to profound social, cultural and economic change.  In an effort to bring order to their changing world, Americans created new institutions, retooled their ideologies, and improved the nation's infrastructure.  The order they created is, in modified form, still with us today.  Students will explore the myriad changes that transformed the United States during this period and study the social, political, and cultural struggles that shaped the emergence of Modern America.
  • UG 321 (HIST 357) America in Crisis, 1920 to 1952 3 cr. Offered autumn. This era in U.S. history was marked by a series of crises: the contested transition to modernity during the 1920s, the Great Depression, and World War II and its aftermath.  This course will explore how Americans responded to these crises, why they responded to them the way they did, and how their responses altered the society in which they lived.
  • UG 322 (HIST 358) America in Our Time: The United States, 1952 to the Present 3 cr. Offered spring.  The Cold War and its consequences, the civil rights revolution, affluence and anxiety, counter-culture, political radicalism, feminism, the Nixon years, Watergate and after.
  • U 330 (HIST 359)Topics in 20th Century U.S. History 3 cr. (R-9) Offered intermittently. Selected topics in 20th century American history.
  • UG 333 (HIST 368) American Military History 3 cr. (R-6) Offered spring. The French and Indian Wars to Vietnam and beyond; chronological and topical accounts.
  • U 342H (HIST 378H) African American History to 1865 3 cr.  Offered intermittently.  Same as AAS 378.  Survey of the African American experience from the African background to the end of the Civil War.  Focus on Black American quest for the American Dream, and how Blacks attempted to deal with the challenges of enslavement and racism.
  • U 343H (HIST 379H) African American History Since 1865 3 cr. Offered intermittently.  Same as AAS 379H.  Study of the African American experience since the Civil War.  Change and continuity in the African American experience, the fight against Jim Crow, the struggle for civil rights, and post-civil rights economic, political, social and cultural developments and challenges.
  • UG 344 (HIST 362) Afro-American Struggle for Equality  3 cr.  Offered intermittently.  A survey of the various efforts by African Americans to achieve racial equality in the United States from the late 19th century through the 1960s.
  • U 345 (HIST 373) The Black Radical Tradition 3 cr. Autumn, odd years.  From slave revolts through to the Move rebellion in Philadelphia, this course examines how the African-American community has engaged in radical efforts to change the status quo in the name of seeking justice. Same as AAS 373.
  • U 347 African American Religious Experience 3cr. Spring, odd years.  Same as AAS 374 and RELS 374.  The African American religious experience encompasses Islam, Christianity, Santeria, voodoo, and many others.  In this course, students will examine the history of religious expression within the African-American community from the colonial era through the twentieth century.  Central to the course question, "How did religion shape the experience of the African-American community?" Students will also examine the ways in which religious practice influenced social, political, and cultural changes in American history.
  • UG 354X Indians of Montana Since the Reservation Era  3 cr.  Offered autumn odd-numbered years.  Same as ANTH 324X and NAS 324X.  Examination of the history of Montana Indians since the establishment of the reservations, contemporary conditions, and issues among both reservation and non-reservation Indian communities in the state.  Special attention given to social and economic conditions, treaty rights, tribal sovereignty, and legal issues.
  • UG 358 (HIST 369) Images of the American West  3 cr. Offered even-numbered years.  The roles that artists, artistic works and illustrations, and symbolic images have played in the history of the American West.
  • UG 361 The American South: From Slavery to Civil Rights 3 cr. Offered autumn odd-numbered years.  Social history of the American South with particular attention to race, class, and gender.
  • U 375 U. S. Immigration and Ethnicity 3 cr. Discussion-BASED course on immigration, assimilation, and social diversity in U.S. history.  Students will study the waves of immigration that have peopled America from colonial times to the present, the shifting intellectual and policy responses to immigration, the social histories of different immigrant and ethnic/racial groups, and contemporary debates about multiculturalism.
  • UG 379 (HIST 377) American Constitutional History Since 1864 3 cr. Offered intermittently. The development of the American Constitution from the Civil War to the present.
  • UG 380H (HIST 376) Problems in American Constitutional History 3 cr. Offered intermittently. An examination of major issues in the American constitutional past.  Topics include the creation of the U.S. Constitution and the problem of "original intent," courts and judicial review, slavery and anti-slavery, the bill of rights, industrial capitalism and the welfare state, and majority rule and minority rights in American democracy.
  • UG 382 (HIST 363H) History of American Law 3 cr.  Offered intermittently. Issues in the social history of law from the colonial period to the present.
  • U 385 (HIST 367H) Families and Children in America 3 cr.  Offered intermittently.  Historical overview of families and children in the United States from the colonial era to the present.  Topics include changing patterns of family life, the evolution of attitudes toward children and youth, the relationship between the American family and the nation-state, and debates over "family values" from the nation's founding to the present.
  • UG 387 (HIST 370H) Women in America: to the Civil War  3 cr. Offered autumn.  Same as WS 370H. Interpretive overview of women's experiences in America before the Civil War.  Exploration of new definitions of womanhood and "women's sphere" emerging from women's varied experiences in the American colonies and the American Revolution; how immigrant, poor, slave, and western women transgressed the boundaries of their sphere; and how women--from both inside and outside their assigned sphere--reshaped their roles in American society.
  • UG 388 (HIST 371H) Women in America: from the Civil War to the Present  3 cr. Offered spring.  Same as LS and WS  371H, Interpretive overview of women's experiences in America after the Civil War.  Exploration of such topics as women's associations, the battle for suffrage, organized feminism and its opponents, the industrialization of housework, women in the workforce, reproductive rights, and welfare.  Particular attention to women's experiences shaped by class and race as well as by gender.
  • U 391 (HIST 395) Special Topics Variable cr. (R-12) Offered intermittently. Experimental offerings of visiting professors, experimental offerings of new courses, or one-time offerings of current topics.
  • Although the department has no official prerequisites for 400-level courses, they may require appropriate prior study.  Interested students should inquire of the History Department before registering.
  • U 417 (HIST 450) Prayer and Civil Rights 3 cr.  Autumn, even years.  Same as AAS 450 and RELS 450.  This course explores the meaning of public prayer in the Civil Rights Movement.  Built around the question, "Does religion help or hinder the pursuit of social change?" this class combines historical and religious studies inquiry to trace changes in civil rights activists' efforts to make use of religion.  By focusing on a particular religious practice - in this case prayer - in a specific, but limited period of time, this course challenges students to consider how meaning is formed through historical action and study the social significance of religious practice.  This formed through historical action and study the social significance of religious practice.  This course complicates prevailing ideas about the normalcy of  African-American religious practitioners' prayer, invites students to examine their assumptions about the nature of prayer, and traces how religion spilled out of sanctuaries into the streets during the civil rights era.
  • UG 418 (HIST 470) Women and Slavery 3 cr.  Same as WGS 418. Offered autumn odd-numbered years.  Prereq., upper-division standing.  Study of the connection between women's status and slavery in antebellum America, looking at slave women, slaveholding women, and antislavery women.
  • UG 419 (HIST 471)Southern Women in Black and White 3 cr. Same as WGS 419. Offered spring, even-numbered years.  Examination of the connections between race, class, and gender in the South.  Conflict and cooperation among black and white women in politics, reform, and work.
  • UG 452X (HIST 465H) History of Indian Affairs TO 1865 3 cr. Offered autumn.  Same as NAS 465X. A study of tribal encounters and adjustments to the American nations in the nineteenth century.
  • UG 453X (HIST 466H) History of Indian Affairs from 1865 3 cr. Offered spring.  Same as NAS 466X. A study of tribal encounters and adjustments to the American nation from 1890.
  • UG 455 (HIST 467) Indian, Bison and Horse 3 cr.  Offered autumn odd-numbered years.  Historical interaction between Native American societies, horses and bison in North America. A writing intensive course.
  • UG 462 (HIST 401) Regionalism and the Rocky Mountain West 3 cr.  Offered spring odd-numbered years. Same as GEOG 401.  Investigation of regionalism as a concept and its future in the Rocky Mountain West.  Regionalism as a geographical, economic, political and cultural entity. An intensive writing class.
  • UG 465X History of Indian Affairs to 1776 3 cr. Offered autumn.  Same as NAS 465X.  A study of tribal encounters and adjustments to the American nations in the nineteenth century.
  • G 550 Early America 3 cr. Intensive reading.
  • G 551 The Early American Republic: Constitution to Civil War  3 cr. Intensive reading.
  • G 552 Industrial America, 1863-1932 3 cr. Intensive reading.
  • G 553 Modern America 3 cr. Intensive reading.
  • G 560 The American State 3 cr. Intensive reading in the history of American government.
  • G 564 U.S. Environmental History 3 cr. Intensive reading.
  • G 566 The American West 3 cr. Intensive reading.
  • G 567 Native Americans 3 cr. Intensive reading.
  • G 570 U.S. Women's History 3 cr. Intensive readings in U.S. women's history.
  • G 594 Seminar Variable  cr. (R-12) Prereq., 27 credits in history. Directed research.
  • G 595 Special Topics Variable cr. (R-9) Experimental offerings of visiting professors, experimental offerings of new courses, or one-time offerings of current topics.
  • G 596 Independent Study Variable cr. (R-12)
  • G 597 Research in History Variable cr. (R-9)
  • G 598 Internship Variable cr. (R-8) Prereq., consent of department and Internship Services office. Practical application of classroom learning in off-campus placements.
  • G 599 Professional Paper Variable cr. (R-6)
  • G 699 Thesis/Dissertation Variable cr. (R-6)

World History (HSTR)

  • U 101H (HIST 104H) Western Civilization I 4 cr. Offered autumn.  A comprehensive, introductory history of western civilization from classical antiquity to 1715. Lecture-discussion. Credit not allowed for both 101H and 103H.
  • U 102H (HIST 105H) Western Civilization II 4 cr. Offered spring.  A comprehensive, introductory history of western civilization from 1715 to the present. Lecture-discussion. Credit not allowed for both 102H and 104H.
  • U 103H (HIST 107H) Honors Western Civilization I 4 cr. Offered autumn.  Limited enrollment by consent of instr. only. A comprehensive, introductory history of western civilization from classical antiquity to 1715. Lecture-honors discussion. Credit not allowed for both 103H and 101H.
  • U 104H (HIST 108H) Honors  Western Civilization II 4 cr. Offered spring.  Limited enrollment by consent of instr. only. A comprehensive introductory history of western civilization from 1715 to the present. Lecture-honors discussion. Credit not allowed for both 104H and 102H.
  • U 146H  (HIST 106) The Silk Road 3 cr.  Offered autumn and spring. Same as AS and ANTH 106H.  Introduction to the study of the human communities, cultures, and economies in Central and Southwest Asia along the ancient four thousand mile-long Silk Road.
  • U 191 (HIST 195) Special Topics Variable cr. (R-6) Offered intermittently.  Experimental offerings of visiting professors, experimental offerings of new courses, or one-time offerings of current topics.
  • U 198 Internship Variable cr.  Offered intermittently.  Prereq., consent of department. Extended classroom experience which provides practical application of classroom learning during placements off campus. Prior approval must be obtained from the faculty supervisor and the Internship Services office.  A maximum of 6 credits of Internship (198, 298, 398, 498) may count toward graduation.
  • U 208 Discovering Africa 3 cr.  Offered intermittently.  Same as AAS 208.  Interdisciplinary study of the history of pre-colonial Africa, focusing on social, economic, political and cultural institutions and traditions including the wealth, diversity and complexity of ancient and classical African civilizations and cultures.
  • U 230H (HIST 286H) Colonial Latin America 3 cr. Offered autumn.  Latin America from the conquest to wars for independence.  Focus on social relations, imperial and local politics, hegemony, resistance, and change.
  • U 231H (HIST 287H) Modern Latin America 3 cr. Offered spring. Latin American history from wars of independence to the present.  Focus on social relations, development models, politics, and popular movements.
  • U 240 (HIST 201H) East Asian Civilizations 3 cr.  Offered autumn.  Same as AS 201.  An interdisciplinary, pluralist, and exploratory introduction to civilizations of East Asia.  Primary focus on China, Japan, and Korea, the relations among them and their patterns of interaction with the outside world in pre-modern and modern periods.
  • U 241  (HIST 214S) Central Asia: Peoples and Environments 3 cr. Offered autumn. Same as AS, ANTH, LS 214S.  Introduction to Central Asia's history, culture and ways of thinking.  Focus on the political and social organization of Central Asia and cultural changes as expressed in art and interactions with China, India and the Middle East.
  • U 242 (HIST 240H) History and Philosophy of Science 3 cr.  Offered intermittently.  Same as PHIL 240.  The epistemological and metaphysical developments of natural philosophy or science.  The origins of science in ancient Greece and its subsequent development during the scientific revolution. Developments in biology, especially Darwinism and genetics, as well as developments in physics.
  • U 250 (HIST 249) The Irish and Irish-Americans 3 cr. Offered autumn odd-numbered years.  Ireland, the Irish people, and the Irish Diaspora, from first settlement to contemporary troubles.
  • U 262 (HIST 283H) Islamic Civilization: The Classical Age 3 cr. Offered autumn.  Same as ANTH 283.  A concise history of the Islamic world from the 6th century to the fall of the Abbasid Empire in the 13th century, focusing primarily on the teachings of Islam and the causes for the rapid expansion of the Islamic empire.
  • U 264 (HIST 284H) Islamic Civilization: The Modern Era 3 cr. Offered spring.  Same as ANTH 284.  History of the Islamic world and particularly the Persian, Arabic, and Turkish speaking lands between 1453 and 1952.
  • U 272E (HIST 226E) Terrorism: Political Violence in the Modern World 3 cr. Offered autumn.  Prereq., lower-division course in Perspective 5 or consent of instr. The rise and spread of terrorism in the modern world, from the French Revolution to the present.
  • U 291 (HIST 295) Special Topics Variable cr. (R-12) Offered intermittently.  Experimental offerings of visiting professors, experimental offerings of new courses, or one-time offerings of current topics.
  • Although the department has no official prerequisites for 300-level courses, they generally rest on a modicum of survey knowledge or ability.
  • UG 300 The Historians' Craft 3 cr. Offered autumn and spring.  The location and use of historical sources; footnotes, bibliography, and style; previous historical interpretations; an explicit writing component.
  • UG  301  Classical Greece 3 cr. Offered intermittently.  Same as MCLG 301. Greek history from the earliest times through the Macedonian ascendancy, based on the writings of the Greek historians.
  • UG 302 Classical Greece II: Individual, Family, and Civic Life in Ancient Greece 3 cr. Offered intermittently.  Same as MCLG 302. Various aspects of personal, social, and political life of classical times in Greece.  Primary readings in various ancient authors supplemented by some audio-visual or other informational presentations.
  • UG 304 (HIST 303H) Classical Rome 3 cr. Offered intermittently.  Same as MCLG 303. Roman history from the time of the Kings through the early Empire. Based on the writings of the Roman historians.
  • UG 306 The Medieval World: The Barbarian West, 400-1200 3 cr. Offered autumn.  The collapse of Roman authority, the establishment of the Germanic kingdoms, Christianity and the Roman church.
  • UG 307 The Medieval World: The High Middle Ages, 1150-1450 3 cr. Offered spring.  The Christian world in the West to the decline of the papacy, a hundred years of war, the Black Death.
  • UG 312 The Age of Absolutism, 1648-1789 3 cr. Offered intermittently.  The political, economic, intellectual, and social development of Europe 1648-1789.
  • UG 315 (HIST 310H) The Reformation 3 cr. Offered intermittently.  The Reformation and its impact on European society, politics, economic theory and religious thought from 1500 to 1600; the Counter-Reformation.
  • UG 317 (HIST 311H) Europe in Renaissance and Reform, 1348-1648 3 cr. Offered intermittently.  The political, economic, intellectual and social development of Europe from 1348 to 1648.
  • UG 320 (HIST 338H) European Social and Intellectual History: 1450-1789 3 cr. Offered autumn. The influence of the Renaissance, Baroque and Classical Ages, and the Enlightenment on early modern history.
  • UG 323 (HIST 339H) European Social and Intellectual History: The 19th Century 3 cr. Offered autumn. Romanticism, Realism, and the Avant-Garde against the historical background of the Industrial Revolution and urbanization.
  • UG 325 (HIST 340H) European Social and Intellectual History: The 20th Century 3 cr. Offered spring. The triumph of the Avant-Garde and the decline of traditional culture: 1914-1945.
  • UG 326 (HIST 319H) Contemporary Europe 3 cr. Offered autumn odd-numbered years.  European politics, culture, and society since 1945.
  • U 334 (HIST 385) Latin America: Reform and Revolution 3cr.  Offered spring.  Different ideologies and projects in Latin America aimed at gradual or radical transformation of political systems and/or socio-economic relations.  Case studies range from the Haitian Revolution to the Bolivarian vision of Hugo Chavez.
  • UG 343 (HIST 381H) Modern Japan 3 cr. Offered spring.  Japanese culture, politics, and economics since 1800: the Tokugawa period, the Meiji Restoration, militarization and the Great Pacific War, the American occupation, Japan as a model of modernization.
  • UG 345 (HIST 380H) Modern China 3 cr. Offered autumn.  China since 180, emphasizing internal weaknesses of the Manchu dynasty, confrontation with the west, and the emergence of Nationalist and Communist regimes.
  • U 346 Central Asia and Its Neighbors  3 cr.  Offered spring.  Same as AS 345 and ANTH 346.  Analysis of the human communities and cultures of Central and Southwest Asia, with particular emphasis on the importance of relationships with neighboring countries and civilizations since ancient times.
  • UG 348 (HIST 341) Britain from Reformation to Revolution, 1485-1688 3 cr. Offered autumn. Social, political, religious, and intellectual history of the British peoples during the tumultuous period of reformation, exploration, constitutional crisis, and civil war.
  • UG 349 (HIST 342) Britain from Revolution to Reform, 1688-1832 3 cr. Offered spring. The social, political, cultural, and intellectual consequences of British expansion, financial and industrial revolutions, and revolutionary movements.
  • UG 350 (HIST 343)  Modern Britain 3 cr. Offered autumn odd-numbered years.  Social, political, intellectual and cultural history of the United Kingdom from an age of industry, empire, and political reform to one of economic decline and international retreat.
  • UG 352 (HIST 314) France in Revolution, 1789-1848 3 cr. Offered autumn.  Political, economic, and social upheaval and development.
  • UG 353 (HIST 315) Modern France, 1848-Present 3 cr. Offered intermittently.  The political, economic and social development.
  • UG 354 (HIST 324) Italy: 1300-1800 3 cr. Offered autumn odd-numbered years.  The emergence of the Italian states with an emphasis on cultural achievements in the late Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque, and Neoclassical periods.
  • UG 355 (HIST 325) Italy: 1800-Present 3 cr. Offered spring even-numbered years.  The emergence of a united Italy, the triumph of fascism and contemporary Italian society.
  • UG 357 (HIST 344) Russia to 1881 3 cr. Offered autumn.  Emphasis on the autocratic political tradition, Westernization, and territorial expansion.
  • UG 358  (HIST 345) Russia Since 1881: War, Revolution and Reform 3 cr. Offered spring.  Emphasis on modernization and the revolutionary movement; the Bolshevik Revolution and Stalinist era; the decline of Soviet system.
  • UG 361 (HIST 321) Germany: Augsburg to Bismarck, 1555-1866 3 cr. Offered intermittently.  Political, economic and social development of the states of the Holy Roman Empire from 1555-1866.
  • UG 363 (HIST 348) Eastern Europe 3 cr. Offered spring. Main currents in the history of Eastern Europe from earliest times to the present. Focus on the lands of Poland, Bohemia, Hungary, and the Balkan region.
  • UG 364 (HIST 364) Environmental History 3cr. Offered spring odd-numbered years.  Prereq., lower-division course in Perspective 5 or consent of instr.  A history of the human-nature interaction in the United States.
  • UG 367 (HIST 365) 19th Century American West 3 cr.  Offered autumn.  Euro-American movement and conflict in the nineteenth century trans-Mississippi west.
  • UG 368 (HIST 387) Iran Between Two Revolutions 3 cr. Offered spring.  Same as ANTH 387.  The socioeconomic, political, and cultural causes which resulted in the transformation of the Iranian society from a traditional Islamic entity to a modern secular state and the factors which led to the downfall of the secular state and the establishment of an Islamic republic.
  • UG 369 (HIST 366) 20th Century American West 3 cr.  Offered spring.  The contemporary trans-Mississippi West.
  • UG 374H/E (HIST 334E) War, Peace, and Society 3 cr. Offered intermittently. A thematic and interdisciplinary approach to warfare and peace, sociopolitical structures and military organization, power among states, technological change, the role of the individual in organized violence, and moral views of war and peace.
  • UG 377H (HIST 330H) European International Relations: Origins of the State System to 1870 3 cr. Offered intermittently.  The nature, evolution, and functions of the European diplomatic system from the Ancient World to 1870.
  • UG 378 (HIST 332H) The Global Diplomacy of the Cold War 3 cr.   Offered intermittently.  Deals with the emergence of the Cold War, confrontations like the Cuban Missile Crisis, wars like those in Korea and Vietnam, strategies of deterrence, the rise of Gorbachev, the collapse of the Iron Curtain and the Cold War itself, and the long term implications of the Cold War on contemporary international relations.
  • UG 380H (HIST 331H) Foreign Relations of the Great Powers, 1870-Present 3 cr. Offered intermittently.  Begins with a discussion of the classical system of diplomacy and then moves into the causes and results of the First World War, the rise of Hitler and the Second World War, America's emergence as a superpower, the Cold War, the influence of Asia, the implications of the 9/11 attack and terrorism, and the continuing search for peace and stability in a world of conflict.
  • UG 382 (HIST 350) Historical Backgrounds to Current Crises 3 cr. (R-6) Offered intermittently.  Social, intellectual, political, and constitutional backgrounds of unresolved crises in Europe, Asia, Middle East, and America.
  • UG 384E (HIST 335E) Human Rights 3 cr. Offered intermittently.  A treatment of the powerful global influence of visions of human rights upon the historical and contemporary world in which movements such as abolitionism, women's rights, humanitarian law, racial equality, decolonization and democratization, and the impact of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
  • UG 386 Nationalism in Modern Middle East 3 cr. Offered autumn.  Same as ANTH 386. The several intellectual traditions and philosophies some ephemeral and visionary, most eclectic and confused, and virtually all conflicting  that are usually believed to underlie the varying concept of Iranian and Arab nationalism in the 20th century.
  • U 388 Africa to 1880 3 cr. Offered intermittently.  Same as AAS 388.  History of Africa from the earliest of times.  Evolution of African societies and states, social, economic, political, and cultural developments; the dynamics, nature and consequences of Africa's interaction with Europe up to 1880.
  • U 389 Africa Since 1880 3 cr. Offered intermittently.  Same as AAS 389.  Historical development in Africa since the imposition of colonial rule.  Analysis of colonialism and emergence of nationalism.
  • U 391 (HIST 395) Special Topics Variable cr. (R-12) Offered intermittently. Experimental offerings of visiting professors, experimental offerings of new courses, or one-time offerings of current topics.
  • U 393 Omnibus Variable cr. (R-9) Offered intermittently.  University omnibus option for independent work. See index.
  • UG 394 Seminar Variable cr. (R-6) Offered intermittently.
  • U 396 Independent Study Variable cr. (R-12) Offered intermittently.
  • U 398 Internship Variable cr.   Offered intermittently. Prereq., consent of department. Extended classroom experience which provides practical application of classroom learning during placements off campus. Prior approval must be obtained from the faculty supervisor and the Internship Services office.  A maximum of 6 credits of Internship (198, 298, 398, 498) may count toward graduation.
  • Although the department has no official prerequisites for 400-level courses, they may require appropriate prior study.  Interested students should inquire of the History Department before registering.
  • UG 401 (HIST 400) Historiography: History and Historians 3 cr. Offered intermittently.  The history and philosophy of history.
  • UG 409 History of Southern Africa 3 cr.  Offered intermittently.  Same as AAS 409.  Historical survey of developments in southern Africa from the earliest of times to the present.  Focus on the evolution and growth of societies and states; economic, social and political developments; external interventions and impacts on race relations.
  • UG 410 Personalities in History 3 cr. (R-6) Offered intermittently. Influential individuals in European, American, and Asian history.
  • UG 435 (HIST 485) Latin America: Memories of Politics and Politics of Memory 3cr.  Offered spring alternate years.  Individual and collective memories of social and political conflict, activism, and repression in Latin America.  Battles over memory (and its relation to truth) in forums ranging from academic panels to human rights tribunals.  Relations between memory, politics and history in select case studies.
  • UG 436 (HIST 486) Latin America: Workers and Labor History 3 cr. offered spring alternate years.  Structures, experiences, and agency of working people in Latin America, with emphasis on the modern period.  Influence or race, ethnicity, gender, religion, and generation on working class identity and movements.  Labor organizations and politics in historic context.
  • UG 441 (HIST 462) Central Asia Seminar 3 cr.  Offered spring.  Same as AS and  460.  Advanced analysis of the historical and contemporary issues involving the human communities, cultures, and economies in Central and Southwest Asia.
  • UG 442 (HIST 402) Cities and Landscapes of Central Asia 3 cr.  Offered autumn.  Same as AS 402 and ANTH 462.  Analysis of the main centers of civilization and culture, rich sites and monuments of Central Asia and Southwest Asia since ancient times.
  • U 448 Tradition & Reform in China 3cr.
  • U 449 Revolution & Reform in China 3cr.
  • UG 455 An Introduction to Public History 3 cr. Offered spring.  Review of selected areas in which public historians work. Examination of how the public historian's role may differ from the academic historian. Focus on specific approaches, issues, and problems in a variety of areas of public history.
  • UG 457 (HIST 445) The World of Anna Karenina 3 cr. Offered fall.  Tolstoy's classic novel as a point of entry into a multifaceted exploration of imperial Russian culture and society.  Topics include family life, social relations, modernization, politics, religion and spirituality, gender and sexuality.
  • UG 458 (HIST 446) The Russian Revolution, 1900-1930 3 cr. Offered spring. The causes, course, character, and consequences of the Bolshevik Revolution.
  • UG 459 (HIST 457) Artistic Traditions of Central and Southwest Asia  3 cr.  Offered autumn and spring. Same as AS 457 and ANTH 461.  Analysis of the study of human artistic creativity and scientific innovations of various cultures in Central and Southwest Asia since ancient times.
  • UG 470 (HIST 437) Dynamics of Diplomacy 3 cr. Offered intermittently. An interdisciplinary, global, and thematic approach to major issues in foreign affairs brought about by world wars, diplomatic expansion, the collapse of cultural homogeneity, technological developments, and the rise of public opinion.
  • UG 472E (HIST 460E) Problems of Peace and National Security 3 cr. Offered intermittently.  Prereq., lower-division course in Perspective 5 or consent of instr. Contemporary and historical problems of civilian policy and military strategy, power and technology, intelligence operations in democratic societies, human rights and security issues, conscription, and ethics in statecraft.
  • UG 481 Tradition and Reform in China 3 cr. Taught annually.  Prereq., junior standing or consent of instructor.  A history of key reform movements from the mid-19th century (when China was rocked by rebellion and the entry of the West) to the Maoist period.
  • UG 482 Revolution and Reform in China 3 cr. Offered fall.  A history of the rise and fall of the Maoist regime and the complicated impact of the epochal post Mao reform movement.
  • U 493 Omnibus Variable cr. (R-9) Offered intermittently.  University omnibus option for independent work. See index.
  • UG 494 Seminar Variable cr. (R-6) Offered intermittently.  Prereq., consent of instr.
  • UG 495 Special Topics Variable cr. (R-12) Offered intermittently.  Experimental offerings of visiting professors, experimental offerings of new courses, or one-time offerings of current topics.
  • UG 496 Independent Study Variable cr. (R-12) Offered intermittently.  Prereq., consent of instr.
  • G 500 Teaching Discussion Sections in History 1 cr. (R-4) Supervised teaching and reading keyed to survey courses in American history and western civilization.
  • G 511 Early Modern Europe 3 cr. Offered alternate years. Intensive reading in 16th, 17th, and 18th century European history.
  • G 512 Age of Absolutism and Revolution, 1648-1789 3 cr.  Offered autumn even numbered years.  Intensive reading in 17th and 18th century European history.
  • G 514 Modern France 3 cr. Offered alternate years. Intensive reading, from the French Revolution to the present.
  • G 516 Modern Europe 3 cr. Offered alternate years. Intensive reading in 19th and 20th century European history.
  • G 531 International Relations 3 cr. Offered alternate years. Intensive reading in the history of international relations and diplomacy during the late 19th and 20th centuries.
  • G 540 European Cultural and Intellectual History 3 cr.  Intensive reading.
  • G 541 Early Modern Britain 3 cr. Offered intermittently.  Intensive reading in British history from 1500 to 1800.
  • G 544 Modern Russia 3 cr. Offered alternate years. Intensive reading in 19th and 20th century Russia.
  • G 585 Latin America 3 cr. Offered alternate years. Intensive reading.
  • G 586 Modern Islamic Politics 3 cr. Offered alternate years. Intensive reading.
  • G 594 Seminar Variable  cr. (R-12) Prereq., 27 credits in history. Directed research.
  • G 595 Special Topics Variable cr. (R-9) Experimental offerings of visiting professors, experimental offerings of new courses, or one-time offerings of current topics.
  • G 596 Independent Study Variable cr. (R-12)
  • G 597 Research in History Variable cr. (R-9)
  • G 598 Internship Variable cr. (R-8) Prereq., consent of department and Internship Services office. Practical application of classroom learning in off-campus placements.
  • G 599 Professional Paper Variable cr. (R-6)
  • G 699 Thesis/Dissertation Variable cr. (R-6)

Faculty

Professors

  • George M. Dennison, Ph.D., University of Washington, 1968 (President)
  • Richard R. Drake, Ph.D., University of California, Los Angeles, 1976 (Chair)
  • John A. Eglin, Ph.D., Yale University, 1996
  • William E. Farr, Ph.D., University of Washington, 1971
  • Dan Flores, Ph.D., Texas A & M University, 1978 (A.B. Hammond Professor of Western History)
  • Linda S. Frey, Ph.D., Ohio State University, 1971
  • Anya Jabour, Ph.D., Rice University, 1995
  • Paul Gordon Lauren, Ph.D., Stanford University, 1973 (Regents Professor)
  • Michael S. Mayer, Ph.D., Princeton University, 1984

Associate Professor

  • Jeff Wiltse, Ph.D., Brandeis University, 2002

Assistant Professors

  • Robert H. Greene, Ph.D., University of Michigan, 2004
  • Jody Pavilack, Ph.D., Duke University, 2003
  • Tobin Miller Shearer, Ph.D., Northwestern University, 2008
  • Kyle G. Volk, Ph.D., University of Chicago, 2008

Emeritus Professor

  • David M. Emmons, Ph.D., University of Colorado, 1969
  • Harry W. Fritz, Ph.D., Washington University at St. Louis, 1971
  • Kenneth A. Lockridge, Ph.D., Princeton University, 1965
  • Frederick W. Skinner, Ph.D., Princeton University, 1973

Registrar's Office

Lommasson Center 201

Phone: (406) 243-2995

Fax: (406) 243-4807