Courses in History (A HIS and A HST)

Foundation Courses

U.S. History

A HIS 100 American Political & Social History I (3)
Survey of American history from early times to the Civil War, with emphasis on the development of political, constitutional, economic, social, and cultural institutions.

A HIS 101 American Political & Social History II (3)
Survey of American history from the Civil War to the present, with emphasis on the development of political, constitutional, economic, social, and cultural institutions.

T HIS 199 Go-Getters and Deadbeats: Success and Failure in U.S. History (3)
It is a central assumption of American life that anyone can succeed through a combination of hard work, skill, and a bit of luck. In this course, we will investigate this belief from multiple social positions and cultural perspectives and examine the broader issue of what success and failure reveals about the nature of the American democratic experiment. We will use a wide range of primary and secondary sources, including biographies, fiction, and film. Prerequisite(s): for Honors College students only.

A HIS 201 History and Future (3)
The 21st century will pose major challenges: human-caused global warming, the peaking of fossil-fuel production, and technological unemployment. At the same time, the 21st century will likely see a continuation of rapid technological change, continued reduction in warfare and violence, and growth in freedom and lifestyle choices. This course explores ways that historians can apply their skills, methods, and insights to address these and other future social issues. Several questions will be investigated, including: How can historians be relevant to today's policy debates? How can historical thinking enhance citizenship? How can we apply historical methods and skills to analyze probably futures and create preferred futures?

A HST 201 History of Marriage and Family in the US (3)
The family is a dynamic social unit that is constantly evolving to satisfy individual and community needs. Through an evaluation of topics including birth control, adoption, interracial marriage, and divorce, this course explores the ways that family matters have influenced and informed changes in peoples' understandings of gender, ethnicity, nationality, race, and status in the eighteenth, nineteenth, and twentieth centuries.

A HIS 203 History of Childhood (3)
This course examines experiences of childhood in the United States from the nineteenth century to the present. Over the past few centuries, cultural attitudes and beliefs about children, expectations for their behavior, and the material conditions of children's lives have changed markedly. Far from being insulated from the political and economic developments that surrounded them, children often experienced social inequalities at their sharpest. Thus, studying childhood provides an important avenue to understand how distinctions of class, race, and gender have patterned American life. The course engages students in reading and analyzing secondary works in the history of childhood as well as works produced by, about, and for children in the past. Since children's first-hand experiences are often mediated through the perspective of parents, teachers, or other sources, the course raises methodological questions about how best to interpret and understand the experiences of the inarticulate. Only one version may be taken for credit.

T HIS 203 History of Childhood (3)
This course examines experiences of childhood in the United States from the nineteenth century to the present. Over the past few centuries, cultural attitudes and beliefs about children, expectations for their behavior, and the material conditions of children's lives have changed markedly. Far from being insulated from the political and economic developments that surrounded them, children often experienced social inequalities at their sharpest. Thus, studying childhood provides an important avenue to understand how distinctions of class, race, and gender have patterned American life. The course engages students in reading and analyzing secondary works in the history of childhood as well as works produced by, about, and for children in the past. Since children's first-hand experiences are often mediated through the perspective of parents, teachers, or other sources, the course raises methodological questions about how best to interpret and understand the experiences of the inarticulate. T HIS 203 is the Honors College version of A HIS 203; only one version may be taken for credit.

T HIS 208 Memory and The American Civil War (3)
The United States has experienced periods of severe division in its history, but only one era was so dominated by discord that the nation erupted into civil war. The years leading up to that bloody conflict, the war years of 1861-1865, and the twelve years of reconstruction that followed are the chronological framework for this course. How Americans have remembered those years, how that remembrance has shifted over time, and how that remembrance has affected racial, social, economic, and political factors ever since, are the focus. Only one of T HIS 208 and A HIS 308 may be taken for credit. Open to Honors College students only.

A HIS 220 Public Policy in Modern America (3)
This course focuses on the history of four major domestic policies: welfare, civil rights, economic policy, and health policy. Students assess the relevance of history to current political debates and analysis of public policy. Group workshops and debates will enable students to engage in active learning while grappling with these larger questions.

T HIS 220 Public Policy in Modern America (3)
T HIS 220 is the Honors College version of A HIS 220; only one version may be taken for credit. Open to Honors College students only.

A HIS 221 (= A JST 221) The American Jewish Experience (3)
A general overview of the American Jewish experience. Examines historical developments in such areas of American Jewish life as religious expression, political activity, education, demographics, socio-economics, and secular intellectual and cultural activity. Assesses the impact on American Jewry of immigration from Europe and elsewhere, and such pivotal events as World War I and II, the Holocaust, and the founding of the State of Israel. Addresses the relationship between diverse segments of American Jewry and between Jewish and non-Jewish Americans. Only one version of A HIS 221 may be taken for credit. 

A HIS 224 (= A DOC 224) Nonfiction Media Storytelling (3)
This course explores the use of narrative in books, films, and other works intended to present factual content to the general public. Students will watch, read about, write about, and discuss a range of work, developing tools for analyzing and evaluating nonfiction media in terms of both content and craft. Only one version may be taken for credit.

A HIS 225 (= A ARH 225 & A JST 225) The Modern Jewish Experience in Film (3)
With a specific eye on films, this course examines the transformations of world Jewry as well as important historical themes that crossed geographical areas beginning with the early modern period and continuing throughout nowadays. It is intended to provide an opportunity for students to engage some of the main themes in modern Jewish history by analyzing, watching and discussing American, European, and Israeli feature and documentary movies and videos that document or fictionalize Jewish life in the modern era. Only one version may be taken for credit.

A HIS 227 (= A DOC 227) Civil Rights: A Documentary Approach (3)
This course looks at the intersection of history and media as it pertains to the American civil rights movement. Focusing on the landmark archival television series Eyes on the Prize and a range of primary and secondary sources (documents, films, music, and more), we will study not only the historical events depicted on screen but also the ways in which these events were documented, archived, and later shaped into public media. Only one version of A HIS 227 may be taken for credit.

A HIS 251 (= A DOC 251) Introduction to Documentary Studies (3)
This course is divided into 3 major sections. First, we will ask “What is a documentary?” One of the most widely quoted definitions is that of John Grierson who suggests that documentary is the “the creative treatment of actuality.” We will explore that definition, and others, as we lay the groundwork to examine the social, cultural, legal, and ethical considerations inherent in all documentary production. We will then look at specific documentary forms, their history, best examples, notable characteristics, and key practitioners. Finally we will look at some of the major themes in documentary work across forms and genres — in print, photography, film/video, audio, and hypermedia/multimedia. We will also consider how technological innovation has shaped the work of the documentarian over time. As the gateway course for the Documentary Studies major and minor, this course is not only about understanding what others have done in both the recent and distant past, but developing a foundation for future work in the major and minor. Those enrolled in A HIS 251 are expected to bring an historical perspective to their work in the course.

A HIS 259 (= A WSS 260) History of U.S. Women and Social Change (3)
With an emphasis on the diversity of U.S. women, this course examines the social, historical, and economic forces that have shaped U.S. women’s lives from about 1800-1970 and the contexts within which women have participated in and sometimes led social and political movements. Only one version of A HIS 259 may be taken for credit.

T HIS 259 (= T WSS 260) History of Women and Social Change (3)
T HIS 259 is the Honors College version of A HIS 259; only one version may be taken for credit. Open to Honors College students only.

A HIS 261 Getting to Know Albany (3)
Students at the University at Albany have daily contact with the city of Albany, but often know little about it. They drive its streets but don't really see what is there, nor do they learn much about its history. The purpose of this course is to remedy that shortcoming. The course will introduce students to Albany, its history, its architecture, and its neighborhoods. This will be done through class lectures and discussion, reconstruction of the city's past through slides that depict old Albany and walking tours that will expose students to Albany's historic neighborhoods, parks, churches, synagogues, and monumental public buildings. This will include the New York State Capitol (the most costly building in all of 19th century America) and the Empire State Plaza (the most costly, complex of buildings in all of 20th century America). The course will also pay attention to the University of Albany, past and present. It will include examination of previous campuses (there were three), and today's campus, designed by E.D. Stone. Walking tours of the campus will include the imposing and architecturally important complex of buildings that runs along Fuller Road, engines of high-tech growth in upstate New York. Only one version of A HIS 261 may be taken for credit.

A HIS 266 (= A JST 256 & A REL 256) World Jewry Since the Holocaust (3)
Examines the historical, cultural, societal, and demographic changes in world Jewry since the Holocaust. Investigates the decline of European Jewish communities and the development of the United States and Israel as postwar centers of modern Jewish life. Only one version of A HIS 266 may be taken for credit. 

A HST 271 (= A LCS 271) Latin American Drug Wars (3)
Considers the history of illicit drugs and the violence that surrounds their prohibition in Latin America. Topics include the long history of illicit drugs in Latin America (dating from the 1620s), as well as the rise of contemporary prohibitions and narco-trafficking organizations. Special attention is paid to the social and cultural effects of these phenomena in Latin America, along with the role of US drug control regimes in shaping life in the region. Only one version may be taken for credit.

A HIS 276 Technology and Society in America (3)
This course outlines the relationship between technological innovation and social change in the United States from the 17th century to the present. Major questions include: How has technology shaped the contours of American history? Does technology drive history, or does society shape technology? What are the ethical or moral dimensions of technological change? What political controversies or economic conflicts have arisen with the introduction of new technologies?

A HIS 277 Culture and History of Food in the United States (3)
Central to American political, economic, scientific, and social developments, food offers a unique way to trace the history of the nation. Students in this course will investigate changes in techniques and technologies of food and agriculture, analyze policies used to govern foods, and evaluate the ways in which social communities and values have shaped these changes. More largely, students will learn to recognize and examine the causes and consequences of individual and state decisions about food on the economy, ecology, culture, and politics of the United States and the world.

T HIS 277 Culture and History of Food in the United States (3)
T HIS 277 is the Honors College version of A HIS 277; only one version may be taken for credit. Open to Honors College students only.

A HIS 290 Topics in American History (3)
Specific topics to be examined will be announced during advance registration periods. May be repeated for credit when content varies.

A HIS 292 Trials in United States History (3)
This course examines various historic Anglo-American criminal trials. To introduce the discipline of history, trials are explored in their legal and social settings so students can learn the purposes of trials in past cultures. Course topics can include insanity defense, free speech, racism, press coverage, honor, and gender relations.

T HIS 292 Trials in United States History (3)
T HIS 292 is the Honors College version of A HIS 292; only one version may be taken for credit. Open to Honors College students only.

A HIS 294 History of the Hudson River Valley (3)
(Formerly A HIS/A DOC 294.) This course examines the history of the Hudson River Valley from pre-European contact to the present, beginning with interactions between Native Americans and early Dutch and English settlers and the ways the Hudson River shaped patterns of Atlantic world and continental exchange. It then examines slavery, the region's role in the American Revolution, industrialization, religious transformations, the growth of cities, immigration, tourism, and efforts toward environmental conservation. Only one version of A HIS 294 may be taken for credit.

A HIS 295 (= R POS 295) The Supreme Court and American Constitutional History (3)
This course treats the history of the Constitution through an examination of many of the major arguments made about it before the Supreme Court of the United States. This course allows us to understand the critical role counsel has made in shaping arguments before the Court, the way in which litigants representing competing social demands have pushed the envelope of American constitutionalism, and the means by which the Court's agenda (and American constitutional history) has changed in response to those arguments and the underlying social circumstances that have informed them during the previous two centuries. Only one version of A HIS 295 may be taken for credit.

T HIS 295 (= R POS 295) The Supreme Court and American Constitutional History (3)
T HIS 295 is the Honors College version of A HIS 295; only one may be taken for credit.

European History

Note: The History Department courses are arranged within categories numerically. Two different course rubrics are used, A HIS and A HST.

A HIS 130 History of European Civilization I (3)
Survey of the political, economic, social, and cultural history of the West from its origins to the 18^th century.

A HIS 131 History of European Civilization II (3)
Survey of the political, economic, social, and cultural history of the West from the 18^th century to the present.

T HIS 226 Historical Fiction (3)
Historians and fiction writers seldom bring their two disciplines together to determine how they can complement each other. This course will combine history's commitment to the raw material of the past with the fiction writer's skill in shaping a compelling narrative in order to determine how to write about the past in a more convincing manner and how to gather essential facts from past events. Prerequisite(s): open to Honors College students only.

A HIS 235 (= A REL 235) Early and Medieval Christianity (3)
Survey of the intellectual, ritual, and institutional development of Christianity from the apostles to the later Middle Ages. Only one version of A HIS 235 may be taken for credit.

A HIS 244 (= A JST 244 & A HEB 244) Zionism, Palestine, and Israel in Historical Perspective (3)
A study of 19th century Jewish and European history resulting in the formation of Jewish nationalism. Covers the development of various Zionist ideologies and organizations as well as their challengers within and outside the Jewish community. Examines the history of settlement in Palestine, the founding of the state of Israel, and the country’s subsequent development. Only one version of A HIS 244 may be taken for credit.

A HIS 250 (= A JST 250) The Holocaust and Genocide in the Modern World (3)
Explores the history of the Holocaust both as an event in itself and as the indispensable example for those seeking to comprehend the modern problems of genocide and mass killing in general. Investigates the origins and history of Hitler’s war against the Jews and other targeted groups, including the experiences of victims, the motives of perpetrators, and the ethical and moral problems the events present. Follows these same concerns through other examples of genocide into the twenty-first century, paying particular attention to how the history of the Holocaust can shed light on the continuing problems of large-scale racial and ethnic violence. Only one of A HIS 250 and A JST 250 may be taken for credit.

A HST 252 (= A JST 252 & A REL 252) Jews, Hellenism, and Early Christianity (3)
History of the Jewish people from Alexander the Great to the decline of the ancient world. Topics include examination of cultural conflict in Judaea and the diaspora, confrontation with Greco-Roman Hellenism and early Christianity, sectarianism, and the beginnings of Rabbinic institutions. Only one version of A JST 252, A HST 252, A REL 252, and A JST 342, and A HIS 358 may be taken for credit.

A HIS 253 (= A JST 253 & A REL 253) Medieval and Early-Modern Jews among Muslims and Christians (3)
Explores the course of Jewish history from the destruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem until the French Revolution. Investigates the experience of Jews between and within the major religious and cultural systems that dominated medieval Europe; Islam and Christianity. The course charts the history of Sephardic and Ashkenazic Jewry, noting the important social, religious, cultural, and political characteristics of each community, as well as their interaction with two great world civilizations. Only one of A HIS 253, A JST 253, A REL 253, and A JST 353 may be taken for credit.

A HIS 254 (= A JST 254 & A REL 254) The Jews in the Modern World (3)
Beginning with the end of the late Middle Ages and the emergence of the Enlightenment, this class explores how Jewish communities responded to the demands of an ever-expanding modern world. Examines the ways in which Jews and Jewish communities sought to create modern expressions of Judaism and the response of rabbinic Judaism to these challenges. Explores the rise of Hasidism, the aims of Enlightened Jewry, nationalism, the creation of secular Jewish cultures, the World Wars, modern antisemitism and the Nazi Holocaust, and the emergence of new Jewish centers in the United States and Israel. Only one of A JST 254 and A REL 254 and A HIS 254 and A JST 344 may be taken for credit.

A HIS 256 Women in European History (3)
Survey of the role and position of women in European society from antiquity to the present, concentrating on social, economic, political, and intellectual aspects of women’s lives and on cultural attitudes and ideologies concerning women.

A HIS 263 Art, Music, and History: A Multimedia Approach I (3)
Survey of Western art and music from the Middle Ages to about 1750. Art and music will be used to illuminate history, and history will be used to further an understanding of art and music.

A HIS 264 Art, Music, and History: A Multimedia Approach II (3)
Survey of Western art and music from about 1750 to the present. Art and music will be used to illuminate history, and history will be used to further an understanding of art and music.

A HIS 288 Topics in European History (3)
Specific topics to be examined will be announced during advance registration periods. May be repeated for credit when content varies.

A HIS 298 Crime and Society in Early Modern England (3)
This is a “hands-on” course. After some reading, students will study [online] the records of The Old Bailey 1750-1945, London’s principal criminal court. They will gather and analyze the record of all those crimes the citizenry were accused of, and the punishments they received, and answer this question: Is there any evidence that industrial [modern] society inaugurated a new criminal regime in order to discipline and punish an emergent proletarian class. We will attempt to determine why and how those in power defined crime and were prosecuted those found guilty. 

World History

Note: The History Department courses are arranged within categories numerically. Two different course rubrics are used, A HIS and A HST.

A HIS 144 (formerly A HIS 140) Latin America Since the Aztecs (3)
This course will introduce students to the history of Latin America. Covering the great empires of the Aztec, Maya and Inca through the golden age of Spanish colonization to the present, this course will introduce students to the history of the culture, geography, society, politics, and economics of a region that is critical to the United States today. Only one of A LCS 100, A HIS 140, and A HIS 144 may be taken for credit.

A HST 150  (= A JST 150) Jewish Civilization: From the Birth of the Israelites until the Present (3)
An orientation to the field of Jewish studies from the ancient period to the present via a thematic approach, such as through Jewish languages, cities, migrations, or religious denominations. Recommended preparation for other A JST courses. Only one version of A JST/A HST 150 may be taken for credit.

A HIS 158 The Past as Present: The World since 1900 (3)
A survey of global history in the modern era, this course traces political, economic, social, and cultural developments that have shaped the world we live in today. Students will become familiar with people, events, and ideas in societies across an increasingly interconnected globe, coming to understand the challenges of the present and future as products of human choice and action in the recent past. Only one version may be taken for credit.

T HIS 158 The Past as Present: The World since 1900 (3)
T HIS 158 is the Honors College version of A HIS 158; only one version may be taken for credit.

A HIS 170 (= A LCS 102) Introduction to Caribbean History (3)
An introduction to the history of culture contact in the Caribbean from the pre-Columbian Arawaks and Caribs, through the infusion of European and African cultures, to the emergence of the leadership of the United States in 1898. Special emphasis on the social and economic development of the plantation system, the intercontinental trade system, slavery, and the struggle for abolition and self-determination. Only one version of A HIS 170 may be taken for credit.

A HIS 177 (= A EAS 177) East Asia: Its Culture and History (3)
An introduction to the history and cultures of East Asia (China, Japan, and Korea), their major institutions and their religious and philosophical traditions from ancient times to the present. Only one version of A HIS 177 may be taken for credit.

A HST 202 Not Even Past (3)
This course introduces students to historical scholarship and methodology as they inform not only our understanding of the past, but also our ability to understand and address even the most challenging issues of our time. Building on a case-study approach, students will gain a foundational understanding of what it means to frame and explore a contemporary issue through a historical lens; the important role that an evidence-based historical argument can play in advancing public and professional knowledge; the dangers when history is abused to distort understanding; and the real-world role that historians play in fields far beyond the history classroom. May not be repeated for credit.

T HIS 226 Historical Fiction (3)
Historians and fiction writers seldom bring their two disciplines together to determine how they can complement each other. This course will combine history's commitment to the raw material of the past with the fiction writers skill in shaping a compelling narrative in order to determine how to write about the past in a more convincing manner and how to gather essential facts from past events. Prerequisite(s): Honors College students only.

A HIS 244 (= A JST 244 & A HEB 244) Zionism, Palestine, and Israel in Historical Perspective (3)
A study of 19th century Jewish and European history resulting in the formation of Jewish nationalism. Covers the development of various Zionist ideologies and organizations as well as their challengers within and outside the Jewish community. Examines the history of settlement in Palestine, the founding of the state of Israel, and the country’s subsequent development. Only one version of A HIS 244 may be taken for credit.

A  HIS 250 (= A JST 250) The Holocaust and Genocide in the Modern World (3)
Explores the history of the Holocaust both as an event in itself and as the indispensable example for those seeking to comprehend the modern problems of genocide and mass killing in general. Investigates the origins and history of Hitler’s war against the Jews and other targeted groups, including the experiences of victims, the motives of perpetrators, and the ethical and moral problems the events present. Follows these same concerns through other examples of genocide into the twenty-first century, paying particular attention to how the history of the Holocaust can shed light on the continuing problems of large-scale racial and ethnic violence. Only one of A HIS 250 and A JST 250 may be taken for credit.

A HIS 252 (= A JST 251) Early Israel and Biblical Civilization (3)
The history and culture of ancient Israel from its beginnings to the Persian Empire. A survey of the Hebrew Bible (in English) as the major source for the study of early Judaic religious and social forms in the context of the Near East. Only one of A JST 251, A HIS 252, and A JST/A HIS 341 may be taken for credit.

A HIS 253 (= A JST 253 & A REL 253) Medieval and Early-Modern Jews Among Muslims and Christians (3)
Explores the course of Jewish history from the destruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem until the French Revolution. Investigates the experience of Jews between and within the major religious and cultural systems that dominated medieval Europe; Islam and Christianity. The course charts the history of Sephardic and Ashkenazic Jewry, noting the important social, religious, cultural, and political characteristics of each community, as well as their interaction with two great world civilizations. Only one of A HIS 253, A JST 253, A REL 253, and A JST 353 may be taken for credit.

A HIS 266 (= A JST 256 & A REL 256) World Jewry Since the Holocaust (3)
Examines the historical, cultural, societal, and demographic changes in world Jewry since the Holocaust. Investigates the decline of European Jewish communities and the development of the United States and Israel as postwar centers of modern Jewish life. Only one version of A HIS 266 may be taken for credit.

A HIS 268 Introduction to Southeast Asia (3)
Examines the events, people, and places significant to Southeast Asia's past. Topics may include: the rise of traditional states and religions, the role of trade in shaping society and the environment; the effects of colonial empires; transformations in conceptions of the body, the relationship between gender and modernity; the origins of nationalism, communism, and revolution the transformations wrought by World War II and the Cold War; the experience of genocide and terror; and the tensions between democracy and authoritarian rule.

A HST 271 (= A LCS 271) Latin American Drug Wars (3)
Considers the history of illicit drugs and the violence that surrounds their prohibition in Latin America. Topics include the long history of illicit drugs in Latin America (dating from the 1620s), as well as the rise of contemporary prohibitions and narco-trafficking organizations. Special attention is paid to the social and cultural effects of these phenomena in Latin America, along with the role of US drug control regimes in shaping life in the region. Only one version may be taken for credit.

A HIS 275 (= A JST 275) Antisemitism: Historical Exploration & Contemporary Challenges (3)
Explores pre-modern forms of anti-Jewish hatred, the manifestation of antisemitism in the modern period, and several of the current debates on antisemitism. Explores the instrumentalization of antisemitic hatred through several case studies and provides students with the means to assess critically both current antisemitic attacks and contemporary debates about antisemitism. Only one of A HIS 275 and A JST 275 may be taken for credit.

A HIS 278 (= A EAJ 278) Japanese Pop Culture from Edo to the Present (3)
This course introduces some of the forms of "popular culture" prevalent in Japan from 1600 until the present day, with a strong emphasis on the social, economic and intellectual forces behind these major trends. This course, organized chronologically, offers a look at the many historical developments connected with popular forms of music, theater, film and comics, including the rise of a new urban print culture in the 17th century, the introduction of "Western" art forms such as motion pictures and jazz music in the 1920s, and the steady expansion of both domestic and international markets for Japanese film, music and comics in the years since 1945. Conducted in English; no knowledge of Japanese is required. Only one of A EAJ/A HIS 278 or T EAJ/T HIS 278 may be taken for credit.

T HIS 278 (= T EAJ 278) Japanese Pop Culture from Edo to the Present (3) 
This course introduces some of the forms of "popular culture" prevalent in Japan from 1600 to the present day, with a strong emphasis on the social, economic, and intellectual forces behind these major trends. This course, organized chronologically, offers a look at the many historical developments connected with popular forms of music, theater, film and comics, including the rise of a new urban print culture in the 17th century, the introduction of "Western" art forms such as motion pictures and jazz music in the 1920s, and the steady expansion of both domestic and international markets for Japanese film, music, and comics in the years since 1945. Conducted in English; no knowledge of Japanese is required. Only one of A EAJ/A HIS 278 or T EAJ/T HIS 278 may be taken for credit. T EAJ/T HIS is open to honors college students only.

A HIS 286 (= A AFS 286) African Civilizations (3)
Africa from prehistoric times to 1800 with emphasis on sub-Saharan Africa, the development of indigenous states and their response to Western and Eastern contacts. Only one version of A HIS 286 may be taken for credit.

A HIS 287 (= A AFS 287) Africa in the Modern World (3)
Africa since 1800: exploration, the end of the slave trade, the development of interior states, European partition, the colonial period, and the rise of independent Africa. Only one version of A HIS 287 may be taken for credit.

A HIS 289 Topics in World History (3)
Specific topics to be examined will be announced during advance registration periods. May be repeated for credit when content varies.

A HIS 293 History of Women in the Americas (3)
An historical survey of the role of women in the United States, Canada, and Latin America from colonial times to the present with emphasis on social, intellectual, and political developments and feminist movements.

A HIS 297 (= A REL 297) Religion and Society in History (3)
This course will focus on the role religion has played in societies from antiquity to the present. Our examination will include the anointed kings of ancient Israel, the idealized unity of emperor and patriarch in Byzantium, the universal claims of the Holy Roman Empire, the role of the prophet in Islam, the divinity of the Emperor in China and Japan, the conception of the monarchy in Western and Eastern Europe, the anti-religious rhetoric of European revolutions, the separation of church and state in contemporary secular societies, the current revival of fundamentalism, and the persistence of wars based on religion. Architecture, music, iconography, and rituals will be examined for the information they provide. Only one version of A HIS 297 may be taken for credit.

History Methods Course

A HIS 395 The Historian's Craft: Methods (3)
This seminar is a methods course that prepares students to succeed as they transition from foundational to advanced coursework in the History Department. It will teach students how to ask appropriate research questions, collect evidence using the university's research tools, and choreograph that evidence to advance a persuasive argument. Prerequisite(s): history major and completed foundational work. 

History of the United States

Note: The History Department courses are arranged within categories numerically. Two different course rubrics are used, A HIS and A HST.

A HIS 300 The History of American Indians and the United States (3)
A detailed survey of the history of the North American Indians, particularly those now within the territory of the United States, as communities and nations, from the period of first contact to the present. Only one version of A HIS 300 may be taken for credit.

A HST 302 America in the Age of Sail (3)
This course explores the social, cultural, and environmental histories of the American maritime people from roughly the sixteenth to the nineteenth centuries. Topics will include the expansion of European maritime empires, sea-born piracy, maritime labor, the transatlantic slave trade, scientific exploration, fishing, whaling, and merchant trade. Fundamental to course analyses will be examinations of race, class, gender, and the environment both on shore and at sea.

A HIS 303 American Architecture and the Western Tradition (4)
The various styles of American architecture will be examined in connection with their European antecedents, from Colonial times to the present. One theme of the course will be how styles derived from Europe-Gothic Revival, Romanesque Revival, and so on, take on distinctive American characteristics. Another theme will be the connection between 19^th century historicist architecture and the pioneers of modern architecture such as Louis Sullivan and Frank Lloyd Wright. Particular importance will be given to the architecture of Albany, Troy, and Schenectady. 

A HIS 305 Colonial America to 1763 (3)
Survey of major aspects and events in the colonial period, with particular emphasis on the growth of uniquely American culture and institutions.

A HIS 306 The Era of the American Revolution, 1763–1815 (3)
Detailed survey of the American Revolution, the making of the Constitution, and the historic experiment in federal-republicanism; the clash of ideas and interests on the rapidly changing domestic and foreign scenes; the search for unity in the new nation.

A HIS 307 Nationalism and Reform, 1815–1848 (3)
Survey of the growth of nationalism, the emergence of a reform impulse, the age of individualism and egalitarianism, the development of the second American party system, and technological, cultural, and social change.

A HIS 308 American Civil War Era (3)
Causes of the American Civil War, the war on military and civilian fronts, and Reconstruction and its aftermath.

A HIS 309 The Gilded Age, 1877–1900 (3)
Detailed survey of the complexity and diversity of the period, emphasizing the impact of industrialization, urbanization, and mass immigration upon politics, diplomacy, agriculture, labor, religion, and thought. Prerequisite(s): junior or senior standing, or 3 credits in History.

A HIS 310 History of Women in the United States (3)
A survey of women in the United States from the 17^th century to the present, emphasizing women’s changing social, economic, and political positions. Topics will include: work, politics and reform movements, education, sexuality, and family life. This course will also consider how race and ethnicity, region, class, and gender have shaped women’s experience in diverse ways. 

A HIS 311 History of American Foreign Policy I (3)
Historical survey of United States relations with other countries emphasizing the interplay of domestic and international issues and covering the period from the American Revolution to 1920.

A HIS 312 History of American Foreign Policy II (3)
Historical survey of United States relations with other countries emphasizing the interplay of domestic and international issues and covering the period from 1920 to the present.

A HIS 313 Constitutional History of the United States (3)
Survey and analysis of the impact of the federal Constitution with its changing interpretations on the political, social, and economic life of the nation. Special emphasis is given to the role of the President and of the Supreme Court in effecting constitutional change.

A HIS 314 The Progressive Generation, 1900–1932 (3)
Intensive examination of society and politics in the United States in an age of reform and reaction. Special emphasis on important personalities, such as Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, and Herbert Hoover; also consideration of major themes, such as progressivism, World War I, and the business civilization of the 1920s.

A HIS 315 Roosevelt to Reagan, 1933–1988 (3)
Intensive examination of United States political history from the Great Depression to the 1980’s. Special emphasis on the welfare state, the Cold War, the President and Congress, and the relationship between citizens, public policy, and the political process.

A HIS 316 Workers and Work in America, 1600–Present (3)
A survey of the transformation of work and workers in America from the years of the first white settlement to the present. Topics will include: indentured servants; artisan work and culture; household production and the revolutionizing role of merchant capitalism; slave labor; industrialization; race, gender, ethnicity and the segmentation of work and workers; the rise of the labor movement; labor radicalism.

A HIS 317 City Life in the United States to 1880 (3)
Chronological and topical survey of the American urban scene, with emphasis on the causes and consequences of urban growth, the similarities and differences among various cities, and the attempts to fulfill the needs of an urban environment. This session begins in the colonial period and traces development to the second half of the 19^th century.

A HIS 318 City Life in the United States since 1880 (3)
Chronological and topical survey of city life in the United States, with emphasis on the causes and consequences of urban growth, the similarities and differences among various cities, and the attempts to fulfill the needs of an urban environment. This course examines the urban scene from the late 19th century to the present.

A HIS 320 Vietnam War (3)
This course examines the history of the Vietnam War. "Vietnam" refers to more than just a war and this course introduces students to the key events, people, places, and themes in Vietnam's past. It begins with the states and societies of the Red River Delta, moves to Nguyen dynasty rule and French colonization of Indochina, and finally examines American involvement in Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam during the Cold War. This introduction to the broad sweep of Vietnamese history is meant to help students appreciate the profound changes and lasting continuities in Vietnamese culture and society during the 19th and 20th centuries. This course also interrogates the legacies of the Vietnam War. From lawsuits filed by Agent Orange victims to lessons for U.S. involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan, Vietnam's past continues to play an important role in how Americans comprehend the exercise of U.S. military, economic, and political power abroad.

A HIS 324 Religion in American Life and Thought (3)
The development of religious thought and institutions in this country from colonial Puritanism and Anglicanism to the pluralistic religious/secular American society of today. Emphasis on the relationships among religious thought, religious institutions, and society.

A HIS 325 The Quest for Equality in United States History (3)
Examination of social and political movements seeking a more egalitarian social order, including abolitionism, communitarianism, trade unionism, populism, anarchism, socialism, racial egalitarianism, and feminism.

A HIS 327 The Roles of Law in American History (3)
This course explores law in the American social and political context, focusing on the use of law by various groups in the American past for different purposes. It is composed of topical units in which students read mostly primary materials (cases, laws, and treatises), as well as monographs, and meet to discuss them.

A HIS 328 Lawyers in American Life, 1607-Present (3)
This course examines the legal profession, showing how law, through lawyers, has operated in American history. It is interdisciplinary in focus and utilizes a multimedia methodology. Topics to be covered will include: legal education, lawyers as heroes, lawyers as reformers and radicals, development of the business of lawyering, and emergence of women and minority lawyers.

A HIS 329 American Environmental History (3)
This course examines the changing relationship between North Americans and nature from precolonial times to the present. It explores the ways in which environmental factors (e.g. disease, animals) have shaped human history, delineates the effects of human actions on the environment, and traces changing ideas and attitudes towards nature over time.

A HIS 330 (= A DOC 330) Digital Methods for Historians (3)
Web-based historical projects utilize a variety of digital elements to construct compelling, interactive, linear and nonlinear stories on nonfiction topics. This course introduces students to digital research and analysis tools for historians, as well as the fundamentals of web publishing and digital multimedia composition. Students will gain skills in writing history for a public audience, conducting community-based research, analyzing quantitative sources, and working with historical data. Internet access outside of class is required and home use of a computer is strongly suggested. No previous computer skills are necessary. A HIS 100, A HIS 101, A HIS 305, or A HIS 395 are suggested preparation but not required.

A HIS 331 Capitalism in America (3)
This course examines the history of capitalism in America from multiple social positions and cultural perspectives, and investigates the relationship between capitalism and the American democratic experiment. We will use a wide range of primary and secondary sources, including biographies, fiction, and film.

A HIS 332 Introduction to Public History in the United States (3)
This course is aimed at students considering public history careers and it introduces students to the craft of public history. We will examine the relationship between public history, American culture, and popular memory. The ultimate aim of this course is to help you to understand what public historians do and inspire you to become imaginative and effective public historians in the future.

A HIS 333 American Identity Since the Civil War (3)
This course traces how Americans since the Civil War have answered the question "Who is an American?"  Students will study how American politics, popular culture, immigration policies, freedom and rights movements, and foreign affairs have shaped American nationalism and the idea of an American nation.

A HIS 334 (= A DOC 323) Foundations of Documentary Filmmaking (3)
This course will introduce students to the fundamentals of researching, planning, shooting and editing digital video documentaries. When A DOC 323 is taught cross-listed with A HIS 334, the content focus will be history. Restricted to History and Documentary Studies majors and minors; all others by permission of instructor. Recommended for students planning to take A HIS or A DOC 406.

A HIS 335 (= A DOC 335; formerly A HIS/A DOC 405) History and Theory of the Documentary Film (3)
This course will introduce students to the history, theory, and aesthetics of documentary filmmaking. Beginning with a review and analysis of the general history of the documentary film genre and the varieties of approaches adopted by non-fiction filmmakers, we will begin to systematically unravel the various elements that contribute to the creation of informative, moving, and powerful documentary films – with special emphasis on historically-focused films. We’ll look at the various modes or styles that have evolved in the course of the genre’s development and the various techniques documentarians have utilized to effectively communicate historical ideas in cinematic form. Only one version of A HIS 335 may be taken for credit. 

A HIS 356 The World at War, 1939–1945 (3)
A comprehensive history of the Second World War. Topics covered include the rise of fascism and the origins of the war; the campaigns on land, at sea, and in the air in the European, Pacific, and North African theaters of war; the pervasiveness of racism; the Holocaust and other atrocities; and the costs and legacies of the war.

A HIS 376 (= A DOC 376) A Cultural History of American Photography (3)
This course is a survey of the history of photography from 1839 until the present, presenting photographs as representative intellectual statements defining and illustrating major movements in American thought and culture. By looking at photographs, reading photographic and aesthetic theory, and drawing parallels from American painting, literature, architecture, and other informational and expressive media, the class will demonstrate the ideas and issues underlying American Romanticism, Realism, Modernism, and Post-Modernism. Because photographs are tangible, accessible, and have been upheld as an archetypal medium by each of these intellectual movements, the history of photography offers an ideal introduction to abstract ideas and broad intellectual themes. The course will provide students with extensive experience analyzing cultural documents and help them begin to explore underlying theoretical issues in photography. Only one version of A HIS 376 may be taken for credit.

A HIS 390 Advanced Topics in American History (1-4)
Specific topics to be examined will be announced during advance registration periods. May be repeated for credit when content varies.

A HIS 394 (= A DOC 394) Workshop in Oral History (3)
This course offers a broad introduction to the history, theory, and practice of oral history, including the use of oral history in historical research, documentary production, and public history projects. Only one version of A HIS 394 may be taken for credit.

A HIS 401 History of American Documentary Media (3)
This course surveys a wide variety of American documentary forms, identifying genres as they evolved from the 18^th through the 21^st centuries – from the epic and ballad forms, through documentary writing, graphic images, photography, film, audio/radio, television, and most recently, hypermedia.

A HIS 404 (= A DOC 404) Readings and Practicum in Aural History and Audio Documentary Production (4)
This course introduces students to (1) the historical study of sound, soundscapes, and sound recordings, (2) aural history composition techniques (especially radio documentaries and features, but also aural essays and museum audio installations), and (3) audio delivery technologies to communicate historical ideas to broad audiences. It includes coverage of textual and archival audio source research, 20^th and 21^st century historical radio documentary work, analysis of audio documentary forms and non-fiction storytelling techniques, scriptwriting, technical instruction in the art of audio recording and post-production editing and mixing, discussion of audio preservation and restoration techniques, and an introduction to traditional and modern technologies for the transmission and dissemination of documentary and related audio work. Only one version of A HIS 404 may be taken for credit.

A HIS 406 (= A DOC 406) Practicum in Historical Documentary Filmmaking (4)
This course is a hands-on workshop in historical documentary filmmaking. It will introduce students to the all aspects of historical documentary production—from pre-production planning, research, and writing, to production (filming/videotaping interviews, recording voiceover narration, lighting, filming reenactments), and finally, post-production (editing and mixing actualities, music, narration, interviews, still photographs). The course, in short, is designed to teach students practical, technical skills and is a perfect follow-up to A HIS 335, which examines the history and theory of documentary filmmaking. Only one version of A HIS 406 may be taken for credit.

A HIS 407 (= A DOC 407) Readings and Practicum in Digital History and Hypermedia (4)
This course introduces students to the practice of history in the digital age. The emergence of the World Wide Web has opened up new avenues for researching, analyzing, and presenting the past–but has also raised new questions about producing quality historical scholarship in this open environment. This course will work on two fronts, looking first at the current state of the field of “digital history,” from issues of narrative and hypertext theory to some of the best (and worst) practices of current historical websites. At the same time, as a central component of the course, students will work in collaboration to build their own well-researched and historically sound web projects. Only one version of A HIS 407 may be taken for credit. Previous experience with building websites is welcomed but not required.

A HIS 424 American Intellectual & Cultural History to 1860 (3)
Key ideas and significant patterns of thought in American life: Puritanism, the American Enlightenment, nationalism, transcendentalism, democracy, and reform.

A HIS 425 American Intellectual History Since 1860 (3)
Key ideas and significant patterns of thought in American life: the impact of economic expansion, Darwinian evolution, pragmatism, war and changing ideologies of liberalism, progressivism, and conservatism.

Colloquia, Independent Study, and Projects in United States History
The following colloquia are limited to undergraduate students and may be taken only with the permission of the instructor. Specific topics to be examined in the colloquia will be announced at the time the courses are offered, and students may obtain a list of topics from the Department of History at the time of advance registration. Colloquia may be repeated for credit.

A HIS 478 Colloquium in U.S. History, 19^th Century (4) May not be offered in 2022-2023.

A HIS 479 Colloquium in U.S. History, 20^th Century (4) May not be offered in 2022-2023.

A HIS 480 Colloquium in U.S. History: Topics (3-4) May not be offered in 2022-2023.

A HIS 485 Colloquium in Comparative and Cross-Cultural History (3-4) May not be offered in 2022-2023..

A HIS 492 Undergraduate Group and Individual Research Project (4)
This course is for both History and Documentary Studies majors and minors interested in pursuing a fieldwork/archival research project culminating in 1) a media documentary on a topic that interests them or 2) a research paper based on extensive and intensive primary source research. History students taking the course must select historical projects; Documentary Studies students, for whom this course is a required core course, may select either historical or contemporary topics. Students are expected to complete a substantial research-based documentary project in any one of the following forms: audio, video, hypermedia, still photography (with an "exhibit catalog"), or text. Students will work with the course instructor as well as appropriate on-campus experts; they will receive feedback, as well, from fellow students enrolled in the course. Team projects may also be undertaken, so long as individual responsibilities of participating students are clearly identified. Discussions of selected readings in history and media, media ethics, documentary and contemporary issues, and production techniques will complement the discussions of individual projects. Prerequisite(s): permission of instructor.

A HIS 497 Independent Study in History (2-4)
Directed reading and conferences on selected topics in history, or mentored historical research and writing. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite(s): permission of instructor and director of undergraduate studies, junior, or senior standing, or 3 credits in history. S/U graded. 

A HIS 498 Honors' Independent Research and Writing (4)
For description, see listing in History Honors Program. S/U graded.

A HIS 499 Special Projects in History (1-3)
Supervised work on projects in coordination with local museums and historical agencies. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite(s): permission of instructor and department chair. S/U graded.

European History

A HIS 336 History of the Early Middle Ages (3)
The history of Western Europe during the early Middle Ages, from ca. 500 to ca. 1050, in all major aspects.

A HIS 337 The High Middle Ages (3)
The history of Western Europe during the High Middle Ages, ca. 1050 to ca. 1300, in all major aspects.

A HIS 338 The Italian Renaissance, 1300–1530 (3)
Detailed study of Italian Renaissance culture and society up to about 1530 with special emphasis on humanism and other cultural developments.

A HIS 339 (= A REL 339) Renaissance and Reformation in 16^th Century Europe (3)
Survey of continental European history in the early modern period with special emphasis on theological and intellectual developments.

A HIS 340 The French Revolution and Napoleon (3)
A study of the French Revolution, its causes and aftermath in the Napoleonic period. Attention will be given to the social, political and cultural forces from the late 18^th century to 1815 as they relate to the French Revolution.

A HST 341 (= A ARH 352) Art and Globalization in 18th Century Europe (3)
This course examines art produced in Europe during the eighteenth century, with an emphasis upon studying its social significance during a period of unprecedented global travel and commercial exchange. The course considers the visual and material aspects of many different artistic media in a range of European countries, and query how this art both represented and actively contributed to Europeans' understandings of their own societies, as well as their perceptions and misperceptions of Asian, Turkish, native American and African cultures. Special attention is also paid to the ways art helped to shape Europeans' gender politics and definitions of race both within Europe and in the slave-holding colonies of the Caribbean islands. Prerequisite(s): one Art History or European History course or permission of instructor.

A HIS 342 Europe in the Age of Romanticism and Revolution (3)
European history in the era between the final defeat of Napoleon and the revolutions of 1848-1849. Emphasis on the political struggle between the forces of conservatism and liberalism, the economic and social changes triggered by industrialization, and the shifts of consciousness and perspective brought on by Romanticism and socialism.

A HIS 343 Europe, 1848-1914 (3)
Europe in the era of its greatest power and influence; focus on consolidation of the nation state, domestic social conflicts, imperialist expansion, and the origins of World War I.

A HIS 344 Europe, 1914-1945 (3)
European history during the era of the two World Wars. The origins and course of the First World War; its political, social, and cultural effects on European life throughout the period; the political and economic crises of the interwar period; the rise of fascist and totalitarian regimes and the crisis of liberal democracy; the origins and course of the Second World War and the Holocaust.

A HIS 345 Europe Since World War II (3)
The impact of World War II and the Cold War. Current social, economic, political and security problems.

A HIS 346 History of England I (3)
The historical development of English society and government from early times to the 17^th century.

A HIS 347 History of England II (3)
The history of the United Kingdom and of the British Empire and Commonwealth from the 17^th century to the present.

A HIS 349 History of France Since 1815 (3)
A survey of the history of France from 1815 to the Fifth Republic, with attention to the political, social, economic, and cultural developments within France during this period.

A HIS 350 (= A LCS 350) Gold, Conquest, & Pirates: Spain and Portugal in the Americas (3)
Iberian backgrounds; the age of exploration and discovery; the conquest and settlement of America by the Spanish and the Portuguese; Iberia and America in the 16^th, 17^th, and 18^th centuries.

A HIS 351 History of Germany (3)
Germany since 1806. The wars of national liberation; Bismarck, unification, and the Wilhelminian Reich; World War l; the Weimar Republic; the Third Reich and totalitarianism; the German Federal and German Democratic Republics, post-1990 unity.

A HIS 352 History of Eastern Europe I (3)
The history, culture, and contemporary affairs of the people of the Baltic, Danubian, and Balkan regions from earliest times to the early 19^th century.

A HIS 353 History of Eastern Europe II (3)
The history, culture, and contemporary affairs of the people of the Baltic, Danubian, and Balkan regions from the early 19^th century to the present.

A HIS 354 History of Russia I (3)
The evolution of Russia from Kievan origins, Tatar conquests and emergence of Muscovy to the development of the Russian Empire in the 18^th and 19^th centuries.

A HIS 355 History of Russia II (3)
Russia from the emancipation of the serfs to the present, including the Revolutions of 1905 and 1917 and the foundations, development and expansion of the Soviet Union.

A HIS 356 The World at War, 1939–1945 (3)
A political, diplomatic, military, economic, and social history of the Second World War. Among the topics covered will be war and peace plans, the military campaigns in the European, Pacific, and North African theaters of war, the plight of conquered nations, the concentration camps, and the war crimes trials.

A HIS 358 (= A JST 342) Issues in Hellenistic-Rabbinic Judaism (3)
Covers same period as A JST 252 but on an advanced level. Students attend class meetings for A JST 252, but have a separate, more sophisticated reading list, a research paper, and a separate recitation session. Only one version of A JST 252, A HST 252, A REL 252, and A JST 342, and A HIS 358 may be taken for credit. Prerequisite(s): AJST 150 or permission of instructor.

A HIS 360 (= A JST 360) Bearing Witness: Holocaust Diaries and Memoirs (3)
A study in diaries, autobiographies, and memoirs of Jews written during and after the Nazi Holocaust. Considers the complex historical questions raised by such works, including: What can be learned about the Holocaust through autobiographical writing? To what extent were the authors aware of the scope of the attacks on European Jewry beyond their own immediate experience? What responses were available to Jews during this period? How did the authors make sense of their experiences? What are the merits and limits of autobiographical writing as a historical resource? How do accounts of the period change as authors' chronological proximity to the events increases? In what ways are memoirs of the Holocaust shaped by the events occurring at the time in which they written? 

A HST 361 Archaic and Classical Greece: 1200- 338 B.C. (3)
This course examines the Greek world from the Bronze Age collapse to the Battle of Chaeronea. Topics include the development of the Greek city state (polis), the looming danger of Achaemenid Persia, the hegemonic wars between Athens, Sparta and Thebes, the Athenian cultural efflorescence, and the rise of the Macedonian kingdom under Philip II.

A HST 362 The Hellenistic World: 338-31 B.C. (3)
This course examines the world-shaking conquests of Alexander the Great, and the new geopolitical order that arose in the aftermath. Topics include the Wars of the Successors, the establishment of the Antigonid, Seleucid and Ptolemaic dynasties, the enduring role of Greek city-states, culture and society in an increasingly cosmopolitan world, and the coming of Rome.

A HST 363 The Roman Republic: 751-31 B.C. (3)
A history of Rome from the foundation of the city to the Battle of Actium. The course examines the evolution of Rome's republican government, the conquest and incorporation of Italy, imperial operations in the Mediterranean, and the internal disruption and civil way that ultimately destroyed the Republic.

A HST 364 Roman Empire: 31 B.C.- A.D. 476 (3)
A history of Rome from the establishment of the Augustan principate to the collapse of the Western Empire. The course examines the role of the emperor as ruler of both Rome and the Mediterranean, the development of provincial cultures, the maintenance of a stable military-tributary complex, and social, economic and cultural developments, including the rise of Christianity.

A HIS 365 War, Society, and Culture to 1789 (3)
The history of war in the West in its widest social and cultural context, treating equally the profound effects of warfare upon the societies that wage it, and the many ways that particular societies and cultures affect the nature of the wars they wage. Topics include: the origins and nature of organized violence in prehistory; warfare and society in ancient Greece and Rome; the practices and values of war during the Middle Ages; the "military revolution" of the early modern period; and the origins of the profound transformation of war that culminated in the West during the Revolutionary period of the late 18^th century.

A HIS 366 War, Society, and Culture since 1789 (3)
The history of war in the West in its widest social and cultural context, treating equally the profound effects of warfare upon the societies that wage it, and the many ways that particular societies and cultures affect the nature of the wars they wage. Topics include: the transformation of war in Europe by the French Revolution and Napoleon; the nature and effects of European colonial wars and decolonization; the origins and development of total war in the 19^th and 20^th centuries; the military, political, social, and cultural histories of the two world wars; women, gender, and war; atrocity, war crimes, and the laws of war; the history of post-traumatic stress disorder; soldier and civilian experiences of modern war; nuclear war; and terrorism.

A HIS 368 (= A JST 357) Western European Jewry in Modern Times (3)
A detailed examination of Jewish history in West and Central Europe that highlights the transformation and politicization of Jewish life in the modern era until World War II. Examines the denominalization of Judaism; the Jewish Enlightenment and its opponents; the campaigns for and against emancipation; the role of Jews in European culture, politics, and industry; and the rise of modern antisemitism.

A HIS 391 Advanced Topics in European History (1–4)
Specific topics to be examined will be announced during advance registration. May be repeated for credit.

A HIS 416 European Economic History (3)
The history of capitalism in Europe from the reintroduction of money in circulation to the post-1970 crisis. Readings and discussions will focus upon industrialization, managerialism, labor agitation, political economy, and the economics of war.

A HIS 455 The Diplomacy of Global Conflict, 1890–1945 (3)
Great power relations during the era of the two World Wars, emphasizing underlying forces and rivalries that led to war and attempts to defuse tensions and prevent aggression.

A HIS 456 The Diplomacy of the Nuclear Age (3)
History of international relations since World War II, with emphases on the Cold War and its global impact; the collapse of the Soviet Union and manifestations of American unilateralism; arms control and nuclear proliferation; the end of colonialism and its consequences; ethnic conflicts and terrorism; European economic integration and its problems; the resurgence of Russia; and the rise of China as a global superpower.

A HIS 460 History of Nationalism (3)
The nature and development of nationalism; a study of the meaning of nationalism, nationalist theorists, nationalist leaders, and nationalist movements from the 18^th century to the present.

A HIS 463 The Byzantine Empire, 300–1453 (3)
Survey of the socioeconomic, ethnic, political, religious, intellectual, and artistic history of Byzantine civilization from late antiquity to the 15^th century.

Colloquia and Independent Study in European History
The following colloquia are limited to undergraduate students and may be taken only with the permission of the instructor. Specific topics to be examined in the colloquia will be announced at the time the courses are offered, and students may obtain a list of topics from the Department of History at the time of advance registration. Colloquia may be repeated for credit.

A HIS 481 Colloquium in European History (3) May not be offered in 2022-2023.

A HIS 483 Colloquium in Russian and East European History (3) May not be offered in 2022-2023.

A HIS 485 Colloquium in Comparative and Cross-Cultural History (3) May not be offered in 2022-2023.

A HIS 497 Independent Study in History (2–4)
For description, see listing in Concentration in U.S. History. S/U graded.

A HIS 498 Honors' Independent Research and Writing (4)
For description, see listing in History Honors Program. S/U graded.

World History

A HIS 341 (= A JST 341) Issues in Biblical Civilization
Covers same period as A JST 251 but on an advanced level. Students attend class meetings for A JST 251, but have a separate, more sophisticated reading list, a research paper, and a separate recitation session. Only one of A JST 251, A HIS 252, and A JST/A HIS 341 may be taken for credit. Prerequisite(s): A JST 150 or permission of instructor.

A HIS 350 (= A CLS 350) Gold, Conquest, & Pirates: Spain and Portugal in the Americas (3)
Iberian backgrounds; the age of exploration and discovery; the conquest and settlement of America by the Spanish and the Portuguese; Iberia and America in the 16^th, 17^th, and 18^th centuries.

A HIS 356 The World at War, 1939–1945 (3)
A political, diplomatic, military, economic, and social history of the Second World War. Among the topics covered will be war and peace plans, the military campaigns in the European, Pacific, and North African theaters of war, the plight of conquered nations, the concentration camps, and the war crimes trials.

A HIS 367 Contemporary Latin America (3)
Survey of Latin American backgrounds followed by study of the social, economic, and political problems of Latin America since World War II. Particular attention to the phenomena of social change, economic nationalism, and revolution.

A HIS 369 (= A LCS 369) Central America and the Caribbean (3)
The circum-Caribbean lands and islands in the 19^th and 20^th centuries; independence; independent nations and colonies; foreign intrusions and interventions; social and economic change; revolutions; comparative Caribbean studies. Prerequisite(s): junior or senior standing, or 3 credits in History.

A HST 370 (= A LCS 370) Race and Racism in the Americas (3)
Explores the history of racism in the Americas from the Spanish Conquest to the present. Topics include the invention of race, the reasons for its persistence over time, and the similarities and differences between Latin America, the Caribbean, and North America. Only one version may be taken for credit.

A HIS 371 (= A LCS 371) South America Since 1810 (3)
The political, economic, social, and cultural evolution of the South American nations from the winning of independence to the present, with emphasis on Argentina, Brazil, and Chile. Among topics studied will be dictatorship, democratic government, economic change, modern revolution, and social trends. Only one version of A HIS 371 may be taken for credit. Prerequisite(s): junior or senior standing, or 3 credits in History.

A HST 372 (= A EAC 364 & A ECO 364) China's Economic History (3)
This course focuses on the development of the Chinese economy from its Neolithic period to economic reform in the twenty-first century. The goal is to understand the dynamics that produced distinctive patterns in the evolution of China's economy. At the same time, students will understand how a grasp of basic economic concepts can illuminate China's broader historical experience. Topics of special interest include the relationship between technological innovation and economic life, distinctive forms of economic organization in China, the impact of government policy on the private economy, China's experiment with state socialism, and the emergence of the so-called "socialist market economy."

A HIS 373 (= A LCS 373) History of Modern Mexico (3)
An in-depth survey of Mexico since Independence, this course emphasizes agrarian change and peasant rebellion; foreign intervention and U.S.-Mexican relations; indigenous and mestizo identities; gender and culture; political stability and economic development; authoritarianism, democratization, and globalization; and Latinos in the U.S. Only one version of A HIS 373 may be taken for credit. Prerequisite(s): junior or senior standing, or 3 credits in History or Latin American and Caribbean Studies.

A HIS 374 (= A EAC 374) Crime and Punishment in Traditional China (3)
This course will examine the distinctive understanding of crime and the law in China from the 7^th to the 19^th centuries. We will be particularly interested in theories of law during this period, the institutions of the imperial justice system, varieties of crime and punishment, and popular representations of the criminal justice system. Readings will include primary sources such as legal codes, case histories, and crime stories as well as secondary works on Chinese legal history. There are no prerequisites for this course, although some background in Chinese Studies will be helpful. Only one version of A HIS 374 may be taken for credit.

A HST 376 (=A EAK 376) History of Premodern Korea (3)
This course will introduce students to premodern Korea, from earliest recorded history to the Choson dynasty (1392-1897), while also examining the roles played by China and Japan in shaping Korean history. The class will explore social, political, economic, intellectual, and cultural dimensions of the premodern period. Topics will include: traditional social structures, local society and culture, religions and ideology, governing institutions, foreign relations, gender and family, encounters with Western civilization, marginalized groups, and indigenous reforms for social and economic development. No knowledge of Korean language is required.

A HST 377 (= A EAK 377) History of Modern Korea (3)
The central aim of this course is to analyze the key political, social, military, economic and cultural issues of modern Korean history. It covers the period from the late 19th century to the present. Topics examined include late-19th century imperialism, Japanese colonization (1910-1945), national division and war (1945-1953), South Korea's economic development (1960s-1970s), North Korea's militarization, democratization after 1980, and current US-Korea relations. The class uses English-language translations of all sources. No knowledge of Korean is required.

A HIS 378 History of South Asian Civilization II (3)
Study of South Asia from the 18^th century, with emphasis on changes brought about by British rule and by modernization; the creation of new nation states.

A HIS 379 (= A EAC 379) History of Premodern China (3)
This course is a survey of China’s historical development from prehistory to the founding of the Ming Dynasty in the fourteenth century. We will concern ourselves especially with the transformation of Chinese social structure over time, the relations between the state and the social elite, and the relationship between China’s intellectual, political, and social histories.

A HIS 380 (= A EAC 380) History of Modern China (3)
This course is a survey of China's history during the late imperial and modern periods. It begins with the founding of the Ming dynasty in the late 14^th century and concludes with the present day. Of particular interest is the interplay of political, social, and intellectual history during this period.

A HIS 381 History of the Middle East I (3)
Mohammed, Islam as a religion and a way of life; the Umayyad, Abbasid, Byzantine, and Persian empires, and the Ottoman Empire to 1789.

A HIS 382 History of the Middle East II (3)
The Ottoman Empire in the 19^th century; European imperialism in the Middle East; the rise of nationalism; the World Wars; current political, social, and economic problems.

A HIS 383 The Arab-Israeli Conflict in Historical Perspective (3)
The background and history of the Arab-Israeli conflict. Only one version of A HIS 383 may be taken for credit.

A HIS 384 (= A EAJ 384) History of Premodern Japan (3)
This course will cover Japanese history from prehistory through 1600. Focus will be on political and economic trends. Only one version of A HIS 384 may be taken for credit.

A HIS 385 (= A EAJ 385) History of Modern Japan (3)
This course is a survey of modern Japanese history. It covers the period from 1600 to the present day. The focus is on the interconnections between political, social, and intellectual history during Japan’s emergence as a world power. Only one version of A HIS 385 may be taken for credit.

A HIS 386 (= A AFS 386) History of South Africa: Colonialism, Apartheid, and the Quest for Liberation (3)
Study of the historical origins, development, and lasting effects of racial relations, segregation, and apartheid in South Africa with a concentration on economic, political, social, and religious change in the 19th and 20th centuries. Topics will include changing state structures and ideologies, the impact of industrialization, transformations of rural and urban life, African religious movements, political and religious connections with Black Americans, gender relations, and changing forms of popular resistance against white domination. Only one version of A AFS/ A HIS 386 may be taken for credit.

A HIS 387 (= A REL 387) Islam in the Middle East: Religion and Culture I (3)
Social, political, economic and religious dimensions of Islam from the time of Mohammed through the 18^th century with emphasis on the intellectual, cultural, and educational institutions of the Middle East. Among topics discussed will be Sunnism–Shi’ism and the schools of law, social and economic infrastructure, science and education, and reasons for the waning of the Muslim world. Only one version of A HIS 387 may be taken for credit.

A HIS 388 (= A REL 388) Islam in the Middle East: Religion and Culture II (3)
Social, political, economic and religious changes in the Middle East from the 18^th century to Ayatollah Khomeini. Among the topics discussed will be the impact of the West on the Middle East, the role of oil in shaping the global economy, nationalist movements, the crisis in the Persian Gulf, and the rise of Islamic Revivalism. Only one version of A HIS 388 may be taken for credit.

A HIS 389 Advanced Topics in Asian History (1-4)
Specific topics to be examined will be announced during advance registration periods. May be repeated for credit when content varies.

A HIS 392 Advanced Topics in Latin American History (1-4)
Specific topics to be examined will be announced during advance registration. May be repeated for credit when content varies.

A HIS 396 Advanced Topics in the Middle East (1–4)
Specific topics to be examined will be announced during advance registration periods. May be repeated for credit when content varies.

A HIS 436 (= A EAJ 436) Fascism: Japan and Beyond (3)
This course explores the idea of "fascism" as a framework to analyze society. Taking Japan as a point of departure, we will investigate "fascism" in relation to political economy, intellectual production, and mass culture primarily in the Axis powers in the first half of the 20th century. Particular attention will be devoted to the importance of cross-regional interactions in developing ideas of bureaucracy and national mobilization, race and ethnicity, and systems of political participation. Prerequisite(s) A EAJ 385 or permission of the instructor.

A HIS 451 (= A LCS 451 & A WSS 451) Gender & Class in Latin American Development (3)
The study of the historical interplay of cultural, ideological, and structural factors affecting women’s lives during the course of Latin America’s experience with modernization and industrialization during the 19^th and 20^th centuries. Topics covered may include: household work, paid work, migration, growth of female- headed households, women’s political participation, and women’s participation in social movements. Only one version of A HIS 451 may be taken for credit. Prerequisite(s): any course in LACS and/or Women’s Studies and/or History. 

A HIS 463 The Byzantine Empire, 300–1453 (3)
For description, see listing under Concentration in European History. Only one version of A HIS 463 may be taken for credit.

A HIS 497 Independent Study in History (2–4)
For description, see listing in Concentration in US History. S/U graded.

A HIS 498 Honors' Independent Research and Writing (4)
For description, see listing in History Honors Program. S/U graded.

Capstone: Senior Research Seminar

A HIS 489 Senior Research Seminar (3)
The Senior Research Seminar is an integrated, capstone course that is the culmination of the history student's major. It will extend skills that students have established and practiced in their previous history courses, and will include an in-depth exploration of the tools and concepts used by historians. Students will conduct individual research, using primary and secondary sources to produce a substantial body of writing. This course cannot be repeated for credit. Prerequisite(s): senior standing in the history major.

History Honors Program

A HIS 495 and 496 Senior Honors Thesis Seminar (4, 4)
Preparation of a substantial honors thesis under the supervision of a member of the Department of History. Students present periodic progress reports, criticize each other's work, and deliver an oral summary of the completed thesis. Students in the honors program must satisfactorily complete both A HIS 495 and 496. Prerequisite(s): admission to the history honors program. 

A HIS 498 Honors' Independent Research and Writing (4)
Directed reading and conferences about research on selected topics in history related to students' honors thesis research. Replaces A HIS 497Z for honors students. May not be repeated for credit. Prerequisites(s): permission of instructor and director of undergraduate studies, junior or senior standing. Open only to students in the history honors program. S/U graded.