A topical and chronological survey of American history from the time of European settlement through the Civil War and Reconstruction. Emphasis will be placed on historical methodology, interpretive skills, and oral and written expression. Topics to be covered include the impact of settlement on native peoples, slavery, the development of American identity, the creation of an independent government, and the threat posed by the Civil War.

A topical and chronological survey of American history from the end of Reconstruction to the present. Heavy emphasis will be placed on the discipline of history, and in developing interpretive, oral, and written skills. Topics to be covered include the emergence of Jim Crow, the expansion of America, the Gilded Age, reform movements, America at War, Depression and New Deal, the Cold War, the turbulent 1960's, social movements, recent political developments, and the role of the United States in a multinational/multi-ethnic world.

This course surveys the origins, development, and cross-fertilization of major civilizations in Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas from pre-history to 1500 A.D. Attention is given to important themes and human achievements in this early time period, including the agricultural revolution, the rise of cities, kingdoms, and empires, the development of writing, the systematization of religious belief systems, and the development of complex forms of government among various societies. The course encourages students to critically analyze developments in human history, such as advances in technology for making war, treatment of women, notions of superior and inferior societies and civilizations, differing political and philosophical systems, and various ways in which societies have historically distributed, used, and abused power.

HIS 203 builds upon knowledge, themes, ideas and issues introduced in HIS 202, carrying the study of human history forward into the modern world. The course treats the growth and development of nations and of relationships between nations as global regions and worldwide organizations emerge in contemporary times. At the core of the course is a broad treatment of major social, political, economic, religious, and philosophical movements and themes as these have shaped various peoples and groups of people around the world in the past 500 years. Students are constantly asked not only to learn and understand important facts about the past, but to analyze, apply, synthesize, and evaluate what these facts have meant for the different peoples involved and for the world as it has become today.

This course examines two decades of immense political, social and cultural transformation in America. Growing out of the conservative and traditional 1950s, the 1960s ushered in a decade of radical changes which were suffused throughout American society during the 1970s. Often these two decades are described as two distinct periods, with the 1960s regarded as an era of idealism and change and the 1970s as an exhausted era when Americans retreated from the dreams of the previous decade into their own private lives in what became known as “the Me Decade.” Although this view has some truth to it, this course will challenge this dichotomy and emphasize the continuities between the two decades.

The Vietnam War - or the American War, as it is known in Vietnam -- is a watershed event in the history of the United States and Indochina. The Vietnam War was one of the longest and most controversial wars in US history. This course will examine the Vietnamese roots of the conflict and seek to explain America's depening involvement in the far - away land. You will explore the experiences of those who fought the war; the anitwar movement; the history of Vietnam veterans; the war's depiction in popular culture (especially film), and the profound legacy of a war that was the defining event for a generation. The class will include guest speakers and video presentations.

Native American History This course treats major themes and issues in the history of red/white contact in the Americas from the arrival of Columbus to present. Students examine the American experience as it has been lived by our red citizens over time. (Note: It is a very different story than the white, mainstream one of “rags to riches” that often makes a unilateral claim as “The” American History. Please come prepared to see a very different side of both Red and White America than what you may have seen to this point in your life.) Because it is impossible to recount the individual stories of some 500 different tribal cultures, the course exposes students to speeches, texts, images and films of representative tribes from coast to coast in the territory that has become the United States. Core themes of war and peace, “savage” and “civilization,” religion and spirituality, and “destruction of” vs. “harmony with” nature bring the course to life in ways that are not only relevant but urgently needed for meaningful understanding of the daunting challenges that America faces in the world today.

The Holocaust will focus upon the Perpetrators, Beneficiaries, Bystanders and the Victims of the Nazi genocidal effort against Europe's Jewish population and others that Hitler regarded as a threat to his Biocratic Vision. The unique role of Adolf Hitler and the assorted professors and professionals who made such mass murder possible will be explored in detail. In addition, the increasing understanding of the tremendous support Hitler enjoyed with women in particular, and the German population in general, will be thoroughly examined and considered. Special attention will be devoted to the reaction of the United States, Great Britain, and other European countries to the growing evidence of the widespread nature of Hitler's Final Solution to the Jewish Question as World War II raged on. Students will be asked to evaluate whether or not they believe the Holocaust is a unique event as they compare this tragic event to other genocidal events and mentalities. Lastly, students will be made aware of the great efforts of Raphael Lemkin and Daniel Jonah Goldhagen in confronting the plague of genocide since the Holocaust ended.

The One America Course explores a different region of the United States each year during the fall semester. Students learn about the history, culture, environment and people of the region and then participate in a one-week January trip to the region to learn about the region first hand. The course and trip go together and cannot be taken separately. Only students attending the trip may enroll in the course.

This course will take an in-depth look at political, cultural, and social trends within the United States from the end of World War II to the present. It will begin with America’s post-war patterns of consumer economics, Cold War politics and mass culture expressiveness, and trace transformations to the present. Class meetings will mix lecture, discussion, and multimedia formats.

This course is designed to tell women’s history from colonial times to the present. It will survey American history from the vantage point of women who shaped it and contributed to it. As such, much of the course will focus on biography. Each student will research several historical figures, including prominent women leaders, and will present her findings in oral and written form.

This discussion based course seeks to explore the topic of women and war throughout history from three distinct perspectives. The first section of the course focuses on women as warriors. From the ancient myth of the Amazons to television's Xena, the image of the female warrior has captivated the imagination. We will explore the myth and reality of women warriors and wartime leaders, including Joan of Arc and modern wartime heads of state such as Indira Gandhi, Golda Meir, and Margaret Thatcher. Second, we will examine women as victims in war, beginning with the sack of Troy in ancient times. We will conclude with an exploration of women's role as peacemakers throughout history. The unique potential of women as peacemakers was first recognized in the satirical Greek play Lysistrata, and throughout history groups like Women's Strike for Peace have often been in the vanguard of movements to rid the world of the scourge of war. We will conclude with a discussion of the age old question: if women had the power traditionally wielded by men, would the world be a more peaceful place?

This course examines African-American history from the end of the Civil War and the destruction of slavery to the present, focusing on African-American movements for equality and justice and exploring the important contributions of African-Americans to the larger American experience. Major themes include the impact of racism on African-Americans; the various African-American responses to inequality and oppression; the differences in racism in the North and South; and the diversity of America’s black communities (taking into account the role of class, region, and rural/urban geography). Course readings and video presentations also highlight the experiences and contributions of African-American women who faced the dual challenges of racism and sexism.

This course will introduce students to the history of Latinas/Latinos in North America from the founding of the Spanish settlements in the sixteenth century to the present. The course will focus on the history of Latinas/Latinos in the territories that are currently a part of the United States including but not limited to Puerto Rico, California, Florida, Texas, and other important states and territories. The themes addressed in the course will include the contributions that Latinas/Latinos have made to the development of the United States, the diversity of the Latina/Latino experience in America, and the Latina/Latino American struggle to overcome the legacy of discrimination.

The internship in history is a supervised practical learning experience designed to give Liberal Studies majors with a concentration in history the opportunity to explore career interests, acquire valuable on-the-job experience, and put into practice the knowledge and skills acquired through course work. This course is graded Pass/Fail.