History Courses

History 221. Colonial and Post-Colonial Africa: African Perspectives on Colonialism Four Credits M'Bayo Fall Semester, Odd Years

This course explores the colonial experiences of Africans as well as the legacies of European colonial rule in Africa. It highlights the different ways Africans responded to European military conquest and political domination from the mid-1850s to the 1960s. The course also examines how Africans struggled for independence, using specific case studies to show the different paths toward independence. Postcolonial developments in Africa are covered to assess the long-term effects of European activities during the colonial interlude.

History 225. West African Economy and Society, 18th-20th Centuries: Commerce, Colonialism and Christianity
Four Credits M'Bayo Fall Semester, Even Years

The course explores the major economic and social transformations in West Africa from the 18th to the 20th century. In so doing, it will locate West Africa within the wider Atlantic World and examine the interplay of internal and external forces that shaped the region's history from the immediate pre-colonial period to the post-colonial era. The course will cover, among other topics, the slave trade and slavery, West African "slave states," the founding of Sierra Leone and Liberia, the Abolitionist movement, Islamic

History 242. Twentieth Century Europe
Four Credits Tseng Spring Semester, Even Years

This course examines the changing political, economic, social and intellectual climate from the turn of the century through the 1980s. Special emphasis is placed on the inter-relationships between the world of the intellect (literature and philosophy) and the world of politics. The changing social structure of Europe is also considered.

History 260. History of Latin America Since 1810
Four Credits Hagood Fall Semester, Even Years

This course surveys Latin American history from independence to the present. It examines the social, cultural, economic, and political processes that shaped Latin America. The course pays particular attention to the roots of independence in the colonial order, the legacy of colonialism, the struggle for national identities, U.S.-Latin American relations, and the effects of industrialization, urbanization, and population growth in the 20th century.

History 263. Colonial Latin American History
Four Credits Hagood Fall Semester, Odd Years

This survey course introduces students to the history of the exploration and colonization of the Spanish and Portuguese dominions in South and Central America from the initial phase of conquest through the consolidation of a colonial regime. The lectures, readings, and discussions offer a broad overview of the European conquests of the region that began in the late 15th century through the 18th-century roots of later independence movements. In addition to a thorough examination of colonial society, the course focuses

History 270. Modern China
Four Credits Tseng Spring Semester, Odd Years

This course offers a narrative history of China from its last imperial dynasty to its modern communist regime. The first three weeks of the course are devoted to the Qing dynasty, or the society, institutions and ways of thought of "traditional" China. The remaining 12 weeks are devoted to 20th century China, which spans the republican and communist eras. Building upon the knowledge acquired in the first third of the course, we will seek to comprehend

History 280. Colonizers and Colonized: Perspectives on Modern Imperialism
Four Credits Baer Fall Semester, Even Years

The rise and fall of the British Empire provides the focus of this course. British colonial experience is set in a larger context, which traces European, and to a lesser degree, world imperialism from origins to the contemporary era. The purpose of the course is to examine modern imperialism simultaneously from the perspective of the colonizer and colonized, and to evaluate the impact of imperialism on European and Third World societies. Primary focus will be on

History 312. Myth and Culture in Pre-Colonial Africa
Four Credits M'Bayo Spring Semester, Odd Years

This course is designed to introduce students to the pre-colonial African past, principally through the study of primary and orally transmitted sources. The use of these sources and their interpretation will be given special emphasis as will the use of biography. Case studies of political change in the 19th century provide a focus for looking at issues such as state formation, the role of technology, the spread of Islam, slavery and European intrusion. This course is flagged for

History 321. The Making of Modern Africa
Four Credits M'Bayo Spring Semester, Even Years

The course will focus on state formation and cultural developments in Africa during the 19th and 20th centuries. It will use the overarching framework of continuity and change to trace significant political and cultural trends that have had a deep impact on contemporary African nation-states. Although the course will focus mainly on Sub-Saharan Africa, North Africa will not be completely ignored. Special emphasis will be placed on the active role of Africans, both men and

History 344. Genocide in the Modern World
Four Credits Gibbs Spring Semester, Odd Years

The 20th century has been called "The Century of Genocide." This course will examine case studies of 20th-century genocide, selected from the Holocaust, Armenia, Cambodia, Bosnia and Rwanda, and other less-famous examples. We will analyze different definitions of genocide, examine the international legal structures dealing with genocide and crimes against humanity, and investigate the historical context of the varied genocides in the modern world. This course fulfills the GLobal Learning International requirement.

History 355. United States Foreign Policy, 1898 - Present: Power, Promise, and Peril
Four Credits Johnson Spring Semester, Odd Years

This course traces the development of United States foreign policy from the Spanish-American War to the present. In this period the United States emerged as a great world power, assumed center stage during World War II, offset the threat of the Soviet Union during the Cold War, and currently claims title to being the world's lone superpower. Post Cold War conditions have challenged the nation to formulate policies responsive to recent manifestations of threats not yet

clearly defined, including the problems of non-state actors and terrorism.

This course fulfills the Global Learning Domestic requirement.

History 365. Gender and Power in Latin American History
Four Credits Hagood Spring Semester, Even Years

This course explores the relationship between gender and the power necessary to maintain structures of difference in Latin American history. The course examines how people and institutions constructed, assumed, and contested representations of both femininity and masculinity in a variety of sites. Using case studies, the course details how people and institutions invoked and inscribed popular understandings of gender alongside constructions of race and class. This course is flagged for cultural diversity.

History 370. Modern Middle East
Four Credits Gibbs Fall Semester, Odd Years

A course focusing on historical explanations for the tensions that periodically erupt into war and violence in the Middle East. Concentrations on Islam and the Arabs, Zionism and the Israelis, and the deep American involvement in the disputes. This course is flagged for cultural diversity.