Undergraduate Program

This course offers a comprehensive survey of Chinese art and culture from the Neolithic age to the present. Course sections are arranged chronologically. We will study works by major artists together with the unique materials, formats, genres, conventions, and ideas in artistic conception and production. Besides regular class meetings, the schedule also includes two debating games (about Shang bronzes and Song landscapes respectively), a hands-on section of calligraphy, a touch section of authentic ceramic sheds from the best-known kilns, and a storage visit at the Memorial Art Gallery. We will develop our sensitivities to unspoken visual subtleties as we outline an intellectual history of Chinese culture through artistic creation.

Location

(TR 4:50PM - 6:05PM)

In this course, we will survey some of the major problems in Roman History, with particular emphasis on the period between the third century BCE and the second century CE (that is, the period in which the city of Rome became the capital of an expanding and multicultural empire).  We will explore how the development and articulation of Roman imperial power during this period affected not only the ancient world's political life, but also its demography, its economy, and its culture.  Considerable attention will be devoted to questions of method:  how do we answer questions about the Roman past?

Location

(MW 10:25AM - 11:40AM)

The centuries from 1400 to 1800 are often described as the birth of modern Europe. In this course, we will examine this period both as a precursor to our times and on its own terms. We will look both at well-known developments, Renaissance, Reformation, colonization, absolutism, and Enlightenment and at the ways in which regular people navigated the religious, social, economic, and political transformations that upended their everyday lives. Through these topics, we will determine what is both early and modern about the period from a variety of perspectives.

Location

(TR 2:00PM - 3:15PM)

Until the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, the past, present, and future of postwar Europe appeared permanently divided, dominated by an inevitable ideological clash. Collapse of the Iron Curtain, however, required a dramatic re-examination, as the once immutable Cold War now appeared more as a post-war parenthesis. This course examines Europe since Zero Hour 1945 as a singular space once dominated by superpowers, riven by cultural and economic competition, yet also struggling with its past and reimagining its future.

Location

(TR 11:05AM - 12:20PM)

The first of a sequence of two, the course approaches 'The Divine Comedy' both as a poetic masterpiece and as an encyclopedia of medieval culture. Through a close textual analysis of 'Inferno,' and the first half of 'Purgatorio,' students learn how to approach Dantes poetry as a vehicle for thought, an instrument of self-discovery, and a way to understand and affect the historical reality. They also gain a perspective on the Biblical, Christian, and Classical traditions as they intersect with the multiple levels of Dantes concern, ranging from literature to history, from politics to government, from philosophy to theology. A visual component, including illustrations of the 'Comedy' and multiple artworks pertinent to the narrative, complements the course. Class format includes lectures, discussion, and a weekly recitation session. Intensive class participation is encouraged. Dante I can be taken independently from Dante II. No prerequisites. Freshmen are welcome. Part of the Dante Humanities Cluster.

Location

(MW 3:25PM - 4:40PM)

This course examines the complicated relationship between religion and society in China. It takes a sociological approach, emphasizing that religion should be studied as a social phenomena that closely interacts with the development of society at large. The focus is on contemporary times from the end of the 19th century through present. During this period of time, China experienced tremendous change. This course introduces how such change impacted on and was expressed through religion, religiosity, and religious politics.

Location

(MW 10:25AM - 11:40AM)

This introductory survey focuses on the Spanish and Portuguese conquests and colonization of the region that we now know as Latin America. Contrary to popular belief, the Conquest was constantly negotiated. Indigenous and African rebels, French and Dutch pirates and religious minorities eroded the Iberian hold on this vast territory. Primary source readings are an important component to this class and will introduce you to the writings of Inca nobles, Spanish conquistadors, and free African merchants. As a result, our course focuses on the vibrant societies defined as much by their cultural mixture as by their inherent political, social and economic inequality. The course ends with a brief glimpse at the Latin American independence movements. No prior knowledge of Latin American history or Spanish/Portuguese language is necessary for this course. 

Location

(MW 2:00PM - 3:15PM)

This courses explores American history during the Revolutionary period.

Location

(TR 9:40AM - 10:55AM)

This course introduces students to U.S. cultural history through an examination of the various meanings attached to America. This course seeks to answer the question “What is America?” by analyzing what America meant to different groups of people in the early decades of the twentieth century and how that history continues to resonate in the present. Specifically, this course examines how race, indigeneity, and gender operate in American culture through an exploration of the everyday lived experiences of Black, White, Mexican, Chinese, and Native Americans in the 1900s, 10s, and 20s.

Location

(MW 11:50AM - 1:05PM)

After a brief review of the primary features of pre-European African society, we will examine the affect of the 'Middle Passage' -- the transportation of enslaved Africans to the Western Hemisphere. We will then focus on the process of 'Americanization'; as the Africans became African-Americans. The struggle for freedom and citizenship will conclude our survey. The main course readings will be a representative sample of African-American autobiographies, and short selections from a secondary text. Using the autobiographies as historical source material, we will produce a brief history of the values and cultural practices of Africans in America, and the ways in which African-Americans adapted to and shaped American life and society.

Location

(TR 11:05AM - 12:20PM)

American history has been largely shaped by wars. This course will survey the history of American wars; the military, naval, and civil institutions that have been created to serve the changing needs of national defense; and the citizen-soldiers who have preserved the liberty of the Republic.

Location

(MW 6:15PM - 7:30PM)

Framed as a historical introduction to Islamic traditions, this course will explore the political, social, and intellectual histories of Islam as a global tradition from its emergence through the modern period. The goal of the course is to introduce students to the central texts, personalities, events, geographies, institutions, and schools of thought that make up Islamic histories. We will begin by tracing Islam’s political history as it spreads from the Arabian Peninsula and encounters diverse cultures and peoples, before moving on to discuss the development of intellectual sciences and social institutions. In the process of studying Islamic histories, the course will engage several critical issues in the academic study of Islam such as orientalism, authority and writing history, authenticity, and gendered representations of Muslim societies.

Location

(TR 11:05AM - 12:20PM)

HIST 200 is an introduction to historical practice - what professional historians actually do. It is a requirement for history majors, but we encourage all interested undergraduates to enroll.

Location

(MW 2:00PM - 3:15PM)

HIST 200 is an introduction to historical practice - what professional historians actually do. It is a requirement for history majors, but we encourage all interested undergraduates to enroll.

Location

(MW 11:50AM - 1:05PM)

This course explores the relationship between changing perceptions of childhood and the development of social policies over the course of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries in the United States. It asks questions such as: what is childhood and how is that determined, how and why certain children are allowed to experience a protected time of growth and discovery, while others do not, and how to perceptions of childhood impact social policy, which in turn shape how children and families experience this time in their lives.  Childhood is a social rather than biological category and examining its construction and political uses will be at the core of this seminar. How did race, class, gender, and health inequities impact the experience of children in the past? And how did these experiences compare to idealized visions of what childhood was designed to be, and for whom? How was social welfare policy formed around idealized views of children and how did these impact the actual lives of children and youth? How did developing concepts in the nascent fields of pediatrics and social welfare shape ideals of childhood? How did concerns about child protection, and tensions regarding the public or private responsibility for children’s well-being, shape the formation of social policy? We will attempt to answer these questions through in-depth historical readings and primary source analysis, building on the literature in the history of childhood and youth, which highlights the agency of children as policy actors, but also the challenges of writing a history of the voices and agency of children, although first person accounts were often not documented or preserved. This course will be built on various visions of children: the middle-class 19th century child; the enslaved child; the endangered infant and the focus on infant mortality; the chronically ill child; the gender non-conforming child; the delinquent child and the child in need of protection. Each one of these constructs of a child will be a focus of one to two sessions and will incorporate historical sources and primary source analysis.
 

Location

(TR 12:30PM - 1:45PM)

This course explores the relationship between changing perceptions of childhood and the development of social policies over the course of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries in the United States. It asks questions such as: what is childhood and how is that determined, how and why certain children are allowed to experience a protected time of growth and discovery, while others do not, and how to perceptions of childhood impact social policy, which in turn shape how children and families experience this time in their lives.  Childhood is a social rather than biological category and examining its construction and political uses will be at the core of this seminar. How did race, class, gender, and health inequities impact the experience of children in the past? And how did these experiences compare to idealized visions of what childhood was designed to be, and for whom? How was social welfare policy formed around idealized views of children and how did these impact the actual lives of children and youth? How did developing concepts in the nascent fields of pediatrics and social welfare shape ideals of childhood? How did concerns about child protection, and tensions regarding the public or private responsibility for children’s well-being, shape the formation of social policy? We will attempt to answer these questions through in-depth historical readings and primary source analysis, building on the literature in the history of childhood and youth, which highlights the agency of children as policy actors, but also the challenges of writing a history of the voices and agency of children, although first person accounts were often not documented or preserved. This course will be built on various visions of children: the middle-class 19th century child; the enslaved child; the endangered infant and the focus on infant mortality; the chronically ill child; the gender non-conforming child; the delinquent child and the child in need of protection. Each one of these constructs of a child will be a focus of one to two sessions and will incorporate historical sources and primary source analysis.
 

Location

(TR 12:30PM - 1:45PM)

This course is an introductory survey of the tragically intermingled histories of England and Ireland from the end of the Napoleonic Wars to the present. Main topics include the effects of the Wars on England and Ireland; industrialization (and the lack thereof); class conflict in the 1830s and 40s; the Great Famine; the Irish emigration; Liberalism; Irish Nationalism and the IRA; the Depression; the two world wars, etc. Course consists of lectures, small-group discussions, and a few films.

Location

(MW 10:25AM - 11:40AM)

This course is an introductory survey of the tragically intermingled histories of England and Ireland from the end of the Napoleonic Wars to the present. Main topics include the effects of the Wars on England and Ireland; industrialization (and the lack thereof); class conflict in the 1830s and 40s; the Great Famine; the Irish emigration; Liberalism; Irish Nationalism and the IRA; the Depression; the two world wars, etc. Course consists of lectures, small-group discussions, and a few films.

Location

(MW 10:25AM - 11:40AM)

This course will cover topics in post-1800 European history.

Location

(TR 2:00PM - 3:15PM)

This course will cover topics in post-1800 European history.

Location

(TR 2:00PM - 3:15PM)

This course focuses on the historical experiences of Africans and their descendants in the Latin American region. Beginning with the Declaration of Haitian Independence in 1804, we will analyze the complexity of Black participation in the wars for (and against) independence. The course then shifts to Cuba’s 1844 Escalera Rebellion and the diaspora of free people of color. The abolition of slavery, passage of free womb laws and struggle for political inclusion will lead us to Colombia, Venezuela, Brazil, Mexico and the Dominican Republic, while arguing for an Afro-Latino experience that transcends national borders. Our historical analysis necessarily includes the study of visual, musical, and literary representations of Blackness in the twentieth century through the poetry of Nicolas Guillen and others. Students will write two essays, including a research paper on a topic of their choice.

Location

(MW 10:25AM - 11:40AM)

This course focuses on the historical experiences of Africans and their descendants in the Latin American region. Beginning with the Declaration of Haitian Independence in 1804, we will analyze the complexity of Black participation in the wars for (and against) independence. The course then shifts to Cuba’s 1844 Escalera Rebellion and the diaspora of free people of color. The abolition of slavery, passage of free womb laws and struggle for political inclusion will lead us to Colombia, Venezuela, Brazil, Mexico and the Dominican Republic, while arguing for an Afro-Latino experience that transcends national borders. Our historical analysis necessarily includes the study of visual, musical, and literary representations of Blackness in the twentieth century through the poetry of Nicolas Guillen and others. Students will write two essays, including a research paper on a topic of their choice.

Location

(MW 10:25AM - 11:40AM)

This course explores the history of masculinities in the modern Western world, focusing on how ideas of manhood have evolved from the 19th century to the present. Among other topics, we will look at the emergence of the "self-made man" during the Industrial Revolution and the rise of the "breadwinner" father in the 1950s.We will explore the iconic image of the cowboy, from the American frontier to Hollywood films, and analyze how the cowboy myth helped shape modern ideas of rugged individualism and masculine strength. Additionally, we will examine representations of soldiers, focusing on how wartime portrayals—from the heroic, duty-bound soldier of World War I to the stoic, all-American GI of World War II—reinforced ideals of toughness, sacrifice, and honor, and how these images influenced public perceptions of masculinity. To bring this exploration into the present, we will consider contemporary figures like Timothée Chalamet, whose public persona challenges traditional ideals of masculinity. Through these examples, we will critically explore how Western masculinity has been tied to power, politics, identity, and social expectations.

Location

(MW 11:50AM - 1:05PM)

This course explores the history of masculinities in the modern Western world, focusing on how ideas of manhood have evolved from the 19th century to the present. Among other topics, we will look at the emergence of the "self-made man" during the Industrial Revolution and the rise of the "breadwinner" father in the 1950s.We will explore the iconic image of the cowboy, from the American frontier to Hollywood films, and analyze how the cowboy myth helped shape modern ideas of rugged individualism and masculine strength. Additionally, we will examine representations of soldiers, focusing on how wartime portrayals—from the heroic, duty-bound soldier of World War I to the stoic, all-American GI of World War II—reinforced ideals of toughness, sacrifice, and honor, and how these images influenced public perceptions of masculinity. To bring this exploration into the present, we will consider contemporary figures like Timothée Chalamet, whose public persona challenges traditional ideals of masculinity. Through these examples, we will critically explore how Western masculinity has been tied to power, politics, identity, and social expectations.

Location

(MW 11:50AM - 1:05PM)

In this colloquium we will look at the history of international feminism and explore its many faces. We will examine the various factors that have contributed to womens historically lower status in society; will look at the emergence of womens rights and feminist movements as well as the distinctions among various feminist theories, and will discuss the relevance of feminism today.

Location

(T 2:00PM - 4:40PM)

In this colloquium we will look at the history of international feminism and explore its many faces. We will examine the various factors that have contributed to womens historically lower status in society; will look at the emergence of womens rights and feminist movements as well as the distinctions among various feminist theories, and will discuss the relevance of feminism today.

Location

(T 2:00PM - 4:40PM)

bell hooks published her landmark book Ain’t I a Woman in 1981, and with it, she became one of the most prominent voices to emerge from the Black feminist movement. hooks challenged intersecting oppressions throughout her versatile canon. She authored more than two dozen books with topics ranging from classism to education, history, movies, literature, and love. hooks gravitated towards popular culture because she wanted to connect with larger audiences while still maintaining her critical voice. Scholars and readers are now starting to assess this prolific writer’s legacy after hooks died in 2021. In this course, we will read hooks's work as a lens for examining larger themes within Black women’s intellectual history. We will also explore nineteenth- and twentieth-century Black women writers—hooks’s peers and foremothers—as we ask questions about hooks's intellectual lineage, revolutionary vision, populist approach, and lasting legacy.

Location

(TR 3:25PM - 4:40PM)

bell hooks published her landmark book Ain’t I a Woman in 1981, and with it, she became one of the most prominent voices to emerge from the Black feminist movement. hooks challenged intersecting oppressions throughout her versatile canon. She authored more than two dozen books with topics ranging from classism to education, history, movies, literature, and love. hooks gravitated towards popular culture because she wanted to connect with larger audiences while still maintaining her critical voice. Scholars and readers are now starting to assess this prolific writer’s legacy after hooks died in 2021. In this course, we will read hooks's work as a lens for examining larger themes within Black women’s intellectual history. We will also explore nineteenth- and twentieth-century Black women writers—hooks’s peers and foremothers—as we ask questions about hooks's intellectual lineage, revolutionary vision, populist approach, and lasting legacy.

Location

(TR 3:25PM - 4:40PM)

Interviewed by the Chicago Daily News in 1924, Mussolini said that Fascism was “the greatest experiment in history in making Italians.” Within the historical and political framework of the so-called Ventennio Fascista – from 1922 to 1943 – the course examines Mussolini’s cultural politics as a fundamental strategy not only to gain popular consent and propagate the ideology of the regime, but to implement his vision of Italian national identity. Topics include the fascist philosophy and politics of education, the myth of Rome and its imperial legacy, the archeological, architectural, and restoration projects, the graphic arts, fashion, sports, gender roles, dissent, historiography, and documentary film. Emphasis will be placed on documentary materials in addition to secondary sources. A selection of films on the regime complements the course.

Location

(T 3:25PM - 6:05PM)

This course will approach the tortured history of the 20th century by way of the life and writings of George Orwell. Best known for his late dystopian novels 1984 and Animal Farm, Orwell wrote many other memorable books and essays commenting on the signal events of his time. He experienced first hand (among other things): India, the British Empire, the Depression, the Spanish Civil War, the Second World War, post-war austerity and affluence, and the Cold War. And he wrote about them all with unrivaled clarity and force. Students will immerse themselves in Orwells life, work, and times and write a substantial research paper on a relevant topic of their own choice and design.

Location

(W 2:00PM - 4:40PM)

This course will provide students with a grasp on the fluid ideal of the “normative” human body throughout history; it will also provide them with a toolkit for writing, at the graduate school level, rigorous historical work that focuses on the body and its discontents. Students will consider the body from an interdisciplinary perspective, looking at the different ways in which the body has been conceptualized and represented in medicine and culture throughout historical periods and in different geographical areas. These scientific and cultural conceptualizations of the body have had and continue to have significant implications for patients and for the scientists and clinicians who study the body and who provide care. Throughout the fourteen themes explored this semester, students will learn to question and disassemble the binaries, categorization methods, and social constructions of the body.

Location

(R 5:00PM - 7:30PM)

This course will provide students with a grasp on the fluid ideal of the “normative” human body throughout history; it will also provide them with a toolkit for writing, at the graduate school level, rigorous historical work that focuses on the body and its discontents. Students will consider the body from an interdisciplinary perspective, looking at the different ways in which the body has been conceptualized and represented in medicine and culture throughout historical periods and in different geographical areas. These scientific and cultural conceptualizations of the body have had and continue to have significant implications for patients and for the scientists and clinicians who study the body and who provide care. Throughout the fourteen themes explored this semester, students will learn to question and disassemble the binaries, categorization methods, and social constructions of the body.

Location

(R 5:00PM - 7:30PM)

Mexico and Brazil are countries with complex cultural, racial and ethnic histories. This seminar will explore the process by which these two countries grappled with their diverse populations during the modern era and how policies and attitudes impacted citizens, residents and perceptions. The course will investigate the limitations that arose from Mexicos pursuit of a cosmic race? and how the myth of Brazils racial democracy? was created and debunked. We will debate the durability of these constructions and the limitations that arise from cross-country comparisons.

Location

(T 2:00PM - 4:40PM)

The U.S.-Mexico border has become a site of contentious political debate. These present-day debates over immigration, however, belie a complicated, often uncomfortable history: what is now the U.S. Southwest used to belong to Mexico, and it has always been Indigenous land. Moreover, many of the people the U.S. views as Mexican or Latinx immigrants are also Indigenous. This course provides an in-depth examination of both the history of the U.S.-Mexico borderlands, from the seventeenth century to the recent past, and the concepts that structure how we think about this place.

Location

(M 2:00PM - 4:40PM)

This course explores the roots of the American Revolution and uses recent scholarship to consider how the war affected a wide array of Americans. We will also situate the American Revolution in its Atlantic and global contexts as we examine the course of the war and its enduring legacies.

Location

(R 2:00PM - 4:40PM)

This Fall semester course (4.0 credits) is reserved for History seniors whose Honors proposal has been approved. (Approval process takes place during spring semester of junior year.) In HIST 389H students conduct independent Honors research under the supervision of their faculty advisor.  Students who successfully complete 389H will enroll in HIST 399H (2.0 credits with the Honors director) in the spring and continue their Honors research in HIST 393H (4.0 credits with their advisor). Students who have not demonstrated enough progress in HIST 389H will not advance to the spring sequence of Honors and will receive HIST 391W credit instead. ​

Location

( 7:00PM - 7:00PM)

This Fall semester course (4.0 credits) is reserved for History seniors whose Honors proposal has been approved. (Approval process takes place during spring semester of junior year.) In HIST 389H students conduct independent Honors research under the supervision of their faculty advisor.  Students who successfully complete 389H will enroll in HIST 399H (2.0 credits with the Honors director) in the spring and continue their Honors research in HIST 393H (4.0 credits with their advisor). Students who have not demonstrated enough progress in HIST 389H will not advance to the spring sequence of Honors and will receive HIST 391W credit instead. ​

Location

( 7:00PM - 7:00PM)

This Fall semester course (4.0 credits) is reserved for History seniors whose Honors proposal has been approved. (Approval process takes place during spring semester of junior year.) In HIST 389H students conduct independent Honors research under the supervision of their faculty advisor.  Students who successfully complete 389H will enroll in HIST 399H (2.0 credits with the Honors director) in the spring and continue their Honors research in HIST 393H (4.0 credits with their advisor). Students who have not demonstrated enough progress in HIST 389H will not advance to the spring sequence of Honors and will receive HIST 391W credit instead. ​

Location

( 7:00PM - 7:00PM)

This Fall semester course (4.0 credits) is reserved for History seniors whose Honors proposal has been approved. (Approval process takes place during spring semester of junior year.) In HIST 389H students conduct independent Honors research under the supervision of their faculty advisor.  Students who successfully complete 389H will enroll in HIST 399H (2.0 credits with the Honors director) in the spring and continue their Honors research in HIST 393H (4.0 credits with their advisor). Students who have not demonstrated enough progress in HIST 389H will not advance to the spring sequence of Honors and will receive HIST 391W credit instead. ​

Location

( 7:00PM - 7:00PM)

This Fall semester course (4.0 credits) is reserved for History seniors whose Honors proposal has been approved. (Approval process takes place during spring semester of junior year.) In HIST 389H students conduct independent Honors research under the supervision of their faculty advisor.  Students who successfully complete 389H will enroll in HIST 399H (2.0 credits with the Honors director) in the spring and continue their Honors research in HIST 393H (4.0 credits with their advisor). Students who have not demonstrated enough progress in HIST 389H will not advance to the spring sequence of Honors and will receive HIST 391W credit instead. ​

Location

( 7:00PM - 7:00PM)

Individual instruction in the teaching of history under the supervision of a faculty member.

Location

( 7:00PM - 7:00PM)

Registration for Independent Study courses needs to be completed through the Independent Study Form​

Location

( 7:00PM - 7:00PM)

Experience in an applied setting supervised on site. Approved and overseen by a University instructor.

Registration for Independent Study courses needs to be completed thru the Internship Registration Form.

Location

( 7:00PM - 7:00PM)

Registration for Independent Study courses needs to be completed through the Independent Study Form​

Location

( 7:00PM - 7:00PM)