THE POLITICAL ECONOMY OF LATIN AMERICA
3 credits
This course begins by examining aspects of the indigenous societies prior to the arrival of Europeans in what has come to be called “Latin America.” Throughout, it considers issues such as colonialism, militarism, race, gender relations, and religion that have shaped the societies, polities, and economies of nations from Mexico and the Caribbean to those of the Southern Cone. The goal of the course is to afford class members the opportunity to better understand Latin America’s history as a basis for comprehending its likely future.
Cross-listed with ECN 334 and POL 334.
GLOBAL HISTORY TO 1500
3 credits
Patterns 1
Examines the development of the first civilizations in Africa, Asia, the Mediterranean, and the Americas, with the aim of exploring their distinctive approaches to human needs and social organization. Students are also introduced to historical methodology, historiography, and different perspectives on how we view the past.
THEMES IN AMERICAN HISTORY: A BIOGRAPHICAL APPROACH
3 credits
Patterns 1
This introductory survey course covers United States history through the lives of representative Americans. Course readings consist of a series of paired biographies of major figures who confronted the pivotal issues and challenges of their times. Course themes include the establishment of the colonies, the emergence of American national identity, the founding and preservation of the republic, the struggle against slavery and racism, the spread of capitalism and industrialization, the rise of foreign affairs, the influence of immigration, the growth of the federal welfare state, and the creation of an inclusive society. Overall, the course addresses the experiences of different races, classes, genders, and ethnicities.
GLOBAL HISTORY FROM 1500 TO THE PRESENT
3 credits
Patterns 2
A study of the evolution and interactions of the cultures of Europe, the Americas, Africa, Asia, and Oceania from 1500 to the present, designed to give students a greater understanding of the relationships among modern nations so necessary in today’s shrinking globe. Students also have the opportunity to further hone their skills in the areas of the historian’s craft introduced in HIS 151.
THE UNITED STATES TO 1877
3 credits
Core Concentration
Traces the unfolding of American history from colonial times through the Civil War and Reconstruction. The coming of the Revolution, its results, the Federalist experiment, Jeffersonian and Jacksonian democracy, slavery and its opponents, and the trauma of the Civil War and its aftermath are examined. The central place of Philadelphia during much of this period is also given special attention.
AREAS OF CONCENTRATION
AREA I: UNITED STATES HISTORY
THE UNITED STATES FROM 1877 TO THE PRESENT
3 credits
The second half of the survey begun by the Core concentration course, HIS 300. Covers the Progressive Movement, American involvement in World War I, the Roaring Twenties, America between the wars, World War II, the Cold War, the Civil Rights Movement, the Vietnam Era, and the United States at the dawn of the 21st century.
HISTORY OF PHILADELPHIA
3 credits
The historical development of Philadelphia from colonial times to the present, emphasizing the way people lived, the impact of transportation upon city growth, and the changing nature of industrialization. Lectures combined with field trips. Cost of field trips requires an additional fee of $40.
THE AMERICAN WOMAN
3 credits
An in-depth analysis of the experience of women in American culture. Special attention to the women’s rights movement, women in the Industrial Revolution, and women in World War I and World War II.
AMERICA'S MILITARY PAST
3 credits
The impact of the American military establishment upon American society, and the formation of defense strategy and foreign policy.
THE AMERICAN IMMIGRANT
3 credits
The history of immigration to America and the ethnic impact upon American institutions.
THE BLACK EXPERIENCE IN AMERICA
3 credits
The main themes in black history from the African experience to the present, with special attention given to slavery, protest movements, civil rights, and black achievement.
TOPICS IN U.S. HISTORY
3 credits
An examination of selected topics illustrating the political, social, and cultural history of the modern world.
RUSSIAN-AMERICAN DIPLOMATIC HISTORY
3 credits
This course will survey the diplomatic relations between the United States and the Soviet Union from the American Revolution to the Reagan-Gorbachev summit of 1987.
HISTORY OF THE WESTWARD MOVEMENT IN AMERICA
3 credits
A study of the American frontier emphasizing pioneer life, federal Indian policy, and the settlement of the Great Plains and Far West.
PRESIDENTIAL POLITICS; ROOSEVELT TO REAGAN
3 credits
Historical analysis of presidential campaigns from 1900 to 1980, stressing the evolution of political techniques, issues, political parties, and presidential personalities.
THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION
3 credits
An intensive analysis of concepts and movements generated in the American colonies, which resulted in revolution and separation of the British settlements.
JEFFERSONIAN-JACKSONIAN DEMOCRACY
3 credits
A detailed analysis of the development of the American political system in an increasingly democratic society.
THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR
3 credits
A detailed study of the disruption of the Union, stressing the causes, personalities, and human drama of the military events leading to Appomattox.
AMERICA AS A WORLD POWER, 1939-PRESENT
3 credits
The growth of government involvement at home and abroad since 1939; reading and analysis of original documents.
THE EMERGENCE OF MODERN AMERICA, 1877-1913
3 credits
The nationalization of American life, including the building of the railroad network, the rise of industry, the labor movement, immigration, and urbanization.
THE UNITED STATES IN THE PACIFIC BASIN
3 credits
The interrelationship of the United States and the East Asian world in the modern period.
AREA II: EUROPEAN HISTORY
EUROPE TO 1400
3 credits
Traces the unfolding of Western civilization from pre-history to the Renaissance. The legacies of Greece and Rome; the heritage of both early Christian Europe and the Byzantine and Islamic civilizations; and the contribution of later medieval society to the governmental, economic, and intellectual growth of Europe.
EUROPE FROM 1400 TO THE PRESENT
3 credits
Surveys the decline of feudal institutions, emergence of modern European states, expansion into the Western hemisphere, the impact of the Renaissance, Scientific Revolution and Enlightenment, rise of nationalism, development of modern totalitarianism, and the impact of two world wars on Western society.
IMPERIALISM IN THE MODERN WORLD
3 credits
A study of the expansion of Western nations into the world of Asia and Africa in the 19th century, and the contraction of Western influence in these areas in the 20th century.
WOMEN AND HISTORY
3 credits
The history of women and their changing role and position in Western Europe from the Classical Period to the 20th century. Particular attention to explanations of changed status in successive historical eras; e.g., the Greeks, the Romans, etc.
GREEK CIVILIZATION
3 credits
A survey that stresses the development of Greek civilization until the death of Alexander the Great.
THE ROMAN EMPIRE
3 credits
A survey that places a special emphasis upon the Roman Republic and the Empire until 476 A.D
THE EARLY MIDDLE AGES
3 credits
A study of the period from 284 A.D. until c. 1000 A.D., emphasizing the synthesis of Roman, Christian, and barbarian cultures.
THE LATER MIDDLE AGES
3 credits
A study of the period from c. 1000 A.D. until the Renaissance, focusing on the social, economic, intellectual, and political revival of Europe.
MODERN EUROPE TO 1870: THE AGE OF REVOLUTIONS
3 credits
A survey of Europe centered on the political and social development in Germany and France, and the impact of Russia’s rise to world power.
MODERN EUROPE SINCE 1870: THE AGE OF VIOLENCE
3 credits
A detailed survey of Europe in the last 100 years.
MUSCOVY AND THE RUSSIAN EMPIRE, 1462-1917
3 credits
An examination of the history of the Muscovite state and of the Russian empire from 1462 to 1917. Central themes include autocratic rule, state-building, imperial expansion, church-state relations, Westernization, serfdom, popular rebellion, modernization, and revolution.
TOPICS IN MODERN EUROPEAN HISTORY
3 credits
An examination of selected topics illustrating the political, social, and cultural history of modern Europe.
MODERN IRELAND
3 credits
An examination of the major political, social, and economic developments in Ireland since the Famine of 1845.
20TH-CENTURY RUSSIA AND THE USSR
3 credits
Major themes include revolution, collapse of the empire and creation of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, industrialization, Stalinist repression, World War II, reform, and the collapse of the Soviet Union.
RECENT BRITAIN: EMPIRE TO WELFARE STATE
3 credits
A detailed analysis of the decay of the Empire, the rise of the welfare state, and the impact of both on English life.
AREA III: NON-WESTERN HISTORY
ASIA, AFRICA, AND THE AMERICAS: 1920 TO THE PRESENT
3 credits
Traces the beginnings of the breakdown of Western colonialism after World War I and the devolution of European power and decolonization after World War II. Examines the problems of independence, North-South differences, the idea of the “Third World,” the impact of the Cold War, the new economic centers of Asia, apartheid, terrorism, and the prospects of the new century.
LATIN AMERICA: THE COLONIAL PERIOD
3 credits
A survey that treats the Inca, Aztec, and Maya cultures. African influences as well as Spanish and Portuguese contributions to the development of Latin America.
LATIN AMERICA IN REVOLUTION
3 credits
Revolutionary movements in Latin America from Independence to the present, with special emphasis on Cuba, Chile, Mexico, Brazil, and Central America.
IMPERIALISM IN THE MODERN WORLD
3 credits
A study of the expansion of Western nations into the world of Asia and Africa in the 19th century, and the contraction of Western influence in these areas in the 20th century.
TOPICS IN AFRICAN HISTORY
3 credits
An account of the empires, tribes, and development of Africa from earliest times to the present.
EAST ASIA IN THE MODERN WORLD
3 credits
Changes in Modern Asia as a result of the rise of industrialism, urbanism, nationalism, and Western influence.
TRADITIONAL CHINA TO 1840
3 credits
This course will trace the social, political, cultural, and economic origins of the Chinese dynastic system, the elaboration and triumph of Confucianism, and the expansion of the empire south of the Yangtze and west to Central Asia. The course will conclude with an overview of the initial western intrusion into this wealthiest and most populous of traditional civilizations.
MODERN CHINA, 1840 TO THE PRESENT
3 credits
Beginning with the traumas of the Opium Wars and Taiping Rebellion, this course will provide an overview of China’s initial attempts at using foreign technology to safeguard the Confucian polity, the rending of the social fabric during the Republican and Civil War eras, and the eventual triumph of Chinese Communism. The economic reforms of Deng Xiaoping and the events leading to Tiananmen Square will receive particular attention.
TRADITIONAL JAPAN TO 1840
3 credits
For nearly two millennia, the people of Japan have shown a remarkable ability to marry religious, political, and cultural innovations from abroad with vigorous indigenous institutions. The result has been one of the world’s most remarkable cultural syntheses. This course will trace the origins and development of the imperial system, the influence of Shinto and Buddhism, the development and elaboration of the early Shogunates, and conclude with an examination of Tokugawa society on the eve of Japan’s “opening” to the west.
MODERN JAPAN, 1840 TO THE PRESENT
3 credits
This course will assess the astounding transformation of Japan from Tokugawa seclusion to the dynamic superpower of today. Along the way such topics as the impact of the Meiji Restoration, Japan’s “special relationship” with China and the Asian mainland, the grand catastrophe of World War II, and the resurgence of a demilitarized economic colossus in the Pacific Rim will be examined.
THE MODERN MIDDLE EAST
3 credits
This course will focus on the Middle East from the Crimean War to the present, with emphasis on the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire, the role of Western imperialism in the creation of modern states in North Africa and West Asia, the Arab-Israeli conflict, oil and Arab nationalism.
TOPICS IN MODERN NON-WESTERN HISTORY
3 credits
An examination of selected topics illustrating the political, social, and cultural history of the non-Western world.
SPECIAL TOPICS IN THIRD WORLD AREAS
3 credits
Central America, the Middle East, China, India, etc.
OTHER COURSES: DEPENDING ON THE SPECIFIC TOPIC, THESE COURSES CAN BE TAKEN FOR EITHER AREA I, II, OR III
DIRECTED READINGS
3 credits
Readings of certain basic books relating to a specific historical topic, theme, or era; assignments discussed in seminar-tutorial fashion.
SEMINAR
3 credits
Methodology and historiography; bibliographical essay required.
SEMINAR
3 credits
Writing a research paper.
SEMINARS
3 credits
