Curriculum
Courses at Coe
The Americas
HIS-145: History of the United States to 1865
HIS-155: History of the United States Since 1865
HIS-217: The American War in Vietnam
HIS-227: The American Civil War
HIS-237: American Catholicism
HIS-267: The American West
HIS-317: Topics in History: United States Pluralism
HIS-357: Native American History
HIS-368: Latin America
AAM-365: The African American in the United States I
AAM-375: The African American in the United States II
HIS-397: Women in America
ECO-455: U.S. Economic History
HIS-487: American Colonial History
HIS-495: United States Diplomatic History
HIS-525: Recent American History I
HIS-535: Recent American History II
HIS-725: Seminar in American History I
HIS-735: Seminar in American History II
Europe and the Classical World
HIS-115: The History of Western Civilization to 1500
HIS-125: The History of Western Civilization Since 1500
HIS-275: Ancient Greek History
HIS-285: History of Ancient Rome
HIS-318: Topics in History: Diverse Western Perspectives
HIS-375: History of Medieval Europe
HIS-388: Renaissance and Reformation
HIS-405: History of Modern England
HIS-428: Eastern Europe Since 1914
HIS-438: Imperial Russia
HIS-445: 20th-Century Russia
HIS-455: 19th-Century Europe
HIS-465: 20th-Century Europe
HIS-475: Early Modern Europe
HIS-745: Seminar in Modern European History
Asia
HIS-136: East Asian Civilization
HIS-246: History of Modern China
HIS-256: History of Modern Japan
HIS-316: Topics in History: Non-Western Perspectives
HIS-756: Seminar in East Asian History
Historical Methods & Other Courses
HIS-205: The Historian’s Craft
HIS-895: Part-Time Internship in History
HIS-8_5: Independent Study
HISTORY
Buckaloo (Chair), Burke, Janus , Miyamoto, Nordmann, Phifer.
History Major
HIS-115 Western Civilization to 1500
HIS-125 Western Civilization Since 1500
HIS-145 The United States to 1865
HIS-155 The United States Since 1865
HIS-205 The Historian’s Craft
One of the following:
HIS-136 East Asian Civilization
HIS-246 History of Modern China
HIS-256 History of Modern Japan
Two seminars:
a. One in American History
b. One in either European History or East Asian History
Three electives in History.
History Minor
Six courses consisting of:
HIS-115 Western Civilization to 1500
HIS-125 Western Civilization Since 1500
One course in United States History
One course in Asian History
Two other History courses approved by the department
—OR—
HIS-145 The United States to 1865
—AND —
HIS-155 The United States Since 1865
One course in European History
One course in Asian History
Two other History courses, approved by the department
Elementary Education Emphasis in History
HIS-115 Western Civilization to 1500
HIS-125 Western Civilization Since 1500
HIS-145 The United States to 1865
HIS-155 The United States Since 1865
One History course in a non-western area.
One elective in history.
NOTE: The elementary education emphasis in History does not constitute a minor.
Collateral Major in Historical Studies
Buckaloo, Administrative Coordinator
Students with a major other than History may choose this collateral major. This track may be taken only as a collateral (second) major.
Fulfill the requirements of any of the majors listed on page in the Educational Program, with the exception of History.
HIS-115 Western Civilization to 1500
HIS-125 Western Civilization Since 1500
HIS-145 The United States to 1865
HIS-155 The United States Since 1865
HIS-205 The Historian’s Craft
One of the following courses in Asian History
HIS-136 East Asian Civilization
HIS-246 History of Modern China
HIS-256 History of Modern Japan
Two Seminars in History
One in American History
One in European History or in Asian History
One History elective
Two Electives in a Non-History Discipline, approved by the History Department Chair
Courses in History
HIS-115 The History of Western Civilization to 1500
The development of civilization from the earliest times to 1500, with primary emphasis on the culture and thought of the Ancient, Medieval, and Renaissance eras.
HIS-125 The History of Western Civilization Since 1500
The development of Western Civilization from 1500 to modern times, with emphasis on the cultural and intellectual development of the West and such topics as the Reformation, the Enlightenment, the Industrial Revolution, Imperialism, and the rise of Totalitarianism.
HIS-136 East Asian Civilization
A survey of East Asian civilization with emphasis on China from its origins to 1700. Particular attention is paid to cultural and political factors.
HIS-145 History of the United States to 1865
A survey of the development of American civilization from the colonial period to 1865. Emphasis is on the winning of independence, the founding of the government, the territorial growth of the nation, and the crisis of the Civil War.
HIS-155 History of the United States Since 1865
A survey of American history from the Reconstruction to the present. Topics include the changing American economy, the inclusion and exclusion of various Americans defined by race, class, and gender, and the emergence of the United States as a world power.
HIS-205 The Historian’s Craft
Introduction to the nature and craft of history. Emphases include use of sources, historigraphy, philosophy of history, and various forms of historical writing. The capstone assignment will be a research paper. Prerequisite: sophomore or higher standing.
HIS-217 The American War in Vietnam
Examines the American war in Vietnam from its earliest roots to its latest ramifications and from multiple perspectives. Emphases include the French Indochina War, American policy debate, the sources of American policy, Vietnamese perspectives, and the war in fiction and film. Prerequisite: History of the United States Since 1865 (HIS-155) or consentof instructor.
HIS-227 The American Civil War
A study of events, issues, ideas, and forces leading to the American Civil War and the resulting Reconstruction. Topics emphasized include slavery, social, economic, and political events leading to the war, the political and military strategies of the war, the efforts of Americans on the homefront, and the trials and triumphs during Reconstruction. Prerequisite: sophomore or higher standing.
HIS-237 American Catholicism
A study of the history, institutions, beliefs, culture(s) and spirituality of the Roman Catholic community in the United States within the broader context of American history, as well as that of global Catholic Christianity. Special attention is given to the role of immigration and anti-Catholicism, along with the role of Native American, African, Latino/Hispanic and Asian Catholics that make American Catholicism the most diverse multi-ethnic, racial and cultural community in contemporary America.
HIS-246 History of Modern China
A history of modern China since 1700. Chinese states and society from the height of Qing culture, through the impact of the West and Japan, the rise of Chinese Republicanism and Marxism, the Liberation of 1949, the Great Leap Forward, the death of Mao Zedong, and rule of Deng Xiaoping, up to the present day.
HIS-256 History of Modern Japan
A history of modern Japan since 1700. Historical analysis of Edo period culture, politics and society, rapid Meiji era changes, constitutionalism and imperialism, Japan’s expansion in Asia, World War II, the post-war social change, and economic recovery and rise to international leadership, up to the present.
HIS-267 The American West
A survey of the history of the trans-Mississippi west and its impact on the rest of the United States. Topics include relationships of power based on race, gender and class, as well as issues regarding the environment, expansion, and settlement.
HIS-275 Ancient Greek History
An examination of the evolution of certain key institutions and traditions in the ancient Greek world—political, constitutional, military, social, and economic—with particular emphasis on the revolutionary changes experienced during the Classical Age, i.e., the fifth and fourth centuries B.C.
HIS-285 History of Ancient Rome
An examination of the evolution of certain key institutions and traditions—political, constitutional, military, social, and economic—in the ancient Roman world, with emphasis on the revolutionary changes during the transition from the Republic to the Empire, i.e., the first centuries B.C. and A.D.
HIS-316 Topics in History: Non-Western Perspectives
An intensive study of a selected topic (or topics) in history related to non-Western cultures through lectures or group discussion or directed readings or research and writing. (Offered on an occasional basis)
HIS-317 Topics in History: United States Pluralism
An intensive study of a selected topic (or topics) in history related to United States Pluralism through lectures or group discussion or directed readings or research and writing. (Offered on an occasional basis)
HIS-318 Topics in History: Diverse Western Perspectives
An intensive study of a selected topic (or topics) in history related to Diverse Western Perspectives through lectures or group discussion or directed readings or research and writing. (Offered on an occasional basis)
HIS-357 Native American History
Examines the history of Native Americans and their relationships to Europe and Anglo-America from pre-Columbian times to the present. Emphases include understanding Native cultures, early Anglo-Indian relations, the western “Indian wars,” and the Red Power movement of the 1970s. Prerequisite: History of the United States to 1865 (HIS-145) or History of the United States Since 1865 (HIS-155) or consent of instructor.
AAM-367 The African American in the United States I
(See also African American Studies (AAM-367),p. 141) A study of the history of African Americans and their contribution to culture and society during the colonial and national eras to 1865. Prerequisite: The History of Western Civilization Since 1500 (HIS-125) or consent of instructor.
HIS-368 Latin America
Survey of the social, political, economic, and cultural factors of Latin America from the colonial era to the present, with an emphasis on how these factors influence present day Latin America.
AAM-377 The African American in the United States II
(See also African American Studies (AAM-377), p. 141) African American history from 1865 and Reconstruction to the present. Emphasis on significant African American leaders and organizations, and on general movements and trends affecting African Americans. Prerequisites: The History of Western Civilization Since 1500 (HIS-125) or consent of instructor.
HIS-375 History of Medieval Europe
A survey of Medieval Europe focusing on the intellectual, cultural, religious, artistic, and literary achievements of the High Middle Ages from roughly 1000 A.D. to 1300 A.D.
HIS-388 Renaissance and Reformation
The European experience from the waning of the Middle Ages through the period of the religious wars, with the emphasis on art, the rise of nation states, overseas expansionism, the scientific revolution, the Protestant and Catholic Reformations, and concluding with the Peace of Westphalia (1648).
HIS-397 Women in America
A survey of the role and power of a variety of women in America’s history from colonial times to the present, with an emphasis on understanding the place of women today.
HIS-405 History of Modern England
A survey of the major constitutional, political, and social developments in England from The Glorious Revolution to the present. Particular attention is paid to the growth of Empire, the Industrial Revolution, the rise of labor, and the effects of The Great War and World War II.
HIS-428 Eastern Europe Since 1914
A historical survey of Eastern Europe—from Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, and the Baltics to the Ukraine and the Balkans—from World War I to the present. Emphasis is on World War I, World War II, the Holocaust, the Cold War, Soviet domination of the region, and the collapse of Communism.
HIS-438 Imperial Russia
Historical analysis of the Russian Empire from Peter the Great to Lenin and the Russian Revolution. Emphasis on the westernization of Imperial Russia, foreign policy, industrialization, the revolutionary movement, Russian Marxism, World War I, and the Bolshevik Revolution.
HIS-445 20th-Century Russia
A historical survey of Russia from 1900 to the present. Emphasis is on World War I, the Russian Revolutions of 1917, Leninism, Stalinism, World War II, the Cold War, Gorbachev, and the collapse of Communism and the Soviet Union since 1989.
HIS-455 19th-Century Europe
The evolution of Europe from the French Revolution to World War I, with an emphasis on such topics as Liberalism, the Industrial Revolution, Nationalism, Marxian Socialism, Imperialism, and Great Power diplomacy.
ECO-457 U.S. Economic History
(See Economics (ECO-457), p. 62)
HIS-465 20th-Century Europe
A historical survey of modern Europe from 1900 to the present. Emphases are on World War I, the Russian Revolution, the rise of Fascism, Hitler, Nazi Germany, Stalin and Soviet Communism, World War II and the Cold War, as well as the emergence of the European Community (EC) and the collapse of Communism and the Soviet Union.
HIS-475 Early Modern Europe
The history of Europe from 1648 to 1815, with emphasis on the English Revolutions, the age of Absolute Monarchy, the Enlightenment, the decline of the ancient regime, the French Revolution, the Napoleonic era, and concluding with the Congress of Vienna.
HIS-487 American Colonial History
The history of the American colonies from their founding through the American Revolution, focusing on the diverse perspectives of people varying in religion, ethnicity, and gender, as well as economic and political backgrounds.
HIS-495 United States Diplomatic History
Begins with an examination of the relations of the colonies to international affairs. The course focuses attention on topics in American diplomatic history which provide a background for an understanding of the nation’s present status as a world power.
HIS-505 United States Legal History
A survey of the development of American legal institutions, legal education, and the legal profession within the context of United States history. Recommended for juniors and seniors.
HIS-525 Recent American History I
An examination of American domestic development from the last quarter of the 19th-century to 1970 and the present. Topics include immigration, workers in a changing economy, the World Wars, the Cold War, civil rights, the changing role of women in society, and the contested post-1960’s move to the political right. Prerequisite: History of the United States Since 1865 (HIS-155) or consent of instructor.
HIS-535 Recent American History II
An examination of American foreign relations from the 1890s to the present, including the World Wars, the Cold War, and the post-9/11 world. Prerequisite: History of the United States Since 1865 (HIS-155) or consent of instructor.
HIS-545 Intellectual and Social History of the United States I
The history of American intellectual development from colonial times to about 1865. Emphasis on the cultural manifestations of ideas. Prerequisite: History of the United States to 1865 (HIS-145) or consent of instructor.
HIS-555 Intellectual and Social History of the United States II
The history of American intellectual development from about 1865 to the present. Emphasis on the cultural manifestations of ideas. Prerequisite: History of the United States Since 1865 (HIS-155) or consent of instructor.
HIS-725 Seminar in American History I
An introduction to historical research in earlier American history (prior to 1865). Critical inquiry is emphasized in detailed examination of specific topics. Prerequisite: History of the United States to 1865 (HIS-145).
HIS-735 Seminar in American History II
An introduction to historical research in later American history since 1865. Critical inquiry is emphasized in detailed examination of specific topics. Prerequisite: History of the United States Since 1865 (HIS-155) or consent of instructor.
HIS-745 Seminar in Modern European History
An intensive reading and research seminar on selected topics in 19th and 20th-century European political, diplomatic, and intellectual history.
HIS-756 Seminar in East Asian History
An intensive reading and research seminar on selected topics in the history of China and Japan.
HIS-895 Part-Time Internship in History
Part-time work experience for one term in a history-related field. A minimum of 140 hours on-site experience is required. May not be applied to either a major or minor in history. A student proposal for an internship must be approved by the History Department. The Internship in History is supervised by a History Department faculty member in cooperation with the Director of Internships. Prerequisite: junioror senior standing.
HIS-8_5 Independent Study
Independent work on a selected project under the direction of a member of the department.