Introductory Courses in History

 

HIS 210/World History One (to 1500)

(fall semester only)

An introduction to the history of human societies from prehistory to about 1500. Attention is given to the world’s major regions—Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas—and their different material conditions, cultures, and forms of socio-political organization. Along with basic knowledge of the period, students learn skills that pertain to analysis of world history in the premodern era.

 

HIS 220/World History Two (since 1500)

(spring semester only)

An introduction to the history of human societies from 1500 to the present. Attention is given to major forces that have propelled social change in the early modern and modern periods, with an emphasis on encounters among the world’s major societies including: the impact of slavery and industrial capitalism; European dominance and resistance; changing forms of class, gender, and race relations; and globalization. Along with basic knowledge of the period, students learn skills that pertain to analysis of world history in the modern era.

 

HIS 230/The Craft of History

(fall / spring semesters)

Required course for history majors, to be taken in the sophomore year.
This course introduces students to history as an academic discipline. By reading historical works from different eras and geographic regions, we will discover how the interpretations and writing of history have changed over time. We will study and apply various methods used by historians to gather information and draw conclusions. Rather than understanding history merely as “what happened,” we will come to understand history as a dynamic relationship between the present and the past, in which people debate and disagree over the meanings and intrepretations of historic events.

Liberal Learning:

• SOCIAL CHANGE IN HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVES, GLOBAL