History

Rodney Hessinger (2000), Associate Professor of History
B.A., Ursinus College;
M.A., Ph.D., Temple University

Academic Iinterest: Early American history, the history of religion in America, and the history of gender and the family in America. His area of research is the history of gender and the family in early America.

Wilson Hoffman (1960), Thorn and Frances Pendleton Professor of History Emeritus
B.A., Grove City College;
M.A., Ph.D., Western Reserve University

Academic Interest: Professor Hoffman’s area of research and teaching is early modern British history. He enjoys teaching courses on the mystery novel.

Janet Pope (1998), Associate Professor of History
B.A., Rider College;
M.A., Ph.D., University of California at Santa Barbara     

Academic Interest: European history, British history, and the history of women and gender in Europe. Her area of research is medieval Britain.

Vivien Sandlund (1995), Associate Professor of History, Chair
B.A., M.A., M.Ed., University of Massachusetts;
Ph.D., Emory University

Academic Interest: Modern American history, African American history, and the history of women in America. Her area of research is slavery and abolition in North America.  

Departmental web site: 

http://admission.hiram.edu/learn/majors/major.php?id=16 

The History Program at Hiram College

The study of history is critical for our understanding of the human experience. Through the study of history, we develop an understanding of who we are, where we came from, how and why our society has changed over time, how we differ from people in other places and times, how societies different from ours have developed and changed, and how humans have interacted with each other and with the natural world.  The history major at Hiram College prepares students for a wide variety of careers. Hiram College history students have gone on to become business leaders, lawyers, teachers and professors, political leaders, government workers, librarians, and leaders in non-profit organizations. History majors are superbly prepared for active citizenship and for informed, thoughtful decision-making throughout their lives. The Hiram College History Department works closely with students to help them with career planning and preparation. The History Department also brings speakers to campus to discuss career opportunities for history majors.

Requirements for Majors

The history major requires a minimum of 10 courses or 36 hours. We advise students who wish to pursue graduate work to take more than the minimum number of courses. All history majors must take at least  two U.S. history courses, including either History 140 or 141, two European history courses, including either History 121 or 122, and two courses in the history of the rest of the world, including either History 129 or 130. Students must take a minimum total of eight courses spread over these three content areas. Thus, a student may take three U.S. history courses, three European history courses, and two courses in the history of the rest of the world. Or a student may take three U.S. history courses, two European history courses, and three courses in the history of the rest of the world.  Or a student may take two U.S. history courses, three European history courses, and three courses in the history of the rest of the world. History majors are also required to take History 479 and History 480 in the senior year. History 479 and 480 are the senior seminar sequence. The department also requires foreign language proficiency. The requirement can be satisfied by passing a language through the 103 level or by testing out of a language by passing a proficiency test administered by the Foreign Languages Department. Junior history majors are encouraged to take a 300-level research seminar offered each spring semester. This course is open to all students who have previously taken a history course.History majors have the option of concentrating in a particular field of history. The concentrations we offer are History and Law, Gender History, and a regional area of history, such as Asian History. Students should discuss choosing a concentration with a faculty member in the History Department.Students who are majoring in Integrated Social Studies for the purpose of obtaining a license to teach will have different requirements and should consult with the education department in conjunction with the history department. The History Department counts all Hiram history courses when calculating grade point averages.

The History Senior Seminar

History majors are required to complete a professional-quality research paper in the senior year and to present their papers to the community in a public forum. The seminar paper should demonstrate thorough research using both primary and secondary historical sources, and the department encourages students to make an original argument supported by credible historical evidence. The senior seminar research process begins in the fall of the senior year, as students work with faculty to choose a topic of interest and to develop an appropriate research question. During the fall semester, students gather and read secondary literature on their topic, and they begin the process of doing research into primary historical sources. Students prepare an annotated bibliography in advance of writing the seminar paper. In the spring semester of the senior year, students do the bulk of their primary source research. They work with individual faculty members to research and write the seminar paper, and they meet regularly with a group of fellow history students to discuss and revise their seminar papers. With the completion of their papers, students present the papers orally to the Hiram College community, and they answer questions prepared by their fellow students and by history faculty members.Students with majors other than history sometimes choose to do the senior seminar with the history department. Students interested in doing this should consult with history faculty members before the senior year. 

Requirements for Minors

A minor in history consists of 5 courses or a minimum of 18 hours in history. Students must take at least one course in each of the three content areas: U.S. history, European history, and the history of the rest of the world.  

Special Opportunities

The history department involves students directly in doing historical research and writing history. We encourage and guide our students to think like historians and to get involved actively in the reconstruction and analysis of the past. History students may participate in extra mural programs which give them an opportunity to study history in the field. The department offers regular study trips to such destinations as England, Scotland, Israel, Germany, France, Russia, and Latin America. Students can also do internships in the United States. History students have worked in archives and historical societies and as interns for members of Congress. Students may study at the American University in Washington, D.C. They may also take part in the Drew University Semester on the United Nations.

The department is located in Pendleton House which is also the center for various academic and social activities of history majors.

Departmental Offerings

121 Europe 500 - 1450                                                                      4 hours

Knights, Peasants, and Friars: Europe 500 - 1450: The course examines the state of Western Civilization after the decline of Rome and analyzes the emergence of Medieval Civilization. Considerable attention will be given to the original accomplishments of the High Middle Ages and the waning of the era and its blending into the Modern Age. Emphasis is on cultural and social history.  

122 Modern Europe: 1450 - Present CA, EW                                       4 hours

Bread, Barricades, and Bombs: Modern Europe, 1450 - Present: Begins with the Renaissance and Reformation, continues with the Scientific Revolution and the Enlightenment in the 17th and 18th centuries, moves on to the French and Industrial Revolutions, and to the most recent age. Cultural history is stressed throughout, but every effort is made to integrate the more conventional forms of history in the course. A student may not receive credit for both First Year Seminar 124 and History 122.

129 The World from 1750 - 1945 CA, EW                                            4 hours

The Age of Colonialism, 1750-1945: This course traces the expansion of European colonial empires in the modern era and concludes with the rise of nationalism outside of Europe. Through standard histories, contemporary documents, and popular sources such as political cartoons, the course illuminates the British raj in India, The Opium Wars in China, and the American occupation of the Philippines as key narratives. Colonialism and nationalism in the Islamic world will also be addressed. The course culminates with the furious changes of World War II, and provides the student with insights into the challenges currently faced by formerly colonized nations.

130 The World Since 1945                                                                  4 hours

This course will survey world history since the Second World War It will primarily focus on various regions in the non-western world. We will discuss the recent history in Latin America, Africa, Asia and the Middle East. While these regions are, of course, historically diverse, they all share the similarity of being pejoratively labeled the "third world." We will explore issues and themes that have in many ways linked these areas. This course will examine decolonization, national liberation movements, the influence of the cold war and the recent break-up of the USSR, dictatorships and democracy, racial turmoil and economic modernization.

140 US History to 1865 CA, UD                                                            4 hours

An introduction to the history of the United States, from the earliest European contacts through the end of the Civil War. Major topics will include the economic and religious motivations of the European colonists, their conquest of Indian societies, the War for Independence, the Constitution, the development of political parties, the commercial and industrial revolutions, westward expansion, immigration, religious revivalism and reform, and the onset of sectional conflict culminating in the Civil War. Throughout the course, we shall confront the origins of a central paradox in the history of the United States: the existence and importance of slavery in a nation founded on ideals of freedom and equality.

141 US History 1865 to Present                                                          4 hours

A history of American political, economic, and social life from 1865 to the present. The course examines the impact of the Civil War on American life, the period of Reconstruction, and the processes of industrialization, urbanization, and immigration in the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The course also surveys World War I, modernization in the 1920s, the Great Depression and the New Deal, World War II, the Cold War, the affluent society, the Vietnam era, and life in modern America.  

180 Workshop                                                                                        1 hour

This workshop will provide the opportunity for students to examine a special topic in History. Through readings, discussions and written assignments there will be opportunities to evaluate the topic at issue. Workshops may be taken Pass/No Credit only. Students may take no more than nine workshops for credit toward graduation. Workshops can be used as elective credit only. (For Weekend College students only.)  

204 The Era of the American Revolution, 1750-1800                        4 hours

In the American popular memory of today, the Revolution is sealed in the iconography of a generation of "Founding Fathers." Through an in-depth consideration of changes in American society over the second half of the eighteenth century, we will resuscitate the conflicts, the possibilities, and the disappointments of this era. Shifting beliefs and alliances enabled Americans to mobilize for war. Americans not only fought against the British for independence, they also vigorously fought with one another over what the Revolution should mean in their daily lives. The Revolution was significant for the lives of all Americans, whether ordinary artisan or wealthy merchant, woman or man, slave or free. By studying the series of events that pushed Americans from resistance to Revolution and beyond to the establishment of a new federal government under the Constitution, we will witness repeated battles over the distribution of power, wealth, and status within American society. 

206 Emergence of Modern Ireland                                                      3 hours

Gunmen, Orangemen, and Fenians: The Emergence of Modern Ireland What exactly is the IRA? Why are the English and the Irish continually at war? In order to answer these questions, we must examine the complex relationships among the people of the two territories by exploring the history of Ireland beginning in the sixteenth century. A related theme that we will address is the interplay between religion, social institutions, and politics. The course will also sharpen your use and understanding of the historical method, the critical use of both narrative, and record sources to reason about the past.  

209 The World of Ancient Greece                                                       4 hours

This course traces the history of the "Greek" people, beginning with the Mycenaeans and ending with the Hellenistic monarchies that were established after the death of Alexander the Great. Students will examine the historical evidence, which ranges from archaeological finds to literary accounts. Emphasis will be placed on social and cultural aspects of the Greek world.   

210 Oral History                                                                          1 – 4 hours

A course designed to master the techniques of oral history involving actual experience for the student. May be taken only once.

212 Spiritual Awakenings in Early America                                        3 hours

This course will explore the two religious revivals historians have referred to as the Great Awakening and the Second Great Awakening. The time frame of our inquiry will be roughly 1730 to 1850. While these two Protestant revivals will receive close attention, the definition of spiritual awakening will be more broadly conceived to encompass a wide range of other spiritual innovations within the time frame of our inquiry. Students will study topics as diverse as the Seneca revitalization movement of Indian prophet Handsome Lake, the founding of Mormonism, and the birth of African-American Christianity in the plantation South. Students will be asked to consider the social contexts for revival religion. What developments in secular society seem to inspire movements for religious revival? Alternatively, we will explore how religious impulses reorder secular life. How did various sects reconfigure sexual and social behavior within their communities? Did revivals cause a redistribution of power within America?

215 US Occupation in Japan and Iraq                                                 3 hours

Mission Accomplished: US Occupation in Japan and Iraq: This themed course consists of a presentation of topics in political, social, and cultural history of occupied Japan (1945-1952) and occupied Iraq (2003 - present). The course has been designed to provide a background against which contemporary developments in Iraq, and the very endeavor of nation building, may be better understood and appreciated.

216 Prisons and Public History                                                            3 hours

Prisons and Public History: the Spectacle of Philadelphia's Eastern State Penitentiary: This course will simultaneously explore the history of prisons and the practice of public history. The course will end with a week-long field trip to a unique historical site, Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia. We will discuss the uses and potential abuses of public history by comparing current day issues in penal reform to the presentation of prison history at Eastern State. The United States is uniquely committed to the use of prisons. Since 1980 America's prison population has almost quadrupled. The US is first amongst all industrialized nations in its per capita incarceration rates. Why would a country so committed to "freedom" be so vigorous in its use of prisons? What better place to answer this than in Philadelphia? Where else could one simultaneously view a "shrine of liberty" such as the Liberty Bell, as well as one of the most influential prisons ever constructed a prison whose prolonged use of solitary confinement for all prisoners took incarceration to its logical extremes? For decades after it was built in the 1820's, Eastern State attracted flocks of visitors intent on copying its construction. In this course we will explore what such a pilgrimage could accomplish for the public today.

217 Modern China, 1842 - Present                                                     4 hours

The course begins with China's humiliating defeat in the Opium War, and, through missionaries, millenarianism, and modernization, opens the 19th century to inquiry. After examination of China's last Empress, and the chaotic revolution, China's searing experience with Japanese aggression in World War II will be analyzed. The Korean War, Cultural Revolution, and the rise of reform under Deng bring us to the present, where China's staggering economic growth and cultural power present challenges and opportunities for the United States. Gender, modernity, and the tension between stability and human rights form core themes in this course.

218 Modern Korea CA, EW                                                                   3 hours

This course is focused on the Korean experience in the 20th century. Korea's ancient roots and the occupation of the country by Japan will form the first week of the course. The second week examines the Korea's pivotal role in the Cold War, which witnessed further foreign occupation, division of the country, and the devastating Korean War. The las week of the course will probe at prospects of divided Korea, seeking to understand the North Korean psychoses as Juxtaposed with the vibrant South Koreans and Korean-Americans.

219 Japan Since 1868                                                                        4 hours

Japan's meteoric rise to prominence after the Meiji Restoration is examined against the backdrop of Japanese tradition and the Darwinian imperatives of foreign policy. From emperor to commoner, Japanese society underwent sharp changes in the twentieth century, necessitating our engagement with questions of social class and gender in analyzing the dislocations of Japanese modernity. Students will focus on how Japan embroiled itself in the Second World War, attempting to understand how the holocaust of war shaped, and perhaps twisted irrevocably, Asian views of Japan into the twenty-first century. Questions of war and memory thus form a core theme in the latter part of this course, but we will also deal in lively fashion with such topics as Japanese baseball and the explosion of Japanese popular culture onto the world stage.

220 Studies in British History                                                            4 hours

Part of a special program of studies in British culture designed to be taught in Cambridge, England, during the Cambridge Quarter. Readings and lectures on topics of British social, political and intellectual history. Preference is given to upperclassmen. Offered off-campus only.

221 European Women and the Family, C. 200-1500                           4 hours

Concubines, Mothers, and Saints: European Women and the Family, C. 200-1500: This class is designed to explore the major developments in the history of women and family from c. 200 to c. 1500 with a special emphasis on social and cultural history. The core of the course will investigate late Roman, early Christian, and early Germanic women’s roles and how these three cultures fused in medieval Europe to form a unique milieu for the women’s experience. A related theme that we will examine is the interplay between religion, social institutions, and politics.

222 The Formation of England                                                            3 hours

Kings and Vikings: the Formation of England: This class is designed to explore the social, religious, and political history of early medieval Britain from the end of the Roman occupation to the Norman conquest. The course investigates the information of the kingdom of England and the role that the Vikings played in that development. In order to assess the Scandinavian influence on Britain, we will also study the Vikings at home and in their various overseas kingdoms. A related theme that we will examine is the interplay between religion, social institutions, and politics.

224 Modern European Women and Gender                                         4 hours

Spinsters and Suffragists: Modern European Women and Gender: This class is designed to explore the major developments in the history of women, gender, and the family from c. 1500 to the present with a special emphasis on social and cultural history. The core of the course will investigate how the modern ideals of liberty and equality have been both denied to and applied to women. The course will also examine European institutions and events that have shaped women's lives, in particular, political and industrial revolutions and the world wars. A related theme that we will discuss is the interplay between ideas, social institutions, and politics.

227 The British Empire                                                                     3 hours

Colonization and Exploitation: the British Empire: This class explores the political, economic, and intellectual history of the British Empire. The course investigates the formation of the empire and its role in the modern world. We will study the interplay among ideas, social institutions, and politics; this examination will help us to understand how and why the British influenced the cultures of the peoples they ruled. The course will also sharpen your use and understanding of the historical method-the critical use of both narrative and record sources to reason about the past.

228 Conquest to Mestizo Nations                                                       4 hours

Evolving Hierarchies in Latin American History: The subjugation and exploitation of people and resources has been an enduring feature of the Latin American world. The forms of hierarchy that accomplished such exploitation, however, have been immensely variable. When Spanish conquistadors arrived in the New World they were able to engraft themselves atop existing hierarchies erected by Indian peoples. The encomienda and mita systems capitalized on Aztec and Incan tribute systems. These systems, coupled with a slave labor system, built with imported Africans, would allow Spain and other European nations to extract great riches from their New World empires. When Americanos overthrew European rule in the early nineteenth century, colonial class and race hierarchies, nonetheless, endured. White Creoles benefited from the loss of European rule, but the postcolonial world was little different for the broad base of people beneath them. While late nineteenth century liberalism would sweep away some conservative legacies, it would also help bring Latin American countries into neocolonial relations. The United States would come to exert enormous economic and political influence over this region of the New World. The fact that twentieth century waves of nationalism could celebrate the mestizo, that is, mixed race, character of Latin American countries, shows how far these nations had moved beyond their colonial past. And yet, the neocolonial subjugations imposed by their northern neighbor endure.

230 History of Labor in the US CA, UD                                                 4 hours

Workers, Unions, Bosses, and Capitalists: History of Labor in the United States: The economic and technological transformations that carried the United States into the industrial age brought significant changes in the patterns of everyday life. This course examines the effects of such changes from the perspective of working people in the 19th and 20th century United States. Topics include the development of the market economy and industrial modes of production, class formation, working-class political organization, immigration, slavery and emancipation, the sexual division of labor, the rise of corporate capitalism, consumption and the commercialization of leisure, the welfare state, the global economy, and the nature of work in post-industrial society. Also listed as Economics 230.

233 History of England to 1485                                                           4 hours

Though some attention will be given to England before 1066, the period after the Conquest will be emphasized. The course will deal chiefly with cultural, economic and social history, though special attention will be given to the development of constitutional and legal institutions. Much use will be made of primary documents. Recommended for pre-law students.  

234 American Popular Culture                                                           3 hours

See History 244 for a description of this course. Also listed as Communication 234 and English 234.  

237 History of American Family and Childhood                                  4 hoursHome, Sweet Home?: The History of Family and Childhood in America: This course will look at wives and husbands, fathers and mothers, and children too. Our topic will be the history of childhood and the family from the age of European colonization up to our own times. Starting with the Native American family, we will explore experiences across cultural boundaries. Were Indian gender roles different from English forms? Why have historians said that colonists thought of children as miniature adults? Turning to the Revolution, we will discuss the impact of the philosophies and events of those times. Were adolescents granted the freedom to follow their hearts in marriage? In considering the nineteenth century we will explore the impact of industrialization, slavery, and immigration on the family. How did the growth of Catholicism in America affect family life? The twentieth century presents new questions. How did families survive the Great Depression? As wives joined the workforce during World War II, did they shed their homemaker roles? Did fears of Communism during the Cold War shape family life? Did the youth protests of the 1960s create a generation gap? What direction is the family taking as we enter the 21st century? A student may not receive credit for First Year Seminar 134 and History 237.  

240 American Environmental History                                                 4 hours

This course will introduce students to the history of environmental issues and environmental activism in North America. Students will consider how Native Americans interacted with the natural environment prior to the European arrival, how the Europeans who entered North America looked upon the natural environment and how their views and practices differed from those of the Native Americans, and how the European settlement in North America affected the natural environment. Students will also explore how the growth of industrial capitalism and westward expansion affected the natural environments, and how Americans view the "wilderness" and the environment in the nineteenth century. Finally, students will explore the rise of a conservation movement and social activism to protect and preserve the environment, and they will study closely the rise and growth of a modern environmental movement in the late twentieth century. (xEVST)  

241 Nazis and the Holocaust                                                             4 hours

Victims, Perpetrators, and Bystanders: The History of the Nazis and the Holocaust: The Holocaust was a human catastrophe of epic proportions, and it is also an event that is commonly misunderstood. This class will raise the central issues surrounding the tragedy such as how was such an occurrence possible? What provoked the perpetrators? What were the reactions by the victims, both Jews and non-Jews? And how did the millions of bystanders feel as the killing transpired around them? How does one rationalize doing nothing? The Holocaust was much more than just a battle between Nazis and Jews, although that was certainly a principal issue, but it is an event that calls into question basic questions of morality in the 20th century. We will read documents and memoirs from all three groups (victims, perpetrators and bystanders) in an attempt to understand the motivation behind the calamity. We will also see films and documentaries that display the emotions and capture the complexities of the time. We also plan on making a visit to the Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington as part of the course to show how the Holocaust is being remembered in this country. This course will undoubtedly raise more questions than it can answer, but the problems are ones that unfortunately have and will be repeated. This course is open to all classes and has no prerequisites. A revised version of this course is offered for three credit hours as History 251. A student may receive credit for only one of these courses.  

242 America in the Early National Era                                                4 hours

Preachers, Planters, and Prostitutes: America in the Early National Era: Democracy and Capitalism. Both perhaps made their greatest advances during the early 19th century. Rapid market expansion along canal and railway corridors accompanied the mass politics of the Age of Jackson. Did democracy and capitalism reinforce or exist in dangerous tension with one another? Surveying the early republic, we will witness the coalescence and collision of democracy and capitalism. Preachers, planters, and prostitutes are apt symbols for this age. Each embodied democratic and capitalist forces. Evangelicals scorched the countryside, competing with one another to win the hearts of everyday people. Prostitutes capitalized on a rapidly emerging urban marketplace where all wares were up for sale. Southern planters denounced the greedy capitalists of the North, but simultaneously reaped great profits on cotton grown with slave labor. These and other figures who crossed the American landscape in the decades between the Revolution and the Civil war will populate this course.  

244 American Popular Culture                                                          4 hours

In the United States, as in all other societies, ordinary people use the objects and symbols available to them to make sense of their lives. This course explores the ways in which different groups of Americans have produced and consumed a widely disseminated and widely shared culture since the mid-19th century. Students will examine the theoretical debates that revolve around the concepts of popular culture, mass culture, high culture, and ideological hegemony. Using methods drawn from history and other disciplines, the course will examine different forms of popular culture including advertising, literature, sports, radio, television, comics, magazines, theater, and movies. A revised version of this course is offered for three credit hours as History 234. A student may receive credit for only one of these courses. Also listed as Communications 244 and English 244.  

245 Modern Russia                                                                              4 hours

After a survey of the main historical forces molding Russia, this course will concentrate on the 20th century. The efforts of the Old Order to modernize itself - in some ways heroic, but ultimately unsuccessful - will be discussed. The Russian Revolution, culminating in the victory of the Bolsheviks, will be analyzed. The course will then devote itself to a study of the domestic and foreign policies of the Soviet regime. The great achievements of the Russian nation in the realms of literature, music, art and architecture will be considered.  

247 20th Century Eastern European History                                      3 hours

Behind the Iron Curtain: The History of Eastern Europe in the 20th Century: This course will examine the different trends and important developments of the forgotten half of Europe. Most history classes neglect Eastern Europe because of its economic backwardness, and that through most of the century it has been controlled from the outside. This course will focus on the transition from the region's status as part of an empire (Russian, Austro-Hungarian, Ottoman) to that of independent states in 1919, then back to its control by the Soviet Union after 1945, and finally to its recent independence after 1989. Independence has not always brought with it the concomitant freedom that was promised, and this course will delve into the difficult ethnic and economic questions as well as how a region like this has dealt with its difficult past. We will outline the major theories of Communism, Fascism, and Democracy as Eastern Europeans have lived under all three. We will also look at the role of Eastern Europe and East Europeans in the Holocaust and study how various countries have dealt with their parts in it. In addition to the broad trends, we will also look at some of the dissident literature to catch a glimpse into what it was like to live in an unfree environment.  

249 The World of Ancient Rome                                                          4 hours

The World of Ancient Rome: This course examines the Roman achievement, beginning with the establishment of Roman power in Italy and ending with world domination. The focus will be on social and cultural rather than military history.  

250 Modern Jewish History                                                                4 hours

This course will trace the unique history of the Jews from the time of emancipation in the 18th and 19th centuries to the present. We will focus on the rise of anti-Judaism, the development of Zionism, the dilemmas posed by assimilation, the relationship of Jews to politics, the horrors of the Holocaust, and the obstacles to the founding of the State of Israel. The class will also study how recent tensions between Jews and Arabs have resulted in political and religious problems for Israel.  

251 Nazis and the Holocaust                                                               3 hours

Victims, Perpetrators, and Bystanders: The History of the Nazis and the Holocaust: See HIST 241 for a description of this course.  

252 Tudor Britain, 1485 - 1603                                                          3 hours

The course will emphasize the transformation of Britain from a medieval to a dynastic state, the Reformation, the beginnings of early British imperialism, and the stirrings of the dysfunctions between Crown and Parliament. Primary documents, literature, and modern cinematic recreations of the era will be used extensively. Since there is considerable overlap with History 337, students can choose to take one or the other.  

253  The Depression, the New Deal, and World War II                       3 hours

The period between the stock market crash of 1929 and the dropping of two atomic bombs on Japan in 1945 was an especially wrenching time for people around the world. This course examines American responses to the Great Depression and to World War II and the impact of those events on American life. Students will probe the causes of the Depression, the goals and strategies of Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal, the effects of the New Deal on American life, the American mobilization for World War II, the conduct of the war, and the impact of the war on U.S. society.

254 Gender and Sexuality in US CA, UD                                              3 hours

History of Gender and Sexuality in the US: This course will survey some of the major issues in the history of American gender and sexuality. Several themes will organize this course: cross-cultural encounters, male-female sexual politics, and the formation of homosexual and heterosexual identities. We will track these themes from the era of colonial settlement until the present day. As settlers arrived in the colonies they found Indians to possess gender roles and sexual practices at odds with their own. Looking more squarely at the colonists' own communities we will witness a surprising degree of tolerance towards behaviors still taboo in may modern circles. Sodomy and abortion seem to have been accepted as part of man's fate in a fallen world. The late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries seem to have given birth to a vigorous assault on the female body by moral reformers and physicians in Northern society. As we turn to the twentieth century we will consider the breakdown of Victorian mores, as well as the emergence of homosexual identity, both as imposed by outsiders as well as defined by the gay community.  

255 Israel and the Palestinians                                                          3 hours

The goals of this intensive course are to provide background and sketch the complexities of the violence in Israel and the surrounding areas. Specifically, this course is designed to acquaint you with the principal events, major players, and different perspectives on the conflict. But in a more general sense this class will introduce issues such as religion, ethnicity, diplomacy, and stereotypes that are applicable in many areas around the globe, not the least of which includes the USA. Some of the central questions we will explore are who has a better claim to land? How do the various sides use myth and history to buttress their arguments? Why is the area so heated? Why does one side feel such antipathy toward the other? Who or what is to blame? And is there hope for the future? In studying these concepts we will take a cursory look at the origins of Islam and Judaism, the political background of the Middle East, and some of the diplomatic agreements that have set the stage, and a variety of the attitudes of everyday people on all sides.

257 US Civil Rights Movement                                                            3 hours

The Civil Rights Movement in the United States, 1954 - 1980: This course examines the movement by African Americans and their supporters in the mid-twentieth century to achieve full civil rights, economic opportunity, and social equality. Students will explore the economic, cultural, and political changes that laid the foundation for the civil rights movement. They will study the ideas and strategies of various movement leaders and will evaluate the impact of the movement on American society as a whole.  

259 US Urban History                                                                        3 hours

Cities, Towns, and Suburbs: US Urban History: This course examines the social history of the American city: the buildings, neighborhoods, transportation, and communication networks that constitute its physical form, and also the political, economic, and cultural structures that characterize urban society. We will explore the historical development of selected cities from the point of view of their inhabitants, as they have been defined by patterns of work, leisure, race, ethnicity, religion, class, gender, sexuality, and politics.  

260 Western Reserve Architecture                                                 4 hours

Architecture of The Western Reserve: What It Is and How to Save It: This course is intended for students interested in the architectural heritage of Ohio's Western Reserve and in restoration and preservation projects. The course examines the elements of the classical language of architecture, with a focus on the Federal and Greek revival styles in the Hiram area. Knowledge is gained from the study of existing examples of the style, as well as from books. Additional study extends to the decorative and practical arts of the period (the furnishings and furniture), as well as the "house-life activities of the early 1800s."  

262 Slavery and Abolition in US                                                          3 hours

This course will introduce students to the origins and nature of slavery in North America and to the ideas, strategies, and struggles of antislavery activists in the 18th and 19th centuries. Students will consider how and why slavery was introduced into North America, what the slave experience was like and how it changed over time, what the connections were between slavery and race, and how slaveholders sought to justify and defend their so-called peculiar institution. Students will also explore what prompted the rise of an antislavery movement, how the abolition movement changed over time, what ideas and strategies abolitionists embraced, and what impact abolitionists had in ending slavery and pushing the nation into the Civil War. The course will include a mock trial of the abolitionist John Brown and a walking tour of John Brown sites and underground railroad stops in nearby Hudson, Ohio. There will be a small fee for this trip to pay for transportation.  

263 Colonization of North America                                                  4 hours

Saints, Sinners, and Slaves: The Colonization of North America: This course will survey the diverse cultures produced by the colonization of North America. While ultimately dominated by the British, French and Spanish settlers made incursions into the continent. Native Americans and Africans were central to the colonization process as well. As the Iroquois forged alliances in Canada, Africans cultivated rice in South Carolina. The British colonists had their own internal divisions. Righteous Puritans tried to erect a metaphorical "City on a Hill" in New England, while planters scrambled for profits from tobacco in the Chesapeake. Quakers tried to create a peaceful coexistence with Indians in Pennsylvania, while the Scotch-Irish strained such harmony as they flooded into the back-county. How did such a diverse set of colonists form a single nation? Did they, in fact, form a single nation? We will follow the history of the colonies through their settlement in the seventeenth century, their growth and transformations in the eighteenth century, until their political break from Britain in war.  

264 The Indians' New World                                                                3 hours

Native American History from European Contact to Reservations: This course will examine the history of the indigenous peoples of North America from the arrival of European invaders until the massacre at Wounded Knee, the final major military engagement in the West that sealed Indians’ internment on reservations. We will consider many facets of the Indian experience. Even before Native Americans set eyes on Europeans they had to deal with the microbes Europeans spread before them. After contact, we will consider how trade and the military conflicts reordered the cultures of Indians and Europeans alike. Indian cultures would prove remarkably resilient. Most remarkable perhaps were the various pan-Indian revitalization movements promoted by Indian prophets such as Neolin. The American Revolution would prove a decisive moment in Indian history. During the war itself, Euro-Americans scorched Indian country. In addition, the removal of Britain from American shores would unleash an inexhaustible desire for land in the trans-Appalachian West. Yet hope for amicable relations were reborn as various tribes like the Cherokee proved willing to adopt many of the trappings of American culture. Ultimately, however pressures for removal would carry the day as reservations were erected across the West.  

265 African American History 1865 to the Present                            4 hours

This course will introduce students to the experiences and culture of African Americans from the end of the Civil War to the present. Students will examine the impact of the Civil War and emancipation on African Americans, the Reconstruction period, and life in the Jim Crow South in the late nineteenth century. The course will continue with an exploration of African American struggles for equality in the early twentieth century, the Great Migration to the North, the Harlem Renaissance and African American life in the 1920s, the impact of the Great Depression on African Americans, and African Americans in World War II. The course will conclude with a focus on the Civil Rights Movement and current issues in African American life.  

266 African American History to 1865                                                4 hours

This survey will focus upon the experiences and culture of African Americans and their influence on the development of American culture. The survey covers major topics in African bondage, and emancipation and larger cultural issues such as the relationship between slavery, the family, and gender and the development of unique African American institutions such as slave spirituals.  

269 1960s in the USA                                                                           3 hours

Power, Protest, and Peace: 1960s America: From civil rights to Watergate, from Vietnam to Berkeley, the 1960s are remembered as a time of high hopes and bitter divisions, of utopian dreams and tragic fighting. This course examines the political, social, and cultural changes that took place in the turbulent decade known as the sixties. Students will examine the major political developments and social movements of the period and will attempt to understand why and how those events unfolded. Students will also consider the implications of those events for contemporary American life.  

270 The Civilization of China                                                              4 hours

A survey of Chinese history from pre-literary times to the present. The course will be centered around the creation of Chinese civilization, the development of the molding forces of China, the conflict between China and the West and its consequences, and 20th century revolutionary China.  

273 Women in American History                                                         4 hours

An examination of the cultural, social, economic, and political activities of women in American history. Within a chronological, narrative framework, the course focuses on four themes of women's past experience in American life: the family, work, sexuality, and socio-political activism.  

275 Roman Britain                                                                               4 hours

Britannia is mentioned sparingly by the Roman historians, but much of our knowledge about the conquest, settlement, and governance of the province is derived from archaeology. Therefore, a study of Roman Britain comes alive when students can visit and study Romano-British sites, and museums in England and Wales. This course will trace the conquest of the island, beginning with Claudius in 43 and essentially ending in 122 under Hadrian, who set the province's northern limit with a wall. The peaceful conditions of the third and early fourth centuries brought prosperity and stability to Britain. Urbanization in the province was rapid. The native aristocracy quickly adapted the working country villas familiar throughout the Empire to a British context. Unrest throughout the western Empire gradually undermined the province's stability and eventually led to the withdrawal of the Romans from Britain in the 400s. Administration of the province, growth of industry and trade, influence of Roman religion on native cults, and aspects of daily life will be covered in the course. Students will study how the Romans transformed a native Celtic population into a distinctly Romano-British culture which integrated a Mediterranean outlook and values into its society and economy. This course is also listed as Classics 275.  

280 Seminar                                                                                  1 – 4 hours 

281 Independent Study                                                                1 - 4 hours

298 Field Experience                                                                   1 - 4 hours 

312 Topics in US Social History                                                           4 hours

The study for history has traditionally focused on the actions and ideas of "Great Men" and their influence on major events in politics, diplomacy, and intellectual discovery. Social history, on the other hand, emphasizes the perspectives of ordinary women and men: it has been said that social history is "history from the bottom up."  

315 Slavery in the Americas                                                               3 hours

One of the fundamental factors in the European colonization of the western hemisphere was the development of new systems of slavery and the articulation of new ideologies of racial difference to legitimate their use. African slaves performed the hard manual labor on tropical plantations that enriched a small class of Portuguese, Dutch, Spanish, English, and American planters and supplied the world with sugar, tobacco, rice, and cotton. Yet many slaves also worked on smaller farms, as skilled artisans, as domestic servants, and as urban laborers. Slavery was not a single system; it was, on the contrary, a collection of practices and ideologies that varied significantly across time and space. From the sixteenth through the nineteenth century, and from Latin America, across the Caribbean, and into North America, slavery appeared in diverse forms. This course will take a comparative approach to the history of slavery and racial ideology in a cross-section of times and places.  

317 History of Economic Thought                                                       4 hours

This course is designed to present selected pivotal aspects of the development of economic thought from its formalized beginnings as a species of moral philosophy through the development of political economy and its emergence as the behaviorally and policy-oriented social science of economics. The course will address itself to the changing answers leading theorists have given to the most basic questions of man's material life. How do humans behave in that setting? And what combination of policies and institutions most nearly accommodate wants and constraints within the context of the formative goals of the society? Mere inventories of our inheritance of ideas are not enough. We need to analyze them among our permanent possessions. Such is the intent of the course. Also listed as Economics 317.  

331 The Reformation Era, 1500 - 1648                                               4 hours

The course will concentrate on the continental Protestant and Catholic Reformations with extensive reading of primary sources and periodical literature. Economic, intellectual, political, and social trends will also be examined as well as the interrelationship between aesthetic trends and history. A major theme of the course will be the waning of the Middle Ages and the tentative beginnings of the modern era.  

337 Reformation and Revolution in England, 1485 - 1714                 4 hours

The course will emphasize the English Protestant Reformation of the 16th and 17th centuries and the English Revolution of the 17th century. Considerable attention will likewise be given to the development of the first colonial empire and the conditions which caused people to migrate to the New World. Constitutional developments and political thought pertinent to American history will be discussed. Students will read extensively in primary sources. Recommended for pre-law students.  

338 Modern Britain, 1714 - Present                                                 4 hours

The course will emphasize the development of the modern British constitution and its impact upon the world; Britain's role as a world and colonial power; the rise of British socialism; and the decline of Britain as a world power. The core of the course will be concerned with the rise of Britain as the first industrial nation and the impact which industrialism had upon Britain both internally and externally.  

344 History of Modern Germany                                                         4 hours

The rise of Prussia and the Germanies in the eras of the French Revolution, Napoleon, and Metternich; the establishment and subsequent career of the Second Empire; the Weimar Republic; and Nazi Germany.  

345 20th Century Europe                                                                   4 hours

This course will survey the basic political, social, cultural, and economic developments in Europe during the last century. It will cover how Europe was transformed from a continent at war to one now sharing peace and prosperity. We will highlight main events such as World War I, the Russian Revolution, the rise of Fascism, the Holocaust, the Cold War, the fall of Communism, and the break-up of the USSR. By surveying these events, we will take into consideration ideas like nationalism, capitalism, communism, feminism, and other ideologies that have affected Europeans in the late 20th century. Finally, this class will attempt to cover not only the large countries of Europe, but will also discuss how smaller nations were affected.  

351 History of Modern France                                                            4 hours

France from Charles the Great to Charles de Gaulle: This course traces the development of France from the creation of the nation in the early Middle Ages to the late 20th century. Stress will be placed on the modern period, with emphasis given to France's great contributions to European civilization.  

380 Seminar                                                                                   1 - 4 hours

381 Readings and Topics in American History                              1 – 4 hours

Course includes such topics as Puritanism, American party systems, American labor and radical history, and the South.  

382 Readings and Topics in European History                                    4 hours

Course includes such topics as the Industrial Revolution, revolutionary movements, Soviet culture, and World War II.  

391 US Cultural & Intellectual History                                                4 hours

The American Mind: The Cultural and Intellectual History of the United States: A study of significant American ideas concerning God, man, nature and society. The primary topics of discussion include the Puritan religious utopia, the political philosophy of the American Revolution, Transcendentalism, Darwinism, and the search for new standards of belief in the 20th century.   

479 The Nature of History                                                                   4 hours

This course will prepare seniors to write and present their senior seminar papers. With this in mind, we will discuss historiography and the nature of historical inquiry in preparation for each student’s own research. We will also discuss the age-old question of "What is History?" as well as the purpose of historical study and analysis. On a related note, we will examine various types of history, and we will learn historical methodology. We will also consider the career opportunities for history majors as well as address the topic of graduate school and law school. Prerequisite: History Major and Senior Standing.  

480 Senior Seminar                                                                             4 hours

For seniors concentrating in history. Students acquaint themselves with the general literature in their field of concentration, expand their reading background, learn how to evaluate historical writing and are introduced to the methods and problems of historical research and exposition. Writing a research paper is an integral part of the course. Required of all majors. This seminar must be successfully completed in order to be graduated as a history major.  

481 Independent Research                                                         1 – 4 hours 

498 Internship                                                                               1 – 4 hours

Internships can be arranged in many fields to accommodate student interests, including experience in historical archives.