Course Catalog - Spring 2024
Broad introduction to global history, by exploring the global structures and transnational forces that have shaped human history, from the emergence of agriculture and urban centers to our contemporary global village.
Teaches students how to apply historical thinking to present day problems. Each version starts with contemporary headlines about a current issue, moves to an investigation of its historical roots and legacies, and pivots back to the present to assess the impact of past history on present reality and to capture those relationships in a collaborative student project. It aims to show, in short, how and why history matters NOW.
This introductory survey in "Big History" explores different scales of time as it places human history in larger geological, ecological, and cosmic contexts. Topics include the big bang, planet formation, the origin and development of life, mass extinctions, the emergence of Homo sapiens, the development of agriculture and cities, wars, plagues, and natural disasters, the advent of religion and science, political revolutions, industrialization and globalization, and human impact on the environment.
What is black music, and how do we know what we think we know about it? Together, we will examine musical creations pioneered by Africans and individuals of African descent over several centuries and across hemispheres. Doing so will allow us to consider the unity of the African Diaspora and its music, and also examine internal differences and diversity. Special focus is given to Latin America and the U.S., but, depending on the semester, we will also read about, listen to, and talk about music and musicians in Asia, Africa, and Europe.
Survey of Latin American history from the discovery of America to 1824.
History of the Latin American republics from their independence to the present; emphasis on Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, and Mexico.
Survey of African history to 1800, or rather African "histories." Along with historical knowledge, it seeks to give students a basic familiarity with the geography of the continent, as well as to provide an overview of African languages. Through the analysis of secondary as well as of primary sources, students will be introduced to and further examine the development of pre-colonial African societies. Same as AFST 111.
Survey of Africa's history from 1800 to the present day. Topics include the Atlantic slave trade, agricultural exchange, growth of Christianity, origins and effects of nineteenth-century European expansion culminating in the "Scramble for Africa," the transformations wrought by European colonial rule during the twentieth century, anticolonial nationalism, decolonization, and postcolonial political, economic, social, and cultural developments. Same as AFST 112.
Surveys the three major East Asian civilizations from ancient and classical times, through the period of Western influence, political revolution, and modernization, to the contemporary age and the emergence of East Asian superpowers. Same as EALC 120. Credit is not given for both HIST 120 and EALC 135.
Multidisciplinary introduction to the history of modern South Asia from the consolidation of early modern state formations, the negotiation of religious, cultural and linguistic formations, European colonial interactions, and the rise of the modern nation states of Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Same as ANTH 130.
Introduction to fourteen centuries of Middle East history from the rise of Islam to modern times. Examines the development of Islamic thought, and of religious, social, and political institutions; as well as the transformations of the 19th and 20th centuries in the area consisting of Egypt, the Fertile Crescent, Arabia, Turkey, and Iran.
Course is identical to HIST 141 except for the additional writing component. See HIST 141. Credit is not given for both HIST 140 and HIST 141. Prerequisite: Completion of campus Composition I General Education requirement.
Western societies from antiquity to the early modern age in western Asia, North Africa, and Europe; with an emphasis on cultural exchange, migration, and the transmission of knowledge, ideas, technologies, and arts. Topics include the formation of the earliest civilizations; political and intellectual experiments of the Greek and Roman worlds; emergence of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam; military, commercial, social, and educational revolutions of the Middle Ages; rise of independent cities and territorial monarchies; religious upheavals and violent aftermaths. Credit is not given for both HIST 141 and HIST 140.
Fundamental developments - social, economic, cultural, intellectual, and political - in the history of mankind and Western society since 1660; includes the rise of modern science, the French and Industrial revolutions, the Romantic movement, the growth of nationalism and socialism, imperialism, urbanization, the Russian Revolution, Nazi Germany, the world wars, and the West and the developing world. Credit is not given for both HIST 142 and HIST 143.
Course is identical to HIST 142 except for the additional writing component. Credit is not given for both HIST 143 and HIST 142. Prerequisite: Completion of campus Composition I General Education requirement.
Interdisciplinary examination of the automobile industry, its production systems, its marketing strategies, and the way automobiles reflect the changing landscapes of consumer tastes and value over time.
Course is identical to HIST 171 except for the additional writing component. Credit is not given for both HIST 170 and HIST 171. Prerequisite: Completion of campus Composition I General Education requirement.
U.S. history survey beginning with the diverse peoples who have populated North America since before the age of contact with Europeans and extending forward through the advent of European colonialism, the movement for independence, the foundation of the republic, the Civil War, and Reconstruction, ending in 1877. The course provides an introduction to historical interpretation, with particular attention to racialized and other forms of social, political, and economic inequality and struggles for freedom and democracy. Credit is not given for both HIST 171 and HIST 170.
Survey of U.S. history from the end of the Civil War to the present, focusing on struggles to achieve a multiracial democracy, the evolution of an industrial, urbanized, and pluralistic society, the intersections between domestic and global affairs, and the practice of historical interpretation. Epoch-making events and elites are considered in light of their relation to the activities and lives of ordinary people, including people of color, immigrants, women, and the working and middle classes. Credit is not given for both HIST 172 and HIST 173.
Course is identical to HIST 172 except for the additional writing component. Credit is not given for both HIST 173 and HIST 172. Prerequisite: Completion of campus Composition I General Education requirement.
Through the careful examination of a specific topic or theme, this course provides a thorough introduction to historical interpretation. Particular attention will be devoted to research strategies, writing practices, handling primary and secondary sources, and the analysis of historiography. May be repeated to a maximum of 6 hours with permission of the Director of Undergraduate Studies.
Introduction to the historical study of Americans' relationship with the natural world. Examination of the ways that "natural" forces have helped to shape American history; the ways that human beings have shaped, altered, and interacted with nature over time; and the ways that cultural, philosophical, scientific, and political attitudes toward the environment have changed from pre-history to the present. Same as ESE 202 and NRES 202.
An introduction to history through participation in role-playing games set in the past. Topics will vary each time the course is taught. Students will take on the roles of historical figures (famous or obscure) engaged in difficult and complicated situations, and will be obliged to adhere to the beliefs and circumstances of those figures while attempting to pursue a course of action that will help them win the game -- and possibly alter the course of history.
Examining the history through the primary texts written by Latin Americans, this course introduces students to theories, contents and methods of historical inquiry, as well as the nuances and the complexities of Latin American history. Reading primary texts written by all strata of society, students will look through the eyes of the diverse populations in Latin America. Students will analyze the traditional narrative of Latin America and gain insight into the lived experience of Latin Americans. Together we will advance our individual and collective understanding of Latin America's rich and complex past.
Introduction to the craft of publishing historical materials, with a special focus on how to publish the past in the digital age. Assignments will include historical and methodological readings, as well as hands-on instruction in digital publishing techniques. Skills taught include historical research, content development, project management, and copyright analysis.
Survey of major themes and events in Southern African history, with emphasis on the period after World War II: the inception and development of apartheid in South Africa, the growth of contests over African nationalism in the subcontinent, wars of liberation and the demise of white domination.
Introduction to the history of Eastern Africa from the nineteenth century to the present. Attention to the region's pre-colonial history and institutions is stressed, in order to understand both the transformations brought by European colonialism as well as its limits. The final weeks of the course will examine the differing political, economic, and religious trajectories of the new nation-states since independence in the 1960s.
Focuses on the history and historiography of Muslim societies in Africa. Investigates the dynamics of the spread of Islam in Africa, and explores differences in Islam in Africa from other areas of the Islamic world, with attention to the image in Western scholarship of Islam in Africa. Provides students with the knowledge and skills they need to understand this central phenomenon in modern world history. Same as AFST 213 and REL 215.
Historical background to the modern age, tracing the Chinese state and empire from the earliest times until 1644 A.D. Basic political, social, and economic patterns; cultural, intellectual, and technological achievements; and China's impact on Asia and the world. Same as EALC 220.
General introduction to the major themes of the Chinese Revolution from 1840 to the present, emphasizing the interplay between politics, ideas, and culture. Themes include the tension between cultural integrity and Western ideologies, between democratic participation and the tradition of centralized control, and the representation of cultural identity in high and mass cultures. Same as EALC 221.
Introduction to the history of the Japanese people, their social and cultural systems, politics, and economy, from the earliest times to the sixteenth century. Same as EALC 226.
Introduction to the history of the Japanese people, their social and cultural systems, politics, and economy, from the mid-sixteenth century to the mid-twentieth century. Same as EALC 227.
This course provides a broad overview of the development of the mind sciences in modern Europe from the beginning of state-regulated asylums to the advent of pharmaceutical treatment and care in the community. Using a combination of primary sources and secondary texts, we will examine how the diagnosis and treatment of "madness" in its many forms has been shaped through the interaction of social, political, economic, and cultural factors from roughly 1750 to the 1990s. Same as PSYC 236.
The history of ancient Greece and neighboring civilizations from the Archaic Period to the conquests of Alexander.
Survey of the political, social, economic, military, institutional, religious and cultural development of Rome from 753 BCE until 480 CE.
Examines the history of women and the evolution of concepts of gender in western Europe from roughly 400 to 1700. Topics include the interactions of class and ethnicity with women's experiences, the social construction of sexuality and gender, the misogynist tradition, and women's self-images. Same as GWS 245 and MDVL 245.
From the fragmentation of the Roman Empire to the formation of territorial monarchies, this course surveys the events, innovations, crises, and movements that shaped western Europe in a pivotal era known as "the Middle Ages." Topics will include the spread of Christianity, the migration of peoples, fundamental changes in economic and social structures, the development of political institutions, the role of women, and the cultural achievements of different communities (the monastery, the town, the court). Same as MDVL 247.
History of warfare and its relationship to changing technologies, tactics, and political structures, with an emphasis on the ways that military institutions are integrated with society as a whole. Same as GLBL 251.
Exploration of the Holocaust in historical perspective by examining European anti-Semitism, political developments in Germany, the rise to power of the Nazis, and the origins of the Holocaust with first-hand accounts, films, and historical texts, concluding with the legacy of the Holocaust in the contemporary world. Same as JS 252.
Survey of the major authors, ideas, events, and styles in the cultural and intellectual history of Europe from the seventeenth to the mid-twentieth centuries, focusing on the intellectual traditions of France, Germany, and Great Britain.
Survey of the political, social and economic, religious, and cultural history of the British people from the "prehistoric" era through the revolution of 1688. Same as MDVL 255.
Historical survey of the British Isles and the British Empire since the late seventeenth century.
Explores the history of terrorism, its goals and practices. We recognize that it is not specific to any one ideology, religion, or people. Terrorism is political violence, psychological warfare meant to manipulate a large target audience. Same as GLBL 228.
Economic, social, political, and cultural developments in twentieth-century world history from late nineteenth-century to Second World War era.
Economic, social, political, and cultural developments in twentieth-century world history from Second World War era to the present.
Main themes and problems of Russian history from earliest times to the present.
Examines the history of the Zionist movement. The course is designed for students with no prior knowledge of Jewish, European, or Middle Eastern history. The goal is to survey how Zionism emerged as a widespread political movement and, in the process, helped create an independent state for the Jewish people. In addition to familiarizing students with the backstory of a globally significant movement, this class will teach students historical interpretation skills. Same as JS 262.
Medicine and public health in the United States from the colonial period through the twentieth century. Topics include medical theories, therapeutic practices, and institutions as determined by science, culture, politics, law, and social structures. Additional attention will be paid to illness and epidemics; health care providers, patients, and public policy. Throughout, the course will highlight race, sex, (dis)ability, and other social categories that have affected medical care and been defined in medical terms. Same as GWS 263.
Explores the role of technology as a transforming social force; examines innovations from the stirrup and heavy plow to the airplane and computer, that restructured economic and political life and realigned values; examines cultural representations of technology.
Topics in the intellectual and social history of science in the West.
The ideas of Charles Darwin initiated a profound transformation in human thought, science, and culture. This course examines the intellectual origins, scientific content, and social, cultural, and religious context and impacts of Darwinian evolutionary theory. Topics include the conflict between science and religion, the eugenics movement and Social Darwinism, the biology of race and gender, and the rise of modern genetics and genomics.
Explores how life was lived by Jewish women and men through the past three centuries. Will also focus on wider place of the Jews in European society, and the achievements and tragedies of the modern Jewish-non-Jewish relationship. Same as JS 269 and REL 269.
Social, economic, and political survey of the region and its relation to the evolving Atlantic community.
History of the United States from 1815 to 1900.
One major emphasis on foreign policy, including the emergence of the United States as a great power after 1898; a second emphasis on the Progressive movement and recurrent attempts at the reform of American society; and racial and urban problems and the conservation of natural resources included.
History of Chicago and Illinois from prehistoric times to the present, illustrating the jarring conflicts and great achievements of peoples from all over the world. Politics, economics, popular and high culture, education, mass media, racial problems, and ethnic diversity are especially featured. There is an emphasis on the relation of city, state, and region to one another.
Over the course of the twentieth century the United States rose to superpower status, in the process profoundly shaping world affairs. Students will study the connections between U.S. and global history in this pivotal period. Explores the impact of the United States on world affairs from roughly 1917 through the end of the Cold War. Attention given to the perspectives of people affected by U.S. policies and the limits of U.S. power in the face of developments such as anticolonial nationalism and great power rivalries.
History of Africans in the Americas, surveying the African slave trade, slavery in the European colonies of the Americas, early United States slavery, and the Afro-American in the Civil War and Reconstruction. Same as AFRO 275.
History of Afro-Americans in the age of white supremacy; the rise of modern protest organizations; the era of integration; and the black power movement. Same as AFRO 276.
An examination of pivotal events in the history of Native peoples in North America. Students will explore the complexity of encounters between American Indians and others through a focus on key moments. These will include religious encounters, military confrontations, and legal struggles as well as social and artistic interactions. Same as AIS 277.
A survey of the Native American experience in North America from the time of first contact to the present. The course will examine the dynamics and consequences of Native dispossession as well as the continuities in American Indian life and culture. Course materials will include writing and testimony by Native people as well as historical narratives, court decisions and government documents. Same as AIS 278.
Study of the economic, political, and social forces which shaped migration, settlement, and community formation of Puerto Ricans, Cubans, and Dominicans living in the United States. Same as LLS 280.
Interdisciplinary examination of the historical, cultural, and social dimensions of race and ethnicity in the United States. Explores the complex and intricate pursuit of multiracial and multicultural democracy. Same as AAS 281, AFRO 281, and LLS 281.
Exploration of the migrations of peoples from the Asian continent into the United States, their attempts to build family and community, and their subsequent impact on American history. Same as AAS 283.
This course surveys the history of gender formations in the United States to 1877. Although it pays some attention to manhood and masculinity, it focuses on the history of women from a variety of social groups and on gender ideas pertaining to women. Throughout, it considers the ways gender intersected with categories such as race and class as it placed women of different backgrounds in differential positions. Same as GWS 285.
This course examines the historical construction of gender in the United States since 1877 with particular attention to women’s history. It considers how ideas about proper roles for men and women intersected with social categories such as class, race, (dis)ability, and ethnicity to shape lives, bodies, opportunities, politics, and power. Topics include work, family roles, leisure, political participation, health, sexuality, religion, popular culture, and struggles for influence, equality, self-expression, and rights. Same as GWS 286.
Examines the history of African American women, beginning with the West African background during the transatlantic slave trading era, emphasizing the experiences of black women in the United States during slavery and their political, civic, community and reform activities from slavery to the present, analyzed within the context of racism, sexism, and economic deprivation. African women in the diaspora, and the impact of feminism/womanism, Afrocentrism, and multicultural diversity on the African American woman are considered. Same as AFRO 287 and GWS 287.
Same as ANTH 288 and AIS 288. See ANTH 288.
A chronological survey of the American presidency that examines individual presidents and the times in which they lived. Major themes include: The creation and development of the office of the president; the nature of presidential power; Americans' evolving relationship with presidents; the impact of party politics, campaigning, and the media on the office.
Examines films as a significant medium of commentary on society and history. Explores the motives and careers of moviemakers, the ways in which films are influenced by their audiences, and how audiences' perception of historical processes are affected by films. Topics will vary. Same as MACS 300. May be repeated to a maximum of 6 hours if topics vary. Students may register in more than one section per term. May be repeated to a maximum of 6 hours.
Development of Mexico from the conquest to the postrevolutionary present.
Conquistadors – Planters – Pirates – Indigenous Peoples – Enslaved Africans – Religious Reformers – Independence Leaders – Radical Revolutionaries - US Marines - canal builders. Together these people built a new world – a world forged at the intersection of imperial ambitions and international contact, where the peoples and cultures of the Americas, Africa, and Europe collided. This class examines how colonialism, plantation slavery, the age of abolition, and the emergence of national independence movements made the modern Caribbean. Same as LAST 308.
Explores the historical relations between multinational corporations and host countries focusing on political and economic issues.
Examines the role of both diplomatic and military intelligence in the political history of major global events and developments from the nineteenth century to the present day. Studies the histories of several major intelligence organizations, as well as the roles played by smaller and non-institutional actors in the global production of intelligence. Focuses on the interplay between intelligence, state policy, and information environments to understand not only the role intelligence played in major events, but also how intelligence practices shaped and reflected political cultures across the world.
History of immigration and immigrant groups in the United States from 1830 to 1980. Covers major waves of immigration and focuses on the diverse cultural heritage, social structure, and political activism of immigrants from Europe, the Americas, and Asia.
This course explores the history of the University of Illinois from its establishment in 1867 to the present day. Developed around a theme chosen by the instructor, for example, the built environment, literary history, disability, sexuality, or crime, it will consider how the university, its student body, and local communities responded to and shaped local attitudes. The course will contextualize these attitudes within larger trends in United States history, specifically the history of race, sexuality, gender, and class. A research component will draw on the university's archives.
Historical and theoretical investigation of everyday objects, artifacts, structures, landscapes, built environments. Students will learn to question existing perceptions of material phenomena, will engage in the work of historicizing and contextualizing them, and will arrive at a more informed understanding of the ways that they influence, shape, and reflect human history.
Introduction to comparative and global perspectives on gender and an investigation into the political and economic processes that affect gender systems across a wide range of societies. Gender non-conforming practices in U.S. history are highlighted. Attention is paid to the ways in which women in different parts of the world have defined and redefined the boundaries of "woman" and mobilized around that identity. Same as GWS 316.
Examines the early history of U.S. expansion of territory and influence, from the birth of the nation to the end of Reconstruction. These decades saw the formal additions of continental territory, coupled with the annexation of islands in the Pacific and Caribbean. Private and official attempts were also made to invade Central America and the Caribbean to extend slavery. Attention is paid to the intersections of U.S. expansion with race, gender, and sexuality.
Examines the main themes of Palestinian history since 1800. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict frames the latter part of this history, but it is not the central issue. The focus of the course is Palestinian political, social, and cultural history.
Political, social, cultural, and ideological developments in Egypt, Arabia, the Fertile Crescent, Iran and Turkey from the mid 16th century to the eve of World War I. Premodern society and institutions, the question of "decline" and "awakening", encounters with Europe and self-strengthening reforms, relations between Muslims, Christians, and Jews, the role of women and the family, class formation, and religion and nationalism. Same as JS 335.
Political-economic, social and ideological developments in Egypt, Arabia, and Fertile Crescent (including Israel), Iran and Turkey since 1918 to the present, including U.S. involvement.
Examines the twentieth-century history of Egypt, emphasizing the internal social, political, economic, and ideological developments, with attention to Egypt's role in regional and international politics. Readings include novels and short stories to introduce students to modern Egyptian culture. Same as AFST 338.
Social, economic, cultural and political history of the "four Kingdoms" of England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland between 1450 and 1800. Covers the Tudor and Stuart dynasties, Shakespeare, the English Civil War, the development of British colonial holdings across the globe, and the effects of empire at home.
The architectural, artistic, philosophical, political, and religious components of medieval culture, thought, and patterns of behavior; includes monasticism and society and the individual. Same as MDVL 345 and REL 345.
An introduction to the cultural history of Europe in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, embracing the Renaissance movements in Italy and in Northern Europe. Same as MDVL 346 and REL 346.
New sources of secular power and spiritual authority define the age of the Protestant and Catholic Reformations. In this advanced European history course students expand their knowledge of the people, events, and ideas of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries while deepening their understanding of a wide range of primary sources created by theologians and peasants, nuns and monarchs, and artists and rebels. Key works by Luther, Calvin, and Loyola are placed in their intellectual and social contexts. Same as REL 347.
In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries Europeans transformed political relations within Europe and their economic relationships with the wider world. This course examines continuities and change from 1600 to 1789, following the themes of authority and power. Topics include the rise of "absolute monarchy" and its alternatives in countries like, England and the Netherlands, as well as European trade and consumption, popular culture, the family, food, clothing, sexuality, and labor.
Comparative survey of domestic upheavals in the North Atlantic world: America, Haiti, England, Prussia, and France; the rise of Napoleon and the response of Europe; and the fate of innovation and reform in the immediate aftermath.
Among the topics of this course will be Romanticism, which is still the basic form of modern culture today, with its emphasis on feeling, imagination, and self-expression; the nation-state, a new form of political organization; and the creation of a globalized world for the first time in human history.
Colonial encounters between Europe and today's Third World viewed in comparative historical perspective. Equal emphasis placed on (colonizing) Europe and colonial experience of Asia, Africa, and South America.
Survey of European society from 1918 to 1939, with emphasis on the impact of World War I, the Russian Revolution, fascism, and the intellectual trends of the twenties and thirties.
Cultural history of Europe in an age of global warfare and political, social, and economic upheaval.
An examination of how Jewish life and culture contributed to the creation of the world's first socialist society. Makes use of primary sources, scholarly essays and monographs, archival documents, literature, memoirs, film, and visual culture as a way of introducing students to Soviet Jewish History, from the reign of the last tsar, Nicholas II, to the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. Special topics to be examined include: the breakup of the Pale of Settlement during the Great War; the role of Jews in revolution and revolutionary culture; Soviet nationality policy; shtetl culture; antisemitism; everyday life; the purges of the 1930s; the Jewish experience in World War II; the Holocaust; and mass emigration. Same as JS 355.
History of the creation and development of the independent Balkan states during the 19th and 20th centuries. Special attention is given to Balkan nationalism, its roots, evolution and various manifestations. Other topics cover the modernization of the rural societies, ethnic conflict and/or accommodation, inter-Balkan relations, and the role of the great powers. Finally, a close look will be taken on contemporary developments in the Balkans, especially the Yugoslav crisis, the fall of communism and post-communist development. By discussing fictional work and films by Balkan authors, students will be introduced to the intellectual production of the region.
The development of modern France, with special attention to social and cultural phenomena.
Students work with instructor and community collaborators to host a "History Harvest," an event during which community members share personal stories about and artifacts related to a particular event, historical development, and/or place. The class will catalog the images and recordings gathered and use them to present digital exhibits. Readings include relevant historical works for context and methodological works on public and digital history skills needed for the project. Students will develop hands-on experience with these skills. May be repeated to a maximum of 6 undergraduate hours, if topics vary.
Examines the reciprocal relationship between thought and society in western Europe from the French Revolution to the present.
Examines the history of scientific arguments about race, heredity, gender, and human biological difference. We will explore the historical, cultural, and ethical dimensions of biological thought through a discussion of topics including racial typology, eugenics, intelligence testing, modern genetic theory, sex and gender, and the human genome project.
Explores the relationship between history and fiction by focusing on specific cultural locations. May be repeated to a maximum of 6 hours if topics vary.
Rise and development of medicine in the West since the sixteenth century; interrelations of physiology, pathology, and social demands with the theory and practice of medicine; pattern of professionalization; social role of the physician; conflict among ideas of medicine as an art, a science, and a social service; and problems of mental illness, medical ethics, and nontraditional forms of practice.
An interpretive survey of American colonial history from 1492 through 1763. Themes include encounters between Natives and Europeans in the New World, contests for colonization, settler societies and the development of various colonial social patterns in North America and the Caribbean, the beginnings of slavery, and the gradual emergence of distinctive provincial cultures in the North American colonies of the British Empire. Throughout all of this, there is an examination of colonial American history as part of the larger Atlantic World, understanding early American history as a process of exchange and interaction which included Europe, Africa, the Caribbean, and North America.
Examines the momentous founding age of United States history. Explores the growing estrangement of the American colonies from Great Britain and the culmination of this process in the Declaration of Independence. It then examines the controversial process of creating a new nation, and the government of the United States. Intense focus on primary source materials from the period.
A study of political life in the U.S. during the century following the Revolution. The course covers the appearance and evolution of republican government, the Constitution, the expansion of voting rights, the rise and fall of political parties, and the relationship of all these things to the development of economic and social relationships.
Examination of changes in economic, social, cultural, and political life in the United State that ultimately plunged the national into the bloodiest and most important war in its history. Particular attention is paid to the way in which diverse segments of the country's population - North and South, urban and rural, rich and poor, slave and free, black and white, male and female - affected and were affected by these changes.
The United States' civil war (1861-1865) and the years of postwar "reconstruction" (conventionally dated as 1865-1877). During this period as a whole, the nation underwent its second revolution -- a revolution more radical in its impact than the one that freed it from the British Empire. Much about U.S. history for the next century and more was decided during these critical years.
Discusses the New Deal, the Cold War, Franklin D. Roosevelt and subsequent presidents, the structure of American imperialism, and America's role in world politics.
Study of the imperial dimensions of U.S. history from about 1877 to 1920. This was an era marked by an imperial world system, unprecedented levels of international trade and investments, massive labor migrations, significant missionary endeavors, and consolidation of U.S. power over Native Americans, and growing U.S. political and military assertion in the international arena. Considers how the United States and its peoples positioned themselves in an international context by investigating not only government policies but also commercial endeavors and cultural practices.
Examines the history of urban centers, paying special attention to the relationship between the city and its surrounding territory, the impact of migration and immigration, the delineation of space and the transformation of the built environment, and the role of a city's inhabitants in creating social networks, political structures, and cultural institutions. May be repeated in separate terms to a maximum of 6 hours if topics vary.
Same as AFRO 383 and GWS 383. See AFRO 383.
An examination of major genres historians have employed to present history in the public arena, including documentary films, public memorials, legal testimony and museum exhibits. Students will explore both the social dynamics of public commemoration and the techniques historians employ when communicating complex ideas and events to a general audience.
In various societies, organized sport has operated as site of nation-building, the struggle for inclusion, and indicator of societal advancement. Examines the history of the roles that sport has played in society through a series of topical foci, as selected by the professor each semester. Course readings revisit popular and scholarly debates about sport and discuss the different actors and social forces that shaped those discussions. Same as KIN 345. May be repeated in separate terms to a maximum of 6 hours if topics vary.
Introduces students to the ethical discourses and practical methods in oral history. Its primary purpose is to prepare students with oral and archival research skills that are crucial for the examination of the history and memory of communities. Among the questions that the class will consider are: what is the connection between the historical record and the remembered past? How reliable are these memories and does reliability matter? How do people mobilize and manipulate accounts of the past for purposes of community building, historic preservation, and political development? Same as LLS 391.
A study of the history of the 1960s, a tumultuous decade in the social and political history of the United States. The class has two main goals: 1)Provide a solid knowledge of the history of this period and its social and economic developments. 2)Develop skills as an analytic reader and writer in U.S. history.
Same as ANTH 393 and REL 393. See ANTH 393.
Examination of recent United States history with an emphasis on the presidential elections, public policy, popular culture, activism, and economic and social trends that helped define American life after 1964. The political contributions of lesser known figures will be highlighted to explore the development of American politics elicited by the civil rights movement and subsequent struggles to influence a newly transformed body politic. The course is designed as a topics course that may revolve around other "hidden figures" in political history. May be repeated once if topics vary.
Topics and problems in the history of laws, legal institutions, jurisprudence, concepts of justice, and their role(s) in shaping societies over time. Specific readings and foci will vary. May be repeated in the same or separate terms for a maximum of 6 hours if topics vary.
What is sexuality? How is it practiced, policed, represented, liberated and controlled? How do religion, the state, the law and the media influence sexual identities and practices? Focusing on modern Europe, we will examine the history of sexuality from the late eighteenth century to the present in order to explore how historians have answered these questions. We will investigate topics from pornography, prostitution, sex and totalitarianism, queer sexualities, sex and colonialism, and masturbation, to sex education, sexual revolutions, hermaphroditism, sex surveys and AIDS. Same as GWS 397.
With a faculty sponsor, a qualified students will develop a program of study or research related to an internship or other relevant employment opportunity. Consult departmental undergraduate advisor or Director of Undergraduate Studies. Approved for letter and S/U grading. May be repeated in separate terms to a maximum of 6 hours. Prerequisite: Consent of faculty sponsor and Director of Undergraduate Studies required.
Readings in selected fields in consultation with the instructor resulting in a 20-30 page paper. May be repeated with permission of the Director of Undergraduate Studies. Prerequisite: Junior or senior standing pursuing a History major; written consent of instructor and History undergraduate advisor required.
Topics will be listed in the department's course guide at http://www.history.illinois.edu. 3 undergraduate hours. 2 to 4 graduate hours. May be repeated to a maximum of 6 undergraduate hours or 8 graduate hours in the same or subsequent terms if topics vary.
Problems of a neocolonial society; themes include family structure, slavery, imperialism, modernization, and the crisis of traditional institutions. 3 undergraduate hours. 2 or 4 graduate hours.
Selected topics on Indians and Spaniards, whites and blacks, emphasizing Mexico, the Caribbean, and Brazil. Same as AFRO 407. 3 undergraduate hours. 2 or 4 graduate hours.
Almost all African countries fell under European colonial rule by the beginning of the 20th century, but formal colonialism did not last the century. Surveys the crucial ideological, political, social, and military strategies enlisted by African people and movements to shed colonial rule. Also examines the paradox of the coupling of "flag independence" with continuing economic dependence on Europe. 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours.
The development of influential political and cultural ideas on the African continent over the course of the long 20th century, highlighting the interactions of individuals (as members of educated elites and of rural societies) and institutions (such as universities) in developing trademark African intellectualism. These concepts include: Pan-Africanism, the need for political independence, Negritude, feminism/womanism, calls for the promotion of indigenous languages and ubuntu; as well as the contested justifications for one-party rule. Students will gain an appreciation of the breadth, depth and creativity of African thought and activism. 3 undergraduate hours. 2 or 4 graduate hours.
Interdisciplinary survey of both the internal and international dimensions of the changing situation in Africa south of the Zambezi; focuses on the historical background - and a political, economic, and social analysis of - current events in the Republic of South Africa, Mozambique, Namibia, and Zimbabwe, emphasizing the central significance of race and power in this region. Same as AFST 425. 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours.
The period of Manchu domination in China (1644-1912); emphasis on Chinese reactions to Western influences during the nineteenth century. Same as EALC 420. 3 undergraduate hours. 2 or 4 graduate hours.
Disintegration of traditional social and economic systems during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, and the political effects of that disintegration; examines changes in the agricultural economy, changing rural elites, urbanization, and emergence of new social classes. It is recommended that students take HIST 420 before registration in HIST 422. Same as EALC 421. 3 undergraduate hours. 2 or 4 graduate hours.
Study of the people, culture, and society from 1600 to 1868. Traces the rise of Japan's first truly national culture. Same as EALC 426. 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours.
Study of the people, culture, and society of Japan from 1868 to the present. Traces Japan's transformation from an insular bastion of "centralized feudalism" into a cross-cultural crucible of post-industrial democracy. Same as EALC 427. 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours.
Mughal Empire and British Raj, Indian national awakening, and struggle for independence under Gandhi and Nehru. 3 undergraduate hours. 2 or 4 graduate hours.
Deals with the history of the Jewish people from the destruction of the Jewish state by Rome to the reestablishment of a Jewish state in 1948. The emphasis is on the interaction between the Jewish and non-Jewish worlds as well as changes internal to the Jewish communities. Same as REL 434. 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours.
Same as ANTH 403, GLBL 403, GWS 403, REL 403, and SAME 403. See REL 403.
Same as CWL 421, REL 420, SLAV 420, and YDSH 420. See YDSH 420.
Economy, society, law, and government; the Ottomans and Mediterranean society; Ottoman culture and Islamic tradition; minorities; trade, diplomacy, and capitulations; "decline" and dismemberment; and traditional and westernizing attempts at revival. 3 undergraduate hours. 2 or 4 graduate hours.
Examination of the political, social, economic, military, institutional, religious and cultural development of Rome from 753 BCE until 14 CE. Same as CLCV 440. 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours.
Examination of the political, social, economic, military, institutional, religious and cultural development of the Roman Empire from the reign of Augustus (27 BCE - 14 CE) through the fall of the Western Roman Empire ca. 480 CE. 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours.
Examines Roman law and legal tradition in the context of historical, political, and social developments; origins of law in primitive and ancient classical societies; surveys development of precedent, codification, and preservation of Roman law, and the impact of Roman law on western legal traditions. 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours.
Examination of the political, social, economic, military, institutional, religious and cultural development of the early Byzantine Empire from the reign of Diocletian (AD 284-305) through the Heraclian Dynasty (AD 610-717). Same as MDVL 443. 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours.
Key sources and topics of English history, from the end of Roman rule in Britain (c. 410) to the fifteenth century. Recurrent themes include the development of law, the role of women, the status of commoners, intellectual trends, and the importance of public media for the dissemination of ideas (writing, performance). Same as MDVL 444. 3 undergraduate hours. 2 or 4 graduate hours.
History of modern Britain's social, economic, cultural and political life with a special emphasis on the role of empire in shaping its career as a global power and its "domestic" national culture at home. 3 undergraduate hours. 2 or 4 graduate hours.
Comparative study of the rise of the working class in European countries; formation, culture, and daily life; stratification within the working class; workers in organized labor and revolutionary movements. Same as LER 450 and SOC 422. 3 undergraduate hours. 2 or 4 graduate hours.
Examines how modern scientific knowledge has shaped understandings and experiences of bodily sex difference, gender, and sexuality over time. It also focuses on understanding the ways in which social, cultural, and political expressions and issues of gender and sexuality have influenced biomedical and public health knowledge and practices. Thematic areas for discussion will include homosexuality, hysteria, eugenics, sex education, gender reassignment, and the AIDS crisis. Same as GWS 453. 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours.
Political upheavals of twentieth-century Germany; topics include the First World War's impact on German society, the war's revolutionary aftermath, the political struggles and cultural achievements of the Weimar Republic, the rise of Hitler, the Third Reich, the Holocaust, the Second World War, and the divided postwar Germanies; novels and films complement readings. 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours.
Culture, society, and politics in Imperial Russia, focusing on power and resistance, the lives and culture of ordinary Russians, and competing ideas about the state, the individual, community, nation, religion, and morality. 3 undergraduate hours. 2 or 4 graduate hours. For higher credit, graduate students will be required to do more reading and to write an additional paper.
Political, social, and economic development of the USSR since the 1917 revolutions that brought the Bolsheviks to power; social change and social engineering; political struggles among Stalin and his rivals; the "Stalin revolution" from above and economic modernization; the USSR's emergence through World War II and the Cold War as a world power; "developed socialist" society. 3 undergraduate hours. 2 or 4 graduate hours. Graduate students will write an additional substantial paper and engage in special discussion sections.
The political, economic, and cultural history of Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Rumania, Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, Greece, and Albania; particular emphasis upon the post-World War II era. 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours.
Investigates the character of American political tolerance and freedom in times of crisis, through a series of case studies: images of the American "enemy"; the Red Scare after World War I; the internment of Japanese-Americans in World War II; McCarthyism; and the resentments generated by protest movements in the late 1960's. 3 undergraduate hours. 2 or 4 graduate hours.
Introduction to the history of American public health and health policy. Emergence of modern public-health institutions in America; relation of public health to conceptions of disease, social order, and the role of government; emergence and development of public policy issues in public health and medical care, of the environment for the formulation of policy, and the relation of policy to broader issues of social development, incidence of disease, and assumptions about the proper distribution of public and private responsibility. 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours.
Examines the changing image of the American West by focusing on the process of conquest and resistance present within the region's history. Same as LLS 475. 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours.
Same as AFRO 474. See AFRO 474.
Focuses on working class formation, culture, ideas, and organization; examines daily experience of work and community life; special emphasis on race, ethnicity, and gender in the process of class formation; labor relations and the changing patterns of working class protest and accommodation. Same as LER 480. 3 undergraduate hours. 2 or 4 graduate hours.
What ideas does "American Culture" include? How does it incorporate diverse religious traditions as well as new scientific perspectives? How are ethnicity, gender and race important? Topics of current "cultural wars", these and other questions about cultural conflict in the US have been hotly debated for over a century. This course explores such culture wars in the 20th century US and helps students evaluate contested cultural concepts they have produced, including pragmatism, pluralism, religious diversity, scientific objectivity, economic equality, as well as "popular," "high" and "democratic" culture. Same as REL 479. 3 undergraduate hours. 2 or 4 graduate hours.
Examines the diversity of political thought in the twentieth century by exploring the ways that Americans from diverse backgrounds have talked about, made sense of, and sought to influence change in modern American government. Throughout the course, students will examine the enduring debate about the proper role of the federal government, which has been central to some of the fiercest ideological divides in American history. 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours.
Independent reading, research, and writing under the supervision of an individual instructor. Seniors in the History Honors Program taking this course in place of the Honors Senior Thesis must complete a substantive research paper (25-30 pages). No graduate credit. May be repeated to a maximum of 6 hours. Each 3-hour class must be taken with a different instructor. Prerequisite: Admission to the History Honors Program; or junior or senior of high standing with the consent of the Director of Undergraduate Studies.
Advanced projects in Digital History undertaken with a faculty supervisor. 1 to 3 undergraduate hours. 1 to 4 graduate hours. Approved for Letter and S/U grading. May be repeated in separate terms to a maximum of 6 undergraduate hours or 4 graduate hours. Prerequisite: Consent of sponsoring faculty supervisor and Director of Undergraduate Studies or Director of Graduate Studies required for all students.
This is a seminar for all students in the History Honors Program and other advanced students interested in honors level study of historiography and methodology. Students intending to write a senior honors thesis should take it no later than the spring of the Junior year. Students will study the development of the historian's craft and will be exposed to new research methods and techniques. The course will culminate in the preparation of a research proposal, developed in consultation with an individual faculty advisor. The instructor of HIST 492 and the Director of Undergraduate Studies will assist students intending to write a thesis in the selection of an appropriate mentor. 3 undergraduate hours. No graduate credit. Prerequisite: Admission to the History Honors Program or consent of the Director of Undergraduate Studies.
Two-term independent research and writing project under the supervision of a faculty advisor. Students enrolled in this course must submit a completed Honors Senior Thesis at the end of the second term, for evaluation by the faculty advisor and a second reader. 3 undergraduate hours. No graduate credit. Must be repeated for a total of 6 hours. Students will receive separate grades for each semester's work. Prerequisite: Admission to the History Honors Program and consent of supervising professor; HIST 492 and HIST 495; concurrent enrollment in HIST 499 is required.
Capstone course required of all majors. Students will make history by researching and writing a work of original scholarship. Several of these seminars are offered each term and each focuses on a special topic, thus allowing students with similar interests to work through the process of gathering, interpreting, and organizing historical evidence under the direction of an expert in the field. The topics on offer each semester will be listed in the Class Schedule and described in the department's course guide at http://www.history.illinois.edu. 3 undergraduate hours. No graduate credit. May be repeated to a maximum of 6 hours.
A required seminar for all seniors writing Honor Theses in history, this course will meet throughout the year and will supplement individual students' meetings with their primary advisors. Provides an intellectually supportive environment in which students work together on common methodological problems, share the results of their research, and critique developing projects. 1 to 2 undergraduate hours. 1 to 2 graduate hours. Approved for S/U grading only. May be repeated in separate terms to a maximum of 3 hours. Prerequisite: Admission to the History Honors Program; HIST 492; and HIST 495. Concurrent enrollment in HIST 493 is required.
Intensive comparative examinations of particular issues in the histories of multiple countries, cultures or periods; emphasizes methodology, the discipline of comparative history, and the nature of historiography in a cross-cultural and interdisciplinary context. May be repeated to a maximum of 12 hours.
Examines major works in global women's history from about 1700 to 1950. Introduces students to major themes in women's history as well as major historiographical debates. Topics will be listed in the department's course guide at http://www.history.illinois.edu. Same as GWS 501. May be repeated to a maximum of 12 hours if topics vary.
Topics will be listed in the department's course guide at https://www.history.illinois.edu. 4 graduate hours. No professional credit. May be repeated to a maximum of 12 hours if topics vary. Prerequisite: Consent of instructor.
Topics will be listed in the department's course guide at https://www.history.illinois.edu. 4 graduate hours. No professional credit. May be repeated to a maximum of 12 hours if topics vary. Prerequisite: Consent of instructor.
Topics will be listed in the department's course guide at http://www.history.illinois.edu. May be repeated to a maximum of 12 hours if topics vary.
Topics will be listed in the department's course guide at https://www.history.illinois.edu. 4 graduate hours. No professional credit. May be repeated to a maximum of 12 hours if topics vary. Prerequisite: Consent of instructor.
Topics will be listed in the department's course guide at http://www.history.illinois.edu. Same as AFST 510. May be repeated to a maximum of 12 hours if topics vary.
Topics will be listed in the department's course guide at https://www.history.illinois.edu. Same as AFST 511. 4 graduate hours. No professional credit. May be repeated to a maximum of 12 hours if topics vary. Prerequisite: One upper-level African history course or consent of instructor.
Topics will be listed in the department's course guide at http://www.history.illinois.edu. Same as EALC 520. May be repeated to a maximum of 12 hours if topics vary.
Research Seminar in Chinese history designed to provide training to graduate students in research skills with an emphasis on the use of source materials in Chinese language. Same as EALC 522. 4 graduate hours. No professional credit. May be repeated to a maximum of 8 graduate hours in separate terms. Prerequisite: Proficiency in written Classical or Modern Chinese, EALC 500 for EALC graduate students, and HIST 520 for History graduate students, or the consent of instructor.
Period covered will alternate between the Early Modern (1550 - 1850) and Modern (1850 - present) eras. Same as EALC 526. May be repeated to a maximum of 8 hours.
Period covered will alternate between the Early Modern (1550 - 1850) and Modern (1850 - present) eras. Same as EALC 527. May be repeated to a maximum of 8 hours if topics vary. Prerequisite: Graduate standing in HIST, EALC, or other related discipline and reading knowledge of Japanese, or consent of instructor. By permission of instructor. Same as EALC 527. 4 graduate hours. No professional credit. May be repeated to a maximum of 8 hours if topics vary. Prerequisite: Graduate standing in HIST, EALC, or other related discipline and reading knowledge of Japanese, or consent of instructor.
Covers, in depth, major problems of specific periods and areas and the relevant literature of Near and Middle Eastern History, which will vary from term to term. May be repeated to a maximum of 8 hours if topics vary.
Investigates research topics in Near and Middle Eastern history in accordance with students' needs. Topics may vary from term to term. Students will prepare oral and written reports. 4 graduate hours. No professional credit. May be repeated to a maximum of 8 hours. Prerequisite: Consent of instructor.
Topics will be listed in the department's course guide at http://www.history.illinois.edu. Same as MDVL 542. May be repeated to a maximum of 12 hours if topics vary.
Topics will be listed in the department's course guide at https://www.history.illinois.edu. Same as MDVL 543. 4 graduate hours. No professional credit. May be repeated to a maximum of 12 hours if topics vary. Prerequisite: Consent of instructor.
Topics will be listed in the department's course guide at https://www.history.illinois.edu. 4 graduate hours. No professional credit. May be repeated to a maximum of 12 hours if topics vary. Prerequisite: Consent of instructor.
Topics will be listed in the department's course guide at http://www.history.illinois.edu. May be repeated to a maximum of 12 hours if topics vary.
Topics will be listed in the department's course guide at https://www.history.illinois.edu. 4 graduate hours. No professional credit. May be repeated to a maximum of 12 hours if topics vary. Prerequisite: Consent of instructor.
Topics will be listed in the department's course guide at http://www.history.illinois.edu. May be repeated to a maximum of 12 hours if topics vary.
Topics will be listed in the department's course guide at http://history.illinois.edu. May be repeated in the same or subsequent terms as topics vary.
Topics will be listed in the department's course guide at https://www.history.illinois.edu. 4 graduate hours. No professional credit. May be repeated to a maximum of 12 hours if topics vary. Prerequisite: Consent of instructor.
Topics will be listed in the department's course guide at http://www.history.illinois.edu. May be repeated to a maximum of 12 hours if topics vary.
Topics will be listed in the department's course guide at https://www.history.illinois.edu. 4 graduate hours. No professional credit. May be repeated to a maximum of 12 hours if topics vary. Prerequisite: Consent of instructor.
Topics will be listed in the department's course guide at http://www.history.illinois.edu. May be repeated to a maximum of 12 hours if topics vary.
Topics will be listed in the department's course guide at https://www.history.illinois.edu. 4 graduate hours. No professional credit. May be repeated to a maximum of 12 hours if topics vary. Prerequisite: Consent of instructor.
Topics will be listed in the department's course guide at http://www.history.illinois.edu. May be repeated in the same or subsequent terms as topics vary.
Topics will be listed in the department's course guide at https://www.history.illinois.edu. 4 graduate hours. No professional credit. May be repeated to a maximum of 12 hours if topics vary. Prerequisite: Consent of instructor.
Covers in depth, major problems in the African American experience and in the historiography of that experience, including historical periods, themes and paradigms. Same as AFRO 501. Approved for letter and S/U grading. May be repeated to a maximum of 8 hours.
Introduces recent historical work drawing upon theories and concepts from the social sciences; considers fields of inquiry which include family history, demographic history, labor history, prosopographical and entrepreneurial studies, local and regional studies, and others.
Required course for entering history graduate students offering in initial foray into historiography, methods, and conceptual approaches for students in all fields. Provides experience dealing with three challenges that face all practitioners of the discipline: identifying the historical problem to be tackled, deciding what methodologies are best suited to that problem, and locating and then making use of the primary sources necessary for analyzing the subject at hand. Assigned materials, class discussions, and assignments will prepare students for the second semester required research seminar. Restricted to first-year graduate students in history.
Seminar for first-year graduate students and is the second half of the introductory graduate sequence. Focuses on the process of writing an original piece of historical scholarship. Topics to be discussed include: developing an argument, exploring sources, arriving at a research strategy, planning and structuring an article, presenting complex data, and producing scholarship that is a coherent representation of an author's perspective on the past. Over the course of the semester, each seminar participant will develop and write an original, article length research paper. Students will work with the assistance of the instructors and an advisor from her or his own research field. Prerequisite: HIST 593.
Directed research in special fields; may be taken in lieu of seminars in fields in which seminars are seldom offered. Topics will be listed in the department's course guide at http://www.history.illinois.edu. May be repeated to a maximum of 12 hours if topics vary.
Directed readings in special fields. Primarily, but not exclusively, for students with a master's degree or equivalent, who are preparing for the preliminary examination in history and who need instruction in areas not provided by current course offerings. Approved for letter and S/U grading. May be repeated in the same or subsequent terms as topics vary. Prerequisite: Consent of instructor.
Approved for S/U grading only. May be repeated. Prerequisite: Candidate for Ph.D. degree in history.
Individual direction in research and guidance in writing theses for advanced degrees. Approved for S/U grading only. May be repeated.