Catalog of Courses for History
Introduces the study of history intended for first- or second-year students. Seminars involve reading, discussing, and writing about different historical topics and periods, and emphasize the enhancement of critical and communication skills. Several seminars are offered each term. Not more than two Introductory Seminars may be counted toward the major in history.
This course provides the opportunity to offer a new topic in the subject area of African History.
Studies the history of African civilizations from the iron age through the era of the slave trade, ca. 1800. Emphasizes the search for the themes of social, political, economic, and intellectual history which present African civilizations on their own terms.
Studies the history of Africa and its interaction with the western world from the mid-19th century to the present. Emphasizes continuities in African civilization from imperialism to independence that transcend the colonial interlude of the 20th century.
Surveys the main outlines of North African political, economic, and cultural history from the rise of Carthage as a Mediterranean power until the conclusion of the Algerian war for independence in 1962, and the creation of a system of nation-states in the region. It places the North African historical experience within the framework of both Mediterranean/European history and African history. Focuses mainly upon the area stretching from Morocco's Atlantic coast to the Nile Delta; also considered are Andalusia and Sicily, and the ties between Northwest Africa and sub-Saharan regions, particularly West Africa.
Studies the history of Africa generally south of the Zambezi River. Emphasizes African institutions, creation of ethnic and racial identities, industrialization, and rural poverty, from the early formation of historical communities to recent times.
This course concerns the trans-Atlantic slave trade, with an emphasis on African history. Through interactive lectures, in-class discussions, written assignments and examinations of first-hand accounts by slaves and slavers, works of fiction and film, and analyses by historians, we will seek to understand one of the most tragic and horrifying phenomena in the history of the western world.
History of West Africans in the wider context of the global past, from West Africans' first attempts to make a living in ancient environments through the slave trades (domestic, trans-Saharan, and Atlantic), colonial overrule by outsiders, political independence, and ever-increasing globalization.
This course explores how Africans changed their interactions with the physical environments they inhabited and how the landscapes they helped create in turn shaped human history. Topics covered include the ancient agricultural revolution, health and disease in the era of slave trading, colonial-era mining and commodity farming, 20th-century wildlife conservation, and the emergent challenges of land ownership, disease, and climate change.
Required for history majors, to be completed before enrollment in the Major Seminar. Introduces a variety of approaches to the study of history, methods for finding and analyzing primary and secondary sources, and the construction of historical arguments. Workshops are offered on a variety of topics each term.
This course provides the opportunity to offer a new topic in the subject area of African History.
This course explores the long history of human well-being in Africa: from the diets and mental health of earliest people; through challenges of diseases in eras of pre-modern globalization; to the formulation of "medical science" amid the Atlantic slave trade and then European overrule; to the aspirations of Africans after political independence to care for themselves amid the challenge of constrained national budgets for health care while facing emergent scourges.
The major seminar is a small class (not more than 15 students) intended primarily but not exclusively for history majors who have completed two or more courses relevant to the topic of the seminar. Seminar work results primarily in the preparation of a substantial (ca. 25 pp. in standard format) research paper. Some restrictions and prerequisites apply to enrollment. See a history advisor or the director of undergraduate studies.
The major colloquium is a small class (not more than 15 students) intended primarily but not exclusively for history majors who have completed two or more courses relevant to the topic of the colloquium. Colloquia are most frequently offered in areas of history where access to source materials or linguistic demands make seminars especially difficult. Students in colloquia prepare about 25 pages of written work distributed among various assignments. Some restrictions and prerequisites apply to enrollment. See a history advisor or the director of undergraduate studies.
This course provides the opportunity to offer a new topic in the subject area of African History.
In exceptional circumstances and with the permission of a faculty member, any student may undertake a rigorous program of independent study designed to explore a subject not currently being taught or to expand upon regular offerings. Independent study projects may not be used to replace regularly scheduled classes. Open to majors or non-majors.
This course provides the opportunity to offer a new topic in the subject area of African History.
Introduces the study of history intended for first- or second-year students. Seminars involve reading, discussing, and writing about different historical topics and periods, and emphasize the enhancement of critical and communication skills. Several seminars are offered each term. Not more than two Introductory Seminars may be counted toward the major in history.
This course provides the opportunity to offer a new topic in the subject area of East Asian History.
An intro to the study of Chinese civilization. We shall begin with the earliest human remains found in China & conclude in the present. The goal of this coure is not merely to tell the story of Chinese history, rich and compelling though the story is. Rather, our aim will be to explore what makes Chinese civilization specifically Chinese, & how the set of values, practices, & institutions we associate with Chinese society came to exist.
Studies the transformation of Chinese politics, society, institutions, culture and foreign relations from the Opium War. through the post-Mao Reform Era. Emphasizes the fluid relationship between tradition and transformation and the ways in which this relationship continues to shape the lives of the Chinese people.
An introduction to the politics, culture, and ideologies of modern Japan from roughly 1800 to the present. We will pay special attention to the interplay between Japan's simultaneous participation in global modernity and its assertion of a unique culture as a way to explore the rise of the nation-state as a historically specific form.
This course covers the history of Korean civilization from its archeological and mythical origins to the late nineteenth century. Together students will examine sources on premodern Korean warfare, society, sex, politics, religion, and culture to understand how this seemingly distant past continues to shape Korea's present and future. We will also explore the influence of Korean civilization on regional and global histories beyond the peninsula.
This course traces Korea's history from its unified rule under the Choson dynasty (1392-1910) to Japanese colonization (1910-1945) and subsequent division into the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) and Republic of Korea (South Korea). It examines how processes of reform, empire, civil war, revolution, and industrialization shaped both Koreas' development and how ordinary people experienced this tumultuous history.
This course introduces the history of China from the 13th c. through the end of imperial rule in the early 20th c., tracing long-term political, social, and economic transformations that characterized the second millennium of imperial rule.
This course traces the rise of the Mongol Empire on the Eurasian steppe in the 13th century, follows its campaigns in Eastern Eurasia, West Asia, and Southeast Asia, and examines how Mongol imperial rule was experienced in societies across the Eurasian landmass. Students will read eyewitness accounts, legal statutes, historical chronicles, and beyond to explore how the Mongols transformed the societies they conquered---and how their legacy was remembered.
This course provides the opportunity to offer a new topic in the subject area of East Asian History.
Surveys the social, political and economic organization of traditional Chinese society, traditional Chinese foreign policy, and major literary, artistic, and intellectual movements.
The course traces China's external relations from antiquity to our own times, identifying conceptions, practices, and institutions that characterized the ancient inter-state relations of East Asia and examining the interactions between "Eastern" and "Western," and "revolutionary" and "conventional" modes of international behavior in modern times. The student's grade is based on participation, midterm test, final exam, and a short essay.
This course will examine the rise of the nation-state form in Japan as a new form of historical subjectivity. It will explore in depth the political, economic, social, and cultural changes in the wake of the collapse of the Tokugawa Shogunate in 1868 to the start of the Tasiho period in 1912.
This course is an exploration of Japan's imperial project from roughly 1890-1945. We will start by developing a critical theoretical vocabulary with which we will then focus on three recent and important books on Japanese imperialism in East Asia. At the end of the semester we will also look briefly at anti-imperial and decolonization movements as well as the status of the category of 'empire' for analyzing the postwar period.
This course explores societal debates about the problem of industrial pollution in China, Japan, and Korea from a historical perspective. Questions this course addresses include the costs and benefits of industrial development and growth, the relationship between environmental movements and civil society, the environmental costs of war, and the role of the non-human in historical narratives.
The class examines China's entanglement with the Cold War from 1945 to the early 1990s. The course raises China-centered questions because it is curious in retrospect that China, a quintessential Eastern state, became so deeply involved in the Cold War, a confrontation rooted in Western history. In exploring such questions, this course does not treat China as part of the Cold War but the Cold War as a period of Chinese history.
The course explores Chinese-American relations since the late 18th century. Starting as an encounter between a young trading state and an ageless empire on the two sides of the Pacific Ocean, the relationship has gone through stages characterized by the two countries' changing identities. The course understands the relationship broadly and seeks insights at various levels.
This course examines the history of territorial disputes in East Asia by examining the demarcation, mapping, & policing of borders from the 1600s - present. With case studies including Xinjiang, the Korean peninsula, & current territorial disputes in the South & East China Seas, we will interrogate the social, political, cultural, & environmental factors that defined boundaries in East Asia historically & contribute to ongoing border tensions.
An examination of the history of Japan from 1945 to the present, as it transforms from an empire to a modern industrial capital state. We will explore the key contradictions, debates, and fault lines that run through the period, many of which persist to today.
Required for history majors, to be completed before enrollment in the Major Seminar. Introduces a variety of approaches to the study of history, methods for finding and analyzing primary and secondary sources, and the construction of historical arguments. Workshops are offered on a variety of topics each term.
This course provides the opportunity to offer a new topic in the subject area of East Asian History.
A small class (not more than 15 students) intended primarily but not exclusively for history majors who have completed two or more courses relevant to the topic of the seminar. The work of the seminar results primarily in the preparation of a substantial (ca. 25 pp. in standard format) research paper. Some restrictions and prerequisites apply to enrollment. See a history advisor or the director of undergraduate studies.
A small class (not more than 15 students) intended primarily but not exclusively for history majors who have completed two or more courses relevant to the topic of the colloquium. Most frequently offered in areas of history where access to source materials or linguistic demands make seminars especially difficult. Students prepare about 25 pages of written work. Some restrictions and prerequisites apply to enrollment. See a history advisor or the director of undergraduate studies.
In exceptional circumstances and with the permission of a faculty member any student may undertake a rigorous program of independent study designed to explore a subject not currently being taught or to expand upon regular offerings. Independent Study projects may not be used to replace regularly scheduled classes. Open to majors or non-majors.
This seminar familiarizes graduate students with scholarships about relations among states, societies, and peoples of the Asia-Pacific region during the 20th century, and helps students refine their ongoing research projects or initiate new ones. In applying rigorously methods of historical research to their projects, students produce scholarly works or research proposals that can meet expectations in actual scholarly fields.
This course, an advanced reading seminar, provids an in-depth investigation of one of the most magnificent, yet destructive, revolutions in human history--the Chinese Communist revolution, as well as the person who led the revoilution--Mao Zedong.
This course provides the opportunity to offer a new topic in the subject area of East Asian History.
This tutorial explores three types of conflicts in China modern experiences: civil wars, international conflicts, and Cold War confrontations. Reading materials include major scholarships on these topics. The class meets biweekly, and the students are evaluated on the basis of participation, short book reviews, and a final paper.
This tutorial is about conceptual and political constructions of the "Chinese Nation" in the 20th century. Readings include relevant writings by important intellectual and political figures of 20th-century China and major scholarships on the subject from multiethnic perspectives. The class meets biweekly, and the students are evaluated on the basis of participation, short book reviews, and a final paper.
Introduction the history and historiography of modern Japanese Thought, Culture, and Politics. Topics include modernity, empire, the nation-state, war, fascism, and capitalist development.
This tutorial provides students an overview of representative scholarly works and major historiographical debates in the English language on the study of modern Korean history. Specific topics covered include Korea's colonization, decolonization, division, economic development, the birth of modern Korean nationalism, and the growth of Korea's overseas diaspora.
This tutorial provides students an overview of representative scholarly works and major historiographical debates in the English language on modern imperialism in East Asia and is primarily designed for PhD students preparing for their qualifying examinations.
This course introduces students to the major types/genres of materials for the study of Imperial Chinese history, including both official documents and unofficial/literary and artistic works. Its two primary goals are to (1) familiarize students with the large variety of available sources and (2) provide abundant hands-on opportunities for critical reading and textual analysis.
This course introduces graduate students to key English-language scholarship on the political, social, and cultural history of imperial China, focusing on the 8th to 13th centuries. Major topics include court politics, the formation of factionalism, the evolution of key institutions, literati cultural practices, and patterns of social networking, etc.
This course introduces students to the major types of source materials (official documents, treatises, biographies, anecdotal writing, ji accounts, letters, etc.) for the study of Song Dynasty history.
This course introduces students to the most influential English-language scholarship on imperial China, especially the Tang (618-907), Song (960-1279), and Yuan (1271-1368) dynasties, in the last century. In addition to familiarizing students with the historiography of this important period, it aims to explore the key issues and developments in political and intellectual life as well as the formation and evolution of social and cultural ideals and practices.
Independent Study for graduate students, designed to explore a subject not currently being taught or to expand upon regular offerings in general history.
Intended for first- or second-year students. Seminars involve reading, discussing, and writing about different historical topics and periods, and emphasize the enhancement of critical and communication skills. Several seminars are offered each term. Not more than two Introductory Seminars may be counted toward the major in history.
This course provides the opportunity to offer a new topic in the subject area of European History.
Surveys the fundamental institutions and ideas that have shaped the Western world. Topics include great religious and philosophical traditions, political ideas, literary forms, artistic achievements and institutional structures from the world of the ancient Hebrews to the eve of the modern world (ca. 3000 b.c. to 1600 a.d.).
This course examines the history of nationalism in modern Europe, from the 1700s to the present day. We will consider the emergence and consolidation of European nation-states in the eighteenth century; nationalist movements and the breakup of empires in the nineteenth; ethnic cleansing and nationalist violence in twentieth-century Europe; as well as the rise of the European Union and its challenges today.
Studies the political, military, and social history of Ancient Greece from the Homeric age to the death of Alexander the Great, emphasizing the development and interactions of Sparta and Athens.
Surveys the political, social, and institutional growth of the Roman Republic, focusing on its downfall and replacement by an imperial form of government, the subsequent history of that government, and the social and economic life during the Roman Empire, up to its own decline and fall.
Studies ways of life and thought in the formation of Western Europe from the 4th century a.d. to the 15th. Includes a survey of the development of society and culture in town and countryside, the growth of economic, political, and religious institutions, and the impact of Muslim and Byzantine civilizations.
European history since the French Revolution, with an emphasis on social, cultural, and political change in global perspective.
This course surveys the pre-modern Jewish historical experience from antiquity through the sixteenth century.
Survey of Jewish history from the seventeenth century to the present, primarily in Europe, but with further treatment of Jewish life in the U.S. and Israel. Major topics include Jewish historical consciousness; patterns of emancipation; religious adjustment; the role of women; anti-Semitism; Zionism; the American Jewish experience; the Holocaust; the establishment of Israel; and Jewish life in Europe after the Holocaust.
Surveys political, social, and cultural history as Britain developed from a European backwater into a global power. Focuses on four major transformations: the Reformation and changing religious life under the Tudor monarchs; new political ideas during the Civil Wars of the 1640s and revolution in the 1680s; the unification of England, Scotland, and Ireland; and the beginnings of a global empire in North America and South Asia.
This course surveys the history of modern Britain from the Glorious Revolution of 1688 to the resurgent nationalisms of the present. Themes include the state-building, overseas expansion, and widening inequality of the Georgian years; the industrialization, urbanization, and increasingly assertive imperialism of the Victorian era; and the problems of war, decolonization, and decline in the twentieth century.
Introduction to French social, political, and cultural history from 1789 to 1871. Examines political struggles from the French Revolution to the Paris Commune, and considers how industrialization, urbanization, mass culture and imperial expansion reshaped relationships between men and women, rich and poor, city and country, artists and audiences, and metropole and colony. Traces changing ideas of nation, citizenship, and democracy.
Introduction to major developments in French society, culture, and politics since 1871: struggles to establish a secular Republic; nationalism and imperialism; antisemitism and Islamophobia; changes in women's roles and gender ideals; the traumas of world war and fascism; postwar consumer culture and economic modernization; European integration, Cold War, and decolonization; post-colonial immigration and multiculturalism.
Explores the collapse of the Russian Empire and the rise of the Communist state. Emphasizes the social revolution, Stalinism and subsequent 'de-Stalinization,' national minorities, and the collapse of the Soviet regime.
Famously dubbed 'the Dark Ages' by Petrarch, the European Middle Ages live on in popular imagination as an age of faith, a time of cultured knights and ladies, and a period of relentless violence. The period from 1100-1500 in what came to be called Europe experienced significant advancements in the flowering of religious piety, economic prosperity, ethical philosophy, the centralization of state power, law, urban life, science and medicine, literature, art, and soaring feats of architecture.
This course provides the opportunity to offer a new topic in the subject area of European History.
Surveys the intellectual, religious, and social history of Europe c.1500-1800 through the lens of changing beliefs about the supernatural. Selected topics include the rise and decline of witch-hunting, changing understandings of the universe, the impact of religious reform on traditional belief, and the "disenchantment" of European society as beliefs in the supernatural declined in the 18th century.
Surveys the history of ancient warfare from the Homeric era until the fall of Rome.
Surveys the history and culture of the last century of the Roman Republic (133-30 b.c.), emphasizing the political and social reasons for the destruction of the Republican form of government and its replacement by a monarchy.
Study of the interrationships between law, politics and society in ancient Greece (chiefly Athenian) culture, the Hellenistic kingdoms and Rome (from the XII Tables to the Justinianic Code). Focuses particularly on the development of the idea of law; on the construction of law's authority and legitimacy; on the use of law as one method of social control; and on the development, at Rome, of juristic independence and legal codification. Prerequisite: HIEU 2031 or HIEU 2041, or permission of the instructor.
Discusses intellectual and cultural history, political and social theories, and religious movements from the 11th to the 16th centuries.
An introduction to the social and intellectual history from the tenth century to the sixteenth.
Surveys the history of Britain from the establishment of Roman rule to the Norman Conquest of 1066. Particular focus falls upon the social, political and cultural history of early England and its neighbors in Wales and Scotland, the Scandinavian impact of the 8th through 11th centuries, and Britain's links with the wider late antique and early medieval worlds.
This course will focus primarily on the 'second' empire in Asia and Africa, although the first empire in the Americas will be our first topic. Topics covered include the slave plantations in the West Indies, the American Revolution, the rise of the British East India Company and its control of India, and the Scramble for Africa. Special emphasis will be placed on the environmental history of our points of debarkation.
Detailed study of the development of Christianity in the Middle Ages and of how it reflected upon itself in terms of theology, piety, and politics. Cross-listed as RELC 3181.
This course examines the range of human experience in Europe during the Second World War. Why did Nazi Germany invade and attempt to colonize large parts of Europe? What were the methods of Nazi rule? How did European peoples respond to the Nazi project, whether through forms of resistance or collaboration? Who were the principal victims of the war--and why is this question so difficult to address even today?
Studies the history of modern science in its formative period against the backdrop of classical Greek science and in the context of evolving scientific institutions and changing views of religion, politics, magic, alchemy, and ancient authorities.
This class studies key aspects of German history, including the origins of Nazi ideology, colonialism, war and genocide; the Cold War and its legacies; European Integration and it's challenges; the resurgence of far-right and new-fascist politics and movements, as well as Germany's ongoing efforts to come to terms with the Holocaust.
Detailed survey of the historical origins, political structures, cultural dynamics, and every-day practices of the Nazi Third Reich. Cross-listed in the German department, and taught in English.
This course is a comprehensive examination of the culture and history of East European Jewry from 1750 to 1935. Course cross-listed with YITR 3452.
Explores the friend/foe nexus in Germany history, literature and culture, with an emphasis on the 19th and 20th centuries.
The development of legal institutions, legal ideas, and legal principles from the medieval period to the 18th century. Emphasizes the impact of transformations in politics, society, and thought on the major categories of English law: property, torts and contracts, corporations, family law, constitutional and administrative law, and crime.
Required for history majors, to be completed before enrollment in the Major Seminar. Introduces a variety of approaches to the study of history, methods for finding and analyzing primary and secondary sources, and the construction of historical arguments. Workshops are offered on a variety of topics each term.
Explores the relationship between facts and fiction in the representation of the past. Course materials range from archival sources and scholarly articles to novels, films, paintings, sculptures, poems and other creative articulations of the historical imagination. The role of the new media and media analysis in the representation of history will also be examined. Topics vary annually.
This course provides the opportunity to offer a new topic in the subject area of European History.
This course examines the presentation of the Holocaust on film from the immediate postwar period to present. It does so alongside the actual history of the Holocaust. Course involves viewing multiple films inside and outside of class. Course assignments include multiple writings and analyses on various topics of filmmaking and the Holocaust.
This course will examine the roots, causes, and aftermath of communism's collapse in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union. We will consider economic stagnation and abortive attempts at reform; political crises and the rise of dissident movements; cultural exchange and the influence of mass media; and the role of social and nationalist activism.
This course aims to clarify basic facts and explore competing explanations for the origins and unfolding of the Holocaust (the encounter between the Third Reich and Europe's Jews between 1933 and 1945) that resulted in the deaths of almost six million Jews.
Analyzes the evolution of great-power politics from the post-Napoleonic Congress of Vienna and the systems of Metternich and Bismarck to the great convulsions of the twentieth century and the Russo-American Cold War after World War II.
Studies selected themes in intellectual history since the mid-19th century, focusing on Darwin, Nietzsche, Freud, Heidegger, and other thinkers, emphasizing the intellectual contexts out of which they came and to which they contributed.
Introduces the social theory of Karl Marx. What Marx said, why he said it, what he meant in saying it, and the significance thereof. Situates Marx's writing in the context of 19th-century intellectual history. Focuses on the coherence and validity of the theory and its subsequent history.
The major seminar is a small class (not more than 15 students) intended primarily but not exclusively for history majors who have completed two or more courses relevant to the topic of the seminar. The work of the seminar results primarily in the preparation of a substantial (ca. 25 pp. in standard format) research paper. Some restrictions and prerequisites apply to enrollment. See a history advisor or the director of undergraduate studies.
The major colloquium is a small class (not more than 15 students) intended primarily but not exclusively for history majors who have completed two or more courses relevant to the topic of the colloquium. Colloquia are most frequently offered in areas of history where access to source materials or linguistic demands make seminars especially difficult. Students in colloquia prepare about 25 pages of written work. Some restrictions and prerequisites apply to enrollment. See a history advisor or the director of undergraduate studies.
In exceptional circumstances and with the permission of a faculty member any student may undertake a rigorous program of independent study designed to explore a subject not currently being taught or to expand upon regular offerings. Independent Study projects may not be used to replace regularly scheduled classes. Open to majors or non-majors.
Examines the history of Greece in the late archaic age down to the end of the Persian wars. Prerequisite: HIEU 2031 or equivalent.
Examination of the political, diplomatic, and social history of Greece from the end of the Persian Wars in 479 b.c. to the end of the Peloponnesian War in 404/3 b.c. Investigates the origins, course, and importance of the latter war, the major watershed in classical Greek history. Prerequisite: HIEU 2031 or equivalent.
This seminar surveys recent historical writing on modern European imperialism and decolonization with an emphasis on the twentieth century. It covers case studies from different European empires (primarily British but also French, German, and Dutch), imperial formations (including settler colonialism and informal empire), and historiographical themes (including colonial violence, colonial knowledge, and humanitarianism).
Studies the founding and institutions of the Principate, the Dominate, and the decline of antiquity. Prerequisite: HIEU 2041 or equivalent.
Examines Roman transmarine expansion to determine how and why it happened, and what consequences it had, both in Rome and abroad. Prerequisite: HIEU 2041 or equivalent.
Course surveys tradition of 'philosophy of history' (ca. 1860--1960s) but focuses on the more recent genre of 'theory of history' (late 1960s/70s--present), which responds to recent historical genres and to new problems related to narrative, memory, trauma, counterfactuality, etc. Emphasis is on linking theory to specific historical and meta-historical instances (e.g., Arendt's Eichmann in Jerusalem, Friedlander's Nazi Germany and the Jews, 'trut
This new class, a discussion seminar, examines the great Roman crisis of the 3rd century and the Roman's response to it, as well as the nature of reestablished Roman rule through the fourth century AD. This is the great of the emperors Diocletian & Constantine, of Julian & Theodosius. Topics to be examined include governance, warfare, the late-antique economy, religious strife, the life of cities, similarities & differences between East & West.
A study of the major countries of Europe in the era 1914-1945, with special attention to international relations, and political, economic, and social developments. Most suitable for third- and fourth- year students with some background in European history and for graduate students.
A seminar offering in-depth investigations of topics and research methodologies in modern European history and culture. Topics vary.
A discussion course on key topics in the transnational history of Modern Europe since 1890. A capstone for majors in the field, it is also open to others. Topics include old and new ways of doing history, Imperialism, World War I, postwar capitalism and its critics, Communism and Fascism, the Great Depression, the Holocaust, the Cold War, the path toward European Union, the Welfare State, German Reunification, and the end of the Cold War.
A survey of anthropological methods useful for the study of the past: simultaneously an economic introduction to the Great Books of anthropology, to a prominent aspect of contemporary classical scholarship, and to the opportunities and problems presented by using the methods of one field to illuminate another.
The aim of this course is to acquaint students with various facets of the study of Greek and Roman antiquity; to show students a range of approaches to ancient materials; and to introduce students of antiquity to each other and to the affiliated faculty in different departments (Classics, History, Art, Religious Studies).
This course provides the opportunity to offer a new topic in the subject area of European History.
A seminar offering in-depth investigations of topics and research methodologies in modern European history and culture. Topics vary.
This graduate-level tutorial introduces the major themes, debates, and methods of historical writing on the British Empire from around 1750. It is intended particularly, though not exclusively, as field preparation for the general examination. Topics include the uses of expert knowledge, the peculiarities of settler colonialism, the lure of liberalism as imperial ideology, and the role of violence.
This tutorial will cover the most tumultuous period in Roman Republican history, that which stretches from 133 BC to the establishment of Octavian (Augustus) as the first emperor in 27 BC.
Considers developments in the British Isles and its nascent empire in the 16th and 17th centuries. Focuses on historiography of the Reformation and persistent religious conflicts, the causes and nature of the Civil Wars, and the origins of empire.
Considers key ideas and practices in English law from the late medieval period. Attention given to institutions, their development, and their interaction. Legal change will be studied in its social, political, and economic contexts. Also explores transformations in English law as it moved across a burgeoning empire.
Surveys the history and historiography of European Christianity c. 1450-1650.
Explores the history and historiography of Europe, c. 1450-1750. It provides a broad introduction to early modern society and culture, with particular emphasis on the transformations that reshaped Europe in this period, such as the emergence of the early modern state, the division of Christendom, and global exploration.
This course is intended to introduce graduate students to the study of Anglo-Saxon England from the fifth to the eleventh centuries, its historiography and the range of methodologies and disciplinary approaches applied to its analysis. The class is intended to be timely and comprehensive. Archaeology, material culture and the close analysis of key primary sources and attendant scholarship will all be addressed.
This graduate tutorial surveys the historiography of decolonization in the twentieth century with an emphasis on European empires. The course is especially designed for students preparing a field for comprehensive exams but is open to others.
This course is designed to introduce graduate students to the study of the post classical Mediterranean from the fifth to the tenth centuries, its historiography and the range of methodologies and disciplinary approaches pursued in its analysis. The class is not intended to be exhaustive; it is meant to be timely and comprehensive, and to balance core classic studies with often very recent historical and archaeological scholarship.
This course introduces students to the modern history of Central and Eastern Europe. We will consider topics like the rise of nationalism, the challenges of state-building, the spread of left- and right-wing ideologies, interactions with the "West," and the experience of war and revolution.
This tutorial serves as an introduction to the history and historiography of France and the French empire. Looking at the period since the French Revolution, readings explore themes including revolution, industrialization, urbanization, modernity and mass culture; gender and sexuality; race and religion; and regionalism, and imperial expansion.
An introduction to the history and historiography of the French colonial empire in the modern period. Looking at the period since the French Revolution, readings explore the ideologies, institutions, and practices of French imperialism, the processes of decolonization, and the postcolonial legacies of empire.
This graduate tutorial introduces students to the details and interpretations of antiquity's two greatest legal systems, although it will be specifically tailored to the needs and interests of the individual students. Readings will be drawn from both primary and secondary sources; students will be expected to master the information provided by the primary sources and write two analytical summaries of recent secondary works.
Independent study for graduate students, designed to explore a subject not currently being taught or to expand upon regular offerings in European History.
Intended for first- or second-year students, this course introduces the study of history. Seminars involve reading, discussing, and writing about different historical topics and periods, and emphasize the enhancement of critical and communication skills. Several seminars are offered each term. Not more than two Introductory Seminars may be counted toward the major history.
Introduces major developments and issues in the study of Latin American history from Native American societies on the eve of the Spanish Conquest to the wars of national independence in the early 19th century.
Introduces the history of Latin America from national independence in the early 19th century to the present.
This course provides the opportunity to offer a new topic in the subject area of Latin American History.
Covers issues of human rights violations, defense, reparations, and prevention, from independence movements through the Cold War, neoliberalism, extractivism, racism, and transnational migration, trade and crime.
Studies the history of Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, and El Salvador from 19th century fragmentation, oligarchic, foreign, and military rule, to the emergence of popular nationalisms.
The course explores the Great Encounter between Indigenous people, Europeans, and Africans in America from 1492. Topics include: crises of knowledge and ethics sparked by the radical novelty of the Encounter; Columbian Exchange and the remaking of nature; tensions of difference and identity; silver, slavery, and dispossession in making a global economy; discovery and cultural devastation in modern life. This is history with philosophical intent.
Required for history majors, to be completed before enrollment in the Major Seminar. Introduces a variety of approaches to the study of history, methods for finding and analyzing primary and secondary sources, and the construction of historical arguments. Workshops are offered on a variety of topics each term.
This course provides the opportunity to offer a new topic in the subject area of Latin American History.
The major seminar is a small class (not more than 15 students) intended primarily but not exclusively for history majors who have completed two or more courses relevant to the topic of the seminar. Seminar work results primarily in the preparation of substantial (ca. 25 pp. in standard format) research paper. Some restrictions and prerequisites apply to enrollment. See a history advisor or the director of undergraduate studies.
The major colloquium is a small class (not more than 15 students) intended primarily but not exclusively for history majors who have completed two or more courses relevant to the topic of the colloquium. Colloquia are most frequently offered in areas of history where access to source materials or linguistic demands make seminars especially difficult. Students in colloquia prepare about 25 pages of written work distributed among various assignments. Some restrictions and prerequisites apply to enrollment. See a history advisor or the director of undergraduate studies.
A readings course open to graduate students with a reading knowledge of Spanish.
This seminar/tutorial will be an introduction to recent historical literature on the United States and Latin America. The course will consider historical works on the role of the United States in a variety of countries and examine key moments of US imperial expansion and empire building throughout the hemisphere during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
This class reviews major trends in the scholarship on modern Latin American history. Students will present assigned books to the class throughout the semester and write a final twenty-page historiographical essay on a topic of their choosing.
Introduces the study of history intended for first- or second-year students. Seminars involve reading, discussing, and writing about different historical topics and periods, and emphasize the enhancement of critical and communication skills. Not more than two Introductory Seminars may be counted toward the major in history.
Explores the history of the Middle East and North Africa from late antiquity to the rise to superpower status of the Ottoman Empire in the 16th century. Topics include the formation of Islam and the first Arab-Islamic conquests; the fragmentation of the empire of the caliphate; the historical development of Islamic social, legal, and political institutions; science and philosophy; and the impact of invaders (Turks, Crusaders, and Mongols).
What historical processes that have shaped the Middle East of today? This course focuses on the history of a region stretching from Morocco in the West and Afghanistan in the East over the period of roughly 1500 to the present. In doing so, we examine political, social, and cultural history through the lens of "media" in translation, such as manuscripts, memoirs, maps, travel narratives, novels, films, music, internet media, and more.
This course is designed to introduce students to the economic history of the Islamic World over the duration of roughly 1300 years of history. We explore ideologies, institutions, and practices of commerce in Muslim society, paying close attention to the actors, artifacts, and encounters, that gave it shape over the course of a millennium, ending with the onset of Industrial Revolution in the late 18th century.
This course surveys the history of modern Palestine/Israel. Using sources including scholarly texts, memoirs, newspapers, songs, short stories, posters, we study the history of this region from the mid-1800s to the present. Historical themes include colonialism in the region; the relationship between religion, nationalism, and ethnicity; rising violence and war; the relationship between memory and history; and the ongoing importance of history amidst the current crisis.
This course provides the opportunity to offer a new topic in the subject area of Middle Eastern History.
Studies Christianity in the Middle East in the centuries after the rise of Islam.
A survey of the history of the Ottoman Empire from its obscure origins around 1300 to 1700, this course explores the political, military, social, and cultural history of this massive, multi-confessional, multi-ethnic, inter-continental empire which, at its height, encompassed Central and Southeastern Europe, the Caucasus, the Middle East, and North Africa.
Required for history majors, to be completed before enrollment in the Major Seminar. Introduces a variety of approaches to the study of history, methods for finding and analyzing primary and secondary sources, and the construction of historical arguments. Workshops are offered on a variety of topics each term.
This course provides the opportunity to offer a new topic in the subject area of Middle Eastern History.
This interdisciplinary course uses cinema as a vehicle to introduce students without a knowledge of Arabic to the perspectives of Arab peoples on their own history. Includes popular movies on the rise of Islam, Crusades, World War I, colonialism, modern city life, women's liberation,war, terrorism. Students read relevant history and learn critical theory on collective memory, propaganda, modernity, revolution, and gender.
The major seminar is a small class (not more than 15 students) intended primarily but not exclusively for history majors who have completed two or more courses relevant to the topic of the seminar. The work of the seminar results primarily in the preparation of a substantial (ca. 25 pages in standard format) research paper. Some restrictions and prerequisites apply to enrollment. See a history advisor or the director of undergraduate studies.
The major colloquium is a small class (not more than 15 students) intended primarily but not exclusively for history majors who have completed two or more courses relevant to the topics of the colloquium. Colloquia are most frequently offered in areas of history where access to source materials or linguistic demands make seminars especially difficult. Students in colloquia prepare about 25 pages of written work distributed among various assignments. Some restrictions and prerequisites apply to enrollment. See a history advisor or the director of undergraduate studies.
In exceptional circumstances and with the permission of a faculty member any student may undertake a rigorous program of independent study designed to explore a subject not currently being taught or to expand upon regular offerings. Independent Study projects may not be used to replace regularly scheduled classes. Open to majors or non-majors.
This course provides the opportunity to offer a new topic in the subject area of Middle Eastern History.
This tutorial explores the remaking of politics, economy, and ecology in the Middle East from the late 19th century onward. While international relations and corporations play a role in the scholarship of the 20th century Middle East, we seek to understand local dimensions of oil and capital as well, focusing less on the geopolitical context and more on the socioeconomic impacts of changing economic and energy regimes.
This tutorial surveys the historiography of the medieval Middle East and North Africa (broadly construed), from pre-Islamic Arabia through the Ottoman conquest of the Mamluk Sultanate, which reunified the eastern half of the Mediterranean for the first time in a millennium. Readings introduce the major dynasties between Iberia and Central Asia, from the Umayyads to the Ottomans, and the seminal texts that have shaped the field.
This tutorial explores diverse themes in the social and cultural environmental history of the Ottoman Empire, placing special emphasis on the transformation of Ottoman society from the 18th century onward.
This tutorial surveys the history and historiography of the Ottoman Empire from its obscure origins through the 18th century. Initial readings introduce major historiographical debates and political, military, and institutional history of the Empire, before moving into the historiography of the 16-18th centuries and current trends in multiple sub-fields. Specific works read and discussed will be shaped in part by interests of students enrolled.
The goal of this tutorial is to provide a broad overview of recent scholarship of modern Middle Eastern history in order to prepare students to conduct research in the field. We will focus mainly on the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, and we will discuss both historiographical and methodological questions.
Students taking this course will explore areas and issues of special interest that are not otherwise covered in the graduate curriculum. This course is offered at the discretion of the supervising professor.
Introduction to the study of history intended for first- or second-year students. Seminars involve reading, discussion, and writing about different historical topics and periods, and emphasize the enhancement of critical and communication skills. Several seminars are offered each term. Not more than two Introductory Seminars may be counted toward the major in history.
Studies the major elements of South Asian civilization, from the Stone Age to 1200, including the Indus Valley, Vedic literatures, Buddhism, Jainism, Epic traditions, the caste system, Mauryan and Guptan Empires, and devotional Hinduism.
Studies the social, political, economic and cultural history of South Asia from 1200 to 1800, from the Turkic invasions through the major Islamic dynasties, especially the Mughal Empire, to the establishment of English hegemony in the maritime provinces.
Surveys 200 years of Indian history from the mid-18th century to the present, focusing on the imperial/colonial encounter with the British Raj before Independence, and the social and political permutations of freedom in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka since.
This course provides the opportunity to offer a new topic in the subject area of South Asian history.
Studies the society and politics in the Mughal Empire, the Empire's decline and the rise of successor states, the English as a regional power and their expansion, and social, economic and political change under British paramountcy, including the 1857 Revolt.
Surveys 100 years of Indian history, defining the qualities of the world's first major anti-colonial movement of nationalism and the changes and cultural continuities of India's democratic policy in the decades since 1947.
India's Partition and its far-reaching consequences may be productively studied from several different perspectives. This course juxtaposes select novels, films, contemporary writings, and some secondary sources to reflect on a few of the big questions thrown up by this event. These include the place of minorities in the subcontinent and the changing nature of center-state relations in the subcontinent after 1947.
Surveys the evolving definitions and roles of women in the major social and cultural traditions of South Asia, i.e., India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka.
Required for history majors, to be completed before enrollment in the Major Seminar. Introduces a variety of approaches to the study of history, methods for finding and analyzing primary and secondary sources, and the construction of historical arguments. Workshops are offered on a variety of topics each term.
The major seminar is a small class (not more than 15 students) intended primarily but not exclusively for history majors who have completed two or more courses relevant to the topic of the seminar. The work of the seminar results primarily in the preparation of a substantial (ca. 25 pages in standard format) research paper. Some restrictions and prerequisites apply to enrollment. See a history advisor or the director of undergraduate studies.
The major colloquium is a small class (not more than 15 students) intended primarily but not exclusively for history majors who have completed two or more courses relevant to the topic of the colloquium. Colloquia are most frequently offered in areas of history where access to source materials or linguistic demands make seminars especially difficult. Students in colloquia prepare about 25 pages of written work distributed among various assignments. Some restrictions and prerequisites apply to enrollment. See a history advisor or the director of undergraduate studies.
The Partition of India has defined 20th century South Asia, confounding centuries of fluid identities in one irreversible decision. In this course we examine the texture of life in pre-Partition Punjab, the United Provinces and Bengal; detail the political negotiations that culminated in Partition; consider the violence that marked the Partition, and the consequences of the international border separating India, Pakistan, and later, Bangladesh.
This course provides the opportunity to offer a new topic in the subject area of South Asian history.
This course provides the opportunity to offer a new topic in the subject area of South Asian history.
Research and writing utilizing gazetteers, settlement reports, censuses, and other sources.
In this tutorial we will read and discuss a wide range of texts about South Asia's rich and contentious past. Major topics include change and continuity under colonial rule; law and colonialism; debates over nationalism and the Partition of the subcontinent; and developments in post-colonial South Asia.
In this course we will read and discuss a wide range of texts about South Asia¿s rich and contentious past. Major topics include change and continuity under colonial rule; law and colonialism; debates over nationalism and the Partition of the subcontinent; and developments in post-colonial South Asia.
This tutorial comprises a list of guided readings for graduate students of the History department who are working in histories of convict labor and their uses in domestic and global contexts. It works at the intersections of gender, legal and imperial labor histories.
Introduction to the study of history intended for first- and second-year students. Seminars involve reading, discussion, and writing about different historical topics and periods, and emphasize the enhancement of critical and communication skills. Several seminars are offered each term. Not more than two Introductory Seminars may be counted toward the major in history.
This is a survey course in modern world history. It covers a period in which the main historical questions about what happened, and why, more and more involve global circumstances, global beliefs about those conditions, and global structures to solve problems. This course can therefore be an essential foundation for other courses dwelling on particular regions or nations.
This course surveys the modern history of human rights, focusing on political, legal, and intellectual trends from the late 18th century to the present.
Grounded in discussion and analysis of primary sources from twentieth-century genocides, key works of scholarship, and documentary films, this course endeavors to understand the complex but tragically recurring process whereby regimes from across the political spectrum implement policies of one-sided mass killing and transform ordinary people into genocidal killers.
This class studies fascism as an ideology, movement, and regime in a global framework. Thematic perspectives include: the origins and theories of fascism, key terms in the fascist lexicon, motives that brought people to fascism, fascism as an aesthetics and lived experience, and the role of women in fascism. We will also study the historical articulations of antifascism, i.e. groups and individuals who have fought against fascism over the years.
This course examines global ecological connections throughout time and offers a narrative of environmental history that is more inclusive of regions outside of Europe and North America such as Asia, Africa, and Latin America. It explores the relationship between humans and their environments over the course of history and places special emphasis on the past century of ecological change and what has recently been called the Anthropocene.
Climate change is widely regarded as the most important environmental question of the present. This course equips students to engage with the study of climate change from multiple perspectives. Part 1 surveys how understandings of the climate developed and transformed. Part 2 explores how historical climatology lends new insights to familiar historical questions. Part 3 explores the history of environment and climate as political issues.
This course offers an interdisciplinary introduction to the history of cartography that ranges across the globe from oldest surviving images of pre-history to GIS systems of the present day. It approaches map history from a number of disciplinary perspectives, including the history of science, the history of cartography, critical theory and literary studies, anthropology, historical geography, and spatial cognition and wayfinding.
"This course explores the workings of law and sovereignty in a changing world-historical landscape, mixing conceptual readings with concrete case studies across space and time. By exploring the discourses and practices of sovereignty-making across world history, we develop a more grounded approach to the issue and its contours in global politics today, from disputes over the high seas to discourses on ""failed states"" and interventions."
An exploration of the geopolitical and ideological conflict that dominated world affairs from 1945 to 1990. Assignments include the readings of historical work, as well as primary sources, some of which are recetly declassified material from the major states involved in the Cold War.
Democracy is in trouble today. Why? This course explores the growing threats to democracy in the United States and globally. Topics include: the impact of xenophobia, racism and radical nationalism on democracy; the rise of far-right media; the appeal of ethno-nationalism; the growth of White Power militias; legal barriers against voting, immigration and citizenship; as well as the impact of social media and cyber-based disinformation.
This course will use case studies to explore the history of intelligence, espionage, and covert operations from ancient times to the end of the Cold War. We will also explore the history of spy panics and the representation of espionage in fiction and film.
This course provides the opportunity to offer a new topic in the subject area of general history.
History of genocide and other forms of one-sided, state-sponsored mass killing in the twentieth century. Case studies include the Armenian genocide, the Holocaust, the Rwandan genocide, and the mass killings that have taken place under Communist regimes (e.g., Stalin's USSR, Mao's China, Pol Pot's Cambodia).
At the Great War's centennial, we take stock of how it shaped life in the 20th century for peoples around the globe. Movies, memoirs, government reports and other texts throw light on causes of the war, the human carnage of 1914-18, Woodrow Wilson's effort to end war forever with a League of Nations, the demise of liberalism and the rise of fascism and communism in postwar Europe, and the launch of anti-colonial movements in Asia and Africa.
This course provides a survey of the greatest, most destructive war in human history. Perhaps 50 million people were killed in the Second World War, and the conflict reached every corner of the globe. Its political, social, and human consequences were vast and shape the world we live in today.
Required for history majors, to be completed before enrollment in the Major Seminar. Introduces a variety of approaches to the study of history, methods for finding and analyzing primary and secondary sources, and the construction of historical arguments. Workshops are offered on a variety of topics each term.
This course provides the opportunity to offer a new topic in the subject area of general history.
Explores the history of soccer to understand how and why it has become the most popular sport on the planet. We focus on the culture, economics and politics of the sport. Examples are drawn from Europe, Africa, Latin America and the Middle East, and include a focus on women's soccer. Class materials include scholarly works, essays, fiction, and film; students work on digital projects related to upcoming international tournaments.
History-related internships to bridge academic and professional experiences. It combines an exploration of "self" in relationship to the complexities and structures of the professional organizations in which students work as interns with exploration of the professional applications of the knowledge and skills developed by History students. Students will develop mindsets and tools to conceptualize their interests and make valuable connections between their academics and potential career paths.
Comparative study of the historical development of selected advanced economies (e.g., the United States, England, Japan, continental Europe). The nations covered vary with instructor. Cross-listed with ECON 4400.
The major seminar is a small class (not more than 15 students) intended primarily but not exclusively for history majors who have completed two or more courses relevant to the topic of the seminar. The work of the seminar results primarily in the preparation of a substantial (ca. 25 pages in standard format) research paper. Some restrictions and prerequisites apply to enrollment. See a history advisor or the director of undergraduate studies.
The major colloquium is a small class (not more than 15 students) intended primarily but not exclusively for history majors who have completed two or more courses relevant to the topic of the colloquium. Colloquia are most frequently offered in areas of history where access to source materials or linguistic demands make seminars especially difficult. Students in colloquial prepare about 25 pages of written work distributed among various assignments. Some restrictions and prerequisites apply to enrollment. See a history advisor or the director of undergraduate studies.
This course provides the opportunity to offer a new topic in the subject area of general history.
Topics courses are small, discussion-oriented classes available to any student with sufficient background and interest in a particular field of historical study. Offered irregularly, they are open to majors or non-majors on an equal basis.
Studies historical approaches, techniques, and methodologies introduced through written exercises and intensive class discussion. Normally taken during the third year. Prerequisite: Open only to students admitted to the Distinguished Majors Program.
Analyzes problems in historical research. Preparation and discussion of fourth-year honors theses. Normally taken during the fourth year. Intended for students who will be in residence during their entire fourth year. Prerequisite: Open only to students admitted to the Distinguished Majors Program.
Analyzes problems in historical research. Preparation and discussion of fourth-year honors theses. Intended for Distinguished Majors who will have studied abroad in the fall of their fourth year. Prerequisite: Open only to students admitted to the Distinguished Majors Program.
In exceptional circumstances and with the permission of a faculty member any student may undertake a rigorous program of independent study designed to explore a subject not currently being taught or to expand upon regular offerings. Independent study projects may not be used to replace regularly scheduled classes. Enrollment is open to majors or non-majors.
The seminar orients students to the professional world of statecraft by working through historical case studies. Breaking down critical episodes step by step, analyzing the perspectives, information, and choices of different participants, students gain more lifelike education and insight. Applying templates for policy design and assessment, they get more experience working on public problems and learning a lot of history along the way.
How is history conveyed and consumed outside of the academy? How is the past presented and explained to various audience--at museums and historic sites and through movies, documentary films, radio, social media, and journalism? From historic house museums to African American preservation sites, this course blends theory and practice by providing an informed and engaging overview of the many aspects of public history.
The course explores the intersections of the late cold war and its aftermath, human rights history and environmental history.
Historical study of 'slavery' from very early times through the nineteenth century, on a global scale (including ancient Mediterranean, Islamic world, Africa, Europe, and the Americas).
Examines European legal regimes as they moved around the globe and considers those regimes' interactions with one another and with non-European legal cultures from 1500 to the twentieth century. Themes include: empire formation and legal pluralism; conflicting ideas of property; interaction of settler and indigenous peoples; forced labor and migration; the law of nations; and piracy and the law of the sea.
This transdisciplinary course explores the layered histories of the Caribbean region and the ways in which that history is remembered in literature and visual art, religious practices, music and performance, and through monuments and museums. As we collectively explore Caribbean history from a variety of forms and different angles, students will also develop a final project, which can take a variety of different forms.
This seminar will focus on key aspects of the development of the international economy since the mid-nineteenth century. Emphasis will be on the process of change, the impact of policy, and the operation of international institutions. Special focus will be paid to the economics of the Great Depression, the impact of the First and Second World Wars, and the drivers of growth.
This workshop introduces advanced humanities students to map history research and geospatial visualization. It features work with maps in Special Collections as well as the production of digital scholarship using ArcGIS software. No experience is expected or required. This course counts as an elective for the DH Graduate Certificate program. Prerequisite: Graduate student or College 3rd or 4th year.
This course provides the opportunity to offer a new topic in the subject area of general history.
Readings and discussion of the history of genocide and other forms of one-sided, state-sponsored mass killing in the twentieth century.
This hands-on research seminar will explore the historical intersections of slavery, race, and law on UVA's North Grounds. Class readings, discussions, and field trips will investigate the history of this landscape within a broader historical context of enslavement in Virginia and at the University, land use in Virginia, and the Jim Crow South.
The course explores the intersections of the late cold war and its aftermath, human rights history and environmental history.
This graduate seminar for PhD students explores the recent scholarship in international and transnational history of the twentieth century. It exposes students to work on imperialism, ideologies of global war and peacemaking, radical political ideologies of the right and the left, global economic upheaval, genocide, refugee and humanitarian movements, decolonization, modernization, the United Nations, and the post-Cold War world.
This course provides the opportunity to offer a new topic in the subject area of general history.
Historical Research and Writing offers first-year doctoral students in History and those in the JD/MA program a workshop in which to discuss and develop an article-length work of original scholarship. Prerequisite: First-year history Ph.D. students or JD/MA students
For master's essay and other research carried out prior to advancement to candidacy, taken under the supervision of the student's adviser.
Readings in modern international history: topics will include war, peace-making, diplomacy, the role of non-governmental organizations in world politics, refugees, human rights, decolonization, and transnational ideologies.
This course introduces students to the historiography on the Indian Ocean in broad terms, placing it within the context of discussions on world history. While the main goal is to develop a deeper knowledge of Indian Ocean history, the bulk of the course is devoted to thinking about how historians conceptualize connectivity across watery spaces and, more fundamentally, how they deal with issues of scale and time in writing trans-regional history.
This course examines seminal works in the study of nationalism, focusing on major questions in the field. Topics include the origins of nationalism; its relationship to empire and to violence; the techniques and technologies of nationalist mobilization; and nationalism's role in daily life. We will read both theoretical texts and historical case studies, with a special emphasis on modern Europe.
This graduate tutorial examines the history of neoliberalism through recent US historiography and canonical texts by political and economic theorists.
This course helps students develop the tools of historical analysis & uses them to ask broader questions about the nature of research & writing in history. We explore how to reduce the scale of analysis; identifying protagonists & other actors; interpreting clues & historical action; mapping the possibilities & limits of the historical record; & crafting historical narratives that unfold along multiple scales, from the micro to the macro & back.
Students will explore approaches to "podcasting history" and learn the basic conceptual considerations of the medium. Work will include reading and presenting the work of conventional textual scholars as well as gaining familiarity with methods of recording and producing audio. Alongside the assigned materials, students will work towards a podcast draft aimed at a public audience based on themes in 19th and 20th century global history.
This course is a graduate readings tutorial on feminist theories of gender that inform our analysis of the past. We will draw from a variety of readings and theoretical engagements from different historical time periods and contexts. The main questions driving the course will be the following: what is feminist analysis, and how is this a useful tool for historical work and the ways in which we frame the past?
This tutorial explores approaches to the history of gender and sexuality across time and space. It emphasizes how the field has evolved and the major debates that enhance our understandings of power, difference, representation, and materiality. Students will read for gender and sexuality, understand the connection between gender history methodology and other methodologies of the field, and practice historical methods of source interpretation.
This tutorial aims to orient students to debates in the history of global capitalism. We will acquaint ourselves with the principal debates and trends in the field, and think through how to design classes under that broad heading.
This course provides the opportunity to offer a new topic in the subject area of general history.
This course is a graduate-level adaptation of an undergraduate course in history. The graduate-level adaption requires additional research, readings, or other academic work established by the instructor beyond the undergraduate syllabus.
Graduate study of the historiography of a particular topic or historical period, equivalent to a graduate-level colloquium course. Prerequisites: Approval of director of graduate studies or department chair.
In this course, students will prepare for the general examination under the guidance of a faculty examiner. During the course, the student will identify relevant readings; complete and review those readings; and explore the larger questions raised by those readings and their fields more generally.
This course is designed to introduce students to a variety of new work in legal history. Students are required to attend the legal history workshop and the legal history writing group and to write a number of short reaction papers in response to the work presented by legal historians over the course of the year. There is no final exam. Through the class, students will engage with a variety of legal history scholars.
This course is intended for PhD candidates to revise their master's essays for publication under the guidance of a member of the graduate faculty. It is typically taken in first semester of the second year of study.
Independent Study for graduate students, designed to explore a subject not currently being taught or to expand upon regular offerings in general history.
For doctoral dissertation, taken under the supervision of the dissertation director.
Introduces the study of history intended for first- or second-year students. Seminars involve reading, discussing, and writing about different historical topics and periods, and emphasize the enhancement of critical and communication skills. Several seminars are offered each term. Not more than two Introductory Seminars may be counted toward the major in history.
Studies the development of the colonies and their institutions, the Revolution, the formation and organization of the Republic, and the coming of the Civil War.
Studies the evolution of political, social, and cultural history of the United States from 1865 to the present.
This survey lecture course will introduce students to the history of American foreign relations since the Spanish-American and Philippine-American wars of 1898-1904. It will pay close attention not only to war and diplomacy, but also to trade, culture, immigration, and transnational movements. It will explain the growth of US power in the 20th century and how that has in turn affected the history of the United States itself.
This course examines warfare and military developments in America from the colonial period to 1900. Major topics include debates over the role of the military in society; the motivations and experiences of soldiers; interaction between the military and civilian spheres; the development of a professional army and navy; and the social and cultural context, impact, and legacies of warfare.
This is a course on war and the American experience during the last century-plus. It is a sequel to HIUS 2051, which covers U.S. military history from 1600 to 1900. This part of the course includes the how and why of traditional military history but goes further, tackling issues in intelligence or technology or economics -- from the rise of intelligence agencies to the growth of a military-industrial complex.
This course will introduce students to the history of slavery in the United Sates.
Studies American economic history from its colonial origins to the present. Cross-listed as ECON 2060.
From Thomas Edison to Elon Musk, we've all heard stories of heroic inventors. In this course you'll explore a different history of technology: how it's shaped the ordinary lives of Americans, and how ordinary Americans shaped our common technologies. By viewing technology from the bottom-up, you'll learn how to question and challenge the powerful stories about technology that surround us today.
This course will introduce students to the history of the US-Mexico borderlands. Adopting a transnational approach, it will explore the relationships between the peoples, empires, and nations spanning the US-Mexico border. Starting with the various historiographical approaches to the study of borders and frontiers, then with the recent history US-Mexico border, and the persistence of transnational communities along the border from the nineteenth century to the present.
This course will trace the origins of today's immigration policy debates by providing students with a comprehensive overview of American immigration law and policy from the eighteenth century to the present. The course will also explore how state and federal policies impacted a wide array of immigrants, including the Irish, Chinese, and Mexican arrivals of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
This course provides the opportunity to offer a new topic in the subject area of United States history.
This course tells the story of British America from an Atlantic perspective. The thirteen colonies that formed the United States were once part of a larger empire that spanned eastern North America and the Caribbean. From 1500 to 1800, cross-cultural encounters among Africans, Native Americans, and Europeans created a dynamic new world. Key topics trade, religion, agriculture, slavery, warfare, and the origins of the American Revolution.
Studies the growth of ideas and institutions that led to American independence, the creation of a union, and a distinct culture.
This course uses Thomas Jefferson as a lens to explore the post revolutionary era in the United States (ca. 1776-1830), with a focus on race and slavery, trans-nationalism, imperialism, and legal/constitutional developments.
Examines the period from roughly 1815 to 1861 focusing on the interaction between the developing sectional conflict and the evolving political system, with the view of explaining what caused the Civil War.
Examines the course of the Civil War and Reconstruction in detail and attempts to assess their impact on 19th century American society, both in the North and in the South.
This new course will examine the history of deaf people in the United States over the last three centuries, with particular attention to the emergence and evolution of a community of Deaf people who share a distinct sign language and culture. We will read both primary texts from specific periods and secondary sources. We will also view a few historical films. Prerequisite: none (though a previous class in History or ASL is recommended)
This course will examine the years after the Civil War, from 1865 to 1900, a period in which Americans witnessed unprecedented economic expansion that profoundly altered political and social arrangements. It explores how the nation "recovered" from the Civil War, how it reconstructed itself, and continued to define the notion of who was an American and who was not. In short, it examines how the nation transitioned from one divided to the threshold of world domination in the age of imperialism.
Built around the history of mainstream and independent American film, this course explores how Americans have viewed and interpreted various historical moments and processes through the movies.
This class will explore the history of the United States from 1980 to the present through the lens of the information revolution that occurred during this period. We will examine the origins of the technological changes like the mainframe computer, merged media, the emergence of the internet, and the impact that they had on the economy, politics and social interaction.
Surveys post World War II U.S. politics uncovering the links between long range social and economic phenomenon (suburbanization, decline of agricultural employment, the rise and fall of the labor movement, black urbanization and proletarianization, economic society and insecurity within the middle class, the changing structure of multinational business) and the more obvious political movements, election results, and state policies of the last half century.
This course will cover the history of American involvement in Vietnam from 1945 through 1975. It will offer a detailed study of U.S. political, economic, cultural, and military policy through a wide range of scholarship on the U.S. engagement with Vietnam, focusing on the war's impact in Southeast Asia and in the United States.
This course will examine landmark films on the Vietnam War from the 1960s through the present. Lectures and discussion focusing on between 8 and 10 films, which students will watch as part of class, will explore the history and themes depicted in these films, highlighting directorial viewpoints, the contexts in which the films were produced and received, their historical accuracy, and their impact on the legacy of the war in American culture.
Studies the history of the South from 1900 to the present focusing on class structure, race relations, cultural traditions, and the question of southern identity.
The course examines the relationships of environment and culture and of native and settler peoples in transforming North America west of the Mississippi River, 1750 to present. We will explore the expansion of the United States; its environmental consequences; and the emergence of a mythic culture casting violence as heroic.
History is the study of continuity and changes over time. This course will examine social, political, and economic continuities and changes in Virginia from 1900 to 2018.
Surveys the rise of the modern corporate form of American business and an analysis of the underlying factors which shaped that development.
Studies American foreign relations from colonial times to 1914.
Studies American foreign relations from 1914 to the present.
Surveys American labor in terms of the changing nature of work and its effect on working men, women, and children. Emphasizes social and cultural responses to such changes, as well as the organized labor movement.
This survey traces the history of African American popular music from the late 1950s to the current era. It examines the major sonic innovations in the genres of soul, funk, and hip-hop over the course of the semester, students will examine how musical expression has provided black women and men with an outlet for individual expression, community building, sexual pleasure, political organizing, economic uplift, and interracial interaction
Required for history majors, to be completed before enrollment in the Major Seminar. Introduces a variety of approaches to the study of history, methods for finding and analyzing primary and secondary sources, and the construction of historical arguments. Workshops are offered on a variety of topics each term.
This lecture provides both a chronological and thematic approach to the history of 1970s America. Class will focus on significant shifts in American politics, culture, and society. The course will encourage us to think more deeply about the fate of liberalism in post-1960s America, the rise of ethnic identity and its impact on the rights revolution, gender and the politics of sexuality, religion and the rise of the South, Nixon and Watergate.
This course provides the opportunity to offer a new topic in the subject area of United States history.
Studies the evolution of women's roles in American society with particular attention to the experiences of women of different races, classes, and ethnic groups.
The history of local government and local politics in shaping American life. Course examines issues, themes, and problems of local democracy in historical and contemporary contexts. Class meetings combine lectures and discussions. Course includes local civic engagement component.
Studies the history of black Americans from the Civil War to the present.
This course examines the history and contemporary experiences of African Americans at the University of Virginia from the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to the present era.
This course examines the history and legacy of the African American struggle for civil rights in twentieth century America. It provides students with a broad overview of the civil rights movement -- the key issues, significant people and organizations, and pivotal events -- as well as a deeper understanding of its scope, influence, legacy, and lessons for today
Studies the major developments in American law, politics, and society from the colonial settlements to the Civil War. Focuses on legal change, constitutional law, legislation, and the common law from 1776 to 1860.
Studies the major developments in American law, politics, and society from the era of Reconstruction to the recent past. Focuses on legal change as well as constitutional law, legislation, and the common law.
A survey of American legal thought from Holmes to Posner. Emphasizes theories of property, contract, tort, corporations and administrative law in Legal Realism, Legal Process Jurisprudence, Law and Economics, and Critical Legal Studies.
This course examines the history of housing and real estate and explores its role in shaping the meaning and lived experience of race in modern America. We will learn how and why real estate ownership, investment, and development came to play a critical role in the formation and endurance of racial segregation, modern capitalism, and the built environment.
This course takes advantage of the nationally known academic experts, journalists, and policy-makers who come through UVa's Miller Center of Public Affairs each week. Based on the work of these visiting scholars, students will consider the historical background of some of our most pressing policy and public affairs issues. Assignments will include extensive weekly readings, a few short op-eds, and a lengthy original research essay.
This course uses the writings of participants to examine major themes relating to the American Civil War. Assigned texts will illuminate, among other topics: (1) Why the war came; (2) How it evolved from a struggle for Union to one for Union and emancipation; (3) How the conflict affected civilians on both sides; (4) Why soldiers fought; and (5) How men and women on each side remembered the war and how those memories influence current perceptions.
The major seminar is a small class (not more than 15 students) intended primarily but not exclusively for history majors who have completed two or more courses relevant to the topic of the seminar. The work of the seminar results primarily in the preparation of a substantial (ca. 25 pp. in standard format) research paper. Some restrictions and prerequisites apply to enrollment. See a history advisor or the director of undergraduate studies.
The major colloquium is a small class (not more than 15 students) intended primarily but not exclusively for history majors who have completed two or more courses relevant to the topic of the colloquium. Colloquia are most frequently offered in areas of history where access to source materials or linguistic demands make seminars especially difficult. Students in colloquia prepare about 25 pages of written work distributed among various assignments. Some restrictions and prerequisites apply to enrollment. See a history advisor or the director of undergraduate studies.
This course provides the opportunity to offer a new topic in the subject area of United States history.
Topics courses are small, discussion-oriented classes available to any student with sufficient background and interest in a particular field of historical study. Offered irregularly, they are open to majors or non-majors on an equal basis.
In exceptional circumstances and with permission of a faculty member any student may undertake a rigorous program of independent study designed to explore a subject not currently being taught or to expand upon regular offerings. Independent Study projects may not be used to replace regularly scheduled classes. Enrollment is open to majors or non-majors. Note: These courses are open only to Human Biology majors.
This course will introduce graduate students to the differing interpretations, methodologies, and analyses of African-American History to 1877.
The course is run as a workshop, a space for students to learn oral history methodologies in a hands-on manner. In partnership with local/regional organizations, students will learn to conduct interviews and related research, which may include completing historical surveys, doing genealogical work, & completing archival or database research. Students will learn new skills while helping expand historical archives and knowledge of regional history.
This course provides the opportunity to offer a new topic in the subject area of United States history.
A survey of law in American history in the twentieth century. Some topics to be covered include jurisprudence and legal education from Legal Realism through "aw and"; regimes of mass media law; the emergence of administrative law; and several chapters on constitutional jurisprudence from 1930 to 2000, including foreign relations, equal protection, free speech, and due process.
This course will explore the Supreme Court's flirtation with constitutional protection for poor people during the 1960s and 1970s. We will place the Court's efforts in the context of the civil rights movement and ongoing concerns about race. Finally, we will discuss the demise of such protections, the reasons for it, and the recent developments in constitutional interest in poverty, income inequality, and their relationship to racial inequality.
This course provides the opportunity to offer a new topic in the subject area of United States history.
This course is designed to help students craft an undergraduate course on the first half of the US Survey. Through both reading and discussion, we will focus on the big questions of the period and consider the various ways in which one might convey a narrative(s). Attention will be given to pedagogy and content, with emphasis on best practices in the classroom. Students will design their own course with a syllabus, assignments, and lectures.
This course examines Spanish, French, Dutch, and British encounters with the native peoples of North America during the initial centuries of colonization: 1492-1800. It combines the "Atlantic" approach to early America with a "Continental" approach that accords dynamism and agency to native peoples in their interplay with colonizers.
This colloquium offers an introduction to themes, regions, and debates in the history of colonial and Revolutionary America. It will focus on colonization, development, and cultural encounter in early North America, West Indies, and the Atlantic World in the early modern period, ca. 1600-1800, from a variety of historical approaches.
We'll explore the intellectual and cultural production of the civil rights/Black power era and its enabling and uneasy relationship with other social movements, incl. feminism and gay liberation, disability rights, the anti-apartheid movement, and demands for economic justice/redress/reparations. A guiding premise in the course will be tensions within the movement giving rise to subsequent Black thought and activism.
This course will examine the constitutional history of the United States from 1845 to 1877, paying attention to how the U.S. Constitution shaped the Civil War, and also to how the war left its mark on the Constitution.
An intensive reading course emphasizing historiographic approaches to synthesizing post-war America.
Readings and discussion on U.S. working class, including its institutions, consciousness, social composition, politics.
This course provides the opportunity to offer a new topic in the subject area of United States history.
This colloquium will survey foundational and cutting-edge scholarship on the social construction of femininity and masculinity in U.S. history, from the colonial era to 1900. We will explore how gender conventions take shape, and how they are perpetuated and contested. Our readings reconsider key events in women's and gender history such as the Salem witch trials and Seneca Falls convention.
Reading and discussion of primary and secondary sources.
This readings course introduces graduate students to the theory, methods, and historiography of cultural history through a survey of key texts in twentieth century US history.
This course will explore the development of the American administrative state from the nineteenth century through the present. This course will engage political and theoretical debates over the bureaucratic state's role, and its implications for democracy and inequality. Readings will include work by historians, social scientists, and legal academics.
This course provides the opportunity to offer a new topic in the subject area of United States history.
Directed research in selected areas of American legal history.
This seminar will examine the literature on the history of slavery and emancipation in the United States and the Atlantic World.
As 1941 ended, the US had just entered World War II as a belligerent; as 1991 ended, the USSR dissolved itself. In the intervening half-century, the US played a crucial role in defeating totalitarian dictatorships in Germany, Italy, Japan, and the USSR. This seminar examines the role of US constitutional law and international law in the victories of World War II and the Cold War.
The course examines the historiography of colonial British America and the Atlantic world from the late sixteenth century through the late eighteenth century. It surveys scholarship on the imperial and Atlantic contexts of early modern colonization and focuses on the regional histories of settlement and development in North America and the Caribbean with a special focus on Native Americans and African Slavery.
A graduate tutorial devoted to close analysis of key issues in American Economic History from 1750 to 1940.
Independent study for graduate students, designed to explore a subject not currently being taught or to expand upon regular offerings in United States History.
Discussion and criticism of selected works of and on the period. Taught by different members of the medieval faculty.
Discussion and criticism of selected works of and on the period. Taught by different members of the medieval faculty.
For advanced students dealing with methods of research in the field.
For advanced students dealing with methods of research in the field.
Students will work independently with a faculty member on a topic agreed upon by the student, the instructor of record and/or the Director of Medieval Studies. By the end of the semester, students will have completed an abstract, outline of the thesis, an annotated bibliography, and a schedule for completing the thesis by the end of the spring semester.
Students will work independently to complete a thesis based on work completed the previous semester in MSP 4998. Students will determine with the designated instructor on benchmarks over the course of the semester to assure the timely completion of the written thesis, which must be 11,000-13,000 words (approximately 40-50 pages).