SPRING 2014
DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Lawrence_Compton_Bush_Conant_Compton_Loomis_83d40m_March_1940_meeting_U
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UNDERGRADUATE COURSE GUIDE
SPRING 2014
Courses that will satisfy the NON-WESTERN requirement for the HISTORY MAJOR:
History 111 World History since 1500
History 120 Latin America: Colonial Period
History 161 History of Africa since 1500
History 345 China in 19th Century
History 354 History of Mexico
History 359 Modern Brazil
History 392C Environ Hist Latin America
History 393EH Intel Orig of Colonialism
History 394EI Human Rights & Energy in Eurasia
History 394RI Hist of Comparative Revolutions
History 394TI Mongol & Turkish Empires
History 397CC Cuba and her Diaspora
History 397FR History of Forgiveness
History 397GGH Gandhi: Myth, Perspective and Politics
History 593D Israel & the Palestinians
Econ 397MI ST- City, Industry, and Labor in Modern India, 1750-1950
B. Ogilvie
H. Scott
J. Bowman
S. Platt
J. Roberts
A. Dausch
H. Scott
J. Higginson
A. Altstadt
J. Higginson
A. Broadbridge
J. Capo
Joshua Rosenthal
P.Srivastava
M. Wilson
P.Srivastava
Courses the will satisfy the PRE-1500 requirement for the HISTORY MAJOR:
History 100 Western Thought to 1600
History 302 Early Middle Ages 300-1100
History 391T Roman Empire
History 394TI Mongol & Turkish Empires
History 591J Sacrifice & Martyrdom
History 593J Medieval Women
M. Poe
A. Taylor
C. Barton
A. Broadbridge
C. Barton
A. Taylor
100 Western Thought to 1600
(HS) M. Poe
MW 10:10-11:00 plus discussion
Survey of the history and culture of Western Civilization through the age of the Reformation. Topics: Greece
and Rome; rise of Christianity; "decline and fall" of the Roman Empire; formation of the Medieval World;
Renaissance and Reformation.
101 Western Thought Since 1600
(HS) J. Olsen
MW 2:30-3:20 plus discussion
This 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.
111 World History Since 1500
(HS G) B. Ogilvie
MW 10:10-11:00 plus discussion
Lecture with discussion sections. The goal of the course is to understand the development of world history from
the late 15th to the late 20th centuries. In order to provide a coherent narrative, the course will focus on the
formation and effects of empires. We will use this central theme to investigate concepts including slavery,
genocide and globalization. The readings for the course focus on primary 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 include two exams, two quizzes
and multiple short writing assignments. This course fulfills the non-western requirement for history majors and
the historical studies and global perspective of the general education program.
120 Latin America: Colonial Period
(HS G) H. Scott
MW 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.
150 U.S. History to 1876
(HS) S. Cornell
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.”
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.” Reader and four paperbacks. Midterm and final, plus extensive
section work.
151 Development of American Civilization Since 1876
(HS) S. Redman
TuTh 11:15-12:05 plus discussion
Lecture and 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 9:30–10:20 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 prerequisites.
170 Indigenous Peoples of North America
(HS U) A. Nash
MW 11:15-12:05 plus discussion
Lecture with discussion sections. This course is an overview of the historical experiences of indigenous peoples
in North America from the early contact period to the present day. While we can only cover a few culture
groups in depth (the indigenous peoples of North America spoke over 500 different languages before European
contact), the major themes relate to all groups: pre-contact histories and the writing of academic history;
colonization and resistance; subsistence and dependency; Native religions and Christianity; changing family and
gender relations; the impact of the American Revolution and Manifest Destiny; scientific racism; education and
(non)assimilation; Red Power; and current issues including struggles over land, sovereignty and treaty
rights. With so much to cover it is essential that you attend lectures and discussion sections without fail.
181 Western Science and Technology II: from the Scientific Revolution to the Cold War
(HS) L. Owens
TuTh 9:30-10:20 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.
241 The Irish Experience
(HS) L. McNeil
TuTh 9:30-10:45
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.
253 Asian-Pacific American History 1850(HS U) R. Chu
TuTh 11:15-12:30
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.
291A African American History: Africa to the Civil War
B. Krauthamer
TuTh 11:15-12:05 plus discussion
This course will introduce students to the study of African American History. The course will cover the African
Diaspora to the Americas and will focus on the history of people of African descent in North
America/United States. Topics covered will include: slave rebellions, religion and culture, family life, political
activism and the demise of slavery in the United States. Readings will include primary
sources such as slave narratives, novels and newspapers, as well as recent scholarly works in African American
history.
291EH Food, Water, Shelter (Honors)
E. Redman
TuTh 2:30-3:45
This honors seminar explores our historic relationships with food, water, and shelter, with a strong focus on the
history of science. Using a variety of sources aimed at diverse audiences, this course will investigate topics such
as the biological and cultural heritage of food and eating, agriculture and sustainability, the scientific analysis of
drinking water and its role in public health debate, urban planning and suburban development, the fallout shelter
and American nuclear policy, and the mathematics of acoustics in modern architectural design. Topics will
touch on environmental history, evolution, epidemiology, neuroscience, germ theory, physics, policy and
politics, the role of the scientific expert, technological development, and the relationship between science and
society. As an honors course, this reading and writing intensive class requires both independent research and
active in-class participation
291W History of Baseball
J.Wolfe
MF 10:10-11:00 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.
297E Immigration & Migration in the US 1877-present
J. Fronc
TuTh 11:15-12:30
This course will examine the movement of people throughout the United States from the period of
Reconstruction to the current immigration debates. Special attention will be paid to the movement of African
Americans from South to North, and the movement of immigrants from Europe, Asia, and South America
throughout the twentieth century. The course will also consider immigration law and policy. Focus will be on
primary and secondary source readings. Students can expect to write several short papers over the course of the
semester.
298Y/UMASS 298Y – 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.
302 Early Middle Ages 300-1100
A.Taylor
MW 4:40-5:55
Lecture with emphasis on class participation. Focusing on the religious, intellectual and social history of Western
Europe up to the year 1000, this course will examine the formation of medieval culture. Topics and themes
include the synthesis of Christian and pagan traditions, competing sources and forms of authority, and religious
controversies. Assignments will include a midterm, quizzes, and a final research paper.
317 Russian Revolution
A. Altstadt
TuTh 9:30-10:45
Examines the Russian revolutionary tradition from the mid 19th century to the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917
and its consolidation in the 1920s. We will read plenty of original sources (in translation) and analyze
revolutionaries' views of Russia's social, economic and political problems. Students will write on these
documents in short & long essays and in essay exams.
345 China in the 19h Century
S. Platt
TuTh 1:00-2:15
The rise and spectacular fall of China’s last dynasty, the Qing (1644-1911), with particular emphasis on the
social, economic, intellectual and military forces that transformed China from an empire into a modern nation in
the decades leading up to the 1911 Revolution. Our subjects will include secret societies, restoration scholars,
gunboat diplomacy, imperial decadence, new-text Confucian visions, clandestine missionaries, treaty-port
translators and student revolutionaries. No prior exposure to Chinese history is assumed.
354 History of Mexico
J. Roberts
MWF 2:30-3:20
The purpose of this course is to survey the history of Mexico by examining the encounters between Europeans and the
Indigenous peoples of this geographical space over the course of three centuries. The class will consider the reciprocal
effects of this contact with respect to European civilization; three hundred years of contact, conflict, and colonialism. We
will explore in detail the impact of the conquest on the peoples, landscape, geography, and demography of Mexico; the role
of the Catholic Church; colonial and global economies; the formation of "race" and racialized caste systems; and subaltern
resistance among other themes. The course will run chronologically but will also take some contemporary liberties when
appropriate. Opposing viewpoints and historiographical debates will set the tone for most of our discussions and a number
of themes will guide our semester together: the centrality of Indigenous peoples; problems with Spanish colonization and
failed efforts to conquer; historiographical interpretations of the past by both insiders and outsiders; and the process and
problems of nation-building. Final grades will be composed of a map quiz, midterm, final, review essay, class attendance
and active class participation.
359 Modern Brazil
A. Dausch
TuTh 11:15-12:30
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.
363 Civil War Era
S. Cornell
MW 11:15-12:05 plus discussion
This course examines the social and cultural history of the U.S. Civil War era. We will investigate the causes of
the war, tracing the development of the conflict between slave labor and free labor, the destruction of national
political parties, and the creation of sectional political parties. However, we will also attend to other important
historical tensions during this era, including those between capitalists and workers in the North, conflicts between
so-called masters and enslaved persons in the South, conflicts between slave owners and non-slaveholding whites
in the South. We will examine the social, political, and military history of the war itself, focusing on how and
why a war for preservation became a revolution with the enactment of emancipation. Then we will focus on the
outcomes of the war, concluding with an assessment of the legacies of the era.
383 American Environmental History
(HS) D. Glassberg
TuTh 9:30-10:45
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)L.Lovett
TuTh 11:15-12:05 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.
390H U.S. LGBT and Queer History (Honors)
(HS U) J. Capo
TuTh 1:00–2:15
This honors 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 modern United
States history. Topics include sodomy in colonial America, cross-dressing during the American Revolution and
Civil War, the construction of the homo/heterosexual binary, the "pansy" craze, the homophile and gay
liberation movements, the shift to "gay rights," the emergence of HIV/AIDS, immigration, and the on-going
debate concerning same-sex marriage.
391AH Rise and Fall of the Rocket State (Honors)
L. Owens
Thursdays 1:00-3:30
America's rocket ride to the moon was based on the cannonball physics of Galileo and Newton, foreshadowed
by Verne's vision of the Baltimore Gun Club, and driven by the needs of the cold war. The Rocket State was an
extraordinary amalgam of fact, fantasy, and the fear of Armageddon that had profound consequences for
American politics and culture in the years after World War Two. We'll explore its rise and fall, focusing on
four of its characteristic technologies that emerged from WWII - the atomic bomb, the rocket, the computer, and
an organizing social vision based on the secret laboratories of the Manhattan Project. In addition to some firstrate scholarship, we'll read quite of lot of science fiction - the defining literature of the cold war Rocket
State. In short, this course is about a time in American history when the country learned how to build rockets
and sought to redefine itself and its culture in their image. You'll do several in-class reports (depending on
enrolment) and a final paper of 8-10 pages. THE DRAFT OF THE PAPER WILL BE DUE THREE WEEKS
BEFORE THE END OF CLASSES! Grades will be based on these assignments, classroom participation, and
your success in dealing with various necessary deadlines.
391T Roman Empire
C. Barton
TuTh 11:15-12:30
This course will cover the period from the death of Anthony and Cleopatra to the “Fall” of Rome in the 5th
century. Some of the topics will cover; the sordid world of the Julio-Claudian period, the gladiator, and the
martyr, the great Jewish rebellion and the destruction of Jerusalem, the agonized and the saintly Emperor
Marcus Aurelius, the invasions and the militarization of the state in the 3rd century, the conversion of
Constantine and the Christianization of Rome.
392C Environmental History of Latin America
H. Scott
MWF 11:15-12:05
This course will trace the environmental history of Latin America. Beginning with the Pre-Columbian era, the
course would move on to examine the intertwining of environmental , social, and cultural transformations brought
about by the conquest of the Americas by Europeans, and finally the environmental and related social
repercussions of the emergence of modernity, urbanization, and industrialization in the era of independence. The
course will focus not only on environmental change, its causes and social repercussions, but equally on examining
cultural attitudes and ideas to environment and the changes that these ideas have undergone at different phases in
Latin America's history. As part of the course I would hope to invite Charles C. Mann to give a guest lecture and
also, if appropriate, incorporate a visit to the Mead Art Museum at Amherst College (I am visiting the museum in
August to discuss a possible class visit) to examine artifacts that shed light on environmental use by PreColumbian societies). The course would also incorporate the use of documentaries and film. Possible themes
include: debates over the nature and extent of anthropogenic landscapes in the Amazon basin prior to 1492,
European colonization and the 'Columbian exchange', the emergence of the idea of 'the tropics', the 18th century
debate over 'American nature' in the Hispanic world, colonial mining in the Andes and its environmental impacts,
plantation economies and their social and environmental effects, and indigenous struggle and environmental
justice in the 20th century. The assessment for this course would consist of a mid-term exam, group presentations,
and an end-of-semester individual essay.
392E Inter American Relations
J. Wolfe
MF 12:20-1:10 plus discussion
This class explores the long and contentious relationships between the United States and the Latin American
nations. It focuses on the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries, analyzing the Spanish-American war,
upheaval in Central America in the 1920s, the place of Cuba within the growing informal U.S. empire, trade
relations with the South American nations, the impact of the Cold War on the hemisphere, the role of the CIA in
destabilizing and overthrowing popularly elected government, and the U.S. as both a supporter and opponent of
Human Rights and democracy under various late twentieth-century presidents. We analyze these events through
the lenses of political, economic, social, and cultural history.
392N Maritime Culture New England 1620-1840
B.Levy
MWF 10:10-11:00
Between 1650 and 1820, New England’s economy largely rested on its maritime prowess: shipbuilding,
fishing, whaling, and blue-water commerce. It is the argument of this course that such success was not simply
a matter of economic evolution by laissez faire principles but an expression of New England culture, including
its political economy, its religion, and its family. Additionally, the maritime of culture of New England had an
important impact on New England society and its individuals, while the slow but dramatic dissolution of this
culture between 1812 and 1840 had a significant impact on society, including gender roles, literature, and
education
393EH Intellectual Origins of Colonialism (Honors)
J. Higginson
TuTh 9:30-10:45
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.
394CI Ideas that Changed History
(IE) E. Redman
TuTh 11:15-12:30
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.
This is an in Integrative Experience Gen Ed class and will combine academic, personal, and professional
goals. Readings will come from the philosophy of history but students will also be challenged to integrate
reading they have done in previous Gen Ed and history classes into their work. Students will also develop a
portfolio of their work in the history major that will be useful for them after graduation
394EI Human Rights & Energy in Eurasia
(IE) A. Altstadt
TuTh 1:00-2:15
This course is an IE, “Integrative Experience.” Our topic is the politics and impact of energy (especially oil and
gas) on democratization and human rights in the Caspian basin in historical and current strategic context. We
begin with an examination of the hydrocarbon industry generally and in this region, then move to examine
human rights and democratization in the five Caspian littoral states: Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan,
Russia and Iran and a few neighboring ones such as Uzbekistan. We will consider globalization and strategic
thinking, expressions of radical religious thought and politics, US/European energy and human rights
policies.As an IE, this course will address several GenEd IE objectives: pluralistic perspectives and awareness
of cultural difference and one’s self as learner; effective oral and written communication; effective collaborative
work; creative and analytical thinking and problem solving; application of methods of analysis to real world
problems, and evaluating the consequences and implications of choices and actions. How will the course
achieve these goals? Readings for the class come from both the countries we will study and from reports by
outsiders such as NGOs, international economic and political organizations, scholars of the region or topics
such as finance or energy. In discussion and writing, we will critically review these materials and explore
pluralistic perspective both among sources and compared to our own assumptions and previous impressions or
experiences. Graded assignments will be both written and oral; role-playing exercises will require team
collaboration as well as oral and written products. Our topic is analysis of policies that strive to explore and
analyze, and possibly reconcile energy needs and policies to upholding human rights in producer states. Grading
will be based on participation, short “self as learner” essays before and after each topic, and two major
analytical papers based on Strategic Games.
394RI History of Comparative Revolutions
(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 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.
397CC ST: Cuba and her Diaspora
J. Capo
TuTh 9:30-10:45
This course surveys the history of Cuba from European contact with the native population to the present. It
emphasizes the development of Cuban nationalism in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. In acknowledging
the critical role of the United States in the island’s history, this transnational course also crosses geographical
borders to explore the culture and politics of the Cuban diaspora. This includes the establishment of ethnic
enclaves, changes in foreign policy and immigration law, and patterns of assimilation. As we explore the history
of the island, we will also question how Cuba’s geo-political borders have historically expanded, such as with
the settlement of “la Habana del Norte.”
397FR The History of Forgiveness
J. Rosenthal
TuTh 11:15-12:30
This course will examine the history of pardons, amnesties, and public memory. The center of the course is
bound up in the history of Brazil, Argentina, and Chile from the 1960s to the end of the century. In this time
each country underwent a period of dictatorial military rule and then a peaceful transition to a democratic
government. In every case the question of how democratic governments would deal with the military actors
who had committed acts of violence against the civilian population, and how society at large would remember
the period of military rule, proved a difficult and long running process. In addition to questions concerning
societal memory there is the history of Truth and Reconciliation commissions. We will address this history in
the broader context of traditions of clemency in Latin America over time, by looking at other examples of
judicial reckoning for political violence in Latin America and in other parts of the world, particularly South
Africa.
397GGH Gandhi: Myth, Perspective and Politics (Honors)
P. Srivastava
TuTh 2:30-3:45
The most prominent figure in India’s anti-colonial nationalist movement, Mahatma Gandhi has also been
one of the most remarkable global leaders and thinkers of the twentieth century. Charting Gandhi’s
trajectory against the background of events in South Africa and colonial India, this course examines the
ideas, strategies, achievements and limitations of Gandhian politics. Using a variety of written sources
and films, we will critically assess Gandhi’s influence on and conflicts with various streams of anticolonial nationalism(s) in India. A critical evaluation of these themes will not only afford insights into the
life, ideology and activism of Gandhi, but also allow us to better understand the nature of British
imperialism, the different strands of Indian nationalism, and the features of political transition that
occurred in 1947. -Graded assignments include short response papers, a film review, and a research
paper. Students will select their own research paper topics in collaboration with the instructor. -No
prerequisites
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 self-determination and human rights?
397VW Public History Workshop: Mapping the New Deal in New England
S. Redman
TuTh 2:30-3:45
This workshop provides students with a foundation on emerging methods in digital and public history -- such as
geo-mapping 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
C. Benning
Tu 5:30-6:20 (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 job 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.
492AH Science for the People (Honors)
S.Schmalzer
Tues 2:30-5:00
Honors seminar on the radical 1970s-1980s organization Science for the People in the context of other social and
political movements. Students will participate in a conference on campus, April 11-13.
493B Digital History
J. Olsen
Thu 2:30-5:00
Meets with History 693B
This course on digital history examines both the theoretical and practical impact of new media and technology
on history, especially in the field of Public History. We will examine how digital media has
influenced (and is still influencing) how we research, write, present history. We will draw on theoretical
readings as well as analyze the potential benefits and drawbacks of online resources, such as websites, blogs,
wikis, and podcasts. A major component of the course will be a semester-long project that will require students
to develop a digital historical resource and construct a home page for it. The semester project is an opportunity
to experiment with new technologies and to overcome any anxieties students might have regarding the use
of new media. This course is open to junior and senior history majors, IT
minors, or by instructor permission only.
493P Indigenous Peoples & the U.N.
A. Nash
Wed 2:30-5:00
On September 13, 2007 the United Nations General Assembly adopted the U.N. Declaration on the Rights of
Indigenous Peoples. This interdisciplinary seminar takes its framework from the Declaration, exploring relevant
issues each week with historical and contemporary examples. Students will play an active role in selecting
readings and leading class discussion. No prior knowledge required but initiative, critical thinking and hard
work are essential.
JUNIOR YEAR WRITING SEMINARS (591-595)
591J Sacrifice & Martyrdom
C. Barton
TuTh 1:00-2:15
This seminar will focus on the sacrificial systems of humans from their earliest discernible developments among human
foraging groups, through their increasing elaboration in cultures based on agriculture, to their extreme developments and
inversions in complex cultures. We will especially focus on the meanings given to human sacrifice and martyrdom in
complex cultures. Among the many cultures we will be touching on are the Ainu and Nootka, the Aztec and Romans, the
modern Indians and Europeans.
592G The End of Slavery
L. Richards
MWF 10:10-11:00
Up until the Civil War, the United States was a slaveholding republic. Most of the nation's leaders were
slaveholders, and in 1857 six of the nine judges on the Supreme Court ruled that the Constitution protected
slave property. Four million Americans were slaves, and they were worth over three billion dollars on the open
market, seven times the amount of money invested in manufacturing. Thus outlawing slavery, even in the midst
of the bloodiest war in American history, was a major undertaking. This course will focus on how Americans,
some black, some white, handled that chore. There will be three papers.
593D Israel & the Palestinians
M. Wilson
MW 4:00-5:15
This is a junior writing seminar. As such, we will work both to understand the history of Israel and the
Palestinians and to write about it (you choose your focus) clearly and with proper attention to evidence. Several
short papers and writing exercises and a 15-20 page final paper. Since this is a 500-level course, please prepare
for it over winter break by reading: James Gelvin, The Israel-Palestine Conflict: 100 years of war.
593J Medieval Women
A. Taylor
MWF 2:30-3:20
We will examine the experiences, representations, and writings of women in western Europe between the fifth
and fifteenth centuries. Students will write a number of short assignments on various primary and secondary
sources, and assemble a bibliography on a topic related to the course, which will form the basis of their final
papers.
594AP American Privateering 1756-1815
B. Levy
MWF 1:25-2:15
A privateer is a vessel licensed by a government to attack and plunder enemy ships within a set of prescribed
behaviors. Most works on the American Revolution spend little time on privateering and much time on the
Continental Army. In truth, privateering was an equal part of the American bid for Independence. Nevertheless,
since it was largely a private enterprise historians have ignored it in order to establish their various myths of
republican virtue at work. The course will focus on the world of privateering including shore issues like
financiers and their lives and politics and the lives and politics of the men who actually went to sea and their
families. This writing course will acquaint students with the sources and research techniques, including
marshaling quantitative and qualitative evidence, needed to study privateering and will also stress the rhetoric
need to convey historical arguments effectively. There will be lots of writing from primary sources: four short
papers and a large paper (some of the short papers will be devoted to developing the large paper). Several
required paperbacks assigned. This course is about swashbuckling: but like real life privateering, this course
requires discipline and hard work from participants to make a profit, much less a treasure.
594Z Black Women & Pol 19th Century
B. Krauthamer
TuTh 1:00-2:15
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. Students will
write 3 short papers (5-7 pages) and a longer (10-15 pages) final paper based.
-----------------------------------------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.