Saint Louis University
Course Descriptions
Spring 2010
Undergraduate Course Offerings……Page 2
Graduate Course Offerings………….Page 9
Tentative Future Offerings…….……TBA
Undergraduate Courses
Lower Division
Spring 2010
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
Ms.
Dr.
Dr.
Dr.
Mr.
Mr.
Dr.
Elizabeth Sherman
Nathaniel Millett
Steve Schoenig, S.J.
Hayrettin Yucesoy
David Parnell
Walker Cosgrove
Charles Parker
TR
MWF
MWF
TR
MWF
MWF
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
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. Walker Cosgrove
MWF
12:00-12:50
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
04
05
06
07
Dr.
Dr.
Dr.
Mr.
Dr.
Mr.
Mr.
Jennifer Popiel
James Hitchcock
Jennifer Popiel
Ben Troxell
George Ndege
Adam Hoose
Vince Ryan
MW
MW
MW
MWF
TR
TR
TR
11:00-11:50 Discussion Section Required
12:00-12:50 Discussion Section Required
10:00-10:50 Discussion Section Required
2:10-3:00
12:45-2:00
8:00-9:15
9:30-10:45
2
HR 241: Origins of the Modern World to 1500 (Honors Students Only)
This course will provide, mostly through literary and religious texts, a cultural
history of global contact and transformations before 1500. This term the course will
explore the relationship between the religious and political worldviews of several
premodern societies. In addition to the textbook, this course will provide a balance
of western and non-western readings, including The Epic of Gilgamesh, the Tao te
Ching, the Analects of Confucius, the Upanishads, the Republic and the Timaeus of
Plato, The Inferno of Dante, and Machiavelii's The Prince.
Section:
01
Dr. Philip Gavitt
TR
2:15-3:30
HR 242: Origins of the Modern World since 1500 (Honors Students Only)
The major forces which have shaped Western Civilization since 1500 will be examined-religious, political, intellectual, social, and economic. The goal is for each
student to reach his or her own understanding of the past, both for its own sake and
for its part in shaping our contemporary world. Emphasis is placed on understanding
historical causation and evaluating the relative role particular factors have played
in shaping societies and as agents of change. We begin with the Reformation, and
then look at the origins of Europe’s growing impact on the rest of the world in the
age of exploration and discovery. We move to the Scientific Revolution and political
absolutism. The Enlightenment illustrates the application of rationalism to society,
economics, and politics. The French Revolution makes liberalism and nationalism
major forces shaping Europe and the world in the 19th and the 20th centuries. The
Industrial Revolution transforms the economic, social, and political life of much of
Europe, then parts of the rest of the world. The course considers the impact of
Darwin, Marx, and other thinkers and analyzes the changing power structure in the
late 19th century. The impact of World Wars I and II is examined, particularly the
rise of non-European powers and the emergence of totalitarian systems. We conclude
with a survey of the contemporary world in which, paradoxically, Europe’s direct
role has diminished, but ideas and tendencies of European origin are more powerful
than ever.
Limited to 20 Honors students. Students will read a basic textbook plus 5 or 6
literary works, chosen to illuminate particular periods and worldviews in more depth.
There will be three essay examinations during the semester, two short papers (1000
words each) on the outside readings, and a cumulative final exam. Each paper and each
short exam will count about 12.5% of your final grade and the final about 25%. Class
discussion is an integral part of the course, both of the outside readings and other
material, is an integral part of the course
Section:
01
Dr. Daniel Schlafly
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
1:10-2:00
3
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
Dr. Donald Critchlow
Dr. Flannery Burke
TR
TR
MWF
11:00-12:15
2:15-3:30
10:00-10:50
Undergraduate Courses
Upper Division
Spring 2010
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 305: Middle Ages Since 1100
While Western Europe in the period of the High and Late Middle Ages might seem strange
and different, static and uniform, in reality it is a time of great change and
diversity and many of the institutions of our modern societies developed then. Many of
the laws and the states which govern us owe their origins to this period, as do the
universities in which we study. It is the age of the Crusades and Saint Francis of
Assisi, of the Inquisition, of our own Saint Louis, the Black Death, the Renaissance
and voyages to the New World. During this course, we will examine the vital themes and
debates of medieval history with careful analysis of primary sources and secondary
reading, asking how the people who lived then were different from us and in what
senses they are the same.
Section:
01
Dr. Damian Smith
MWF
1:10-2:00
4
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
TBA
TR
11:00-12:15
HIST 329: Russia Since 1905
Causes and effects of the revolutions of 1905 and 1917. Foreign and domestic evolution
of the Soviet state from its origins to its demise; the post-Soviet era - Lenin,
Stalin, Khrushchev, Gorbachev, Yeltsin, Putin.
Section:
01 Dr. Daniel Schlafly
MWF
10:00-10:50
HIST 347: Antebellum America
The antebellum years in American history – roughly the 18-teens through the 1850s –
were a time of political turmoil, religious ferment, and radical social reform. During
those years the nation raced to the brink of self-destruction as the debate over
slavery and the settlement of the western territories ignited bitter enmity between
the sections. This course will examine the political, economic, cultural, racial, and
regional history of this stirring time. Topics will include Indian Removal, slavery,
utopian societies and other reform movements, the transportation revolution, the
religious revivals of the Second Great Awakening, and the growing sectional rift
between free and slave states. Students will be complete a research paper based on
primary and secondary research, two exams, and quizzes based on readings.
Section:
01
Dr. Silvana Siddali
TR
2:15-3:30
HIST 355: U.S Diplomatic History Since 1945
This course will examine America’s nearly half century rivalry with the Soviet Union
during the Cold War as well as the policy the country pursued once the Soviet Union
collapsed. Topics covered will include the Korean War, the nuclear arms race, the
Cuban Missile Crisis, the Vietnam War, Nixon’s détente policy, and the events leading
to the end of the Cold War. It will also consider how U.S. foreign policy has changed
in light of the fall of the Soviet Union and the emergence of terrorism as a global
threat.
Section:
01
Dr. Michael Ruddy
TR
12:45-2:00
HIST 361: Civil Rights in America, 1865-1965
This course examines the hundred-year struggle to secure civil rights for African
Americans from Reconstruction through the Civil Rights Movement. Students will
examine the factors creating a racially segregated society and the efforts undertaken
by civil rights groups to dismantle the Jim Crow Society.
Section:
01
Dr. Stefan Bradley
MWF
2:15-3:30
5
HIST 393: Health and Society in Africa
This course surveys the history of health and healing from the colonial period to the
present. It delves into the creative and shifting ways in which the patient, the
physician, and society endeavored to nurture healthy communities in the wake of
devastating epidemics ranging from smallpox and bubonic plague to HIV/AIDS. The
emergent ways of prevention and cure will be examined through the prism of popular
culture and medicinal practices, Western biomedicine, the definition of the body,
changing interpretations of epidemic, and the prevailing political and economic order.
Section:
01
Dr. George Ndege
TR
11:00-12:15
HIST 393: The Castle in History & Archaeology
The castle is one of the most enduring physical monuments of the middle ages. At the
same time, it is one of the most under-studied aspects of medieval Europe in America.
This course will introduce students to the latest research on castles and medieval
fortifications. It will incorporate a wide variety of interdisciplinary techniques
including documentary research, archaeological survey, art historical studies, and
most importantly current trends in landscape analysis as it relates to castles. The
castle will be studied as one of the most important physical features of medieval
society, but also as one of the more important social concepts. Undergraduate
students will take a mid-term exam and submit a research paper focusing on one
particular castle, while graduate students will submit a research paper focusing on a
particular castle and an additional research paper examining the state of castle
studies in a particular country or region in Europe.
Section:
02
Dr. Thomas Finan
W
1:10-4:00
HIST 393: Latinos in U.S. History & Culture
This course is an introduction to Latina and Latino history and culture. Lectures and
readings will focus on Mexican and Mexican American experiences, but we will also
discuss the experiences of Puerto Rican, Cuban, Dominican, and Central American
populations. The course shows the advantages of a more international approach to U.S.
history and argues for more attention to the multicultural character of the U.S. Some
of the themes that we will cover include the Spanish and Mexican eras of the North
American Southwest, immigration, race and racism, gender and sexuality politics, the
development of rural and urban ethnic enclaves, the role of labor and work in shaping
Latino and Latina identities and experiences, the rise of ethnic nationalisms,
U.S. diplomatic relationships with nations in Latin America, and transnational ties
between U.S. Latina and Latino communities and groups in Latin America. Readings
include academic analyses and fictional literature as well as viewings of film and
art.
Section:
03
Dr. Flannery Burke
MWF
11:00-11:50
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:
04
Dr. Neil Hackett
MWF
12:00-12:50
6
HIST 393: The Atlantic World
The Atlantic World was created by the intersection of Europe, Africa,
and the Americas. Atlantic History is an approach to the study of the past that
transcends the nation-state and focuses, instead, on the myriad of political,
economic, cultural, and social connections that were forged by people of diverse
backgrounds. We will focus on the theory of Atlantic History, the creation of the “New
World,” and the immense affects that these changes had on the “Old World.” In equal
parts we will study the history of Europe, Africa, North and South America, and the
Caribbean by adopting social, cultural, economic, and political approaches. The
chronological scope will span from the thirteenth century to the middle of the
nineteenth century. The primary method of instruction will be the discussion of
primary and secondary texts, but there will also be lectures and group presentations.
Ultimately this class will represent a sustained examination of the connections
between both ordinary and exceptional people that fundamentally altered the shape of
world history.
Section:
05
Dr. Nate Millett
MWF
1:10-2:00
HIST 393: Comparative Slavery-The Americas
This course will explore the reasons for the development, growth and ultimate demise
of slavery in the New World from the differing European nations who settled the
Americas. During the semester we will delve into the reasons behind the use of African
slaves as a labor force, beginning even prior to Columbus’s voyage across the
Atlantic, comparing the development of the institution in all areas of the New World,
and ending with the demise of the institution in both the U.S. and Latin America
during the nineteenth-century. Themes will include economic, social and political
reasons for the onset of slave labor and its continuation, the diversity of slave
experiences in different regions, along with the role slavery played in the
development of the countries of both North and South America. We will also consider
the divisiveness of the institution, which in turn led to rebellions, revolutions and
civil war. Students will also be introduced to role of organized religion in this
drama, the concept of slaves as participants in their own emancipation, as well as a
look into both sides of this explosive issue, ending with a discussion of the legacy
(if any) that slavery has left on modern times.
Section:
06
Dr. Terri Fahrney
MWF
12:00-12:50
HIST 393: The American Revolution
The American Revolution (History 393) investigates the intellectual and political
history of America at the creation of these controversies: in the last quarter of the
eighteenth century. We explore the growing estrangement of the North American
colonies from Great Britain which culminated in the Declaration of Independence and
the construction of a new nation between the Declaration and the Constitution.
Throughout the course we will try to understand how and why America's founders began
the world over again. By semester’s end you will be able to more thoughtfully assess
whether we have been good stewards of their legacy. Students will read a range of
primary sources, including the Federalist Papers, and four monographs; write three
short papers and one long paper; take an in-class midterm and final; and, during the
last two weeks of the semester, conduct a debate over ratification of the
Constitution.
Section:
07
Dr. Lorri Glover
MWF
10:00-10:50
7
Undergraduate Spring 2010
Seminar Courses
HIST 490: Seminar: Machiavelli
From the Elizabethans who detested him to French philosophers such as Rousseau who
claimed to be the only ones who understood him, the Italian political philosopher
Niccolo Machiavelli, as one of his illustrious twentieth-century successors said in a
different context, is a "mystery wrapped in an enigma." Was The Prince a serious
political treatise or a satire? Did Machiavelli really believe the ends justify the
means? Was he the first modern political philosopher or a late medieval reformer? In
this course we will read all of his works that have been translated into English.
Those who read Italian may explore even further. This course will be in discussion
format, with weekly written reports from students and a final research paper.
Section:
01
Dr. Phillip Gavitt
TR
12:45-2:00
HIST 490: Seminar: Medieval Popes and Papacy
Heirs of the fisherman, keepers of the keys, chief shepherds of the flock: the men
who have sat on the chair of St. Peter and perpetuated what may be the world’s
longest-lasting institution have influenced nearly all the great issues of the day.
This course examines the history of the Roman papacy in the early and central Middle
Ages through an analysis of particular episodes, figures, sources, and themes that
helped to shape it, in both theory and practice. From the patterns of papal primacy
fashioned in the ancient world to the development of a sophisticated “papal monarchy”
in the twelfth century, the stories along the way are colorful: Leo the Great faces
down Attila the Hun; Gregory the Great dispatches missionaries to England; Leo III
crowns Charlemagne emperor; Formosus is hauled to trial as a corpse; Sylvester II is
rumored to be a sorcerer; Gregory VII tries to depose a king; Urban II calls the first
crusade; Alexander III struggles for supremacy against Barbarossa; Innocent III
approves the poor brethren of St. Francis. The goal is an appreciation of the nature
and exercise of power within the Western church -- its conceptual underpinnings, its
cultural expressions, and its institutional mechanics. Emphasis is on the discussion
of primary sources of diverse genres; the choice and investigation of a research
topic; and the composition of a research paper of 20-25 pages.
Section:
01
Dr. Steve Schoenig, S.J.
MW
2:10-3:25
HIST 491: Seminar: Colonial America
This course will introduce students to the latest scholarship on
social, cultural, economic, and political history of British colonial
America. It is an area that in recent decades has witnessed an explosion of
new research and new interpretations. We will ask questions about the
remarkable mix of ethnicities and cultures at the nation's origins, about the
love-hate relationship between the American periphery and the British
metropolis, about the paradoxical coexistence of freedom and unfreedom, and
about the intricate relationships between culture and political power. In the
process of this examination we will also attempt to uncover some of the
colonial roots of modern American identity.
Section:
01
Dr. Michal Rozbicki
TR
12:45-2:00
HIST 491: Seminar: Slavery and Abolition
8
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
HIST 492: Seminar: Trade, Travel, and Tradition in the Mediterranean
The seminar intends to explore cross-cultural contacts in the Mediterranean region
since the rise of Islam. Based on a focused reading of primary sources (travelogues,
trade manuals, and translations) and scholarly literature, this course will examine
how Muslim and Christian societies dealt with cultures other than their own, how they
constructed their identities vis-à-vis others and how the images of the other were
used to advance a particular political, economic or moral agenda. A substantial part
of the seminar will be devoted to a discussion of secondary literature on the subject
for the specific purpose of analyzing historiographical assumptions and theories
dealing with medieval texts. Reqs.: Substantial term paper, class presentations,
reports.
Section:
01
Dr. Hayrettin Yucesoy
TR
9:30-10:45
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:
04
Dr. Charles Parker
TBA
Graduate Courses
9
Spring 2010
HIST 531: Advanced Studies: Medieval History: Medieval Italy
Focused secondary readings in the history of medieval Italy. Topics will include
political, economic, and social history of the region as well as local studies.
Weekly written reviews and oral presentations and discussion.
Section:
01
Dr. Thomas Madden
M
1:10-4:00
HIST 540: Studies in Renaissance & Reformation History
History 540 will provide a basic reading list at both the MA and Ph.D. level for the
comprehensive exams in early modern European history. Classic works of late medieval
and early modern European history (Burckhardt and Huizinga) will be the starting
point, because they define the questions that that historians in every field are still
working out. The course will cover controversies in late medieval social and economic
history, the nature of Italian humanism, the relationship between Italian humanism and
both the Catholic and Protestant Reformations, as well the so-called New Science. We
will also explore the nature of European politics, from Machiavelli to works on
confessionalization and social discipline in both Mediterranean and Northern Europe,
as well as the development of cross-cultural encounters and their effect, on ideas,
society, economics, and politics. The format of the course will be discussion, with
weekly review essays and a 25-30 page bibliographic essay.
Section:
01
Dr. Charles Parker
T
4:30-7:00
HIST 550: Studies Modern European History
This course will analyze major themes and debates in 20th century European history. It
will examine both classic works and new publications on the subject of the First World
War, Fascism, Communism, the Holocaust, the Cold War and postwar Europe.
Section:
01
Dr.
Mark Ruff
M
4:30-7:00
HIST 561: Advanced Studies: American Political History in the 20 th Century
This course explores recent literature in American political history since 1945.
Specifically this course looks at the influence of social, economic, ideological, and
internal partisan forces shaped politics in post-World War II America. There will be
weekly readings on a variety of topics including economic growth, the 1960 election,
the civil rights movement, the New Left, the feminist movement, environmentalism,
Barry Goldwater, Lyndon Baines Johnson, Eugene McCarthy, George McGovern, Richard
Nixon, the conservative ascendancy.
Section:
01
Dr. Donald Critchlow
T
4:30-7:00
HIST 680: Seminar: Byzantine Western Relations
The seminar will discuss relations between Byzantium and Western Europe from about AD
285 to 1461, including ecclesiastical, diplomatic, military, cultural, and commercial
contacts. After introductory reports on some of the main secondary works on the
subject and preliminary reports on prospective paper topics of their choice, students
will present seminar papers of about 30 pages. Knowledge of Greek is helpful but not
required.
Section:
01
Dr. Warren Treadgold
R
4:30-7:00
10
HIST 681: Seminar: Medieval Spain
This course will cover the political, ecclesiastical and social history of the
Medieval Iberian Peninsula from the Visigothic period until 1492. In class, during
eight weeks, we will examine primary texts and journal articles. The major requirement
of the course, however, is to write a paper 7000 words in length, on any theme related
to the history of Medieval Spain. A working knowledge of Latin is necessary.
Section:
01
Dr. Damian Smith
M
4:30-7:00
HIST 682: Seminar: European Thought in the 17th Century
Readings in a variety of European writers of the era, including Montaigne, Grotius,
Hobbes, Descartes, Pascal, Locke, and others. Weekly readings and discussion and final
research paper.
Section:
01
Dr. James Hitchcock
W
4:30-7:00
HIST 684: Seminar: The Old Northwest Territory
This course investigates the history of the Old Northwest Territory by examining both
classics and recent research in the field. The time period for this course is broadly
conceived to include European Contact through the early twentieth century, with a
focus on the nineteenth century. The course readings will be loosely based on what we
today consider the Midwest; however, the geographic area to be studied will be wideranging, taking into account a variety of regions and borderlands conceptualized as
the American “Heartland.” Our readings will address a diversity of methodologies,
including historical geography, biography, urban history, gender studies, and material
culture. Participants will prepare a 30 page research paper based on primary and
secondary sources, at least two précis of supplementary readings, as well as a report
on a local primary source collection. 40% of the course grade will be based on class
discussion and presentations; 60% will be based on the term essay.
Section:
01
Dr. Silvanna Siddali
R
4:30-7:00
11