History Courses (HIS)
GE Core denotes General Education Core credit;
GE Marker denotes General Education Marker credit;
CAR denotes College Additional Requirement credit.
Courses for Undergraduates
203 History of Africa to 1870 (3:3)
GE Core:
GHP
GE Marker:
GN
CAR:
GPM
Early African empires, the spread of Islam, European exploration, the Atlantic slave trade and its effects, slavery in Africa, white settlement in South Africa.
204 History of Africa since 1870 (3:3)
GE Core:
GHP
GE Marker:
GN
CAR:
GMO
Colonial partition, missionaries, wars of resistance, styles of colonial rule, development and underdevelopment, independence movements and de-colonization, neo-colonialism, capitalism and socialism, civil wars, apartheid in South Africa.
206 Topics in Premodern World History I (3:3)
GE Core:
GHP
GE Marker:
GL
CAR:
GPM
May be repeated for credit when topic of study changes.
Cross-cultural themes in premodern continental European history explored in a world context, such as: History of Christianity; Atlantic Exploration and the Columbian Exchange; Everyday Life before 1750. (Fall or Spring)
207 Topics in Premodern World History II (3:3)
GE Core:
GHP
GE Marker:
GN
CAR:
GPM
May be repeated for credit when topic of study changes.
Cross-cultural themes in premodern African, Asian, or Latin American/Caribbean history explored in a world context, such as: Merchants, Trade, and Cultural Encounters; Islam in Asia and Africa; Ancient American Empires. (Fall or Spring)
208 Topics in Modern World History I (3:3)
GE Core:
GHP
GE Marker:
GL
CAR:
GMO
May be repeated for credit when topic of study changes.
Transnational themes in modern continental European history explored in a world context, such as: Emigration and Immigration; Nation States and National Identities; History of "Development"; European Expansion and Colonial Empires.
209 Topics in Modern World History II (3:3)
GE Core:
GHP
GE Marker:
GN
CAR:
GMO
May be repeated for credit if the topic of study changes.
Transnational themes in modern African, Asian, or Latin American/Caribbean history explored in a world context, such as: Borderlands, Frontier, and Cultural Change; Contradictions of Colonial Experience; Gender, Labor, and Modernization. (Fall or Spring)
211 The United States: A General Survey to 1865 (3:3)
GE Core:
GHP
CAR:
GMO
First semester: to 1865. Second semester: since 1865.
212 The United States: A General Survey Since 1865 (3:3)
GE Core:
GHP
CAR:
GMO
First semester: to 1865. Second semester: since 1865.
215 The Civilizations of Asia (3:3)
GE Core:
GHP
GE Marker:
GN
CAR:
GPM
History, institutions, and culture of India, China, and Japan, from earliest times to about 1700. Limited reference to Southeast Asia, Central Asia, and Korea.
216 The Civilizations of Asia (3:3)
GE Core:
GHP
GE Marker:
GN
CAR:
GMO
Impact of West on Asia and Asia's response; development of nationalism and Communism. Focus is on India, China, and Japan in nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
217 The World in the Twentieth Century (3:3)
GE Core:
GHP
GE Marker:
GN
CAR:
GMO
Political, social, and economic forces affecting Africa, the Americas, Asia, and Europe. Issues include Cold War, imperialism, nationalism, terrorism, world war. Covers the twentieth century from 1900 to 1945.
218 The World in the Twentieth Century (3:3)
GE Core:
GHP
GE Marker:
GN
CAR:
GMO
Political, social, and economic forces affecting Africa, the Americas, Asia, and Europe. Issues include Cold War, imperialism, nationalism, terrorism, world war. Covers the twentieth century after 1945.
220 The Ancient World (3:3)
GE Core:
GHP
CAR:
GPM
Early civilizations: Near Eastern, Egyptian, Greek, and Roman to Reign of Constantine.
221 Medieval Legacy (3:3)
GE Core:
GHP
GE Marker:
GL
CAR:
GPM
Survey of Western European history from the end of the Roman Empire to the fifteenth century exploring such varied aspects of the medieval experience as pilgrimage, crusade, peasant life, the emergence of national states, and the rise of the university.
222 Europe 1400–1789 (3:3)
GE Core:
GHP
GE Marker:
GL
CAR:
GPM
Survey of major socio-economic, political, and cultural trends in Europe from the Renaissance to the French Revolution.
223 Modern Europe (3:3)
GE Core:
GHP
GE Marker:
GL
CAR:
GMO
Survey of major socio-economic, political, and cultural trends in Europe from the French Revolution to the present.
239 Latin America: Colonial Period (3:3)
GE Core:
GHP
GE Marker:
GN
CAR:
GMO
Introduction to the early history of Latin America. Emphasis on the clash of cultures, Indian-Spanish relations, and the structure and mechanisms of empire.
240 Latin America: National Period (3:3)
GE Core:
GHP
GE Marker:
GN
CAR:
GMO
Introduction to the political and economic history of Latin America since independence. Survey covers political dynamics, social transformations, and the evolution of export economics.
251 The History of Western Science: A Survey (3:3)
GE Core:
GHP
CAR:
GPM
Introduction to major developments in the history of Western science. First semester: from antiquity to the Scientific Revolution. Second semester: from 18th to 20th century.
252 The History of Western Science: A Survey (3:3)
GE Core:
GHP
CAR:
GMO
Introduction to major developments in the history of Western science. First semester: from antiquity to the Scientific Revolution. Second semester: from 18th to 20th century.
301 Race and Slavery (3:3)
GE Core:
GHP
CAR:
GMO
Examination of the black experience from ancient to modern times, including pre-colonial Africa, the Atlantic slave trade, slavery in the Americas with special emphasis on the United States before 1865.
302 Race and Segregation (3:3)
GE Core:
GHP
CAR:
GMO
Race and segregation in the United States since the Civil War, including the origins of Jim Crow laws, civil rights movement, black urbanization, the Harlem Renaissance, black nationalism, and the black experience in America.
303 South Africa and Its Neighbors (3:3)
Early African societies and states, slave trade and slavery, European settlement and expansion, mineral revolution, colonialism and independence in Zimbabwe, Angola, Mozambique, Namibia; apartheid and African nationalism in South Africa.
304 Gender, Family, and Wealth in African History (3:3)
Examines how relations, obligations, and transactions between men and women have affected the production and distribution of wealth in African societies during precolonial times, colonial rule, and since independence.
306 Islam and Popular Culture in Africa (3:3)
Not open to freshmen.
Examines opportunities, challenges, and threats presented by Islam, and varying ways individual Africans and their communities have responded to it since the 7th century.
308 Navigating World History (3:3)
Pr. Social Studies Licensure candidates or permission of instructor
Introduction to and overview of world history, ca. 8000 B.C.E. to the present. Prepares Social Studies Licensure majors to teach world history at the middle grades and high school level.
309 Unity and Unrest in Medieval Towns (3:3)
GE Marker:
GL
Examines the ways in which the towns of Medieval Europe constructed social unity and the ways in which that unity was threatened by cultural change and social unrest. (Occ)
310 Daughters of Eve: Women in the Middle Ages (3:3)
GE Marker:
GL
Examines the political, social, religious, and cultural experiences of women during the European Middle Ages. Consideration given to gender roles, family structure, and writings by and about women. (Alt Years)
311 Darwin and the Theory of Evolution (3:3)
GE Core:
GHP
CAR:
GMO
Study of the background, genesis, and reception of Darwin's theory in its scientific and social context as the basis for an examination of the nature and scope of scientific explanations.
312 The Crusades (3:3)
Social, political, and religious causes of crusading: events of the crusades (1097–1250); impact of the crusades on Christian Europe and the Muslim Near East. (Alt)
314 The Modern British Empire, 1750–Present (3:3)
This course examines the British Empire from the mid-eighteenth century to the present. Themes include: the changing nature of imperial expansion, methods of colonial rule, decolonization, and legacies of empire. (Fall or Spring)
315 Witchcraft and Magic in European History (3:3)
Examination of witchcraft beliefs and persecution as a way of studying the social history of Europe before industrialization. Emphasizes the “Witch Craze” of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.
316 Interpreting American History (3:3)
Pr. Middle Grades or Secondary Social Studies Licensure candidates or permission of instructor
Examination of a broad variety of primary source evidence and historiographical methods for studying the American past from the colonial era through the twentieth century.
320 History of Mexico and Central America (3:3)
GE Marker:
GN
The political and economic history of Mexico and Central America from the dissolution of colonial New Spain in 1821 to the debates over neoliberalism in the early 21st century.
321 Latin America and the United States (3:3)
A history of inter-American relations from the Monroe Doctrine to the Caribbean Basin Initiative. An examination of traditional interpretations and contemporary arguments and the Latin American context and perspective.
324 The Frontier in American Culture (3:3)
Role of the frontier as symbol and region in the development of American culture from early settlement to the twentieth century. Topics include race, gender, ethnicity, and popular culture. (Fall or Spring)
325 History of the American Home (3:3)
Study of houses as historical evidence of social change from the colonial period to the twentieth century. Topics include: impact of gender, region, social class, and ethnicity on American housing. (Fall or Spring or Summer)
326 Using Photographs as Historical Evidence (3:3)
Case study approach using photographs as historical evidence from the Civil War to the Great Depression. History and interpretation of specific print materials. Identification, care and handling of historic photographs. (Fall or Spring)
327 American Cultural History (3:3)
GE Core:
GHP
CAR:
GMO
Not open to freshmen.
Using paintings, houses, literature, radio, television, and other materials, this course explores the creation and development of American culture from early settlement through the twentieth century.
328 U.S. Women's History to 1865 (3:3)
A history of women in the U.S. to the Civil War. Topics include Native American gender systems, midwives, witchcraft, women's labor and education, families, slavery, and social reform.
329 U.S. Women's History Since 1865 (3:3)
A history of women in the U.S. since the Civil War. Topics include women's activism, labor, reproduction, public policy, race and class inequalities, and contemporary women's issues.
332 Civil Rights and Black Freedom, 1940–1980 (3:3)
Southern and national civil rights politics in light of local and human rights dimensions of the wider black freedom movement. Special attention to leadership, economics, local movements, and white resistance. (Alt Spring)
333 American Indian History to 1840 (3:3)
Explores the history of American Indians in the area now encompassed by the United States through the era of Indian Removal in the 1830s. (Fall or Spring)
334 United States Environmental History (3:3)
Examines the interaction of humans and nature in American history from the colonial period to today. (Fall or Spring)
335 The American Colonial Period, 1607–1763 (3:3)
GE Core:
GHP
CAR:
GMO
Selected topics pertaining to development of colonies to eve of American Revolution.
336 The Age of the Democratic Revolution, 1764–1789 (3:3)
GE Core:
GHP
CAR:
GMO
The politics, social structure, warfare, and ideology of the American Revolution set against the background of early modern European thought and modern American constitutional development.
337 The Age of Jefferson and Jackson, 1789–1848 (3:3)
A study of American History, 1789–1848, including examination of political events and politicians, economic and social trends and developments, and growth of sectionalism.
338 Civil War, Reconstruction, and Reunion, 1848–1896 (3:3)
American history from the end of the Mexican War to the Bryan campaign, centering on the slavery controversy, Civil War and Reconstruction, industrialization, urbanization, and agrarian problems.
339 War, Society, and Reform: America, 1896–1945 (3:3)
Examines the impact during the first half of the twentieth century of two world wars, reform, industrialization, the changing status of women and minorities, and the emergence of mass culture.
340 The United States since World War II (3:3)
Selected social, political, and international trends and events: Cold War and Vietnam; conservatism from McCarthy to Reagan; black freedom, radicalism and the Great Society; feminism; mass immigration and multicultural America.
341 Pirates of the Caribbean: The Real Story (3:3)
Introduces students to the fascinating, complex, and changing roles of corsairs, buccaneers, and privateers in shaping the emerging colonial economies, societies, and cultures of the early modern Caribbean. (Fall or Spring or Summer)
342 U.S. Women and their Bodies (3:3)
Women's bodies and health in historical perspective. Topics include: anatomy, menstruation, childbirth, birth control, abortion, violence, pregnancy, nutrition, eating disorders, HIV/AIDS, menopause, breast cancer, and sexuality. (Alt Years)
343 The Old South (3:3)
Economy, society, and polity of the South from colonial times to the Civil War. The institution of slavery. Emphasis on period 1820–1860.
344 The New South (3:3)
Southern history from Reconstruction to the present. Emphasis on race, politics, agriculture, and industry.
345 The Unfit: Race Cleansing in the United States (3:3)
GE Core:
GHP
CAR:
GMO
History of America's role in international eugenics. Themes include racial nationalism; fears of race suicide; and the segregation and sterilization of nonwhites, women, Jews, immigrants, and the disabled to "cleanse" humanity. (Spring or Summer)
347 History of North Carolina (3:3)
History of North Carolina from its colonial origins to the twentieth century, including the evolution of its political system, economy, social structure, and culture.
348 The World at War, 1914–1918 (3:3)
Origins, course, and impact of the First World War. Emphasis on political, social, and cultural as well as military perspectives. (Fall)
349 The World at War, 1939–1945 (3:3)
GE Marker:
GL
Emphasis on the political systems responsible for the Second World War; military establishments that fought it, the populations that suffered it, and sociopolitical and cultural changes it brought about. (Spring)
351 History of Greece, 2000 b.c.–31 b.c. (3:3)
Mycenaean society, Greek “dark ages,” colonization and tyranny, Athens and Sparta, flowering in the fifth and fourth centuries, conquests of Alexander, Hellenistic empires, and the diffusion of Greek civilization. (Same as CCI 351)
353 Athens in the Fifth Century b.c. (3:3)
Pr. HIS 220 or 351 or permission of instructor
Study of the social and political history of Athens in the fifth century b.c. Ruzicka (Same as CCI 353)
354 The Roman Republic, 754 b.c.–44 b.c. (3:3)
Study of the social and political forces that led to Rome’s conquest of the Mediterranean World—and of the transformation which world conquest wrought on Rome itself. Topics covered include: the Roman Constitution and politics, the Roman conquest of Italy and then of the whole Mediterranean, and the decline of the Republic. (Same as CCI 354)
355 The Roman Empire, 44 b.c.–a.d. 337 (3:3)
GE Marker:
GL
Survey of politics and society at Rome under the Empire, when Rome dominated Western Civilization. Topics covered include: Augustus and the rise of one-man rule at Rome, the long “Roman Peace” and the civilizing of Europe under the Emperors, the rise of Christianity, and the transformed Empire of Constantine the Great. (Same as CCI 355)
359 Sexuality in Historical Perspective (3:3)
Survey of the history of sexuality since the 17th century, with emphasis on America. Topics include agrarian sexual patterns, the impact of industrialization, Victorianism, birth control, the effects of Freud, and the 20th-century “sexual revolution.”
360 The Structure of Scientific Change: Topics in the History of Science (3:3)
GE Core:
GHP
CAR:
GMO
In-depth examination of selected topics to elucidate the nature of scientific change. Representative topics: Thomas Kuhn's image of science; the Chemical Revolution; evolution; relativity.
363 European Economic History (3:3)
Pr. ECO 201
Study of the evolution of European economies from early modern times to the twentieth century. Emphasis on sources of growth: trade, migration, industry, technical change, labor, and capital. (Same as ECO 363)
364 The French Revolutionary Era (3:3)
France in the age of the French Revolution, including the old regime, Enlightenment, narrative and interpretive treatment of the Revolution.
365 Modern France (3:3)
Social, political, and cultural forces that shaped France through the Third Republic, World Wars, rise of communism and fascism, Occupation and Resistance, postwar Fourth and Fifth Republics.
368 Medieval Thought and Learning from 300 to 1500 (3:3)
A survey of the formation of a medieval intellectual tradition and its institutional expression in the Latin West from late Roman times to the sixteenth century.
369 History of Spain (3:3)
GE Core:
GHP
GE Marker:
GL
CAR:
GPM
Exploration of major themes in Spanish history, including the concept of crusade, the experience of empire, and struggle for religious, ethnic, and political unity. Focuses on Spain during its “Golden Age” (1500–1700).
370 Revolutions in 20th-Century Latin America (3:3)
Comparative history of revolution in twentieth-century Bolivia, Cuba, Guatemala, Mexico, and Nicaragua.
371 Europe since World War I (3:3)
GE Core:
GHP
GE Marker:
GL
CAR:
GMO
A survey of modern Europe with emphasis on the two world wars, political ideologies and cultural developments, and the postwar movement to European integration.
373 English History to 1660 (3:3)
GE Core:
GHP
CAR:
GPM
Origins and evolution of English culture and English constitution.
374 British History 1688–Present (3:3)
GE Core:
GHP
CAR:
GMO
Major landmarks in the social, political, intellectual, and cultural history of the diverse peoples of the British Isles from the Glorious Revolution of 1688 to the 21st century.
375 Germany in the Nineteenth Century, 1800–1914 (3:3)
GE Marker:
GL
Examination of German social and political structures and their functioning between 1800 and outbreak of World War I. Attendant emphasis placed upon cultural and intellectual issues which illuminate German (and European) culture of the nineteenth century.
376 German History, 1914–1945 (3:3)
GE Marker:
GL
German social and political structures and their functioning during World War I, Weimar Republic, and Third Reich with attendant emphasis on cultural and intellectual themes.
377 Russian History to 1900 (3:3)
Introduction to old Russia of Kiev and Muscovy, followed by a more intensive survey of eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.
378 Russian History since 1900 (3:3)
End of Tsarist Empire, Revolution of 1917 and its aftermath, Soviet Union under Stalin, and recent developments.
380 Topics in the Near and Middle East (3:3)
May be repeated for credit when topic varies.
Explores interdisciplinary topics in the Near and Middle East designed to enrich historical perspectives such as archaeology, environmental history, and travel literature. Emphasis is on the Islamic world.
381 The Near and Middle East since World War I (3:3)
GE Core:
GHP
GE Marker:
GN
CAR:
GMO
Emphasizes developments since World War I.
382C Experimental Course: Globalization, 1400–1750 (3:3)
The overseas expansion of Europe, the creation of empires and colonies in the Atlantic and Indian Ocean basins, and the effects on local economies, societies, and cultures. (Offered fall '07)
383 Chinese History to 1800 (3:3)
GE Marker:
GN
Early Chinese Civilization: Imperial Period; first dynasties; Early Modern China.
384 The Modern Transformation of China: 1800 to Present Day (3:3)
GE Marker:
GN
Coming of Europeans; decline of imperial institutions to 1870; Western impact and Chinese reforms, 1870–1945; contemporary China.
385 Japanese History to 1867, Izanagi and Izanami to Emperor Meiji (3:3)
Creation myths—archaeological record, warrior aristocracy under Chinese veneer, Japanese feudalism: Shoguns, daimyo samurai, servants of Christ, diplomats, seclusion, and civil war.
386 Creating Modern Japan, 1867 to the Present (3:3)
Meiji Restoration and the West, Radical Nationalism, Parliamentary government, World War II from Manchurian Incident through MacArthur. Present day Japan.
387 History of the Chinese Frontier (3:3)
GE Marker:
GN
Exploration of the ways in which the various peoples existed on the edges of the Chinese empire throughout history, fighting during much of this time for political and cultural autonomy.
389 West Africa during the Atlantic Slave Trade (3:3)
Examines how trade between European and African countries developed into a trans-Atlantic slave trade. Focus on origins of slaves and effects of slave trade on Africa, ca. 1450–1850.
390 History Internship (3)
Pr. minimum of twelve (12) s.h. with a 3.0 GPA in history and permission of Director of Undergraduate Studies
May be repeated for credit.
Field learning experience in public or applied history. Academic supervision provided by job supervisor. Assigned reading and written reports.
391 Historical Skills and Methods (3:3)
Pr. History major or minor and completion of all 200-level requirements for the major
Introduction to research methods in history. Topics include: analyzing varieties of primary and secondary source materials; designing a project focus; finding and evaluating appropriate sources; citation methods; historiography.
392 The Holocaust: History and Meaning (3:3)
GE Marker:
GL
This course examines the history of the Nazi Holocaust during World War II and explores a variety of meanings—intellectual and artistic—that have been imposed upon it.
393 Medieval Church and State (3:3)
GE Marker:
GL
Course examines origins, elaboration, and impact of political thought in the West as it arose out of the ongoing transformation of the medieval church and state from circa 300–1500.
394 Honors Seminar in American History (3:3)
Pr. History majors with a minimum 3.30 GPA who are enrolled in the Lloyd International Honors College, or will enroll during the current semester.
This advanced seminar, required for the honors distinction in history, introduces students to important historiographic approaches and perspectives, in a forum that promotes collegiality and discussion. (Fall or Spring)
395 Honors Seminar in European History (3:3)
Pr. History majors with a minimum 3.30 GPA who are enrolled in the Lloyd International Honors College, or will enroll during the current semester.
This advanced seminar, required for the honors distinction in history, introduces students to important historiographic approaches and perspectives, in a forum that promotes collegiality and discussion. (Fall or Spring)
396 Honors Seminar in Wider World History (3:3)
Pr. History majors with a minimum 3.30 GPA who are enrolled in the Lloyd International Honors College, or will enroll during the current semester.
This advanced seminar, required for the honors distinction in history, introduces students to important historiographic approaches and perspectives, in a forum that promotes collegiality and discussion. (Fall or Spring)
397 Modern European Thought (3:3)
Intellectual and cultural history from the Enlightenment to the present with emphasis on major political ideologies (liberalism, conservatism, socialism, fascism) and the long-running debate on virtues and vices of Western-style “modernity.”
399 Images of Africa in Film (3:2:3)
Examines how Africa and Africans have been portrayed in film, from the creation and perpetuation of Hollywood stereotypes to the emergence of Independent Black Film and African Cinema. (Fall)
401 Individual Study (1–3)
Directed program of reading or research. Available to qualified students upon the recommendation of an instructor and approval of department head.
402 Individual Study (1–3)
Directed program of reading or research. Available to qualified students upon the recommendation of an instructor and approval of department head.
430 Historical Methods for Social Studies Teachers (3:3)
Pr. Middle Grades or Secondary Social Studies Licensure candidates who have completed HIS 308, 316, and one other 300-level History elective for a total of 9 s.h., or permission of instructor
Introduction to research methods in history for social studies licensure students. Students write a research paper based on primary source evidence.
440 Principles and Practices for Teaching History (3:3)
Pr. Middle Grades or Secondary Social Studies licensure candidates who have completed HIS 308, 316, and any 300-level history elective, for a total of 9 s.h., or permission of the instructor
Philosophy and methods for teaching historical reasoning. Topics include evaluating curricular standards, using primary sources in the classroom, teaching with historic places, creating and evaluating assignments, and teaching research methods.
491 Honors Work: American History (3–6)
Pr. permission of instructor; 3.30 GPA in the major, 12 s.h. in the major
May be repeated for credit if the topic of study changes.
492 Honors Work: European History (3–6)
Pr. permission of instructor; 3.30 GPA in the major, 12 s.h. in the major
May be repeated for credit if the topic of study changes.
493 Honors Work: Wider World History (3–6)
Pr. permission of instructor; 3.30 GPA in the major, 12 s.h. in the major
May be repeated for credit if the topic of study changes.
Please refer to The Graduate School Bulletin for graduate-level courses.
