Introductory History courses (101-199) are recommended to students considering any major who seek to develop oral and writing skills as well as historical awareness. Courses numbered 101 are topical, thematic courses. Styled like seminars and capped at 19 students, they especially encourage class discussion.
Advanced Placement: A score of 4 or 5 in history counts toward the Historical Studies Common Area Requirement. Students in the Class of 2024 with Advanced Placement scores of 4 or 5 in History may qualify to enroll in 200-level courses during their first year. AP credit does not count toward the number of courses required for the major. Please consult the chair of the department with questions.
Majors: First-year students who are considering a history major are encouraged to enroll in one of the introductory level courses listed on the First-Year Student website.
Courses
HIST 101
Themes
Common Area: Historical Studies
An introduction to historical studies as a mode of intellectual inquiry, this is an intensive reading, writing, and discussion course. Seeks to develop a critical awareness of Historical Studies through an in-depth study of selected topics and themes. Emphasis is on student participation and the development of critical thinking. Readings involve some textual analysis and there are frequent short papers. Enrollment preference is given to first-year students. Only one Themes course may be applied toward the minimum of 10 courses needed for the major. One unit.
HIST 111
Rise Christian West To AD 1000
Common Area: Historical Science
Western history from the later Roman period to the formation of Europe in the 11th century. Covers political, religious, economic, social, artistic and legal developments in the fusion of Roman and Christian civilization, the disintegration of the Western Roman empire in the face of barbarian invasions, relations with the Byzantine Eastern Empire, the impact of Islam, rural and urban life, the Carolingian revival, and the impact of new peoples on the European scene. Fulfills one pre-modern/pre-industrial requirement for the major.
HIST 137
American Slavery, American Freedom
Common Area: Historical Studies
Examines the intertwined origins and development of American slavery and American freedom, racial ideology and democracy, and the combustible interaction that created the central contradiction of antebellum America: a republican nation professing equaLiteraturey that was also an enormous slave holding society. Also examines the ways in which Historical Studies work and make arguments, and students will be asked to critically examine both primary and secondary documents.
HIST 196
African Colonial Lives
Common Area: Cross-cultural Studies or Historical Studies
This course analyzes the colonial experience of African people in sub-Saharan Africa, from the late 19th century and throughout the twentieth century. European colonialism in Africa transformed customs, traditions, and social organizations, introduced new boundaries between peoples and erased others through the institutionalization of racism and the creation of new ethnicities. The Historial Studies, theory, and practice of colonialism (and neocolonialism) are presented in this course through Historical Studies documents, scholarly writing, Literature, and film. The course also explores the long-term economic, psychological, and cultural effects and legacies of colonialism on the colonized.
HIST 198
Modern Africa Since 1800
Common Area: Cross-Cultural Studies or Historical Studies
A survey of Africa's complex colonial past, examining dominant ideas about colonial Africa and Africans' experiences during colonialism, including important Historical Studies debates on Africa's colonial past and the legacy of colonialism; pre-colonial Africa's place in the global world; resistance and response to the imposition and entrenchment of colonialism; and the nature of colonial rule as revealed in economic (under) development, ethnicity and conflict, and the environment.