"An unexamined life is not worth living."—Socrates
History is a way by which men and women come to understand who they are
as human beings. It is the mission of the History Department to impart
to students a solid knowledge of the past and to develop in them the
ways of thinking they will need to make sense of broad patterns of
change in different civilizations and cultures. The History Department
prepares students to think critically about the world they live in and
their place in it. We want them to pick up a newspaper and have some
context for understanding the importance of the stories therein. We want
them to make decisions in their careers and lives with an understanding
of the moral and political issues that are at stake in those decisions.
We believe that this is not merely a function of exercising a skill
called "critical thinking," but that it comes from, and actually
requires, a specific knowledge of the past that has led to the events
they are reading about and the moral and political quandaries they face.
Thus the history department considers its main duty to be to give
students the "historical literacy" they need in order to think
critically about the world in which they live.
The Skidmore History Department expects
its students to acquire a broad knowledge of the past and to
be able to work in depth in areas and at topics of an individual's
particular interest. Students should develop the capacity to
identify major historical problems, interpret varying bodies
of knowledge, deal critically with a range of historical sources
and present their ideas in a clear, vigorous, and graceful form.
Courses offered by the department explore the pasts of the United
States, England, Europe, Asia, and Latin America, and
range from the ancient world to the present. History students
are encouraged to develop areas of interest in related disciplines
and programs such as international relations, American and Asian
studies, government, and philosophy as well as to study abroad.
THE HISTORY MAJOR: A major requires thirty-two credits in history,
including HI 275 Introduction to the History Major,
HI 375 Colloquium in History, and nine additional credits at the 300 level.
History courses that ordinarily carry three credit hours may carry four
credit hours when they have a fourth contact hour of class or when they
qualify as enhanced courses without a required fourth contact hour of
class, developing particular student skills and offering a distinctive
approach to learning. Enhanced courses are so designated in the master
schedule and follow one of the following models:
Research in History (designated HI XXX (R)): Students develop research
questions and hone research skills by identifying and assessing primary
and/or secondary sources (including scholarly literature), preparing
interim analyses (such as thesis statements, bibliographies, drafts),
and making written or oral presentations on final research findings.
Writing History (designated HI XXX (W)): Students spend additional time
drafting, revising, and critiquing to hone their skills at argumentation
and analysis within appropriate historical context. They attend not only
to content but also to style and voice in their critical papers.
Critical Perspectives (designated HI XXX (C)): Students study films,
listen to public lectures, and read novels, and/or make field trips to
enrich their understanding of history, and submit critical reports on
what they have learned in written or oral presentations.
In cooperation with the advisor, a student majoring in history
should construct a program to include a broad knowledge of history
in general, as well as specific knowledge of one area of history
in greater depth. The program should include a variety of approaches
to the study of history and should demonstrate the ability to
work at different levels.
INTERDEPARTMENTAL MAJORS: In conjunction with the relevant departments,
the History Department offers majors in government-history and
history-philosophy. See
Interdepartmental Majors.
Other interdepartmental majors can be arranged.
The department participates in the Asian studies major and minor,
the environmental studies major and minor, the international
affairs major and minor, the Latin American studies minor, and the law
and society minor.
THE HISTORY MINOR: A minor in history consists of twenty credits
in history including nine credits at the 300 level.
Credits toward the major: Courses successfully completed through
Advanced Placement, courses completed at other accredited institutions,
and course credit received in programs abroad may, with the
permission of the chair, be counted toward history requirements.
Of the work submitted for the major, interdepartmental majors,
and the minor, the department requires that at least half be
credits taught in the Skidmore History Department and listed
in the Skidmore catalog.
The department will treat six credits of Advanced Placement
in either American or European history accepted by Skidmore
College as equivalent to four credits toward the major or minor
in history or to the history component of the Government/History
and History/Philosophy interdepartmental majors.
HONORS IN HISTORY: To graduate with departmental honors in history, the
major must meet college requirements for honors (see Graduation Honors).
In addition, the student must receive
at least an A- on his or her History Colloquium paper.
PHI ALPHA THETA: Alpha Delta Tau Chapter.
Founded in 1921, Phi Alpha Theta is an international history
honor society and a professional society for students and historians.
Phi Alpha Theta recognizes academic excellence in the study
of history. Eligibility requirements include: completion of
a minimum of four courses in history; a 3.4 cumulative GPA in history; and a 3.2 cumulative GPA
or better overall, and placement in the top 35 percent of the class.
First-year students are welcome in all courses numbered 103 through 247.
HI 103. MEDIEVAL
EUROPE 3
The formation of Europe: from the
breakdown of Roman political authority in the West in the fourth
century to the rise of national states and their conflicts in
the fourteenth. (Fulfills social sciences
requirement.) E. Bastress-Dukehart
HI 104. EARLY MODERN
EUROPEAN HISTORY 3
The evolution of modern European
politics, society, and thought: from the Renaissance and Reformation
to the French Revolution.
(Fulfills social sciences requirement.) E. Bastress-Dukehart
HI 105. NINETEENTH-CENTURY
EUROPE: IDEOLOGY AND REVOLUTION 3
An intensive examination of the
revolutions in economics, politics, and society in Europe from
1789 to 1914. Emphasis on the French and industrial revolutions;
the rise in nationalism, liberalism, socialism, imperialism,
and the women's movement; international rivalry and diplomacy
culminating in World War I.
(Fulfills social sciences requirement.) M. Hockenos
HI 106. TWENTIETH-CENTURY
EUROPE: AGE OF CONFLICT 3
An intensive examination of the
political, economic, social, and cultural history of Europe
from World War I. Emphasis on world wars, fascism, Nazism, communism,
the Holocaust, new nations and nationalism, the Cold War, and
the collapse of Soviet communism. (Fulfills social sciences
requirement.) M. Hockenos
HI 107. WRITING
ABOUT HISTORY 3
A brief study of a number of significant
issues in history. Students will be introduced to the discipline
of history and will have an opportunity to develop and improve
writing skills. (Fulfills social sciences
requirement.) The Department
HI 108. COLONIAL
LATIN AMERICA 3
Explores Latin America society
from initial encounters between Europeans and Native Americans
to early-nineteenth-century wars of independence. Focuses on
interactions among native American, African, and European peoples
and institutions. Topics include conquest and colonization;
church, crown, and commoner; labor and environment; class and
caste; women; and commerce in principal Spanish districts (Peru,
Central America, and Mexico), Portuguese Brazil, and French
Saint Domingue (Haiti). (Fulfills social sciences requirement;
designated as a Cultural Diversity course.) J. Dym
HI 109. CONTEMPORARY
LATIN AMERICA 3
Introduces the economic, political,
social, and intellectual history of nineteenth- and twentieth-century
Latin America. The course material is organized both thematically
and chronologically, focusing on a series of topics that are
key to understanding the emergence of the former colonies of
Spain, Portugal, France, and England into a group of distinct
nation-states. Topics include legacies of empire, political
participation, and national identity in multicultural contexts,
as well as dictatorship and democratization. (Fulfills social
sciences requirement; designated as a Cultural Diversity
course.) J. Dym
HI 110. THE
BRITISH EMPIRE: AN INTRODUCTION 3
An introductory survey of the British
Empire from its earliest beginnings in the sixteenth century
through decolonization in the post-World War II era. Focuses on the political, economic, cultural, and ecological
causes and consequences of British overseas expansion. Topics
include the ecological and biological impact of British imperialism;
Elizabethan commercial expansion; the plantings of Ireland;
early settlements in the New World and the impact on indigenous
peoples; the trans-Atlantic slave trade and the plantation system
in the Caribbean; the American Revolution and the end of the
first British Empire; the ideologies of the British Raj in India;
the "New Imperialism" of the late nineteenth century
and the "scramble for Africa"; the transfer of technology
and culture; decolonization; and the contemporary legacy of
empire. (Fulfills cultural diversity and social sciences
requirements.) T. Nechtman
HI 111. LATIN AMERICAN HISTORY: AN INTRODUCTION 3
An introduction to the economic, political, social, and intellectual
history of Latin America. Organized thematically and chronologically,
topics emphasize understanding the emergence of the colonies of Spain,
Portugal, France, and England into a group of distinct nation-states.
Students will explore Latin American society from initial encounters
among Europeans, Africans, and Native Americans. We then study
independence: political, economic, and social challenges of early
nation-state formation in a multi-cultural context. We conclude with
the twentieth century, addressing topics such as industrialization,
revolution, U.S.-Latin American relations, and selected intellectual
trends. J. Dym
HI 121. AMERICAN
HISTORY TO THE CIVIL WAR 3
An exploration of major issues
and problems of the American past: the colonial experience to
the Civil War. (Fulfills social sciences
requirement.) J. Delton
HI 122. AMERICAN
HISTORY SINCE THE CIVIL WAR 3
An exploration of major issues and problems of the American past:
from the Civil War to the present.
(Fulfills social sciences requirement.) J. Delton
HI 142. INTRODUCTION
TO MODERN CHINA 3
An introductory survey of the major
political, economic, and social developments in China, from
the foundation of the last imperial dynasty in 1644 to the present.
Emphasis is on the major stages of the revolution, from the
Opium War to the present. (Designated a non-Western culture
course; fulfills social sciences
requirement.) M. Pearson
HI 201. GREEK
HISTORY 3
A study of Greece from the Mycenaean
age to the Trojan War to Alexander the Great. The course focuses
on the heroic age, the development of the city-state, the origins
of democracy, the nature of imperialism, intellectual and cultural
achievements, economic conditions, and family life. Special
emphasis is given to the study of the ancient sources: literary,
historiographic, archaeological, and numismatic. (Fulfills social
sciences requirement.) M. Arnush
HI 202. ROMAN
HISTORY 3
A study of Rome from its foundation
by Romulus to the principate of Justinian and the end of antiquity.
The course focuses on the Etruscan world, the rise of Rome in
Italy, the impact of Hellenism, social and political institutions
in the Republic, imperialism under Augustus, the evolution of
Roman culture and the spread of Christianity. Special emphasis
is given to the study of the ancient sources: literary, historiographic,
archaeological, and numismatic.
(Fulfills social sciences requirement.) M. Arnush
HI 210. THE FOUR KINGDOMS 3
What does it mean to be English, Scottish, Irish or Welsh? This
course explores the interactive histories of England, Scotland,
Ireland and Wales, and investigates each of the four kingdoms as
categories of geo-political meaning and imagined communities of
individuals, seeking to understand the place that each played in the
history of the geographic space we now call "the British Isles." In
confronting the disparities between the myth, legend and history in
all of the four kingdoms, and the relationships forged between them,
students in the course challenge the boundaries of historical inquiry
marking "domestic" history as something apart from "imperial" history
and seek ultimately to define what being "British" means to those
living in each of the four kingdoms. T. Nechtman
HI 211. DECONSTRUCTING BRITAIN 3
Explores the history of Britain from the 16th century to the present,
exploring new ways of approaching the historical narrative of the
British nation. Beginning with early English engagements with the
wider world and tracing the rise of Britain as one of the world’s
foremost imperial powers in the 18th and 19th century, students will
examine Britain’s self-assured sense of global power through many
different sets of eyes, thus investigating how Britain looked to those
who lived under its shadow—including Indian travelers, African
sailors, and Native American traders. Readings will explore the ways
in which the British nation, and indeed British history, have been
driven by British imperialism around the globe. Ends by asking
questions about the post-imperial history for citizens of a nation
that was once predicated on its imperial identity. (Fulfills Cultural
Diversity requirement; fulfills social sciences requirement.) T. Nechtman
HI 217. TOPICS
IN HISTORY 3
Topically organized courses based on problems and issues of special interest at the introductory
level. The specific themes to be examined will vary from year
to year. Recent offerings include "An Introduction to U.S.
Environmental History" and "Vietnam War." This course with a different topic
may be repeated for credit. (Fulfills social sciences requirement.)
HI 223. AMERICA
AND THE WORLD: A HISTORY OF AMERICAN FOREIGN POLICY 3
An examination of the development of the
United States from its peripheral position in world affairs to its role
as an international superpower. What has motivated American foreign policy?
What has defined America's international and national interests? Can
we discern a continuity to American foreign policy over time, or is it
defined by contingency and reaction? How have Americans defined themselves
through their foreign policy? How has American foreign policy betrayed
American ideals? How has it fulfilled those ideals? How has September
11 changed our views of America's role in the world? (Fulfills social
sciences requirement.) J. Delton
HI 224H. THE
ENLIGHTENMENT 4
Studies the most important interactions to take place within and among society, politics, and culture
that characterized this intellectual and cultural transformation. Influenced
by revolutionary advancements in science and medicine, inflamed by seditious
political treatises, and distrustful of Catholic reforms, eighteenth-century
enlightened thinkers sparked the emergence of a new political and literary
culture. Ultimately, the intellectual advancements that excited Europe's
philosophers helped shape the ideological foundations of the American
and French Revolutions. (Fulfills humanities
requirement.) E. Bastress-Dukehart
HI 225. THINKING
ABOUT RACE AND ETHNICITY: "RACE" IN AMERICA, 1776–PRESENT 3
An examination of the difference between "race" and "ethnicity." What are
we referring to when we use these terms? Biology? Culture? Faith?
Skin color? Nationality? History? Epistemology? What makes categories
based on apparently natural differences useful? How has the
meaning of "race" and "ethnicity" changed
over time? In the United States, the categories have variously
overlapped, collided, or remained separate, depending on what
those categories have been called upon to explain. At one time,
Jews and the Irish were seen as separate races, then they were
seen as ethnicities, and eventually they became "white."
What accounts for these changes, and what does that say about
these categories? This course addresses these questions by examining
how intellectuals, social scientists, the law, and cultural
producers in America have historically defined and thought about
race, ethnicity, "blackness," and "whiteness." (Designated as a
Cultural Diversity course; fulfills social sciences
requirement.) J. Delton
CC 226. GREEK AND
ROMAN HISTORIANS 3
Readings in translation of the great chroniclers of history from the Greek and Roman worlds:
Greek, the works of Herodotos (the father of history), Thucydides
and Xenophon; Roman, the works of Livy, Polybius, and Tacitus.
The course will focus on the methodology of writing history,
comparative studies, and modern interpretations. (Counts toward
the history major.)
HI 228. RACE, CLASS, AND GENDER IN LATIN
AMERICA 3
Looks at how different ideas about race
and ethnicity have shaped Latin American politics and societies from
colonial times to the present. Themes covered include: interactions of
Iberian, American, African, and Asian peoples; official and unofficial
management of multiethnic and multicultural societies; scientific racism;
and the relation between theories of race and development of ideas about
class, gender, and nation. (Fulfills social sciences requirement; designated
as a Cultural Diversity course.) J. Dym
HI 229. WAR AND PEACE IN
20TH CENTURY LATIN AMERICA 3
Examines the social, economic, political, and intellectual causes and consequences of important
internal and international wars in 20th century Latin America. The course
will consider cases of successful and unsuccessful attempts to achieve
political change ranging from the Mexican Revolution to Central America's
road from war to peace in the 1980s and 1990s, to U.S. interventions
in the Caribbean and military dictatorships in South America. Why certain
sectors promote war, the justifications of war, why others choose to
instigate or participate in conflict and violence, what conditions are
required to consider a conflict concluded, what factors (internal and
international, ethnic, religious, gender, etc.) shape specific conflicts,
are principal questions. (Designated a Cultural Diversity course.) J. Dym
HI 230. HISTORY THROUGH TRAVEL: LATIN AMERICA 1500–1900 3
An examination of the ideas and impact of European and North American
travel narratives on historical knowledge of Latin America and the
Caribbean from the sixteenth through the early twentieth centuries.
Students examine accounts by conquerors, diplomats, pirates,
scientists, missionaries and tourists to consider what questions and
analytical methods allow for interpretation of the factual or
fictional elements in these important sources for the creation of
historical knowledge about travelers, their values, the lands they
visited, and the people, environments and cultures they described.
(Fulfills social sciences requirement; when offered as HI 230W,
fulfills expository writing requirement.) J. Dym
HI 241. INTRODUCTION
TO IMPERIAL CHINA 3
An introductory survey of the major
cultural, political, and ideological developments in China from
earliest times to the fall of the last Chinese dynasty, with
focus on several important eras and their contributions to Asian
civilizations. (Designated a non-Western culture course; fulfills
social sciences requirement.) M. Pearson
HI 247. THE RISE
OF JAPAN 3
An introductory survey of Japanese
history and culture from its beginnings through World War II.
Focus is on ways in which Japanese women and men have transformed
borrowings from other cultures to create their unique forms
of government, society, and the arts. Sources include a diary,
short stories, legal documents, and films. (Designated a non-Western
culture course; fulfills social sciences
requirement.) M. Pearson
HI 254. INTELLECTUAL
HISTORY MODERN EUROPE 3
The principal currents of modern European thought: the nineteenth and twentieth
centuries. M. Hockenos
HI 258. EUROPEAN
FASCISM 3
An examination of the origins, nature, and history of fascism in Europe between
the two world wars. Through primary and secondary source readings,
novels, and films the course attempts to define fascism by exploring
the similarities and differences between fascism, right-wing
authoritarianism, anti-semitism, racism, and Nazism as they
manifested themselves in Italy, Spain, and
Germany. M. Hockenos
HI 261. AFRICAN-AMERICAN
HISTORY 3
A history of black people in America
from slavery through emancipation to the present. The course
examines such topics as slave culture, black resistance, the
Harlem Renaissance, the development of jazz, blues, and soul
music, the civil rights movement and its aftermath, and the
crisis of the inner cities in understanding how African Americans
have defined their place in American life. (Fulfills social
sciences requirement; designated as a Cultural Diversity
course.) J. Delton
HI 275. INTRODUCTION TO THE HISTORY
MAJOR 1
An introduction to the aims of the History major. A prerequisite for
the Colloquium. Required of all majors and interdepartmental majors, to
be taken in the sophomore or junior years. Open to non-majors with
consent of instructor. The Department
HI 298. HISTORY
WORKSHOP 1
A topical workshop, seminar, discussion group or lab/studio
experience, which can link to a regular History Department course
offered at the 200 level or serve as a freestanding course.
HI 299. PROFESSIONAL
INTERNSHIP IN HISTORY 3
Internship opportunity for students whose curricular foundations
and cocurricular experience have prepared them for professional
work related to the major field. With faculty sponsorship and
department approval, students may extend their educational experience
into such areas as archives, museums, galleries, libraries,
historical societies, preservation, and other professional areas.
Prerequisite: previous study related to the area of the
internship experience.
Note: Courses on the 300-level are open to sophomores only with
permission of instructor.
HI 301. EARLY MEDIEVAL
CIVILIZATION 3
The culture and society of Europe: 300–1100. Special emphasis upon the development of the
early Christian church, the thought of Augustine of Hippo, the
rise of Charlemagne's Frankish Empire, and the economic revival
of Europe in the eleventh
century. E. Bastress-Dukehart
HI 302. THE HIGH
MIDDLE AGES 3
European civilization: 1100–1400.
Special emphasis upon the Renaissance of the twelfth century;
the rediscovery of Aristotle; the thought of Peter Abelard,
Thomas Aquinas and William of Ockham; the Roman Church at its
height; the breakdown of Christian
unity. E. Bastress-Dukehart
HI 303. INTELLECTUAL
HISTORY MEDIEVAL AND RENAISSANCE 3
The principal currents of Western
European thought: the Middle Ages, the Italian Renaissance,
and the Renaissance of the North. E.
Bastress-Dukehart
HI 305. SCIENCE AND
THE CHURCH: EUROPE FROM LUTHER TO VOLTAIRE 3
The emergence in early modern Europe
(1500–1800) of two competing world views: Christianity
and scientific rationalism. The course will examine the competition
between these two ideologies for control of the political, economic,
and social machinery of European culture, especially as represented
by the modern state, and for the right to define the principal
modes of cultural expressionthe literary, plastic, and performing
arts. E. Bastress-Dukehart
HI 306. THE FRENCH
REVOLUTION AND NAPOLEON, 1789–1815 3
A study of the causes and course
of the Revolution in France, the reign of Napoleon, and the
effects of the Revolution and Napoleon on other European states.
Prerequisite: One college course in European
history or political thought. M. Hockenos
HI 312. INDUSTRY,
EMPIRE AND THE ENVIRONMENT 3
Examines the origins and development of the industrial revolution in
late 18th and early 19th century Britain, which many historians argue
was made possible in part by the economic proceeds of British
imperialism, the Atlantic slave trade in particular. Unlike more
traditional histories of industrialization, in addition to the focus
on the relationship between industry and empire, explores the
environmental and social consequences of the process of
industrialization, not just for Britain but for all of Britain’s
global empire, thus using providing a historical context for
contemporary debates on globalization, economic development, and the
environment. T. Nechtman
HI 315. CRIME AND PUNISHMENT IN EARLY MODERN EUROPE
(1400–1800) 3
An investigation of the history and theory of crime and punishment in an age when
criminal violence and state violence were often indistinguishable and unmediated.
Over the course of four hundred years, Europe experienced a transformation
from the persecuting societies of the Middle Ages, through the terrors
of religious wars and the Inquisition, to Beccarea's "enlightened"
and Bentham's utilitarian rejection of traditional criminology.
Starting with Michel Foucault's influential work, Discipline and Punish,
the readings for this course address dominant social norms and ever-changing
definitions of deviance. The course explores the intellectual, social,
and political justification for punishment, and the ensuring conflicts
between conceptions of authority and individual
freedom. E. Bastress-Dukehart
HI 316. EMPIRES IN INDIA 3
Examines the history of the Indian subcontinent from the late
sixteenth century to the present. Begins with a study of the late
Mugal period, moving on to explore the origins of the British empire
in India, focusing in particular the role of the East India Company
in that process and on the impacts British imperialism had on
British, Indian and world history. The second half of the course
focuses on efforts to pull down the structures of British imperialism
in India from the nineteenth century forward to independence in 1947,
including such topics as the origins of Indian nationalism, the
complex interaction of various groups involved in decolonization in
India, and the early histories of the independent nations that
emerged from British India. (Fulfills cultural diversity requirement.) T. Nechtman
HI 317. THE COMMON LAW AND ITS COLONIAL CONTEXTS 3
An exploration of the history of English Common Law. Begins with a
close investigation of the early history of Common Law, focusing on
such issues as the origins of the jury trial, the legacy of the
Magna Carta and the Bill of Rights, and the structures of the early
English legal system, including primary source readings from trial
law and important cases in British legal history. Continues with an
exploration of the impact of the Common Law throughout the British
Empire, which proved to be a contested space in which English legal
traditions were faced with indigenous customs. Investigates the
hybrid legal structures that were born of this legal cross-fertilization
and the lasting legal legacies of Britain's imperial history both
within colonized communities and Britain itself. T. Nechtman
HI 321. AMERICAN
COLONIAL HISTORY 3
From the age of discovery to 1763.
This course examines the evolution of mature American societies
from their European origins, and gives special attention to
the increasingly shared experiences, ideas, and institutions
of the thirteen diverse colonies which later became the United
States. The Department
GH 322. THE HISTORY AND POLITICAL THOUGHT OF THE AMERICAN
REVOLUTION 3
The creation of a new nation: 1763–1789.
This course will give special attention to the political ideas
which gave direction to the American Revolution and the
Constitution. The Department
HI 323. THE NEW AMERICAN
REPUBLIC 3
From Washington through Jackson,
1789–1840. This course will examine the United States as
an emerging nation in search of security and stability in the
face of political, economic, social, and international pressures,
and study how that republic evolved to become the democracy
of the Jacksonian age. The Department
HI 324. CIVIL WAR
AND RECONSTRUCTION 3
Division and reunification, 1840–1877.
This course will examine the importance of sectionalism, the
breakdown of national institutions, the revolutionary impact
of the war, and the dilemmas attending reconciliation. Special
attention will be given to the role of race in shaping popular
attitudes and public policy before, during, and after the
war. The Department
HI 327. THE PROGRESSIVE
ERA 3
The United States' response to industrialization, immigration, urbanization, and economic crisis
in the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries. This course
use a variety of primary and secondary materials to examine
how Americans deal with the problems of
modernity. J. Delton
HI 328. DEPRESSION
AND WAR 3
The United States confronts economic collapse, totalitarian ideologies,
and a global war, 1929-45. Course examines how these challenges force
the United States to change. J. Delton
HI 329. U.S. SINCE 1945 3
The rise and fall of liberalism, the Cold War, Vietnam, Civil Rights,
cultural upheaval, Reagan and the post-Cold war world. Course pays
special attention to the rise of conservatism in the eighties and
nineties. J. Delton
HI 330. POLITICS
AND SOCIETY IN LATIN AMERICA 3
A consideration of the important
aspects of Latin American politics, economy, society, and culture
in historical context, focusing on a specific geographical region.
From the encounters of Indian, African, and Spaniard in the
fifteenth century through the turning over of the Panama Canal
by the U.S. government to Panamanian authorities in 1999, Latin
American society and political systems have developed in tandem
with the rest of the Western Hemisphere. Topics might include:
political traditions; sugar, coffee, bananas, and oil: dependent
development; religious traditions; intellectual currents; popular
culture; women; indigenous peoples and modern societies; race;
labor; reform, intervention and revolution; and human rights.
This course may be repeatable, if for a different
topic/region. J. Dym A. Mexico
B. Central America
C. Southern Cone
D. The Andes
E. The Caribbean
HI 335. GERMAN HISTORY SINCE
1918 3
An examination of the cultural, economic, political, and social
history of Germany from 1918 to the present. Through primary
and secondary sources, films, and novels, we examine Germany's
brief and ill-fated attempt at democracy in the Weimar Republic,
the genocidal rule of Hitler and the Nazis, the occupation and
division of Germany after the Second World War, the ideological
struggle between Germany's place in the Cold War and finally
the (re)unification of Germany and the ghosts of the Nazi and
communist past. Prerequisite: One college course in European
history. M. Hockenos
HI 343. THE CHINESE
REVOLUTION 3
An examination of the major issues
and events in the Chinese Revolution, from the foundation of
the Republic in 1911 to the present, with emphasis on the relationships
between social, economic, and political goals; the methods used
to gain them; and the impact of changes on personal and intellectual
freedom. (Designated a non-Western culture
course.) M. Pearson
HI 347. JAPAN'S
MODERNIZERS: SAMURAI, WEAVERS, WRITERS, AND
PROSTITUTES 3
The lives and works of men and
women who transformed nineteenth-century Japan from feudalism
to modernity, and from weakness and isolation to international
prominence. Autobiographies, novels, films, and conventional
histories will be used to show how Japan was able to change
so rapidly. (Designated a non-Western culture
course.) M. Pearson
HI 363. TOPICS
IN HISTORY 3
Topically organized courses based on problems and issues of special
interest at the advanced level. The specific themes to be examined will
vary from year to year. Recent offerings include "The Historian as
Detective," "Utopias and Science Fiction," and "The Fifties." This
course with a different topic may be repeated for credit.
HI 371, 372. INDEPENDENT
STUDY 3, 3
Research in any period or topic in history not available in existing course offerings. Consent
of the department is required.
HI 375. COLLOQUIUM IN
HISTORY 4
The Colloquium is the history major's capstone course. Students will write a research paper on a
topic of their choosing, which reflects and makes use of their history
coursework to date. The colloquium is restricted to Seniors. By
permission of instructor only.
HI 399. PROFESSIONAL
INTERNSHIP IN HISTORY 3
Professional experience at an advanced
level for juniors and seniors with substantial academic and
cocurricular experience in the major field. With faculty sponsorship
and department approval, students may extend their educational
experience into such areas as archives, museums, galleries,
libraries, historical societies, preservation, and other professional
areas. Prerequisite: previous study related to the area
of the internship experience.
