History Courses

Today's headlines report the failure of revolutions with their civil wars, ethnic massacres, and palace coups. What constitutes a successful revolution? What lessons are there in the American experience? General Washington's startling words in 1783 express his anxiety for the problems of American state-building and give the title to a course that will examine the origins of those problems in the protest to British imperialism, the War for Independence, and the post-war challenges leading to the creation of the federal structure under the Constitution.

In addition to providing an overview of Ancient Mediterranean and Near Eastern History from the Paleolithic age to the fall of Rome, this course explores in some detail various controversial topics that have generated popular interest and often engendered misinformation. These topics are analyzed in a scholarly manner in order to solve the mystery or expose common mis-perceptions and pseudo-scholarship. Typical topics include the following: the fall of Rome, the historical Jesus, other Biblical topics, the pyramids, the Neanderthal problem, and the search for the Trojan War.

An examination of the beginning, development, and decline of the three major aboriginal cultures of the Western Hemisphere. The total culture of each civilization will be explored including religious, social, economic, and military factors. Post-conquest developments will also be examined.

This course examines the issues and problems involved within the Confederate government in selecting and using generals and in developing and implementing national strategy during the Civil War. Topics include the personal role of Jefferson Davis, the influence of Robert E. Lee, the problematic service of Braxton Bragg, P.G.T. Beauregard, and Joseph E. Johnston, among others. We will also explore the controversies among Confederate leaders between offensive and defensive strategy and between Virginia the western theater of the war.

A study of the indigenous inhabitants of the Andes, especially Peru and Bolivia, through archaeological and ethnographic data. Focus is on the development of agriculture and early population centers, particularly the Incas. The course ends with a study of contemporary Quechua and Aymara peoples, and discussion of current political and economic issues.

This course will examine the frequently intertwined traditions of ritual and drama among Mayan peoples of Southern Mexico and Central America, from pre-Hispanic times to the present. The course will combine a historical perspective beginning with pre-Columbian documents and Spanish colonial chronicles. Twentieth-century manifestations will be particularly highlighted, based on the instructor's first-hand research; special emphasis will be given to the work of performance groups based in Yucatan and Chiapas, Mexico. Extensive video material will complement textual analyses.

An overview of the Native Americans of the region from pre-contact times to the present. Relations and differences among native groups are emphasized as well as interactions with non-Indian groups. Efforts to whiten" the native population ranging from Spanish missionary activities in the 16th century to the federal government's "termination policy" in the 1950s are analyzed."

Students will develop a better understanding of contemporary culture and society in Mexico and Latin America by examining belief systems from pre-history to pre-Hispanic Mesoamerica, especially regarding female deities, and their modern-day counterpart, the Virgin of Guadalupe. At the end of the course, students will be familiar with recent archaeological research and scholarship and will be able to identify anthropological similarities among mythic-symbolic female images of pre-history from the around the world and understand the pivotal and primal role of the feminine in belief systems of all ancient cultures and their impact on modern traditions, including Mexico's.

This course will examine American history from the perspective of the complex relationships between humans and their environment from pre-literate times through the 21st century. Geographically, the course will be bounded by the limits of the present United States. During the term, we will address the following questions: How did the environment shape American history and influence various American societies? How have conceptions of the environment changed? Do humans interact with the environment any differently now than they did 600 years ago? How have environmental concerns shaped politics and political movements?

Today’s headlines report the failure of revolutions with their civil wars, ethnic massacres, and palace coups. What constitutes a successful revolution? What lessons are there in the American experience? General Washington’s startling words in 1783 express his anxiety for the problems of American state building and give the title to a course that will examine the origins of those problems in the protest to British Imperialism, the War for Independence, and the post-war challenges leading to the creation of the Federal structure under the Constitution.

An analysis of the civilization, culture and values of contemporary China and Japan with a view to explaining why each nation reacted so differently to Western impact and what each portends for America and the rest of the western world. The course stresses traditional Chinese and Japanese values, how they are manifested in everyday life as well as national and economic decision-making, and how these values are different from those held by most Americans.

From the end of the Second World War in 1945 until the collapse of the Soviet Union forty-five years later, the Cold War dominated the domestic and foreign affairs of the United States. This course examines the origins of the Cold War and some of the consequences, including the development and application of the containment policy, McCarthyism, the wars in Korea and Vietnam, various other interventions, the debates over diplomatic issues, and the various strategies employed by different presidential administrations. Students will have a chance to do some reading on these subjects and to discuss them. Also they will view episodes from CNN's production, The Cold War. The requirements consist of short weekly papers based on the readings and also a kind of term project, a five-seven page critique of John Lewis Gaddis' book, We Now Know. The others readings are T.G. Paterson and J.G. Clifford, America Ascendant: U.S. Foreign Relations since 1939 and R.J. McMahon and T.G. Paterson, The Origins of the Cold War, 4th ed.

In this survey we will seek to understand the influence of war in human history from ancient times to the present. This course will trace the causes and effects of war, the evolution of military technology, and the role played by leadership. To highlight these, we will discuss decisive military battles throughout history. Hopefully, by examining this process we will be able to understand ourselves and our world a little better.

In this course the political, social and economic factors in the New South are examined with attention given to comparative regional history. Particular emphasis will be placed on historical interpretations, showing both the professional and lay image of the South in today's society. The economic modernization of the South will also be a major theme of the course.

A history of the issues, conflicts and personalities in the development of the American presidency. An examination of twelve selected presidential administrations from George Washington to the modern presidency will be conducted.

A focus on the impact of World War II as the seminal event of the 20th century that gave rise to or influenced most major contemporary global issues. By examining the war in a broader perspective, issues such as the East-West balance of power, the end of traditional imperialism, the upheavals in the third world, and the proliferation of technology, the effect of the war 50 years later can be better understood and interpreted.

This course examines the causes and consequences of war and revolution in 20th century Vietnam. Concentrating on major events such as the Vietnamese anti-colonial movement, the 1945 August Revolution, Ho Chi Minh and Vietnamese Communism, the Franco-Viet Minh War, the roots of the U.S. involvement and the American War in Vietnam, students explore modern Vietnamese history from a variety of perspectives: Vietnamese, American, French, and Chinese. Course requirements include assigned readings, book and film critiques, a webliographic essay, and participation in threaded discussion.

This course examines the development of the concept of “female” in the West. We will review the female as the ancient Greeks and the earliest Romans did, re-constructing as best we can their notions of womanly sex, gender, biology, psychology, sociology, anthropology, theology, language, and literature. Furthermore, we will use our own anachronistic lenses of “feminism” and “sexism” to de-construct ideas and ideals of key figures of history who have formed our contemporary concepts of female; in other words, we will assess the feminisms and sexism of individuals such as Sappho, Helen of Troy, and Cornelia, as well as persons such as Euripides, Aristotle, and Cicero. Students engage with readings, discussions, and writing to map and to evaluate critically the concept of female in the ancient West and our contemporary relationship to that concept. Course requirements include (1) active class participation in online threaded discussions about the readings and (2) reflective academic projects to imagine positive change to the constructs of “female.”

In this course, we will first ask the question, “What is Native American Literature?” In order to propose an answer, we will begin by examining several examples of the oral tradition, representing selected tribal nations, in order to reach a better understanding of the historical and cultural background that informs creation stories, myths, and legends. Then, we will investigate the relationship between the oral tradition and the written literature of key Native writers and explore the diverse aspects of storytelling in their poems, plays, and/or novels through the lens of identity, community, and survival. At times, we will also consider how films and other visual arts address these themes. We will have the unique opportunity to meet Lucy Tapahonso, one of the most respected Native poets today and the poet laureate of the Navajo Nation. 

This course explores what Africa is not and what Africa is by examining the ways in which Africa is constructed and portrayed historically and contemporarily. The perspective one has about Africa (the people, culture, the continent, its politics, economy, etc.,) varies depending on many factors. One of these factors is the image(s) one has about Africa. Images generate perceptions and perceptions in turn serve as foundation for forming perspectives that shape popular narratives. In order to understand what Africa is and is not, this course will examine images and related perceptions of Africa that are prevalent historically as well as in today’s world society—both in Africa (by Africans) and the world at large. It examines images both visual and textual of the way Africa is imagined, depicted and narrated in the cultures and societies of the Global North as well as in African literature, media, and popular culture. It will assess representations of Africa in texts, films, news, literature, media and popular culture, international donors, etc. The course aims to give students opportunity to explore how images and constructions of Africa (both inside Africa and outside Africa) have taken shape over time and what perceptions and narratives these images promoted. In so doing it will provide a context to develop a critically balanced perspective on Africa and things related to Africa, to recognize the role of images in creating popular narratives and perceptions, and to realize the importance of critically examining images, perceptions, and narratives in order to formulate one’s understanding of society and culture.

Whiskey embodies multiple sciences and engineering. Whiskey has played a significant role in history including that of the United States. The course conveys elementary science concepts from the disciplines of chemistry, plant biology, genetics, neuroscience and engineering along with the historical underpinnings of these concepts as well as the impact that whiskey has had on US history since the colonial era up to and including multinational corporations. Laboratory experiments are linked intimately to lecture content. The discussion, while rigorous, should be accessible to interested students from any discipline.