Course Catalog 2009-2010

Associate Professor Catherine L. Dollard, Chair

Professors Barry C. Keenan, Dale T. Knobel, Margaret Meriwether, Donald G. Schilling, Mitchell Snay; Associate Professors Adam J. Davis, Catherine L. Dollard; Assistant Professors Lauren Araiza, Frank T. Proctor, Megan Threlkeld; Visiting Assistant Professor Suzanne M. Miller; Instructor/Assistant Professor Philip Misevich; Academic Administrative Assistant Deborah Bennett

The Department of History seeks to develop in its students an appreciation for the richness, diversity and complexities of human history. In the course of their studies, students are exposed to a wide range of different historical periods and geographic regions, including courses on the history of America, Latin America, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. The requirements of the major and minor ensure that students are exposed to a broad spectrum of human historical experience, including the history of peoples whose cultures, experiences, and mentalités are substantially different from their own. The department also offers students various opportunities to explore particular historical problems or questions in depth and engage in original historical research. Thus, the department endeavors not only to help students further develop their analytical and rhetorical abilities, but to formulate historically informed arguments. Students also have the opportunity to reflect on history as a discipline and the nature and uses of historical evidence in seminars on methodology, practice, and theory.

The department encourages a close working relationship between students and faculty in both introductory survey courses and advanced seminars. We also hold regular lunches as a way of bringing students and faculty together in an informal setting, while the History Forum provides a formal opportunity for faculty members to share their research with colleagues and students. The Phi Alpha Theta history honorary society is active in organizing meetings, hosting film nights, and facilitating contacts between majors.

Students who major in history should select an advisor in the department. This person will be best prepared to assist students in meeting major requirements and assessing the relationship between their work in history and their future life and career goals.

The department requires 36 hours (or nine courses) distributed to ensure both breadth and depth in the major. The major requirements are discussed in greater detail below and must be fulfilled as follows:

Required Courses: Two courses in the history major are specifically required:

HIST-290: Doing History 290 is a methods course which should be taken upon declaring a history major, preferably in the sophomore year and no later than the first semester of the junior year.

Senior Experience: This is fulfilled in the senior year by taking either: HIST 430 Senior Seminar or HIST 451/452 Two-semester Senior Research (which may be converted to an honors project)

Area Requirements: To ensure that students engage diverse fields of history, the department requires that each major complete one introductory course at the 100 or 200 level (excluding Hist-290) in three of the six following geographic areas: Europe, the United States, Africa, the Middle East, East Asia, and Latin America. Students are free to select the areas of their choosing provided that one of those introductory courses deals with history prior to 1800 (pre-modern) and that one must cover Europe or the United States.

Upper-Level Seminars: Majors are also required to take three advanced courses at the 300 level, one of which must be a research seminar. Research seminars will be indicated by special notation at the time of course registration. The upper division course with the research component must be completed prior to enrolling in History 430: Senior Seminar or conducting senior or honors research in history.

Advanced Placement history courses for which the student has earned a 4 or 5 may not be used to meet the requirements of the major, but do count as credits towards graduation from Denison.

A working knowledge of a foreign language is desirable for all majors; those planning on graduate work in history should start a second language if possible. (Graduate schools usually require a reading knowledge of at least two languages. Requirements vary depending upon the area of study and research interests of the candidate. Suitable language choices should be made in consultation with your history advisor.)

The department requires a minimum of 24 hours (or six courses) of work in history for a minor. Students must complete the area requirements as defined for the major, History 290-Doing History, and one 300 level course.

Survey in Pre-Modern Europe (HIST-101).  Survey overview of European History, with coverage ranging from late antiquity through the Enlightenment. 4

Late Antiquity (HIST-102).  A survey of the culture, thought, politics, religion, economics, and society of the late antique world. This course will examine the Mediterranean world and northern Europe from the late Roman Empire (200 CE) to the Christianization of Iceland (c1000 CE), integrating the history of Western Christendom, Byzantium, and the early Islamic world. 4

The Origins of Europe: Medieval Society (HIST-103).  A survey course on European civilization during the high and later Middle Ages, 1000-1453. Topics will include urbanization, religious and social reform, popular devotion, the crusades, scholasticism and universities, the rise of monarchies, the institutionalization of the Catholic Church, art and architecture, and the Black Death. 4

Early Modern Europe (HIST-104).  A survey of the political, social, cultural, and intellectual developments in European history from the Black Death in 1348 to the French Revolution in 1789. Topics will include Renaissance humanism, the Protestant and Catholic Reformations, the age of exploration, the Religious Wars, absolutism and constitutionalism, the scientific revolution, and the Enlightenment. 4

Modern Europe (HIST-111).  A survey course on the history of Europe from the Enlightenment to the present which examines the major forces and dominant ideologies of the modern Western world. Topics include the industrial revolution, war, revolution and counter-revolution, nationalism, the development of European social movements, and the struggle between freedom and order. 4

American History to 1865 (HIST-121).  A survey of the American past from the Revolution through the Civil War. 4

American History since 1865 (HIST-122).  A survey of U.S. history from Reconstruction after the Civil War to the present day. 4

Traditional East Asian Civilization (HIST-141).  The civilization of China and Japan from classical times to 1700 C.E.. Themes include: the earliest Chinese schools of social ad political thought; the genius of political and economic organization which contributed to the unusual longevity of Chinese dynastic institutions; the Japanese adaptation of Confucian and Buddhist practices in different eras; the unique development of Japan's unified feudalism. 4

Modern East Asia Civilization (HIST-142).  Beginning from an insider's view of how both prince and peasant saw the world around them before the encroachment of the West, this course analyzes the modern transformation of East Asia. Topics include: the conflict of Sinocentrism with modern nationalism in the Chinese revolution, the Japanese road to Pearl Harbor, and the colonization of Vietnam and Korea. 4

Islamic History before 1800 (HIST-151).  A survey of the history of the Islamic World from the rise of Islam to the 1800's. Beginning with the revelation of Islam and the emergence of the first Islamic Empire in the seventh century A.D., the course will examine the formation and development of Islamic Societies through a study of religion, political theory and practice, social structure, art, literature and the sciences. 4

The Modern Middle East (HIST-152).  This course examines the transformation of the Middle East in the 19th and 20th centuries. It will cover such topics as political reform, integration into the world economy, changing role of religion, debates about women and gender, the rise of nationalism and recent political struggles such as the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. 4

Pre-Colonial Africa (HIST-171).  This survey course will introduce students to the history of Africa from the earliest times to 1880 - also known as pre-colonial African history. Though the focus is on Africa south of the Sahara, North Africa will be featured from time to time. Topics include the earliest human settlements in Africa, empires and kingdoms in East, West, and Southern Africa, Islam and Christianity in Africa, slavery, and the partitioning of the continent by powers in the mid 1800s. 4

The History of Africa Since 1880 (HIST-172).  This course examines myths about Africa, the history of colonialism on the continent in the 19th and 20th centuries, the rise of primary resistances to colonialism in the late 1800s and early 1900s, and how this fed the secondary and tertiary resistance movements from the 1930s through to the 1990s when the apartheid regime collapsed in South Africa. Through close readings of the historiography, students will grapple with the history of colonialism and the postcolonial era in Sub Saharan Africa. 4

Colonial Latin America (HIST-181).  A survey course on Latin America from Conquest through Independence. Topics include exploration of: 1) how Spain and Portugal conquered and colonized the Americas, 2) how they managed to maintain control over those colonies, 3) how the colonized (Indians, Africans, and mixed races) responded to the imposition of colonial rule, 4) the role of women and gender in colonial settings, and 5) the implications of colonialism for the study of modern Latin America. 4

Modern Latin America (HIST-182).  A survey course on Latin America from Independence to the present focused on attempts to construct polities based on nation states and the evolution of capitalist economies; and, how social movements both reflected and drove these two major transformations. Topics include the social implications of various models of economic development; issues resulting from economic ties to wealthy countries; changing ethnic, gender, and class relations; and, the diverse efforts of Latin Americans to construct stable and equitable socio-political systems. 4

Introductory Topics in History (HIST-199).  A general category used only in the evaluation of transfer credit. 1-4

Studies in Pre-Modern European History (HIST-200).  Intensive study of selected periods or topics in Ancient, Medieval, or Early Modern History at the intermediate level. May be taken more than once. 4

Renaissance Italy (HIST-205).  An examination of the political, social, cultural, and intellectural developments in Italy during the Renaissance. Topics will include the politics of the Italian city-states, mercantile culture, humanism, religious life, art and architecture, patronage, the impact of print, and diplomacy and war. 4

Studies in Modern European History (HIST-210).  Intensive study of selected periods or topics in Modern European History at the intermediate level. May be taken more than once. 4

Modern Germany (HIST-216).  This course examines German history from the events leading up to the unification of the German state in 1871 through reunification in 1990. The course focuses on the shifting constructions of German national identity through 19th cetury expansion, defeat in two world wars, the Weimar and azi eras and Cold War division. (Not offered 2009-2010) 4

Studies in American History (HIST-220).  Intensive study of selected periods or topics in American History at the intermediate level. May be taken more than once. 4

Women in United States History (HIST-223).  This course surveys the history of women in the United States from 1848 to the present. We will explore the lived experiences of many different kinds of women and analyze the ways in which other categories of identity?race, ethnicity, nationality, class, sexual orientation, age, etc.?affect those experiences. We will also explore the development of feminist consciousness among U.S. women, and analyze attempts to expand that consciousness both nationally and globally. 4

A History of the American South (HIST-224).  This course will cover selected topics in Southern history from the establishment of the Southern colonies in the 17th century to the civil rights struggle of the 1960s. It will explore the basic economic, social and political facets of Southern history, as well as such specific issues as race relations and the Southern literary imagination. Throughout the course, an attempt will be made to define the factors that made the South such a distinctive and important region in American history. 4

African American History (HIST-225).  This course will examine the history of African-Americans in the United States from 1619 to the present with an emphasis on the processes by which African-Americans adjusted to and resisted their conditions. Topics will include African heritage, slavery, Civil War and Reconstruction, Jim Crow, wartime experiences, the shift to urban life, the Civil Rights and Black Power Movements, the rise of Hip Hop, and contemporary issues. (Fall Semester) 4

Studies in East Asian History (HIST-240).  Intensive study of selected periods or topics in East Asian History at the intermediate level. May be taken more than once. 4

The Mandate of Heaven in Classical China (HIST-241).  Classical China left two legacies of lasting importance: a political system that maintained the same tradition for the next two thousand years, and the Confucian ethical system that spread to Korea, Japan, and Vietnam. The course begins with the origins of Chinese history and moves through the first Empire from 220 B.C.E. to 220 C.E. 4

Studies in Middle Eastern History (HIST-250).  Intensive study of selected periods or topics in Middle Eastern History at the intermediate level. May be taken more than once. 4

Studies in African History (HIST-270).  Intensive study of selected periods or topics in African History at the intermediate level. May be taken more than once. 4

Studies in Latin American History (HIST-280).  Intensive study of selected periods or topics in Latin American History at the intermediate level. May be taken more than once. 4

Doing History (HIST-290).  This proseminar serves as an introduction to the study of history. Each seminar will focus on a special field, theme, or topic, but all students will be introduced to certain critical skills of historical analysis, distinctive approaches, schools, or methods of historical writing and the nature of historical synthesis. 4

Studies in Comparative History (HIST-291).  Intensive study of selected periods or topics in Comparative History at the intermediate level. May be taken more than once. 4

Intermediate Courses in History (HIST-299).  A general category used only in the evaluation of transfer credit. 1-4

Advanced Studies in Pre-Modern European History (HIST-300).  Intensive study of selected periods or topics in Ancient, Medieval, or Early Modern History at the advanced level. May be taken more than once. 4

The Renaissance and Reformation of the 12th Century (HIST-303).  An intensive research seminar that considers both the ecclesiastical reforms and cultural and intellectual revival that marked the "long twelfth century" in Western Europe. Topics include ecclesiastical reform, medieval humanism, theologians and philosophers, mysticism, the discovery of the individual, the reception of Aristotle, the revival of Roman law, Gothic architecture, and the rise of the universities. 4

Jews and Christians in the Middle Ages (HIST-305).  A seminar that examines the relationship between Jews and Christians in medieval Europe. Through a wide range of primary sources, written by medieval Christians and Jews, we will attempt to reconstruct how Christians and Jews imagined each other and what motivated them to act in the way that they did. We will examine some of the contexts for Jewish-Christian interaction and will explore the interdependence of Jews and Christians, economically, politically, and psychologically. Topics will include the medieval church and Jews, the legal status of Jews in the medieval state, economic roles, biblical exegesis, forced disputation, conversion, the crusades, accusations of host desecration and ritual murder, and explusion. 4

Advanced Studies in Modern European History (HIST-310).  Intensive study of selected periods or topics in Modern European History at the advanced level. May be taken more than once. 4

Europe at Its Zenith (HIST-312).  This course explores the relationships between culture, society, economics, and politics in Europe between 1870 and 1914, an era of European global dominance. (Not offered 2009-2010) 4

Origins and History of World War I (HIST-313).  An examination of the causes and conduct of The Great War. The course addresses diplomatic and political events that led to the war and studies the military evolution of the war. The course also focuses extensively on the cultural mood before and after the war. 4

Origins and History of World War II (HIST-314).  An examination of the causes and conduct of the Second World War, this course explores key features of the military history of the war as well as archetypal human experiences during this period of global, total war. (Not offered 2009-2010) 4

The Rise and Fall of Nazi Germany (HIST-315).  This course examines the origins, nature, and consequences of the National Socialist movement and state in the context of modern German history. (Not offered 2009-2010) 4

20th Century Eastern Europe: Politics and Culture (HIST-316).  An examination of the complex interplay of politics and culture in the tumultuous European twentieth century. A series of case studies (Stalinist USSR, World War II Poland, Yugoslavia in dissolution) forms the material addressed in the course. (Not offered in 2009-2010) 4

Studies in Early American History (HIST-320).  Intensive study of selected periods or topics in Early American History at the advanced level. May be taken more than once. 4

Colonial America, 1600-1763 (HIST-321).  A study of the economic, social, and political aspects of American History during the 17th and 18th centuries. (Not offered 2009-2010) 4

The Revolutionary Transformation of America: 1760-1800 (HIST-322).  A comprehensive study of the political philosophy, constitutional development, revolutionary excitement and military events of the American Revolution. (Not offered 2009-2010) 4

The Age of Jefferson: The United States, 1800-1828 (HIST-323).  The United States as both a nation and a political state was forged during the two decades following the American Revolution. The foundations of the federal government were established during the 1790s and under the Republican administrations of Jefferson and Madison. Facing serious diplomatic challenges, the United States began to establish itself in the international community. The era also witnessed fundamental changes in racial, ethnic, and gender relations within American society. The course will offer a close examination of this pivotal period in American history. 4

The Age of Jackson: The United States, 1828-1848 (HIST-324).  The early decades of the 19th century witnessed fundamental structural changes in the economy, society, and politics of the United States. This course will examine the consequences of this rapid growth. It will trace the evolution of capitalism, the rise of a middle class culture, the development of a two-party political system, and the national quest for self-identity and unity. (Not offered 2009-2010) 4

The Civil War and Reconstruction: The United States, 1848-1877 (HIST-325).  An exploration of the causes and consequences of the Civil War. The course will examine such topics as the breakdown of the political process in the 1850s, the secession crisis, the transformation of Northern and Southern societies during wartime, and the African-American experience of emancipation. (Not offered 2009-2010) 4

Advanced Studies in American History (HIST-330).  Intensive study of selected period or topics in American History at the advanced level. May be taken more than once. 4

The United States in the Progressive Era (HIST-331).  This course examines the political, economic, social, and cultural history of the Progressive Era in the United States (1890s-1920s). Topics include: responses to industrialization, varieties of reform, popular political participation, racism and segregation, and U.S. foreign policy. 4

Dancing in the Street: African-American Urban History (HIST-335).  This course explores the history of the African-American urban experience. In the mid-18th century, the African-American community began to transition from a rural to an urban population. By the mid-20th century, African-Americans had become an overwhelmingly urban group. The course examines the process of the rural-to-urban transformation of African-Americans and the ways in which they have confronted, resisted, and adjusted to urban conditions of housing, employment, education, culture, and public space. 4

The Civil Rights Movement (HIST-336).  This seminar will examine the struggle for African-American equality from the 1930s to 1970. The course will begin with the origins of the Civil Rights Movement during the New Deal and World War II. We will then explore the key campaigns, figures, organizations, and guiding themes of the Movement. Special attention will be paid to the processes by which grassroots activism forced responses from the federal, state, and local governments. 4

The History of Black Power: From Marcus Garvey to Chuck D (HIST-337).  This course explores the history of the ideology of Black Power and its various dimensions and incarnations from its origins in the early 20th century to its significance in the present. Topics to be addressed may include, but are not limited to: definitions of Black Power, applications of this ideology to politics and economics, artistic aesthetics, gender dynamics, key figures and organizations, current manifestations, meanings for the African-American community, and reactions from the larger American society. 4

Advanced Studies in East Asian History (HIST-340).  Intensive study of selected periods or topics in East Asian History at the advanced level. May be taken more than once. 4

The Confucian Classics (HIST-341).  An examination of the basic Confucian texts of the East Asian cultural tradition that define the distinctive traits of what makes us human, and what norms define healthy and happy human relations. We shall read the Four Books of the Neo-Confucian tradition. In plumbing the subtleties of these texts we shall replicate the learning techniques employed in classical Confucian academies. Research essays concluding the course may focus on a Confucian thinker or concept in the Chinese, Korean, Japanese, or Vietnamese cultural traditions of East Asia. (Fall) 4

East Asia Since World War II (HIST-348).  A systematic history of international relations in East Asia from 1940 to the present. The political histories of China, Vietnam, and Korea were transformed by Japan's Pacific War; and the indigenous nationalisms spawned by that war often conflicted with the objectives of the Cold War powers. Anti-colonial liberation movements in Indonesia and the Philippines to the south also followed the Japanese defeat. This course will conclude with an analysis of China's contemporary interest in an integrated Pacific Asia trade network less dependent on Japan and its inseparable post-war ally, the United States. 4

Advanced Studies in Middle Eastern History (HIST-350).  Intensive study of selected periods or topics in Middle Eastern History at the advanced level. May be taken more than once. 4

Directed Study (HIST-361).  1-4

Directed Study (HIST-362).  1-4

Independent Study (HIST-363).  1-4

Independent Study (HIST-364).  1-4

Advanced Studies in African History (HIST-370).  Intensive study of selected periods or topics in African History at the advanced level. May be taken more than once. 4

History of Southern Africa (HIST-375).  In the early 21st century, the people of Southern Africa are searching for solutions to past and present conflicts in order to create a more hopeful future, but the burden of a history marked by domination, exploitation, and conflict, weighs heavily on the present. Can South Africa move beyond apartheid? Can peace and stability replace civil war in Angola and Mozambique? Can the countries of the region work together to achieve a higher level of material well-being for the people? This course will pursue these questions through an historical analysis of the development of South Africa and its neighbors and their interaction, especially in the last two centuries? 4

Advanced Studies in Latin American History (HIST-380).  Intensive study of selected periods or topics in Latin America History at the advanced level. May be taken more than once. 4

Sex and Sexuality in Latin America (HIST-383).  This course critically examines of gender and sexuality in Latin America. Particularly it will explore the various attempts by the ruling elite to define acceptable and deviant gender roles and sexual identities, how the non-elite resisted the imposition of those elite notions of propriety to create their own codes of conduct, and how those conflicts have changed over time. 4

Race and Ethnicity in Latin America (HIST-384).  This course critically examines the history of the social construction of race and ethnicity in Latin America. In it, we will explore how historians have employed race and ethnicity as methodological categories in order to elucidate the histories of Latin America from the pre-Hispanic era through the modern period. Particularly we will focus on the various attempts by the ruling elite to deploy race in the ordering of society; and, how the non-elite resisted the imposition of those elite conceptions of racial and ethnic hierarchies to create their own codes of conduct, and how those conflicts have changed over time. 4

Advanced Studies in Comparative History (HIST-390).  Intensive study of selected periods or topics in Comparative History at the advanced level. May be taken more than once. 4

Comparative Slavery in the Americas (HIST-391).  For many, the history of slavery is synonymous with the United States South. But slavery was not limited to the US and by approaching slavery from a comparative perspective, we will deepen our understanding of slavery as an institution, slaves as historical actors, and therefore the legacies of slavery throughout the Americas. We will explore regional differences within slaves? opportunities to form families, to create cultures, to rebel, and to labor for their own benefits; as well as the interactions of African cultural visions and Christianity. 4

Comparative Imperialisms (HIST-395).  This course centers on a comparison of British colonial rule in India and the United States involvement in Latin America. We will explore the construction of hegemonics relationships among nations, focusing particularly on the role of racial and gendered ideologies. We will analyze the definition of "empire," and discuss whether such a label applies to the United States - not only with regard to Latin America, but in its global affairs generally. 4

Advanced Research Paper (HIST-398).  A required research paper done in conjunction with a properly designated 300-level history course. 0

Advanced Topics in History (HIST-399).  A general category used only in the evaluation of transfer credit. 1-4

Senior Seminar (HIST-430).  Required of senior history majors. The senior seminar will provide students with a significant research experience culminating in the writing of a substantial research paper and the public presentation of their work. 4

Senior Research (HIST-451).  Research in selected topics of History. 4

Senior Research (HIST-452).  Research in selected topics in History. 4