Course Descriptions

For a complete look at Mount courses, please visit the Mount Catalog.

HISTORY COURSES

CVHI 102     History of the West, Renaissance to Revolutions (3)
This course, which students take in a 'cluster' with other Arts of the West (CVFA 102) or Literature of the West (CVEN 102), surveys historical developments from the Renaissance through the Age  of Revolutions, about 1400-1850. (Spring)

CVHI 201     The West in the Modern World (3)
This interdisciplinary course focuses on the West in the modern world from the late 19th century through the present.  Students will study important developments in the 20th century, discover the origins and contexts of issues facing the contemporary world, and reflect on their moral dimension.  (Fall and Spring)

HIST 202     Making History (3)
One of the two courses required for students who major in history.  The course is designed to stoke the fires of enthusiasm for the conscious and deliberate analysis of the human interaction and activity that is central to historical discourse.  Examines how historians piece together what they can about the past to produce a record of human activity that has meaning today.  Each semester, working with a member of the department, students will address a particular theme and undertake research using primary and secondary sources.  The professor may require students to work together on a course project or on other collaborative endeavors.  Ideally, students should be able to apply what they learn in other department electives.

HIST 204     Women of Faith (3)
An examination of women in the Christian tradition who have lived and taught the Christian message.  Through lectures and discussions of primary texts, and student presentations on the lives of Christian women, this course will investigate women's contribution to Christianity.  Meets history of theology requirements.  (Same as THEO 208)

HIST 205     Ancient Greece (3)
Surveys ancient Greece society, politics and culture from prehistoric times to the end of the classical period through a combination of lecture and discussion of primary sources.

HIST 206     Ancient Rome (3)
Surveys ancient Roman society, politics and culture from the legendary founding by Romulus to the fall of the western empire through a combination of lecture and discussion of primary sources.

HIST 210     High Middle Ages (3)
Surveys European society, politics, economics, religion and culture during the High Middle Ages through a combination of lecture and discussion of primary sources.

HIST 220     Age of Discovery (3)
This course examines European encounters with America, Asia and Africa from the age of Columbus through the end of the early modern period.  Taking trade, violence and missionary activity as its primary themes, this course will analyze the causes and consequences of the expansion of European power across the globe.  We will also analyze native responses to Europeans; the large scale changes engendered in Western Civilization by global encounters; and the emergence of Europe as a global scientific, political and military power.

HIST 225     England Since 1485 (3)
A consideration of the political, economic and social forces in Britain from the time of the Tudors through WWI.  The relationship of England with India will also be considered.

HIST 230     The Italian Renaissance (3)
Between 1400 and 1600, the Italian peninsula produced such a dazzling array of artists, writers and thinkers that modern scholars have often concluded that modern civilization was born, or rather, reborn, in Renaissance Italy.  What explains Renaissance Italy's brilliant cultural achievements, what was the society like that produced them, and what does the Italian Renaissance have to do with modern civilization?  In this course, we will examine these questions as we explore the artwork, literature and political thought of one of history's most captivating eras.

HIST 236     History of the Italian People (3)
Traces the evolution of modern Italian society, with an emphasis on the 20th century.  Major topics include the Fascist dictatorship, the Resistance movement, post-war reconstruction, the influence of the church and the Italian emigrant experience.  Also seeks to understand the centrality of the family and the persistence of strong regional ties in Italy to this day.

HIST 240     Russia of the Tsars (3)
A study of Russian politics, culture and civilization from the Mongol yoke to 1917.  Major themes include the rise of Tsarist autocracy, the impacts of serfdom, the rivalry between Slavophiles, Populists and Westernizers, and the fall of the Romanovs.

HIST 241     Rise and Fall of the USSR (3)
A study of Soviet politics, culture and civilization from 1917 to 1991.  Major themes include the revolutions of 1917, the cultural excitement of the 1920's, Stalin's dictatorship, WWII, the Cold War and the implosion of the USSR.

HIST 246-9     Topics in European History (as needed)

HIST 251     Colonial America (3)
An examination of the changing lives and cultures of Native Americans, Africans and Europeans in the almost two centuries between the first British settlement on the continent and the emergence of mature colonial societies on the eve of the American Revolution.  By reading and discussing the historical literature on four or five major issues in the history of the period, the course will explore how these cultures interacted and how this complex process of development occurred.

HIST 253     Age of the American Revolution, 1760-1789 (3)
A study of American thought and culture from the succession of America's last king to the election of its first president.  Through lectures and the discussion of readings drawn from the period, the course will trace the origins of the American Revolution, the conduct of the war and revolutionary politics, the era of the confederation, and the creation and ratification of the Constitution.

HIST 255     Age of Jefferson and Jackson, 1790-1848 (3)
Investigates the evolution of American society from the beginnings of the federal republic to the end of the Jacksonian period.  Special attention is devoted to the influence of Jefferson and Jackson, changes in politics and culture, and the interrelationship of Europeans, Africans and Native Americans during this formative half-century.

HIST 260     Age of the American Civil War, 1848-1877 (3)
An examination of the causes, conduct and aftermath of the bloodiest conflict in American history.  Through lectures and the discussion of readings drawn from the period, the course will examine antebellum American society and the break-up of the Union, the course of the war and the political and social changes it engendered, and the effort to "Reconstruct" the defeated South.

HIST 270     Emergence of Modern America:  1900-1945 (3)
Explores American history from the Progressive Era to the end of the Second World War.  In addition to an examination of the significant events of domestic foreign policy in this period, this course will pay special attention to questions of culture, gender, race and ethnicity.

HIST 275     U.S. History from 1945 to the Present (3)
Examines American social, cultural and political history from the end of World War II to the present.  Through lectures, primary and secondary source readings, class discussion, films and music we will explore the most significant themes of our most recent past.  Additionally, students will engage in their own research projects during the semester.  This course will especially focus on social and political movements, American foreign policy at home and abroad, changing notions of the role of government, and transformations in American popular culture.

HIST 276     U.S. Women's History to 1877 (3)
Explores the experiences of women from the colonial era to the beginning of the women's right movement in the 19th century.  It will examine the private lives of women, including marriage and family, sexuality and reproduction, labor and education, and women's participation in the public sphere, paying particular attention to how changing conceptions of gender have expanded or limited women's social and cultural roles.  While this course will explore the unity of women's lives in the American past, it will also explore the ways race, ethnicity and class have shaped women's experiences.  Students will gain an understanding of how gender was historically constructed and of important interpretive issues in early American women's history.

HIST 277     Modern U.S. Women's History (3)
Students will examine the lives and experiences of American women from the onset of the women's right movement in the second half of the 19th century to the recent past in the late 20th century.  While this course will focus on women's efforts to achieve political equality, it will also explore women's changing roles in relation to work, education, family life and popular culture.  This course will pay close attention to the ways that class, race and ethnicity shaped women's experiences and the social movements of this period.  Students will gain an understanding of significant events in modern women's lives, the ways in which gender is and has been constructed, and the major interpretive issues shaping women's history.

HIST 278     The History and Culture of Native Americans (3)
This course surveys the history of Native American people from the period prior to European contact through the late 20th century.  This course will combine an overview of Euro-American Indian Policy with Native American texts and perspectives and will use historical texts, cultural productions, film, oral histories and writings of contemporary Native writers to provide insights into the diverse histories of America's first peoples.

HIST 280     African American History (3)
Examines African American history from 1500 to the present.  Topics to be covered include the origins of slavery and racism, slave resistance, emancipation, Reconstruction, the New Negro movement, the origins and developments of the Civil Rights Movement, Black Power, and current issues within the African American community.

HIST 290-4     Topics in North American History (as needed)

HIST 295-9     Topics in Non Western History (as needed)

HIST 315     Early Modern Europe (3)
This survey course introduces advanced-level students to the major political, economic, social and intellectual changes in European life from 1500 through the French Revolution.  This course will tackle such diverse topics as religious upheaval, state-building, military and political revolutions, gender relations, sexuality and the secularization of the European mind.

HIST 326     Women in European History (3)
Catherine Morland, the heroine in Jane Austen's novel Northanger Abbey, complained that history, "tells me nothing that does not either vex or weary me. The quarrels of popes and kings, with wars and pestilence on every page; the men all so good for nothing, and hardly and women at all, it is very tiresome."  This course is an attempt to put into historical perspective the position or role women played in the historical narrative.

HIST 345     European Diplomacy (3)
Examines a variety of issues that have transformed diplomacy since WWI.  Examples of likely discussion topics include:  the roles played by middle powers during periods of superpower competition; the nature and impact of Islamic Jihad; the building of strategic alliances; America's war against terrorism.  Students will gain historic perspectives on topics discussed, and they may be required to develop strategies designed to achieve specific diplomatic objectives.

HIST 346-9     Issues in European History (as needed)

HIST 365     History of Sports in America (3)
Investigates the evolution of athletic activities in relation to larger changes in American society.  Special attention will be paid to economics, political, race, class and gender as each has played and continues to play an important role in shaping participatory and spectator sports in the United States.

HIST 387     Manhood in America (3)
Manhood in America investigates competing models of manhood from the colonial period to the present.  Few people realize that Americans have never had a cultural consensus on what it means to be "a man".  This course will investigate the origins of competing models of manhood by examining Native American, European and African cultures.  The course will also examine constructs such as Puritan fatherhood, the Code of Southern Honor, the male bachelor subculture, muscular Christianity and the Organization Man.  The roles of the media, economic change, class status and religion in forming and perpetuating manhood models will be investigated.  The course will be run in a seminar format and will emphasize class discussions.

HIST 386-9     Topics in North American History (as needed)

HIST 398     Independent Study (1 to 6)
Independent research or study in history.  Requires approval of the instructor, the department chair and the dean for academic affairs.

HIST 480     History Internship (1 to 6)
Work experience in a field related to history for seniors or juniors.  Only three credit hours will apply toward requirement for the major.

HIST 498     Senior Research Thesis (3)
In the fall of their senior year, majors will work with a member of the department to produce a research paper, based on primary sources.  Students will convene either as a seminar or will meet individually with their faculty mentor.

NON-WEST COURSES

HIST/HINW/HIIS 410     Modern Mexico (3)
Beginning with Cortes' violent conquest of the Aztec empire and continuing to Mexico's present, this course will introduce and challenge the traditional narratives of modern Mexican history.  Students will study the history, art, literature and politics of our often misunderstood neighbor to the south, while analyzing such important themes as native responses to conquest and colonization; the role of religion and the Church in Mexican society; Mexico's struggles with modernity; and Mexican relations with the United States, including current debates on immigration, trade and drug-cartel related violence.

HIST/HINW/HIIS 420     Islamic Civilization (3)
With its emphasis on reading, writing and discussion, this seminar is designed to challenge students who already know much about Islam as well as those who know little but desire to learn about the Muslim faith and culture.  Principal themes include Allah's revelations to Muhammad and the divine imperatives of Islam; Islamic literature and arts; Arab contributions to Western culture, and Muslims in the modern world and in contemporary American society.

HIST/HINW/HIIS 421     Inuit:  Traditions and Transformation (3)
The Inuit (the "Eskimo") have inhabited Arctic regions of Canada, Alaska, Greenland and Siberia for thousands of years.  Their traditions have included respect for spirits in the sea, the sky, animals and in themselves.  They survived in relative isolation, having little contact with Kalunait (or "strangers") until the late 19th century.  As contact accelerated, Inuit life has been transformed and the future has looked less certain.  By studying the Inuit, the class explores the human will to survive; ponders the moral dimensions of interculture contact; and evaluates faith in capitalism, industry and Western political institutions.

HIST/HINW 425     Age of Decolonization (3)
Explores the drama of national liberation and decolonization in several modern Asian and African settings.  Surveys a variety of violent and nonviolent national insurgencies and imperial responses.  Particular attention is devoted to the ideologies and legacies of such statesmen as Mahatma Gandhi, Franz Fanon and Haile Selassie I.

HIST/HINW 430     Modern Japanese History (3)
This course explores the historical impact of Japan's political, social and economic development through in depth study of major trends and events.  Emphasis is on analyzing the process of historical tradition in transformation, taking into account the rich culture, unique characteristics and challenges in Japan.

HIST/HINW 435     East Asian Civilizations (3)
This course is an introduction to the histories of China and Japan from ancient times to the early 17th century.  The class revolves around experimenting with a range of discussion questions to examine and analyze the elements of Chinese and Japanese tradition including why Confucianism, Buddhism, Daoism and Legalism were competing and sometimes intersecting philosophical systems, how historical events, developments and trends influences the lives of ordinary mean and women, the evolution of the imperial legal system and the place of science and technology in ancient times.  Readings are designed to introduce students to sections of important works and to provide a sense of the culture and society of the periods examined.  This course fulfills the Non-Western history requirement and has no prerequisite.

HIST/HINW/BUS 444     China and India:  Business, Globalization and Poverty (3)
This course is designed to explore the rich and complex cultures of China and India, two countries that are destined to play an increasing important role in global politics and economics in the 21st century.  The history, religions, politics and social structures of the two countries will be studied, especially as they influence the conduct of business activity.  Finally, the course looks at how each country is responding to the rapid growth of globalization in business activity throughout the world, and whether, looking through a moral lens, that globalization can help reduce the extreme poverty still so common in the two countries.

HIST/HINW 450     Honor & Anime:  The Culture of Samurai, Shogun and SONY (3)
As Japan became increasingly interconnected with the outside world, the dominance and challenge of Western thinking left it with a legacy of dramatic development.  This course will provide useful background knowledge for understanding Japanese history over the past 150 years.  This course will approach at least some of the complexities, contradictions and challenges of this nation by weaving historical memories and analytic explanations together.  We will explore broad themes used by Japanese animators to speak cross-culturally about love and death, war and peace, the historical past, current trends, and the far future to further intercross-cultural awareness.  The primary goal is to encourage students to appreciate diverse cultures, recognize universal human problems, and understand the interdependence of nations.