Course Descriptions

HIST100 Intro to History I: The World of Antiquity
A survey of ancient societies, politics and religio-philosophic systems. These will include
ancient Egypt, classical India, Israel, classical Greece and Rome, and China through the Han Empire.
Emphasis on comparative institutions and the character and expansion of ancient empires.
AOS (HIstory); CR (Comparative)

HIST 101: Introduction to History II:
Medieval and Early Modern Worlds The continuation of HIST 100, this course first compares
the major medieval societies: Christian Europe, Islamic cultures, and medieval Japan.
The course then devote attention to the European Renaissance and Reformation,
and the expansion of Europe into a wider world, with attention to Pre-Columbian American society.
Emphasis on the growth of world religions (Christianity, Islam and Buddhism), territorial lordships
and kingdoms, and the beginnings of Western imperialism. AOS (History), CR (Comparative)

HIST 102 Introduction to History III: The Making of the Modern World, 1700 to the Present
The continuation of HIST 101, this course considers the major forces and developments
have shaped the contemporary world. Topics include civilizations of the world in the 18th century;
revolutions of the 18th and 19th centuries; nationalism and the "new imperialism";
non-European responses to the growth of European power; global convulsions
of the 20th century; "East/West " and "North/South" conflicts in modern times;
issues of globalization. . AOS (History) (REQUIRED for Michigan secondary teaching certification.)

HIST 103 Introduction to East Asian Civilizations
Surveys of the histories of China, Japan, and Korea, with particular attention to
religious, political, and social patterns. Topics include Confucianism and its
influence in East Asia, China's modernization dilemma, Korea's division and its
implication, Japan's rise as a major power, and importance of East Asia in world
history, among others. AOS (History); CR (Asia)

HIST 104 Introduction to African Studies
This course explores and explains the various concepts, methods, and scope
concerned with the study of Africa. In studying Africa, students will be exposed
to the major themes and current trends in the field of African studies. The
themes will be concerned with contemporary and some historical African issues
germane to the development of African societies. AOS (History)

HIST/REL 107: Introduction to Jewish Traditions
This course explores the development of Judaism from its ancient origins
until the present. We will discuss the biblical foundations of Judaism
and the impact that different historical contexts have produced on its
rituals and beliefs. This approach raises a number of questions,
which we will keep in mind throughout the course: What is Judaism?
Who are the Jews? What is the relationship between Judaism and “being Jewish?”
How have historical circumstances shaped this relationship? What has changed
and what has stayed the same, and why? The class will address these questions
through discussions and readings. AOS (History or Religion) CR Comparative

HIST 110 History of the United States I
America from colonial times to 1876, with emphasis on economic, social, intellectual,
and political developments. (REQUIRED for M Michigan Secondary Teaching Certification)
AOS (History); CR (US)

HIST 111 History of the United States II
America from 1865 to the present; emphasis on economic, social, intellectual
and political developments. (REQUIRED for Michigan Secondary Teaching Certification).
AOS (History); CR (US)

HIST 200 Colonial America
An examination of political, cultural, social and economic developments in
America to 1760. Topics include Native American societies, founding of the
English colonies, the adoption of slavery, religious diversification, the Salem
witchcraft trials, the consumer revolution, the French and Indian war, and
changes in the family. AOS (History)

HIST 203 Revolutionary America, 1760-1815
Examination of the era of the American Revolution, with lectures, readings, and
discussion covering issues ranging from national and international politics to
class, gender, and race relations, from economic and demographic developments
to religion and society. AOS (History)

HIST 206 Culture and Society in Victorian America
Consideration of the main tenets of Victorian culture as reflected in important
works of the period. Special attention will be given to reactions to the industrial
revolution and its impact on the natural and social environment, racial and
gender relations, and organized religion. AOS (History); CR (US)

HIST 209: Post World War II America
Broad examination of American political, social, diplomatic, economic, and cultural life
since World War II, highlighting the links between foreign affairs and domestic politics
and society. Topics include the Cold War, Red Scare, Civil Rights, baby boom, Vietnam War,
counterculture, women's movement and Watergate. AOS (History).

HIST 211 Native American History
Abroad survey of the field of Native American history, spanning the full range
of Indian-white-relations--social, economic, cultural, political, and military-- with
a focus upon the region ultimately included within the United States. AOS (History)

HIS 213: The Slave South

HIST 217 History of Leisure and Recreation in America
Examination of the history of leisure and recreation in America from the
Puritans to the present. Discussion of the importance of leisure, the rise of
public amusements, spectator sports and vacations, the growth of tourism,
tensions between work and leisure, and why recent Americans choose more
work over more leisure. AOS (History) CR (US)

HIST 220 American Women's History to 1870
An in-depth survey of the lives of women in America from the beginning of the
colonial era to 1870. Topics include: the differences of class, religion, and race in
women's lives, religion, work, friendships, family life, community, health and
sexuality, the women's rights movement and the impact of the American
Revolution and Civil War. AOS (History) CR (US)

HIST 221 History of Women in America Since 1870
An in-depth survey of the lives of women in America from 1870 to today. Topics
include the impact of race, class, and region in women's lives, paid and unpaid
labor, prostitution, family life, community, birth control, the women's rights
movement, and the impact of US involvement in international wars. AOS (History) CR US

HIST 223 American Diplomacy Since 1898
Examination of the concepts that have shaped American diplomacy in the 20th
century, especially the Monroe Doctrine, Manifest Destiny, and the Open Door;
standard and revisionist interpretations of the Spanish American War, the two
World Wars, and the Cold War. AOS (History); CR (US)

CLA/HIST 224: Archaeology of Death in the Greco-Roman World AOS (History or Literature)

HIST 225 Greek Civilization
From Homer to Alexander the Great with emphasis on arts and letters.
AOS (History)

HIST 226 Roman Civilization
From the foundation of the Republic to the empire of Constantine. AOS (History)

CLAS/HIST 227 The Roman Army and the Frontiers of Empire
This course considers the Roman army from the perspectives of both military
and social history. After a chronological survey of the development of the
Roman army, case studies of the army in action in specific frontier provinces
will be considered. From Hadrian's Wall in Britain to the desert wastes of
Egypt, ancient texts and archaeological evidence illuminate the army-driven
process of "Romanization", through which former barbarian enemies became
assimilated Roman citizens. AOS (History); CR (Comparative)

CLAS/HIST 229 Multiculturalism in Greco-Roman Egypt
This course examines the dynamic cultural pluralism that thrived for almost a
millennium after Egypt, with its deeply-rooted pharaonic heritage, was integrated
into the Classical world, first as a Hellenistic Kingdom under the Greek
Ptolemaic Dynasty and then as an imperial province in the Roman Empire. The
monuments of Graeco-Roman Egypt are spread across a varied cultural
landscape, from the cosmopolitan Mediterranean metropolis of Alexandria,
through the agricultural towns of the Fayum oasis, to the Nile Valley cities of
Middle and Upper Egypt, and the imperial mines and Red Sea ports of the
Eastern Desert. Egyptians, Nubians, Jews, Greeks and Romans coexisted in
Graeco-Roman with cooperation and conflict to produce art and architecture as
well as to practice cults and customs in which both pharaonic survivals and
Classical responses can be traced. AOS (History); CR (Comparative)

HIST 230 Women in Classical Antiquity
A literary, historical, and cultural survey of social structures and private life in
ancient Greece and Rome. Issues covered include constructions of sexuality,
cross-cultural standards of the beautiful, varieties of courtship and marriage,
and contentions between pornography and erotica. Students will examine
sources from medical, philosophic, lyric, tragic, comic, and rhetorical writers as
well as representative works from vase painting, the plastic arts, graffiti, etc.
(Also listed as CLAS 230.) CLAS 230 AOS (LIT); HIST 230 AOS (History)

HIST 232 The Fall of Rome and the Early Middle Ages
Study of the late Roman Empire and the rise of Christian Europe from 300 to
1050 AD; patristic and early medieval arts and letters; growth of the Catholic
church and the German empire; and England before the Norman conquest.
AOS (History); CR (Europe)

HIST 233 The High Middle Ages: AD 1050-1500
Study of the development of European kingdoms, especially England, France,
and Germany, from 1050 to 1500 AD with emphasis on constitutional and
religious change, arts, and letters in the high and later Middle Ages.
AOS (History); CR (Europe)

HIST 235 The European Renaissance
Examination of Italian Renaissance culture and northern humanism and their
connections with the later Middle Ages and northern humanism. Discussion of
European expansion to the Americas. The Reformation is examined as an
element of the revival of antiquity. AOS (History); CR (Europe)

HIST 240 History of England to 1688
Examination of the civilization of England from its Anglo-Saxon beginnings to
the Revolution of 1688; emphasis on the birth of the English constitution and
the development of literature and the arts. AOS (History); CR (Europe)

HIST 241 Britain and the British Empire: 1688 to the Present
Examination of major trends in British history since the "Glorious Revolution,"
including such topics as the development of parliamentary institutions, industrialization,
reform movements, the British empire at its zenith, the two World
Wars, and the evolution of British society since 1945.
AOS (History); CR (Europe)

HIST 244 French Revolution and Napoleon
Study of France from Louis XIV to Napoleon with emphasis on structure and
problems of the ancient regime, origins of the revolution itself, and the
Napoleonic period. AOS (History); CR (Europe)

HIST 245 History of France: 1815 to the Present
Study of the "decline and renewal" of modern France including such topics as
post-Napoleonic restoration, the revolutions of 1830 and 1848, church vs. state,
the Third Republic and the politics of scandal, the collapse of 1940, the Vichy
regime, the Fifth Republic and de Gaulle, and contemporary France.
AOS (History); CR (Europe)

HIST 246 Germany and Central Europe in the 19th Century
Study of the evolution of the modern German nation-state, effects of industrialization
and nationalism, popular culture, and the emergence of anti-Semitism.
AOS (History); CR (Europe)

HIST 247 History of Germany and Central Europe: 1890 to the Present
Investigation of such topics as the German Empire under William II, expansionism
and the origins of World War I, impact of the conflict upon German society,
early years of the Weimar Republic, Hitler and the rise of national socialism, the
Nazi seizure of power, the emergence of two separate German states, and transformations
since the late 1980s. AOS (History); CR (Europe)

HIST 250 Revolution, Industry, and Imperialism: Europe in the 19th Century
Study of Europe from 1789 to 1914; the French and industrial revolutions, liberalism,
nationalism, national rivalries, socialism, social reform, imperialism, and
great power conflicts. AOS (History); CR (Europe)

HIST 255 Contemporary Europe
Study of the main political, economic, and intellectual developments in contemporary
Europe including topics such as the coming of World War I, the Russian
revolution, the emergence of fascism and communism, World War II, the Cold
War and the division of Europe, major social and intellectual developments
since 1945, the collapse of communism and its consequences, and the complexities
of European unity. AOS (History); CR (Europe)

HIST 257 World War II
A consideration of World War II in its various dimensions-- military, geographic,
economic, cultural, and social-- between 1930 and 1945. It focuses not only
on grand strategy but also on the war as a lived and shared human experience.
AOS (History)

HIST 258: Old Europe, New Europe
  This course examines the historical development of the idea of Europe focusing primarily
on the modern period. The first half of the class will focus on the “identities” part of the course.
How have Europeans perceived themselves throughout history from antiquity to the present?
The second part of the course will focus more on the actual history of European integration after 1945.
AOS (History)

HIST 263: Modern Jews in Englightenment and Upheaval
Between 1780 and 1880, enormous changes took place in Jewish religious,
political,social, intellectual and economic life. These changes worked in tandem with
developments in general European life to create new forces within Judaism and
new ways of looking at the connections between Jews. In this course, we will study
these developments as they affected the Jews on the European continent. In so doing,
we will explore their consequences for both Jews and non-Jews, and the issues
and questions they raised. AOS (History or Religion). CR Europe

HIST 280 Modern China
Survey of Chinese history from the 18th century to the present; focus on major
developments in China's interaction with the modern world, its struggle in
modernization, the origins of the Chinese revolution, and China's reform
policies in the late 20th century and their impact on Chinese society and the
world. AOS (History); CR (Asia)

HIST 281: Family, Women and Marriage in Chinese History
This course introduces students to Chinese history from social and cultural
perspectives. It will examine the following issues: Why was the idea of family
so important in Chinese.? What was the status of women in Chinese culture?
What were the social and political functions of marriage in Chinese history and culture?
Topics include the impact of Confucian thought on the structure of the Chinese family
and women's status, the issue of changing family organization, population control
and the impact of post-Mao reforms. AOS (History)

HIST 285 Modern Japan
Study of Japanese history from the Meiji Restoration to the present. Topics
include economic and political modernization, the rise of militarism, World War
II, the American occupation, the postwar economic miracle, and the current
challenges Japan is facing. Recommended for students taking Japanese
language courses and planning to study abroad in Japan. AOS (History); CR (Asia)

HIST 296 Civilizations of Africa
Study of Africa south of the Sahara including the origins of man and the
emergence of food producing communities; Ancient Egypt and pre colonial
African kingdoms and federations; medieval empires of western Sudan,
Ethiopia, and Bantu-speaking Africa; and the Atlantic slave trade. Emphasis on
socio-political and economic history. AOS (History)

HIST 297 Contemporary Africa
Study of Africa south of the Sahara including colonialism and the anti-colonial
struggles of the post-WWII period. AOS (History)

HIST 299: Sophomore Seminar: Research and writing
This course will introduce the various approaches used by professional historians
to reconstruct and interpret the past. Students will develop their research,
and written and critical thinking skills. The class focuses on the issues and questions
historians explore and debate today. Prerequisite: Sophomore history major or permission.
(Required for sophomore majors.) AOS (History)

HIST 391 Seminar in United States History
Prerequisite: HIST 110, 111, or permission. AOS (History)

HIST 393 Seminar in Medieval History
Topics vary. Prerequisite: HIST 232, or HIST 233, or permission. AOS (History)

HIST 395 Seminar in Modern European History
Examination of selected topics in modern European history from 1700 to
the present. Prerequisite: One course in modern European history at the 200 level, or permission. AOS (History)

HIST 397 Seminar in East Asian History
Prerequisite: One course in East Asian history, or political science, or permission. AOS (History)

HIST 490 Senior Seminar: Historical Methods, AOS (History)
Required of all senior history majors.