Undergraduate Courses
Lower Division
Spring 2008
HIST 111: Origins of the Modern World to 1600.
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
05
06
07
Dr.
Dr.
Mr.
Mr.
Mr.
James Hitchcock
Hayrettin Yucesoy
Vince Ryan
Steve Randoll
Ben Troxell
TR
MWF
TR
MWF
MWF
2:15-3:30
9:00-9:50
9:30-10:45
9:00-9:50
10:00-10:50
HIST 111: Origins of the Modern World to 1600: 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
04
Dr.George Ndege
Ben Troxell
TR
MWF
11:00-12:15
11:00-11:50
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
05
Dr.
Dr.
Dr.
Dr.
Jennifer Popeil
Charles H. Parker
.Joel T. Davis
Nathaniel Millett
MW
MW
MW
MWF
11:00-11:50 Discussion Section Required
12:00-12:50 Discussion Section Required
10:00-10:50 Discussion Section Required
2:00-3:00
HIST 112: Origins of the Modern World since 1600: SLU Inquiry (Freshman & Sophomores Only)
Section:
04
06
Dr. Mark Ruff
Mr. Vince Ryan
MWF
TR
1:10-2:00
8:00-9:15
HR 241: Origins of the Modern World to 1600 (Honors Students Only)
This course surveys the major forces that have shaped our world from the
origins of humanity to about 1500. It embraces religion, politics, and culture,
as well as social and economic developments. Emphasis is placed on those
elements that, for better or worse, have made Western Civilization the dominant
force in the modern world. After a brief look at prehistory and the transition
to agriculture, we spend a little more time on the first to organized
civilizations-Mesopotamia and Egypt. Next a reading and analysis of the books
of Genesis and Exodus provide insight into the worldview of the ancient
Hebrews, which has continued to shape our perception of reality until today.
More time is spent on ancient Greeks, including reading three tragedies to
illuminate what has also been a continuing influence. Rome built upon the Greek
heritage, contributed new concepts of law and government, and also dominated
the Mediterranean basin and far beyond it. Christianity, growing out of
Judaism, introduced a radical new concept of humanity into the Greco-Rome
world. Our course then considers the new synthesis of Christianity, pagan Rome,
and the values of the German barbarians in Western Europe. We look at the
different forms Christianity took in the eastern half of the old Roman Empire
and their impact on Russia and other countries in Eastern Europe, as well as
Islam-the non-Western faith which has had the greatest impact on the West. In
the period of the high middle Ages we see the impact of a religious value
system, the emergence of modern nation states, etc. The Renaissance challenges
the medieval synthesis and inaugurates the so-called modern era. It is at this
time that Europe begins the exploration and conquest of much of the rest of the
world.
Format: Limited to 20 honors students. Class participation is an integral part
of the course. A short textbook and outside readings. Short papers on the
outside readings. Three essay exams in the course of the semester plus a
cumulative essay final.
Section:
01
Dr. Daniel Schlafly
MWF
9:00-9:50
HR 242: Origins of the Modern World since 1600 (Honors Students Only)
The objective of this course is to understand how cultural exchange shaped the
perceptions and experience of the major cultural areas of the world after 1500,
and how a specifically historical perspective of those exchanges provides a
deeper understanding of international affairs. Students will learn how to
analyze and think critically about their assumptions as well as the assumptions
of those who make and execute policy. This course will cover major developments
in World History from 1500 to the present, focusing on early encounters between
Europeans and the rest of the World and the gradual movement of Western Europe
from the periphery to the center of global economic and political activity.
Particular attention will be given to literature as a primary source for how
both colonizers and colonized reacted psychologically to the accelerating pace
of change. The format of the course will be discussion, and students will be
evaluated by their performance on four 10-page papers and class participation.
Section:
01
Dr. Phillip Gavitt
TR
2:15-3:30
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 facultystudent interaction, and routinely includes class discussion.
Section:
01
02
Ms. Terri Fahrney
Dr. Dennis Boman
TR
MWF
12:45-2:00
9:00-9:50
2
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 an 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
Dr. Dennis Boman
Dr. T. Michael Ruddy
MWF
TR
8:00-8:50
9:30-10:45
Undergraduate Courses
Upper Division
Spring 2008
HIST 302: Roman Empire
The history of Rome from the foundation of the city to the fall of the Empire.
Section:
01
Dr. Neil Hackett
MWF
11:00-11:50
HIST 303: The Byzantine Empire
The class will cover the history of the Byzantine (Eastern Roman) Empire from
Diocletian's division of the Roman Empire into Eastern and Western parts in 285 to the
fall of the last Byzantine state (Trebizond) in 1461. The class will read and discuss eight
primary sources: St. Athanasius' Life of Anthony (the story of a holy hermit), three other
saints' lives, Procopius' Secret History (a scandalous account of the emperor Justinian and
his wife Theodora), the epic poem Digenes Acrites (about a Byzantine warrior hero), the
memoirs of the Byzantine courtier Michael Psellus, and the French Crusader
Villehardouin's Conquest of Constantinople. The textbook will be Treadgold's Concise
History of Byzantium. There will be a midterm exam and a final exam with
identifications and essay questions, and a term paper of 2000 to 2500 words (twice as
long for graduate students).
Section:
01
Dr. Warren Treadgold
TR
2:15-3:30
HIST 305: The Middle Ages 1100 to 1450
The High and Late Middle Ages from the rise of universities to the fall of
Constantinople.
Section:
01
Dr. Damien Smith
MWF
1:10-2:00
HIST 318: Modern Latin America
A survey from the wars for independence to contemporary Ibero-America.
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Section:
01
Dr. Nathaniel Millett
MWF
10:00-10:50
HIST 348: U.S. Civil War & Reconstruction
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 transitions to free labor; and the
war’s lasting impact on American history.
Section:
01
Dr. Dennis Boman
MWF
1:10-2:00
HIST 352: Contemporary America, 1945 to Present
This lecture course focuses on four major events in U.S. history since World
War II and the historical debates surrounding the interpretation of these
Events: the Cold War, Vietnam, the Civil Rights Movement, and Watergate.
Course requirements: research paper, readings and discussion, attendance,
and tests.
Section:
01
Dr. Donald Critchlow
TR
2:15-3:30
HIST 355: US Diplomatic History Since 1945
This course will examine major topics of the Cold War, looking not just at the
evolution of the Cold War itself, but also how it led to the post-Cold War
world. Topics such as the Cuban missile crisis, Vietnam War, and détente, just
to mention a few, will be considered in light of new archival information made
available with the end of the Cold War. The format of the course will be
lecture and discussion.
Section:
01
Dr. T. Michael Ruddy
TR
12:45-2:00
HIST 359: American Women
This is an advanced course on the experiences of American women in U.S.
history. Among the general questions we explore are: over the course of time
in the United States, how and why have women been treated differently than men?
How much of that different treatment can we attribute to women’s biology (i.e.,
her “sex”) and how much to social constructions of female identity (i.e., her
“gender”)? To what extent has this differential treatment been an advantage or
a liability for women? How differently have women of different social classes,
immigrant status, ages, sexual orientation, and races been treated? How
differently have they acted? Topics covered include: women in pre-industrial
U.S.; the revolutionary era and the early republic; the impact of
industrialization; women’s experience of slavery; going West: the variety of
frontier experiences; the impact of the Civil War; the woman suffrage movement
to 1890; issues in domesticity, health, and sexuality; women’s quest for
education and professional fulfillment: “new women” 1870s-1920s; the experience
of immigration and industrial work for women; Woman Suffrage Movement II final phases; the quest for economic and political equality in modern times.
Section:
01
Dr. Elisabeth Perry
MWF
1:10-2:00
HIST 375: Women in Modern Europe
In the late nineteenth century, the French printer and patriot P. J. Proudhon
claimed that there were two possible roles for women, "harlot and housewife, no
other choice."
Proudhon found no shortage of supporters for this view in
France. In other western nations such as the United States and Great Britain,
4
there also were plenty of people of both sexes who believed that women only
belonged in the home, raising children and staying out of public view.
This course will examine the development of domestic ideology and gender ideals
in the seventeenth, eighteenth and nineteenth centuries as well as changes and
challenges to these ideas in the twentieth century.
Central issues will
involve: the relationship between political, religious, and domestic
ideologies, the difference between the domestic experiences of the bourgeoisie
and the working class, and women's responses (both as individuals and in
groups) to household ideology.
Topics for examination include the structure
of families and households, women's and children's participation in the labor
force, and the familial impact of democracy, divorce, and the welfare state, as
well as changing concepts of gender and sexuality. We will use these varied
depictions to determine what family ideals mean for the social enunciation of
gender roles.
Section:
01
Dr. Jennifer Popiel
MWF
2:10-3:25
HIST 383: Modern Middle East
What is happening in the Middle East? Why? What are the fault lines of social
and political changes in the region? What are the dominant political, cultural,
and social forces in the region? The subject of this course is the history of
the modern Middle East from the 17th century up to the present. In addition to
studying 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 address the problems of
political, economic, and cultural decolonization, the ideological choices
dominant in successive periods, 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
MWF
11:00-11:50
HIST 393: Church/ State in United States
A seminar surveying the major cases involving religion that have been decided
by the Supreme Court from the beginning to the present. Students will be
required to read the original court decisions and come to class prepared to
discuss them. Each student will be required to write a final paper on some
aspect of American church-state relations.
Section:
01
Dr. James Hitchcock
TR
9:30-10:45
HIST 393: South Africa
This course examines the history of South Africa, beginning with the Age of
Exploration in the 15th Century to the Apartheid Era in the 20th. Special
emphasis will be given to the impact European settlement had on the peoples of
the region, the discovery of mineral wealth and the struggle to control that
wealth, the introduction and exercise of racial separation to exert power and
authority over the labor force, and the dismantling of racial apartheid.
Section:
02
Dr. Robert B. Anderson,S.J.
MWF
10:00-10:50
HIST 393: Alexander The Great
An examination of fourth century Greece and Macedon, the life of Alexander the
Great, and his impact on his own and succeeding generations.
Section:
03
Dr. Neil Hackett
MWF
12:00-12:50
5
HIST 393: Medieval Archaeology
The main goal of this course is to explore the archaeology and material history
of Europe in the middle ages. Up until relatively recently, historian of the
middle ages rarely considered the possibility that archaeological excavation
and evidence might enhance the documentary evidence that they normally use.
However, do to major archaeological excavations across Europe and a growing
awareness of the complexity of medieval life, new pictures of the middle ages
are beginning to emerge that shed light upon both the lives of common folk and
society in general. This course will first present a brief description of what
archaeologists do, how they collect their data, and how this data can be
integrated with historical sources. The course will then follow a thematic
approach, investigating topics such as the development of urbanism, economics,
material culture, and questions of group, ethnic and/or national identity.
Major architectural and military features of the era, such as castles and
monasteries, will be explored.
Section:
04
Dr. Thomas Finan
MWF
12:00-12:5
HIST 393: Modern Japan
This course traces the rise of modern Japan from the Meiji restoration to the
economic and social malaise of the 1990s. Particular emphasis will be placed
on the role of Western imperialism in Japanese development, the rise of Japan
as an Asian and global power, the definition and manifestation of aggressive
nationalism, World War II, the reformulation of Japan during the American
occupation, and the possibilities and problems raised by Japan’s impressive
postwar economic accomplishments. This course will conclude with a discussion
of the place of Japan and Japanese products and culture in the globalized
world. Students who complete this course can expect to have a holistic yet
detailed grasp of the often contorted and seemingly contradictory logic of
Japan’s modern historical and cultural development.
Section:
05
Dr. Joel Davis
MW
2:10-3:25
HIST 393: The Struggle Against Slavery
Our focus will be on antislavery movements and slaves’ resistance to bondage in
the United States from the Revolution to the end of the Civil War. We will
look closely at the steps by which slavery came to end in the course of that
war. These topics will all be considered in the larger contexts of the history
of slavery, defenses of slavery, and resistance to slavery throughout the
Atlantic world. In pursuing this purpose, we will read some important works of
scholarship and a wide range of writings by 19th-century Americans who lived
through the struggle. The class will learn about the many sources of
information available for the study of this great issue in U.S. history.
Section:
06
Dr. Lewis Perry
TR
11:00-12:15
HIST 393: The Russian Orthodox: Theology & History
This course traces the theological, social, political, and cultural history of
the Orthodox Church in Russia with particular foci on theological crises noted
for shaping doctrine in the Eastern Church. Of particular interest will be the
precarious relationship between Russian spiritual and secular authorities that
created an atmosphere in which thrived a rich monastic tradition, messianic
6
Slavophilism, as well as sectarianism. Historical, theoretical, and primary
readings are selected from a plurality of voices and experiences over a
millennium of history in the Russian lands, where invaders from East and West
presented frequent theological challenges to the Orthodox Church.
Section
07
Dr. Elizabeth Blake
TR
12:45-2:00
Undergraduate Spring 2008
Seminar Courses
HIST 490: Seminar: 19th Century Nationalism
Examination of nationalism as a major force in 19th century Europe. Overview of
the period followed by discussion of some general treatments of nationalism.
Presentation and discussion of a short (2-3 pp.) paper of individual concepts
of nationalism. Presentation and discussion of topics, preliminary drafts, and
final versions of individual seminar papers (20-25pp.) related to this theme,
although some other expressions of nationalism may be suitable paper topics.
Use of primary sources expected. Individual consultations on topics and
bibliographies. Limited to history majors and minors. Prerequisite: At least
two 300 level history courses, prior coursework in the area strongly
recommended.
Section:
01
Dr. Daniel Schlafly
MW
2:10-3:25
HIST 490: Seminar: History of Medieval and Renaissance Science and Medicine
This course will focus on the History of Science and Medicine from Antiquity
until the Scientific Revolution. We will read various scientific and medical
treatises concerning and both primary and secondary sources concerning
scientific, medical and social practices. The course is divided into two main
parts. The first five weeks will be devoted to a chronological survey of the
history of medicine. The second six weeks will be devoted to special topics.
I will have at least one, and possibly, two, guest lecturers, but in general
the format of this course will be entirely discussion. Every week I will ask
you to write short papers or reviews of about 750 words each, but the majority
of your grade (about 80 percent) will be the result of the research paper of
about 9000 words you will complete over the course of the semester using the
rich collections in the history of science and medicine available in the St
Louis area.
Section:
02
Dr. Philip Gavitt
TR
11:00-12:15
HIST 490: Seminar: Church &Nazi’s
This course will examine the reaction of the Roman Catholic and Protestant
churches to National Socialism in Europe. It will focus on the complex and
often ambiguous position of the churches as victims, bystanders and
perpetrators. It will also analyze the often bitter historical debates that
emerged already in 1945 and continued unabated to this day.
Readings will consist of a mixture of primary sources and excerpts from the
most significant works by historians, journalists and playwrights.
Section:
03
Dr. Mark Ruff
W
2:10-5:00
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HIST 491: Seminar: Cross-Cultural Encounters in American History
This course will examine the history of cross-cultural interactions and
exchanges in America from 1492 to mid-nineteenth century. The main focus will
be on the encounters and creative adaptations between Europeans, Indians, and
Africans. Our goal will be to gain an understanding how cultures change through
contact with one another, and why such contacts involve both adaptations and
resistance. Students will be responsible for proposing and preparing a research
paper on a specific case of historical change resulting from such encounters.
Section:
01
Dr. Michal Rozbicki
TR
11:00-12:15
HIST 491: Seminar: History of Missouri
In this seminar, students will have the opportunity to consider various aspects
of early Missouri history to the end of the Civil War. Some of the topics
students will have an opportunity to consider include the French founding of
St. Louis, the life and culture of Native American tribes, the territorial
period and transition from French to American control of the region, slavery
under the French and Americans, early economic life, the founding of early
towns such as St. Charles, Franklin, and Boonville, the fight for statehood,
the Jacksonian period, and Missouri’s unique situation during the Civil War.
Throughout the course, students will be introduced to important historical
questions and controversies to acquaint them with some of the historiographical
approaches used to understand the past. Each student will be required to write
a twenty-page research paper.
Section:
02
Dr. Dennis Boman
MWF
12:00-12:50
HIST 491: Seminar: Conspiracy
This course explores political ideas and movements in American history.
Students are asked to write a 25 page research paper on a topic of their choice
using primary and secondary literature. Topics can cover any period in American
history and can be comparative e.g. religious anti-slavery agitation in the
United States and England in the early 19th century."
Section:
03
Dr. Donald Critchlow
TR
12:45-2:00
HIST 492: Seminar: Africa and the Cold War
This senior undergraduate seminar examines the emergent independent African
nations with specific reference to challenges of post-colonialism against the
backdrop of the Cold War. Inventory of topics include: the Superpowers
intervention in African affairs, Regional stability, as well as proactive
initiatives aimed at addressing the problems of ethnic and nation-state
nationalism, and political pluralism and democratization. The major assignment
for the students taking the seminar will be a 25-30 page researched paper based
on primary sources.
Section:
01
Dr. George Ndege
TR
9:30-10:45
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