SPRING 2015
DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY
www.aviationartstore.com The formation of a group of Army Air Corp Women pilots began early in 1941…
UNDERGRADUATE COURSE GUIDE
SPRING 2015
Courses that will satisfy the NON-WESTERN requirement for the HISTORY MAJOR:
History 110 World History before 1500
History 112 World Religions
History 115 Modern China
History 120 Latin America: Colonial Period
History 121 Modern Latin America
History 121H Modern Latin America
History 131 Middle East History II
History 161 History of Africa since 1500
History 355 Caribbean
History 359 Modern Brazil
History 391MW Histories of Slavery in Muslim World
History 393EH Intellectual Origins of Colonialism
History 394RI Comparative Revolutions Modern Era
History 394TI Mongol & Turkish Empires
History 397AH Regional History: The Mediterranean since 1500 (Honors)
History 397GS Global History of Sport
History 397LA Environmental History of Latin America
History 593RR Race, Religion and Nation in East Asia
Courses the will satisfy the PRE-1500 requirement for the HISTORY MAJOR:
History 100 Western Thought to 1600
History 112 World Religions
History 112H World Religions
History 397New Roman Empire from late Antiquity to…..
History 391T Roman Empire
History 392AH Race and Ethnicity in the Ancient World
History 394TI Mongol & Turkish Empires
History 397AM Fall of Rome: The Roman Empire from Late Antiquity to the Early Middle Ages
History 593V The Origins of War
History 595M Monsters, Foreigners - Outsiders in Antiquity - The Middle Ages
Courses that will satisfy the IE requirement for History Primary Majors
History 394CI Ideas that Changed History
History 394RI Comparative Revolutions Modern Era
History 394TI Mongol & Turkish Empires
100 Western Thought to 1600
(HS) B. Ogilvie
MW 10:10-11:00 plus discussion
The western intellectual tradition continues to shape the way that modern Americans think about the world and their place in
it. This course introduces students to key developments in the intellectual, cultural, and religious history of the west from
ancient Greece to the Protestant Reformation. We will focus on foundational texts, like Homer and the Bible, and their
interpretation by major thinkers. History 100 is a Historical Studies (HS) general education course. As such, this course
emphasizes critical thinking, historical methods, and writing. It emphasizes the methods and approaches of cultural and
intellectual history.
100 Western Thought to 1600
(HS) A. Taylor
TuTh 1:00-1:50 plus discussion
This course, a history of Europe from the invention of writing to the Protestant Reformation, explores the uneven
achievements and frequent fiascos of the ancient world, including democracy, republicanism, art, architecture, philosophy,
literature, war, slavery, and despotism, as well as the changes in the West after the fall of the Roman Republic: the rise of
Christianity, the spread of feudalism and manorialism, the outbreaks of plague and famine, the urge for exploration and
conquest, and the reformulation of values during the Renaissance and the Reformation. Readings include primary sources
of histories, biographies, laws, speeches, travelogues, treatises, plays, and poems. While the course is a broad survey of
the transformations in society, politics, culture, and economy, it pays particular attention to the position of women, the
development of governmental systems, and the role of religion.
101 Western Thought Since 1600
(HS) J. Olsen
MW 2:30-3:45
This Team Based Learning course is an introduction to the social, political, cultural, and economic forces that have shaped
civilization in the Western world from the seventeenth century to the present. Major topics will include the origins of the
modern sovereign state, the Scientific Revolution, the Enlightenment and the French Revolution, the social upheavals of the
industrial revolution, nationalism and the rise of mass politics, the First and Second World Wars, and the rebuilding of
Europe after 1945.
110 World History before 1500
(HS G) B. Bunk
MW 10:10-11:00 plus discussion
This course is devoted to the history of the human experience across the globe from the earliest civilizations up to
approximately 1550 CE. The course is organized into four distinct sections, each representing a major approach to
studying global history. The readings of the course include a variety of primary and secondary sources in order to better
analyze and understand the diversity of global norms and values and the way they change over time. The course work
will emphasize the development of critical thinking and writing skills. Assignments may include exams, quizzes and
multiple short writing assignments. This class fulfills the following requirements: pre-1500 and Non-Western
requirements for the history major as well as the historical studies in global perspective (HSG) portion of the General
Education program.
112 World Religions
(I G ) C. Barton
TuTh 11:30-12:20 plus discussion
Lecture with discussion sections. This course is a historical introduction to the study of religion. We will explore some of
the basic notions of the sacred and of sacrifice in several ancient cultures and trace how these notions changed over time –
from the Shamanistic practices of hunter-gatherers to the complex systems of Hindus, Buddhist, Jews, Christians and
Muslims. This course is a pre-requisite for the University Certificate Program in Religious Studies.
115 Modern China
(HS G) S. Platt
MW 1:25-2:15 plus discussion
Lecture with discussion sections. This is a survey of Chinese history from 1600 to the present day. We will cover topics
including: the rise and fall of the Qing Dynasty; Chinese-Western encounters; internal threats to the Confucian state;
transformation of Chinese thought and culture in the 19th century; the revolutions of the 20th century; the rise of Mao
Zedong; the People's Republic of China; the Cultural Revolution; and the dramatic transformations China is undergoing
today as a result of economic and political reforms since Mao's death. Grade will be based on in-class written
examinations, three papers, and section participation. No prior study of Chinese history is assumed.
120 Latin America: Colonial Period
(HS G) H. Scott
TuTh 2:30-3:20 plus discussion
The purpose of this course is to survey the history of colonial Latin America by examining the encounters between
Europeans and the Indigenous peoples of the Americas over the course of three centuries. The class will consider the
reciprocal effects of this contact. What were the effects of three hundred years of contact, conflict, and colonialism on
European civilization? What impact did the conquest have on the peoples, landscapes, geographies, and demography of
the Americas? We will examine the role of the Catholic Church, the nature of colonial and global economies, the
formation of "race" and racialized caste systems, family life and gender roles, and subaltern resistance, among other
themes. The course will run chronologically but may also take some contemporary liberties when appropriate. Opposing
viewpoints and historiographical debates will set the tone for many of our discussions and a number of themes will guide
our semester together. These themes include the role of Indigenous peoples, the characteristics of colonial rule in Latin
America, the nature of colonial relations, and historiographical interpretations of the past. Primary source materials will be
used alongside secondary literature. The final grade will consist of short written assignments, a midterm exam, a final
exam, and active participation. The active participation component is composed of attendance at lectures and
contributions to discussion sections.
121 Modern Latin America
(HS G) A. Dausch
TuTh 11:30-12:45
This course examines the creation of modern Latin America, concentrating on struggles over land and labor, the creation
of nation-states, and the conflicts within those states over issues of citizenship and social justice. The course also
addresses the contentious role the United States has played in the region.
121H Modern Latin America (Honors Section)
(HS G) A. Dausch
TuTh 2:30-3:45
This course examines the creation of modern Latin America, concentrating on struggles over land and labor, the creation
of nation-states, and the conflicts within those states over issues of citizenship and social justice. The course also
addresses the contentious role the United States has played in the region.
131 Middle East History II
(HS G) J. Mathew
MW 10:10-11:00 plus discussion
Survey of the Middle East from 1500. For course purposes, the Middle East includes the territory from Algeria to Iran and
from Turkey to the Arabian Peninsula. Course focuses on the political, economic, and intellectual trends that have shaped
the Middle East as we know it. General topics include the Ottoman and Safavid Empires, the impact of European
imperialism, the construction of nationalism, Zionism, Islamism, capitalism, the "Arab Spring" and how all of this impacts
current events in this complex region.
150 U.S. History to 1876
(HS) L. Richards
MW 9:05-9:55 plus discussion
Lecture with discussion sections. Covers the period from 1450 to 1877. Emphasis is not on names and dates but rather on
the forces that shaped American history such as the shortage of labor and the abundance of land, slavery, racism, capitalism,
and “democracy.”
151 U.S. History since 1876
(HS) S. Redman
TuTh 10:00-10:50 plus discussion
This course will provide students with an understanding of the contours of American history from the period of
Reconstruction through the late twentieth century. The course explores the politics and culture of the period, as well as the
interactions of race, class, and gender in U.S. history. Particular attention will be paid to African American history and
women’s history. Primary source readings will be emphasized.
151 U.S. History since 1876
(HS) R. Weir
MW 11:15 – 12:05 plus discussion
This course will provide students with an understanding of the contours of American history from the period of
Reconstruction through the late twentieth century. The course explores the politics and culture of the period, as well as the
interactions of race, class, and gender in U.S. history. Particular attention will be paid to African American history and
women’s history. Primary source readings will be emphasized.
161 History of Africa Since 1500
(HS G) J. Bowman
TuTh 10:00-10:50 plus discussion
Topics to be covered include African and European imperialism, colonialism, nationalism, and independence. The main
objective of the course is to assess how these developments have changed the lives and cultures of African people.
Requirements include: two exams, short essays, weekly reading and participation. No pre-requisites.
181 Western Science and Technology II: from the Scientific Revolution to the Cold War
(HS) E. Redman
MW 11:15-12:05 plus discussion
This sequel to History 180 surveys Western science and technology in their cultural context from the Scientific Revolution
to the Cold War. The course introduces students to key scientific ideas of the modern age. Important subjects include the
social organization of science, the creation of the laboratory as the key site for the production of scientific knowledge, and
the development of the “techno science” that gave rise to industrial R & D and produced the technological infrastructure of
modern life. No prerequisites, although previous exposure to a course in modern European or American history is helpful.
200 New Approaches to History
(HS) R. Weir
MW 1:25-2:15 plus discussion
This course surveys American military history by examining change over time in "ways of war." By examining both the
traditional military history of colonial America and the modern United States, and key questions, themes, and concerns
from more recent histories of "war and society" and war and culture, we will ask whether there has been a particular way
in which Americans have fought their many war. Each week will explore this question through lectures and readings on a
particular conflict, including colonial Indian Wars, the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, the Mexican-American War,
the Civil War, late-19th century Indian Wars, the Spanish and Philippine-American Wars, US interventions and
occupations in the Caribbean and Central America, World Wars I and II, the Cold War, and the War on Terror and wars in
Iraq and Afghanistan.
241 The Irish Experience
(HS) L. McNeil
TuTh 10:00-11:15
Lecture. This course will examine the economic, political and social developments in Ireland, from the Act of
Union to “the Troubles” in Northern Ireland. In particular we will focus on the divisive issues of land ownership,
religious sectarianism and the articulation of a national identity as we chart Ireland’s progress from a British
colony to any independent state. We will also discuss Irish emigration to America, and the influence of IrishAmerican nationalism or Irish political movements.
241 The Irish Experience
(HS) M. Barlow
TuTh 1:00-2:15
This course will examine the economic, political and social developments in Ireland, from the Act of Union to
“the Troubles” in Northern Ireland. In particular we will focus on the divisive issues of land ownership, religious
sectarianism and the articulation of a national identity as we chart Ireland’s progress from a British colony to any
independent state. We will also discuss Irish emigration to America, and the influence of Irish-American
nationalism or Irish political movements.
242H American Family (Honors)
(HS U) M. Yoder
MW 4:00-5:15
Over the past 60 years, Americans have experienced rapid and potentially disorienting changes in marriage and
reproduction, in our expectations of the family, and in the relationship between work life and home life. While we are
generally freer to have the families we choose, many of us also fear that the family has become too fragile to meet our
social and individual needs. In this course we will take an historical and cross-cultural approach to examining this
evolving tension between freedom and stability. Exploring the ways in which economic and political structures have
affected the family over time, we will also examine the roles played by race, ethnicity, and immigration in determining
behavioral differences. In the final weeks of the semester, we will employ this historical perspective as we examine
contemporary debates over new family forms, over the household economy, and over the appropriate relationship between
society and the family in a postindustrial and increasingly globalized environment.
253 Asian-Pacific American History 1850(HS U) R. Chu
TuTh 10:00-11:15
This is an introductory survey course on the history of Asian Pacific Americans (A/P/A) within the broader historical
context of imperialism in the Asia-Pacific region. We will compare and contrast the historical experiences of specific
groups of the A/P/A community; namely, those of Chinese, Filipino, Japanese, Korean, Southeast Asian (Vietnamese,
Cambodian, and Hmong), Asian Indian, and Pacific Islander descent. The objective of the course is to provide the
students with a fundamental understanding of A/P/A history that is inextricably linked to the goal of the United States to
establish military, economic, and cultural hegemony in the world as seen through its colonial and neo-colonial policies
both in the U.S. and the Asia-Pacific region. Thematically, the course will focus on imperialism, migration, race and
racism, class, gender, sexuality, immigration, colonialism, post-colonialism, nationalism, ethnicity, globalization, and
transnationalism.
291W History of Baseball
J.Wolfe
MW 11:15-12:05 plus discussion
This lecture course examines the history of baseball from its earliest days as a game for young men in New York City in the
mid-19th century to the present and its professional leagues in the United States and elsewhere in the world. The class
studies the rise of sport as a leisure activity and then industry, the creation of the major leagues, the racial integration of
baseball, the rise of free agency, and the steroid era and beyond.
298 – INTERNSHIPS!!!!
Contact internships@history.umass.edu office: Herter 603
Practicum, mandatory pass/fail credits. Are you interested in exploring history related to work, gaining job experience,
establishing career contacts, building your resume, and developing professional confidence? Through an internship you can
do all this while earning academic credit. Internships can be conducted locally, regionally, or nationally, and some paid
positions are available. You can hold an internship in history or other fields, and the department’s internship advisor can
help you find one that works with your interest and schedule. 1-9 credits depending on number of hours worked.
323 Modern German History
(HS) A. Donson
Tu Th 10:00-11:15
A social, cultural, and political history of the German-speaking countries from the mid-eighteenth century to the
present. The course covers great social and political transformations, including the Enlightenment, rise of the modern
state, the unifications and divisions of Germany, the emergence of modern urban culture, the role of women, the influence
of Social Democracy, the course of National Socialism and the Holocaust, and Germany's place in postwar
Europe. Emphasis is on reading primary sources and writing historical arguments based them. This course is taught using
a Team-Based-Learning classroom.
355 Caribbean
(HS G) J. Capo
TuTh 1:00-2:15
This general education course surveys the cultural, social, economic and political history of the Caribbean from the late
fifteenth century to the present. This lecture and discussion course focuses on the Greater Antilles (i.e., Cuba, the
Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica, and Puerto Rico) in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. We will explore key
historical moments in the region to better understand how the peoples of the Caribbean negotiated concepts of
sovereignty, labor, economic independence, and self-determination. Topics include conquest and settlement, colonialism,
slavery, independence, paternalism, informal and formal imperialism, Pan-Americanism, Pan-Africanism, caudillismo,
political and social revolution, and neo-liberalism. This four-credit course fulfills both "HS" (i.e.,
Historical Studies) and "G" (i.e., Global Diversity) general education requirements.
359 Modern Brazil
A. Dausch
MW 2:30-3:45
This course examines modern Brazil from independence through the present concentrating on the making of the nation
given its massive geographical size and diverse population. Topics include slavery and its historical legacy, Brazil's
developmental challenges and traditions of dictatorship and democracy, U.S.-Brazilian relations, the rise of contemporary
Brazil, and the role of cultural forces such as soccer, samba, and telenovelas in Brazilian society.
365H US LGBT History (Honors)
(HS U) J. Capo
TuTh 10:00-11:15
This honors general education course explores how queer individuals and members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and
transgender (LGBT) communities have influenced the social, cultural, economic, and political landscape in United States
history. Topics include sodomy charges, cross-dressing, industrialization, feminism, the construction of the
homo/heterosexual binary, the "pansy" craze, the homophile, gay liberation, and gay rights movements, HIV/AIDS,
immigration, and the on-going debate concerning same-sex marriage. This four-credit course fulfills both "HS" (i.e.,
Historical Studies) and "U" (i.e.,Diversity: United States) general education requirements.
373 American Thought and Culture II
(HS) J. Fronc
TuTh 1:00-1:50
This course examines aspects of American social, cultural, and intellectual history from the post-Civil War period to the
recent past. Particular attention will be paid to the history of radicalism and repression, movements for social justice, and
activism. In addition to the assigned readings, this course will explore popular culture (films, television shows, music,
stand-up comedy) as a venue for political and social commentary. Students can expect to write approximately 3 short
papers and produce a final research project for their grade. All students must also enroll in a discussion section. Note:
Although this course fulfills a General Education requirement, it is a 300-level U.S. history class. As such, students
should have a working knowledge of modern U.S. history, such as having passed History 151 (U.S. History from 1876 to
the present) or its equivalent. Additional one credit honors colloquium available (History H373).
383 American Environmental History
(HS) D. Glassberg
MW 2:30-3:45
In this four-credit upper level general education course, you will learn how to make the informed connections between
past events and present circumstances necessary to participate fully as a citizen of the nation and world. Specifically, we
will be examining the history of the interaction of humans with the natural environment of North America since European
settlement. We will examine how Americans acted to shape their environment over the past four centuries, as well as how
they perceived the environment. The fundamental premise of the course is that how Americans have acted to shape their
environment has been a consequence of their perceptions. The course is designed not only to help you think about the
connections between past and present environmental circumstances, but also to give you practice using essential skills that
will serve you well in other courses and in life after UMass. Among these skills are obtaining and critically evaluating
information from a variety of sources, including lectures, maps, printed documents, works of art, and the landscape itself,
and presenting that information effectively both orally and in writing.
389 US Women’s History Since 1890
(HS U) L. Lovett
TuTh 1:00-1:50 plus discussion
This class examines the historical significance of social, cultural, and political roles played by women in the U.S. since
1890. The historical basis of inequalities of power created by intersections of race, class, gender, and sexuality, as well as
social movements that challenged these inequalities will be of special interest to us. With a focus on primary sources,
modernity vs. tradition, the politics of motherhood, and the historical search for sisterhood are among the themes we will
consider in the course. Student evaluation will be based on class participation, writing assignments, and a group oral history
project.
391MW Histories of Slavery in the Muslim World
J. Mathew
MW 2:30-3:45
This course explores the concept and practice of slavery in the Muslim World from the time of the Prophet Mohammed up
to the 20th century. We will begin by examining how the Quran and Islamic jurisprudence altered pre-Islamic forms of
slavery. The course will proceed chronologically, exploring the evolution of slavery through the early Islamic empires, the
slave dynasties in Egypt and Delhi, the “gunpowder” empires of the Early Modern era, and the abolition of slavery in the
19th and 20th centuries. Some of the themes that we will discuss are manumission, rebellion, notions of property and labor
in Islam, the role of slaves as concubines, soldiers and rulers, and the slave trades in the Indian Ocean, the Atlantic and the
Sahara. The course will compare Islamic forms of slavery to those that existed in Africa and the New World. You will also
engage with the incredible diversity of slavery in the Muslim World and will be pushed to think about whether we can
sustain a concept of Islamic slavery despite these differences. Discussions are an important component of the class, and
participation will be an important component of your grade. Graded assignments will include a research paper and midterm and final exams.
392AH Race and Ethnicity in the Ancient World (Honors)
J. Moralee
Mondays 2:30-5:00
What are the roots of ethnic prejudice and racism? DNA and genetics, neuroscience and environmental studies, classical
studies and anthropology—all have contributed to this important question. Students will learn how definitions of ethnicity
arose in the Mediterranean world. This involves two interrelated questions. First, how did people construct their own sense
of peoplehood, and second, how did people construct that of others? Greek and Roman understandings of ethnicity were
deeply rooted in the authority of texts and continued to define peoples, communities, and territories throughout antiquity.
These questions, of course, are relevant today. Who we think we are today has much to do with how various forms of racial
identity were forged in the pre-modern past. We will analyze these ancient sources in light of recent scholarly discussions
from a variety of disciplinary points of view.
393A Native American Activism (in The Northeast)
A. Nash
MW 2:30-3:45
This course examines the ongoing struggles of indigenous communities in the Northeast with a focus on what we can learn
from individuals who have been active during their own lifetimes (although not all of them accept the label of "activist").
We expand the popular image of Red Power with examples of indigenous activism from the 1600s to the present. Graded
work includes a short paper, oral histories of guest speakers, and a final project.
393EH Intellectual Origins of Colonialism (Honors)
J. Higginson
TuTh 10:00-11:15
While the last apparent vestiges of colonial rule are fast becoming historical artifacts, few people in the former colonizing
countries have more than an impressionistic understanding of what colonialism was. This course is designed to disabuse the
intelligent layperson of erroneous ideas about the nature of colonial rule and the legacy it bequeathed to the contemporary
world. We will examine the origins of colonial policy, as well as its conjuncture with other economic and political
problems, through a series of case studies and intellectual histories.
393ST Science, Technology & War in the 20th Century in US and Europe (watch for number change)
E. Redman
MWF 1:25-2:15
This course will examine the nexus of science, technology, and war in the 20th century United States and Europe. This
course will cover topics such as the development and use of chemical and biological warfare; scientific, political, medical,
and philosophical implications of nuclear technology; the Manhattan Project and Big Science; Nazi science; Soviet
agriculture; Cold War technology and the Space Race; missile technology; and psychological research and the military.
As a unifying theme we will consider the impact of technological determinism and the centrality of science and
technology in wartime politics and practice. Readings will consist of primary and secondary sources as well as historical
and contemporary films. Requirements will include writing several short papers as well as a longer historiographical
essay.
394CI Ideas that Changed History
(IE) M. Barlow
TuTh 10:00-11:15
This class is about 1. Ideas that have changed the discipline of history. 2. Ideas that have changed the larger flow of
history. 3. Ideas that have changed you, the student, and your relationship to history. 4. Ideas that have changed your
personal history. Satisfies the Integrative Experience requirement for BA-Hist majors.
394CI Ideas that Changed History
(IE) R. Weir
MW 4:00-5:15
This IE class seeks to uncover some of the folk history of the American past. Folklorist Simon Bronner dubbed the United
States a "folk nation" because of the ways in which the American past is a complex mix of actual events and imposed
meanings. Some of the latter were once dismissed as mere tall tales, though skilled humanists know that surface narratives
are seldom the deeper story. This course will look at American historical tales, legends, visual images, and material
culture with an eye toward analyzing how 'meaning' is created and recreated. It will also probe the use of unconventional
historical sources, ideological constructions of heritage, and hidden subtexts within master narratives
394RI Comparative Revolutions Modern Era
(IE) J. Higginson
TuTh 1:00-2:15
We are now living in the throes of the “Arab Spring” and the greatest economic crisis since the Great Depression. This
General Education IE course seeks to integrate students’ contemporary understanding of these events against the backdrop
of analogous moments in world history over the past three centuries. The core mission of the course is to examine why
economic underdevelopment, in combination with weak or dependent state formations, often induces popular instances of
rebellion and revolution in the modern era. We will also examine why revolutions do not always usher in genuine social
reform. The class will be particularly focused on comparative models of social change and revolution found in the works
of Gregor Benton, Crane Brinton, Edmund Burke, Jean Chesneaux, Richard Cobb, Eric Hobsbawm, Barrington Moore,
Edmund Morgan, James Scott, Theda Skocpol and William T. Vollman. The course will afford students an opportunity to
improve their speaking and writing ability, while critically assessing the course material through an interdisciplinary lens
394TI Mongol & Turkish Empires
(IE) A. Broadbridge
MWF 10:10-11:00
In this 4 credit IE class, students investigate the history of Genghis Khan and the Great Mongol Empire, the Mongol
Successor Empires, and the copycat Temürid Empire, covering the time period 1150-1500. Students learn about the rise,
expansion and fall of these empires, and the complexities that make this history so gripping. For the IE component,
students also reflect on themselves as students and history majors, and on their college careers and what they have learned
in them, and then connect these reflections to topics in Mongol and Turkish history.
397AH Regional History: The Mediterranean since 1500 (Honors)
M. Wilson
TuTh 4:00-5:15
How different is the Middle East and North Africa from Europe? Is Islam, as a religion and as an ethical system, really so
very different from Christianity and Judaism? By looking at the Mediterranean world from antiquity to today, we will
query notions of separate and unequal, the reasoning behind them, and their historicity. Classes will proceed by discussion
and students will be required to give short reports and to participate in structured debates focused on the causes and
impact of the fall of Rome, the rise of Islam, the Crusades and the reconquista, the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople,
the shift in world trade from the Mediterranean to the Atlantic, the shift in political structures from empires to states, the
‘othering’ of Africa and the Middle East, and so forth as decreed by what we as a class decide to think about and study.
397AM Fall of Rome: The Roman Empire from Late Antiquity to the Early Middle Ages
J. Moralee
TuTh 1:00-2:15
This course introduces students to the societies and cultures of the Mediterranean world from the third to the seventh
century CE. Students will read modern scholarship and primary sources on issues such as the disintegration of the Roman
empire into successor states in Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East, and the transformation of cities, art, religions,
and ethnic identities in a post-Roman world.
397GS Global History of Sport
B. Bunk
MW 2:30-3:45
The Global history of Sport is devoted to the modern history of international sport. The course examines the ways that
sport has influenced and been influenced by important social, political, and economic institutions or ideologies. Class
material will address the emergence of international sporting institutions and tournaments such as the Olympic games and
the World Cup while also examining several individual case studies including baseball and soccer. Students analyze
historically important events, developments, and processes as a way of gaining an awareness of and appreciation for an
historical perspective. The readings of the course include a variety of primary and secondary sources in order to better
analyze and understand the diversity of global norms and values and the way they change over time. The course work
emphasizes the development of critical thinking and writing skills and assignments include short essays, exams and digital
projects.
397LA Environmental History of Latin America
H. Scott
TuTh 11:30-12:45
This course explores varied themes in the environmental history of Latin America. Beginning with the Pre-Columbian era,
the course moves on to examine the intertwining of environmental, social, and cultural transformations brought about by
the European colonization of the Americas, and finally the environmental and related social repercussions of the
emergence of modernity, urbanization, and industrialization in the era of independence. The course focuses not only on
environmental change, its causes and social repercussions, but also on examining cultural attitudes and ideas towards the
environment and the changes that these ideas have undergone at different phases in Latin America's history.
397MP Imperial America: US & the World 1898-now
C. Appy
MW 9:05-9:55 plus discussion
This course examines the assertion of U.S. power from the conquest of the Philippines to the “global war on terror.”
What are the causes and consequences of America’s cultural, political, military, and economic empire? Has the U.S. been
a force for democracy and freedom, as its leaders have claimed, or has it more often acted in opposition to selfdetermination and human rights?
397RR History of Reproductive Rights Law
J. Nye
TuTh 10:00-11:15
This course will explore the history and development of reproductive rights law in the 20th and 21st century United
States, centering primarily on the reading of statutes, court decisions, amicus briefs, and law review articles. We will look
at the progression of cases and legal reasoning involving a wide variety of reproductive rights issues, including forced
sterilization, contraception, abortion, forced pregnancy/c-sections, policing pregnancy (through welfare law, employment
policies and criminal law), and reproductive technologies. We will pay particular attention to how differently situated
women were/are treated differently by the law, especially on the basis of age, class, race, sexual orientation, relationship
status, and ability. We will also examine the role lawyers have historically played in advancing (or constraining) the goals
of the reproductive rights movement(s) and explore the effectiveness of litigation as a strategy to secure these
rights. Finally, we will explore the relationship between reproductive rights and reproductive justice and consider
whether reproductive justice can be obtained through advocating for reproductive rights. Prior law-related coursework
helpful, but not required.
397VW Public History Workshop
D. Glassberg
TuTh 1:00-2:15
This workshop provides students with a foundation on emerging methods in digital and public history -- such as geomapping and the online exhibition of historical source materials -- as well as practical experiences in exploring sites
related to the New Deal throughout New England. Readings will include recent interpretations of the Great Depression
and New Deal as they relate to modern presentation of history. Class activities and assignments will include both digital
components and field experiences around Amherst and the surrounding area.
398A Practicum – Career Development
M. Roblee
Tuesdays 5:30-6:20 (Pass/Fail - One Credit)
This class is designed to help students think about life after the BA. The class will explore a variety of subjects, including
what jobs history majors have gotten in recent years, what qualifications history majors bring to the job market, what your
interests and skills suggest about the sort of employment you might find rewarding, opportunities for pre-professional
training (UMass courses, internships, study abroad, and graduate school), resume writing, job search strategies, and
interview skills.
492H Witchcraft, Magic and Science (Honors)
B. Ogilvie
MW 2:30-3:45
The foundations of modern science and scientific method were laid in the Scientific Revolution of the late sixteenth and
seventeenth century. This period would be seen as a golden age by the philosophes of the eighteenth-century
Enlightenment and the founders of the history of science in the twentieth century. Yet the period from 1550 to 1650 also
saw widespread interest in occult powers and natural magic, and it was the height of the “witch craze” in Europe, a period
in which about fifty thousand Europeans, most of them women, were tried and executed for the crime of diabolical
witchcraft.
Are these trends contradictory or complementary? Historians have disagreed vehemently about whether the Scientific
Revolution, a triumph of rational thought, was opposed to the Renaissance interest in the occult, demonology, natural
magic, and witchcraft, or whether these aspects were part and parcel of the intense study of the natural world that
characterized early modern science. For example, Isaac Newton was both the founder of modern physics and a dedicated
alchemical adept. Were these aspects of his life compatible? Or did they coexist in an uneasy tension, reflected in the fact
that Newton never published his alchemical writings?
This course will address these questions on the basis of intensive study of the primary sources and selected readings
from modern historians of science, European culture, and occult knowledge. Though our focus will be on early modern
Europe, we will look to the High Middle Ages for the origins of many European concepts of demonic and occult powers
and the origins of modern notions of scientific explanation. On the most fundamental level, this course is about the history
of reason and rationality: what did it mean to approach a problem reasonably, and what—if anything—did modern science
add to the ways in which human beings justify their claims to know something?
JUNIOR WRITING SEMINARS (591-595)
592K History of Contraception and Abortion
J. Berkman
Wed 2:30-5:00
This Junior Seminar, although primarily focused on the history of contraception and abortion in the United States, is open
to student research and writing on the related history in other countries. The course is organized into two parts. Prior to
spring break, students will read widely in reproductive control, beginning with two court decisions spanning centuries -the recent Supreme Court Hobby Lobby decision concerning contraception and a court decision about abortion in colonial
Connecticut. An essay, ca. 10-15 pages, based upon assigned readings, lectures and class discussion will climax this first
half of the semester. During the weeks after spring break, the seminar turns into a workshop, engaged in the study of
research and writing techniques and student presentations of the first draft of their term paper. The term paper builds on
the readings of the first half of the semester along with research begun during March. The final draft of the paper will be
due a week after the last day of the Seminar.
593RR Race, Religion and Nation in East Asia
G. Washington
Tu 4:00-6:30
Junior Writing Seminar: As their nations struggled to find their places in a new world order dominated by Western
nations, East Asians saw the variety, visibility, and impacts of religion explode in their everyday lives. We need only
think of the bulletproof Chinese Boxers who defied the Qing Dynasty and the entire Western world in 1900 or the hyperpatriotic, militaristic Emperor-worship cultivated by State Shinto in Japan. From European Jesuits in China to American
Protestants in Japan to Japanese Buddhists in Korea to the place of religion in racial and national identity formation and
state-building, religion has been a very big deal in modern East Asia over the past five centuries. To understand these
developments, we will read from history monographs, academic journal articles, diaries, newspapers, and magazines that
illustrate East Asian religious heterogeneity and its intellectual, socio-cultural, and political repercussions. This writingintensive course will culminate with a short secondary source-based research paper.
593V Origins of War
C. Barton
TuTh 2:30-3:45
This course looks at ancient warfare from many angles (emotional, psychological and sociological). We will begin even
before the beginning. We will deal with the relationship between prey and predatory behaviors in primates, hominids, and
humans and in the relationship of hunting and warfare among foragers and farmers. We will deal with the kinds of
structures of leadership and hierarchy created among brigands, war bands, and armies. We will deal with the varieties of
cultic behaviors of hunters, warriors and soldiers - the varieties of “holy wars.” We will be reading both primary and
secondary sources on a great variety of cultures including: the foragers of Africa, Australia and New Guinea, the war
bands of ancient Germany, the Americas and medieval Japan, the armies of the Aztecs, Greeks and Romans. Three 7-10
page papers.
594Z Women and Politics 19th Century
B. Krauthamer
MW 2:30-3:45
This writing seminar focuses on 19th-century African American women's involvement in political issues such as
abolition, women's suffrage, public health, worker's rights and education. Students will read both primary sources and
current scholarship on the subject. Students will work on independent research projects through the semester and
will present that research in their final paper and an oral presentation to the class.
595I US Immigration History 1830-1965
J. Fronc
TuTh 11:30-12:45
In this seminar, we will examine the roles race, ethnicity, gender, and sexuality have played in U.S. immigration history
and policy from the arrival of the first large wave of immigrants to the U.S. (the Irish), through the first racially-based
immigration act (the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882), to the passage of the Immigration Act of 1965, which eliminated
quotas based on national origins. Students will read and engage with both primary and secondary source material.
During the first third of the semester, students will read scholarly articles and monographs on selected topics and lead
group discussions. A short paper will be required for each reading. In the remainder of the semester, students will select
their own topics and research and produce an original paper (approximately 20 pages). Students will also engage in peer
review and evaluation of their work as they move through the research, drafting, and writing stages of their papers.
595M Monsters, Foreigners - Outsiders in Antiquity - The Middle Ages
A. Taylor
TuTh 4:00-5:15
Junior Writing Seminar. Idealized and despised, outsiders, both real and imagined, define a society through negative and
positive examples. We will examine numerous primary sources including Babylonian epic, Greek tragedies, paintings,
sculpture, histories, geographies, saints? lives, theology, Viking poems, manuscript illumination, Arthurian legends, and
witch-hunting manuals. By placing our sources in their historical contexts, we will examine the ways that a society
represents and uses its outsiders. The structure of the class will be roughly chronological beginning in the Ancient Near
East and continuing through the Classical world, and medieval Europe, but will also proceed thematically to examine
different kinds of outsiders. The subjects of our inquiry will be the fantastic?monsters, zombies, revenants, wild men?but
we will also consider the related representations of real peripheral groups and individuals including Jews, Muslims, saints,
heretics, and those accused of witchcraft. Students will write several papers, including a term paper.
595W History Writing and Political Engagement
S. Schmalzer
Th 2:30-5:00
This seminar will challenge the notion that good historical writing must be politically neutral.
We will read different types of historical writing that pursue explicit political agendas or
advocate for specific causes; and we will discuss how the authors manage (or fail) to take a
stand while upholding rigorous standards of evidence and argument. Students will write several
papers (including a short opinion piece, a historiographical essay, and a longer argument paper
with primary sources) on a topic of political interest to themselves in a historical context they
have previously studied or are currently studying. Success in the class will depend on the
student's willingness to complete weekly assignments in a timely manner, recognition of the
need for both political passion and scholarly responsibility, and ability to identify a promising
topic and pursue it on a semi-independent basis (with guidance from the professor).
-----------------------------------------GRADUATE COURSES ---------------------------------------------History undergraduates may take graduate courses for honors credit with instructor's permission. For descriptions
of classes, please see the History Department graduate course catalogue, available in the history office, or on line, at
http://www.umass.edu/history/grad_courses.html.