Saint Louis University
History Course Descriptions
Spring 2011
Joan of Arc
Undergraduate Course Offerings……Page 2
Graduate Course Offerings………….Page 9
Tentative Future Offerings…….……TBA
Undergraduate Courses
Lower Division
Spring 2011
HIST 111: Origins of the Modern World to 1500.
A developmental and conceptual approach to Europe as the confluence of classical and
oriental civilizations. The course will cover ancient civilizations of the
Mediterranean and the Near East: Greece, Rome, Islam, Byzantium, and Germanic tribal
society: the contributions of each to the European Middle Ages, Renaissance, European
Expansion, Scientific Revolution, and Reformation.
Section:
01
03
04
05
06
07
08
09
Ms.
Dr.
Dr.
Ms.
Mr.
Mr.
Mr.
Dr.
Elizabeth Sherman
Nathaniel Millett
Steve Schoenig, S.J.
Elizabeth Sherman
Adam Hoose
Walker Cosgrove
Frank Krajewski
Hayrettin Yucesoy
TR
MWF
MWF
TR
MWF
MWF
TR
TR
9:30-10:45
10:00-10:50
11:00-11:50
11:00-12:15
9:00-9:50
1:10-2:00
12:45-2:00
2:15-3:30
HIST 111: Origins of the Modern World to 1500: SLU Inquiry (Freshmen & Sophomores Only)
This is a survey of global history tracing the formation of the modern world from the
origins of human societies through the 16th century. We will proceed chronologically
and thematically, exploring political, economic, social, religious and intellectual
change over time. We will study early urbanization and empire; the origin and spread
of world religious traditions; the diffusion of scientific knowledge across diverse
cultures and societies. As we discuss the human past we will also consider how
historians have dealt with history over the centuries. This course aims at widening
our knowledge not only historically but also geographically so that we appreciate the
globe not as a series of disconnected structures but as interrelated and
interdependent polities and cultures.
Section:
02
Mr. Adam Hoose
MWF
12:00-12:50
HIST 111-01H: Origins of the Modern World to 1500 (Honors Students Only)
This course will be about the history of ideas and how ideas shaped the history of
mankind all the way from pre-history until the Discovery of America. We will look at
ancient texts from across the globe but also think about the varieties of evidence
available to the historian in reconstructing the ancient past. There will be three
tests, a project and a final exam.
Section:
01H
Dr. Damian Smith
MWF
2:10-3:30
HIST 112: Origins of the Modern World Since 1600
A developmental and conceptual approach emphasizing increasing awareness of and
contact with the rest of the world. The course will cover transatlantic encounters,
the Protestant and Catholic Reformations, the Scientific Revolution, Absolutism, the
Enlightenment, the Industrial Revolution, Modernism, and imperialism.
Section:
01
02
03
04
05
06
Dr.
Dr.
Mr.
Mr.
Mr.
Mr.
Mark Ruff
Jennifer Popiel
Andrew Jones
Walker Cosgrove
Ben Troxell
James Naus
MW
MW
MWF
MWF
TR
TR
11:00-11:50 Discussion Section Required
12:00-12:50 Discussion Section Required
10:00-10:50
2:10-3:00
12:45-2:00
8:00-9:15
2
07
08
09
10
Mr.
Dr.
Mr.
Dr.
Joseph Reidy
Vince Ryan
Andrew Jones
David Parnell
TR
MWF
MWF
TR
9:30-10:45
10:00-10:50
9:00-9:50
11:00-12:15
HIST 112-01H: Origins of the Modern World since 1500 (Honors Students Only)
This course is a survey of the people, events, and forces that have shaped Western
Civilization since 1500. The course will especially emphasize political, intellectual,
and social revolutions and the various responses to these movements. There will be a
significant discussion component to this course, rooted chiefly in the 6 assigned
books.
Section:
01H
Dr. Vincent Ryan
MWF
9:00-9:50
HIST 260: US History to 1865: SLU Inquiry (Freshmen & Sophomores Only)
This inquiry course is intended for freshmen and sophomores who are looking for a more
challenging and interesting academic experience to fulfill the requirements for
History 260. The goal is for you to acquire a good working knowledge of American
history and an understanding of its significance for the world we live in today. We
will analyze and reflect on major developments which have shaped the American nation
from colonization to the end of the Civil War. Unlike a traditional survey lecture,
this course is based on extended critical readings of primary and secondary sources.
It also features expanded faculty-student interaction, and routinely includes class
discussion.
Section:
01
Dr. Terri Fahrney
MWF
2:10-3:00
HIST 260: US History to 1865
This course covers American history from the period of contact through the Civil War.
Topics include the collision of European, African, and Native American cultures in the
age of contact and settlement; colonial British North America; the American Revolution
and the Constitution; geographic expansion and social, economic, and cultural change
in the Jacksonian era; slavery and the sectional conflict, and the Civil War.
Section:
02
Ms. Amy Wallhermfechtel
TR
9:30-10:45
HIST 261: History of the United States Since 1865
This course will survey the major historical development in American history as the
United States emerged as a major world power. The course will examine such issues as
the shift from a rural agrarian to an urban industrial nation, the shifting view of
the role of government in society and the economy, and the evolution of foreign policy
from nineteenth century isolation to world super power in the years after World War
II. The format of the course will be lecture and discussion.
Section:
01
02
03
Dr. Michael Ruddy
Mr. Ben Troxell
Dr. Flannery Burke
TR
TR
MWF
11:00-12:15
2:15-3:30
10:00-10:50
3
Undergraduate Courses
Upper Division
Spring 2010
HIST 300: Ancient Greece
The course, consisting of lectures and discussions, will cover ancient Greek history
from the Mycenaean through the Hellenistic period (roughly from 1600 BC to 30 BC).
Besides Sarah Pomeroy et al., Ancient Greece (2nd edition), readings will include
Homer’s Odyssey and works by Sappho, Herodotus, Thucydides, Aristophanes, Plato, and
Plutarch. There will be a midterm examination, a final examination, and a research
paper of 2000-3000 words including footnotes.
Section:
01
Dr. Warren Treadgold
TR
2:15-3:30
HIST 302: Roman Empire
The history of Rome from the assassination of Julius Caesar in 44 B.C. to the end of
the Western Empire in the fifth century A.D.
An examination of the career of
Augustus and the transformation of the Roman world he brought about, the JulioClaudian emperors, the second century Pax Romana, the crises of the third century,
the Barbarian Invasions, the rise and eventual dominance of Christianity, and the end
of imperial power in the West.
Section:
01
Dr. Neil Hackett
MWF
11:00-11:50
HIST 309: The Age of Renaissance
Once seen as the age of artistic glory, the "discovery" of new worlds, rampant
individualism, and nostalgia for the Greek and Roman classical past, the very
existence of a European Renaissance is now in question. Did it exclude women? Was it
an elitist movement that flourished oblivious to the crushing poverty of the vast
majority of Europeans? Did its ambitions for economic expansion lead to the near
extinction of the peoples of the New World who had the misfortune to be in its path?
How did the emphasis of humanists on reason comfortably coexist with astrology,
alchemy, and the "occult" sciences? Did its political ideas nurture the seeds of
liberal democracy or did they legitimize the unrestrained exercise of brute power? Did
the attitudes of Europeans towards Africans and other non-Europeans contribute to the
development of modern racism? This course, which will be a combination of lectures
and student discussion, will seek to answer all these questions and more. There will
be no in-class exams; the course requirements will consist of a research paper and two
take-home exams
Section:
01
Dr. Philip Gavitt
TR
12:45-2:00
HIST 310: The Reformation
Subject: An overview of the religious, cultural, social, and political changes of the
sixteenth century, with special emphasis on the rise and growth of Protestantism and
the Catholic response. Texts: Lindberg, The European Reformations and The European
Reformation Sourcebook. Assignments: Students are required to write three five-page
analytical papers on assigned questions based on documents in Lindberg. There will
also be three essay exams, including the final.
Section:
01
Dr. James Hitchcock
TR
12:45-2:00
4
HIST 312: French Revolution and Napoleon, 1789-1815
The origins and history of the French Revolution; social, economic, intellectual,
institutional, and constitutional changes; European War; the Napoleonic Empire and its
collapse.
Section:
01
Dr. Jennifer Popiel
MWF
9:00-9:50
HIST 321: China Since 1644
This course explores some of the main themes in Chinese history from the Manchu
conquest in 1644 to the present. Topics include the consolidation under the Manchus in
the 1600s; the end of the old imperial order in 1911; relations with the outside
world; the development of capitalism, nationalism, and communism; the communist
revolution of 1949; and the tumultuous changes in the People's Republic since 1949.
Section:
01
Dr. Brian Arendt
TR
9:30-10:45
HIST 345: Colonial America
History 345 explores the history of English America. Rather than telling a
chronological story, the class centers on four of the most important subjects in
colonial history: the founding of the English settlement at Jamestown, the role of
religion in New England, the consequences of Indian-white encounters, and the
development of racial slavery. Particular emphasis will be placed on the historical
craft, as taught through class discussions and writing assignments. There are no
examinations. Instead, for each subject students will read a monograph, discuss
primary texts, consider how the topic is represented on film and in public history
venues, and write an essay based on primary sources.
Section:
01
Dr. Lorri Glover
TR
9:30-10:45
HIST 348: U.S Civil War and Reconstruction, 1850-1877
Examines the American Civil War from its origins in the sectional conflict through
Reconstruction.
Topics include the institution of slavery; Union and Confederate
society, politics, culture, war aims and leaders; race and emancipation; dissent and
civil rights; the transition to free labor; and the war's lasting impact on American
history.
Section:
01
Dr. Silvana Siddali
TR
11:00-12:15
HIST 383: Modern Middle East
The general theme of this course is the history of the modern Middle East from the
19th century up to the present. After discussing political, social, and cultural
history of the Middle East within the framework of an Islamic civilization, we will
examine new challenges such as modernity, westernization, nationalism,
colonialism,statehood, and the place of tradition and Islam in the modern world.
We will examine the impact of outside powers on the Middle East and address the
problems of political, economic, and cultural decolonization, the ideological choices
dominant in the twentieth century and efforts to reassert Islamic identity in an era
of globalization. We will use a variety of media including primary sources in English.
Section:
01
Dr. Hayrettin Yucesoy
TR
11:00-12:15
HIST 393: Japan and Korea
This course will examine the relationship of two of East Asia’s economic success
stories, their troubled past, and the divisions characterizing their modern
development. This course will cover the period from the Warring States era in Japan to
the economic “miracles” and Stalinist stagnation of the last few decades. We will
study topics such as the unification of Japan, the Yi Dynasty in Korea, the long
5
periods of isolation of the two countries, the opening of both in the nineteenth
century, the industrialization of Japan and its territorial expansion, the
colonization of Korea, the Second World War, the division of Korea and the economic
success stories of the 1980s. In each period the course will look at a number of
political, economic, and social aspects of Korea and Japan.
Section:
01
Dr. Brian Arendt
TR
8:00-9:15
HIST 393: Race and Athletics in 20th Century America
Race, as a social classification, invaded nearly every aspect of society, including
the nation’s leisure activities. Sports and athletics represented leisure activities
in which nearly all Americans could participate. Unfortunately, throughout a large
part of the twentieth century, the controversy concerning race prevented Americans
from participating together in many organized sports. Shouldering the burden of their
race, athletes of color desegregated these organized sports only to face new barriers
in regard to their race. It is the purpose of this course to discover and analyze the
impact that race and racism had on national sports. Furthermore, the young historians
in this course will deal with the social, political, and economical implications of
race and sports and what these implications meant to the American twentieth century.
By taking a critical look at sports events, managers, teams, coaches, athletes, and
fans, the young historians will be able to log and discuss the critical importance of
both race and sports in American culture.
Section:
02
Dr. Stefan Bradley
TR
2:15-3:30
HIST 393: Rome, the Barbarians, and the End of Civilization
In the fourth and fifth centuries, the Western Roman Empire experienced an invasion of
Germanic barbarians that destroyed the empire and its advanced civilization. Or, as
some would suggest, in the fourth and fifth centuries, the Western Roman Empire
negotiated with Germanic peoples and its civilization transformed into something new,
pushing Europe toward the Middle Ages. Which of these two interpretations is closer to
the truth? This course will examine the context of these events, a period of time
known as Late Antiquity (roughly 284-650 AD), and will particularly analyze whether
the world created by the Romans transformed or was destroyed.
Section:
03
Dr. David Parnell
TR
12:45-2:00
HIST 393: Greek and Roman Warfare
An examination of the military history of ancient Greece and Rome, beginning with
war’s depiction in the Homeric epics, the development of hoplite tactics, the Persian
and Peloponnesian Wars, the campaigns of Alexander the Great, the Punic Wars, and
succeeding campaigns in the Roman Republic and Western Empire. The course will focus
not only on actual warfare and the evolution of tactics, but also on the ideology of
war, its psychological and sociological effects on both participants and noncombatants, and war’s religious significance in the classical world.
Section:
04
Dr. Neil Hackett
MWF
12:00-12:50
HIST 393: Reform & Revolution in Latin America
The nineteenth century in Latin America was a period of intense change, as the areas
under primarily Spanish and Portuguese control began to assert their independence.
This course will begin with a look at the Bourbon reforms of the mid-eighteenth
century, and their role in the bloody and sometimes protracted revolutions of the
nineteenth century, and end with the Mexican Revolution of 1910. Included will be a
brief discussion of earlier revolutions, i.e. British-American (1776) French (1789)
Haitian (1791,) and their influences on Latin America after the incursion of Napoleon
into Iberia in 1808. What caused the colonies of Latin America, which had been
successfully held in control for over three hundred years, to revolt? Who were the
leaders of these movements and what were their motivations, their agendas? Though the
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class will focus on the reform movements and their leaders, the importance of both
colonial overlords and foreign influences (esp. Britain, France and the US) on these
movements will be discussed. Included will be a look at the roles of “others,” women,
indigenous and slaves that affected this era of independence.
Section:
05
Dr. Terri Fahrney
MWF
1:10-2:00
Undergraduate Spring 2010
Seminar Courses
HIST 490: Seminar: Medieval Ireland
This course is an introduction to the sources and history of medieval Ireland, 4001400. The main objectives of the course are to familiarize students with the
chronology of medieval Ireland and to explore the main historiographical problems
facing Irish history today. Topics covered include Iron Age society, the problem of
St. Patrick, the organization of the early Irish church, the political development of
Irish kingship, the Vikings in Ireland, the arrival of the Anglo-Normans, medieval
Gaelic society, and the conflict between native and foreigner in later medieval
history. Students will analyze primary documents in Latin and in translation, as well
as relevant archaeological data. Students will complete an annotated bibliography, a
midterm exam, and a research paper, and actively participate in class discussions.
Section:
01
Dr. Thomas Finan
MWF
12:00-12:50
HIST 490: Seminar: Revolutions in the Atlantic World
This senior seminar will investigate the momentous social, political, and cultural
transformations that characterized the American, French, and Haitian. Straddling the
late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, these social and political movements
have long been considered part of an “Age of Revolutions,” a watershed of change that
violently ushered in the problems and possibilities of the modern world.
Section:
01
Dr. Jennifer Popiel
MWF
1:10-2:00
HIST 491: Seminar: Cross-Cultural Encounters in America
Course description: This course will analyze early cross-cultural interactions and
exchanges between Indians, Europeans, and Africans in America in the context of the
Atlantic world. We will analyze conflicts as well as creative adaptations in order to
gain an understanding of how cultures change through contact with one another, and why
such contact involves both resistance and assimilation. The seminar will have two
parallel trajectories. One will involve reading and analyzing texts related to crosscultural encounters in American history in order to become familiar with the field and
with various methods of interpretation. The other will be devoted to your research
paper: formulating its topic, assembling the initial bibliography, preparing a written
conceptualization of the argument, presenting your findings in class for critical
discussion, and writing the paper.
Section:
01
Dr. Michal Rozbicki
TR
12:45-2:00
HIST 491: Seminar: Slavery and Abolition
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This seminar will explore primary and secondary sources on the American Slavery system
and the Abolitionist movement. Focusing on the nineteenth century, we will examine
the challenges to slavery from African Americans and their allies, the rise of
abolitionism and antislavery, the varying experiences of the enslaved population, the
internal structure of a slave society, the South's defense of slavery, and the
resulting political contest that led to southern secession and civil war. This course
emphasizes historigraphical literacy, research and writing skills on a specific
historical topic: slavery and abolition.
Section:
02
Dr. Katrina Thompson
TR
11:00-12:15
TR
9:30-10:45
HIST 491: Seminar: The Cold War
Section:
03
Dr. Mark Ruff
HIST 494: Honors Thesis
This course will be conducted as an independent study/research course for writing an
honors thesis. It is an opportunity for superior students who want to expand and
revise a paper for a previous 300 or 400 level history courses into an honors thesis.
This option will give the student a chance to develop and demonstrate advanced
research and writing skills. It will be excellent preparation for graduate or
professional schools, some of which require applicants to submit a writing sample.
A student must possess a minimum GPA of 3.5 in history courses and a 3.25 GPA overall.
The student must be recommended by the instructor who supervised his or her paper for
the previous course. This instructor will supervise the honors thesis as the
instructor of record in the HIST 494 course. A second reader will be named for the
thesis in consultation with the departmental director of undergraduate studies. The
second reader can be chosen from outside the department or outside the university.
HIST 496: Internship/History in Practice
This course gives students the opportunity to serve as unpaid interns in the area of
public history, historic preservation, archives, and library and museum science.
Students work an equivalent of 8-10 hours per week for the semester, keep a journal of
their activities, and receive an evaluation by the professional in charge of
supervising their work. Students may undertake an internship with organizations in the
St. Louis area or most anywhere in the world. The instructor works with students to
identify internship work that matches their interests and to place them with
appropriate organizations.
Section:
30
Dr. Silvana Siddali
TBA
8
Graduate Courses
Spring 2010
HIST 531: Advanced Studies: Medieval History: TOPICS IN MEDIEVAL CANON LAW
A great many medieval texts were legal in nature, and the law touched on nearly every
facet of medieval life. The Church’s law had a particular impact across the medieval
West. This course offers an introduction to Latin canon law in the Middle Ages by
focusing on selected sources and issues. Primary and secondary readings will shed
light on the development, transmission, and use of influential ecclesiastical norms
and legal collections from late antiquity (beginning with the early councils and the
first papal decretal) to the classical period (encompassing Gratian and Gregory IX).
The goal is to be able to work competently with canonical sources, and to grasp their
relevance, within the broader study of medieval history.
Section:
01
Dr. Steve Schoenig, S.J.
W
4:30-7:00
HIST 540: Studies in Early Modern European History
Readings in major secondary works of modern European history from the seventeenth to
the twentieth centuries, as preparation for seminar work and for comprehensive exams.
Format will be open discussion of assigned works. Students will be asked to write a
comprehensive bibliographical essay on some topic in modern European history,
surveying the secondary literature on the subject and reaching conclusions.
Section:
01
Dr. James Hitchcock
T
4:30-7:00
HIST 561: Adv. Studies in American History: The Atlantic World
The Atlantic World was the world created by the intersection of Europe, Africa, and
the Americas. It is an approach to history that transcends the nation-state and
focuses, instead, on the myriad of political, economic, cultural, biological, and
social connections that were forged by peoples of diverse backgrounds beginning as
early as 1100 CE (the majority of the readings will focus on the period between 1450
and 1850). The course will focus on the close reading of the most important secondary
works of Atlantic social, cultural, political, military, and economic history. We will
also examine the origins of the field as well as charting its development. In the end,
students will gain a detailed knowledge of one of the most dynamic fields of
contemporary historical scholarship.
Section:
01
Dr. Nathaniel Millett
W
4:30-7:00
HIST 598-16: History of the American West
By using the American West as their object of study and their inspiration, historians
of the American West have offered innovative interpretations of race relations in
North American history, pioneered (so to speak) transnational approaches to U.S.
history, provided detailed explanations of the expansion of the power of the federal
government in the twentieth century, and incorporated environmental history into
studies of rural and urban areas alike. Not surprisingly, western historians have
been the recipients of numerous awards in the past two decades. The field is vibrant
and growing. This class will introduce students to classic works in western history
and to new, cutting-edge scholarship. Writing assignments will be tailored to
students’ needs so that students may choose between furthering a research project,
designing a course syllabus on the West, proposing a museum exhibit, or writing
history for a general audience.
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Section:
01
Dr. Flannery Burke
M
4:30-7:00
HIST 680: Seminar: Ancient/Byzantine History
The seminar will deal with topics in Byzantine history from AD 285 to 1461, including
political, economic, military, diplomatic, ecclesiastical, military, cultural, and
social history. Students will write and present in class seven preliminary reports of
about 1500 words each designed to give them the necessary background to write their
seminar paper, a seminar paper of about 10,000 words on a topic of their choice
approved by the instructor, and an assigned critique of about 1000 words of another
student's paper.
Section:
01
Dr. Warren Treadgold
R
4:30-7:00
HIST 681: Seminar: The Crusades
Advanced, directed research on topics related to the medieval crusading movement.
Students will strive to produce original works of scholarship suitable for
publication. In addition, students will have exposure to various research skills and
methodologies crucial to advance research in medieval history.
Section:
01
Dr. Thomas Madden
M
1:10-4:00
HIST 683: Seminar: Research Seminar in Modern European History
This seminar will examine American-European diplomatic relations in the 20th century
during the era of the world wars and the Cold War. Students will be expected to write
a research paper of publishable quality based on primary sources.
Section:
01
Dr. Mark Ruff
M
4:30-7:00
HIST 684: Seminar: Inter-cultural relations in early modern American history
Course description: This course will examine cross-cultural contacts in early modern
America in the context of the Atlantic world. The main focus will be on the
interactions between Europeans, Indians, and Africans. Studying inter-culturality
offers exciting intellectual challenges and fascinating insights. It involves three
sides--the interpreting culture of the historian and the two "other" cultures being
interpreted. When members of past cultures assigned meaning to their experiences, they
interpreted them, and these interpretations guided their actions. The historian
studying them attempts to interpret these interpretations, and must examine the
symbolic discourses and the "self-evident" assumptions of past cultures in order to
reconstruct what reality meant to their members, and to explain why confrontations
with otherness--initially disruptive of the shared, self-evident order--resulted in
creative adaptations and deep historical change.
Section:
01
Dr. Michal Rozbicki
T
4:30-7:00
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