SPRING 2016
DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY
An Italian immigrant family on board a ferry from the docks to Ellis Island. (Lewis W. Hine/Getty Images) http://hereandnow.wbur.org/2014/05/14/immigrant-cotillard-gray
UNDERGRADUATE COURSE GUIDE
SPRING 2016
Courses that will satisfy the NON-WESTERN requirement for the HISTORY MAJOR:
History 111 World History since 1500
History 112 World Religions
History 112H World Religions (Honors)
History 115 Modern China
History 131 Middle East History II
History 161 History of Africa since 1500
History 346 Twentieth Century China
History 347 Traditional Japan
History 392P Globalization in Indian Ocean
History 393EH Intellectual Origins of Colonialism
History 394RI Comparative Revolutions Modern Era
History 397AH Regional History: The Mediterranean since 1500 (Honors)
History 397GGH Gandhi & Myth Perspective, Pol.
History 397GS Global History of Sport
History 397J The Year 1979
History 397LA Environmental History of Latin America
History 397MJ Women in Modern Japan
History 397PR Power and Resistance in Latin America
History 397REH Race, Sex and Empire: Britain and India (Honors)
History 450 Latin American Revolutions
History 491CAH Explorations in Colonial Andean History
Courses the will satisfy the PRE-1500 requirement for the HISTORY MAJOR:
History 112 World Religions
History 112H World Religions (Honors)
History 303 Later Middle Ages 1100-1350
History 330 English History to 1688
History 347 Traditional Japan
Courses that will satisfy the IE requirement for History Primary Majors
History 394CI Ideas that Changed History
History 394RI Comparative Revolutions Modern Era
101 Western Thought Since 1600
(HS) J. Olsen
MW 11:15-12:05 plus Team Based Learning style discussion
This Team Based Learning course is an introduction to the social, political, cultural, and economic forces that have shaped
civilization in the Western world from the seventeenth century to the present. Major topics will include the origins of the
modern sovereign state, the Scientific Revolution, the Enlightenment and the French Revolution, the social upheavals of the
industrial revolution, nationalism and the rise of mass politics, the First and Second World Wars, and the rebuilding of
Europe after 1945.
111 World History since 1500
(HS G) B. Bunk
MW 12:20-1:10 plus discussion
The goal of the course is to understand the development of key aspects of world history from the late fifteenth to the late
twentieth centuries. The course examines human interaction in specific situations developing through time, including the
development of significant social, political, or economic institutions or ideologies. Students are exposed to historically
important events, developments, or processes as a way of teaching them to understand the present and direct their futures
as well as gain an awareness of and appreciation for an historical perspective. The readings of the course include a variety
of primary and secondary sources in order to better analyze and understand the diversity of global norms and values and
the way they change over time. The course work emphasizes the development of critical thinking and writing skills.
Assignments include exams, multiple written assignments and engagement with the course materials and topics. This
course fulfills the non-western requirement for history majors and the historical studies in global perspective (HSG)
portion of the General Education program. Lecture and Discussion section, 4 credits.
112 Introduction to World History
(IG) C. Feldman
TuTh 8:30-9:20 or TuTh 2:30-3:20 plus discussion
Religions may have divine origins, but religious belief and practice, like everything else human, have their own histories.
In this course we will consider the origins and development of seven major world religions: Hinduism, Buddhism,
Confucianism, Taoism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. We will also consider other religious traditions, the new
religions of the twentieth century, and the confrontations and conversations between different religions. We will examine
not only religious belief but also ritual practice and the place of religion in society and culture. Understanding something
about contemporary religious beliefs and practice is a vital part of being a citizen of a democracy in this global age.
However, this course in history; you cannot understand religion in 2009 without knowing something about how religious
traditions originated and how they have changed to become what they are today.
112H Introduction to World History (Honors)
(IG) S. Ware
MWF 9:05-9:55
World Religions introduces students to historical, geographical, scriptural, and ideological aspects of Judaism,
Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, and indigenous practices. The first part of the course will be mastering facts
about these traditions, with exams used to determine grades. The last weeks of the class will stress class discussion,
covering broader questions such as: "Are the religions studied ideologically compatible or irreducibly
incommensurate?" "Are the mystical strains of these traditions compatible with their mainstream manifestations?" and
"How are the religions used to promote military conflict? Could they actually reduce the likelihood of war?" Readings
will start with Huston Smith's The Illustrated World Religions, with excursions into Scriptural and anthropological
sources that embellish the themes raised by Smith. This class is open to honors students only.
115 Modern China (China 1600-present)
(HS G) S. Platt
MW 1:25-2:15 plus discussion
Lecture with discussion sections. This is a survey of Chinese history from 1600 to the present day. We will cover topics
including: the rise and fall of the Qing Dynasty; Chinese-Western encounters; internal threats to the Confucian state;
transformation of Chinese thought and culture in the 19th century; the revolutions of the 20th century; the rise of Mao
Zedong; the People's Republic of China; the Cultural Revolution; and the dramatic transformations China is undergoing
today as a result of economic and political reforms since Mao's death. Grade will be based on in-class written
examinations, three papers, and section participation. No prior study of Chinese history is assumed.
131 Middle East History II
(HS G) J. Mathew
TuTh 10:00-10:50 plus discussion
Survey of the Middle East from 1500. For course purposes, the Middle East includes the territory from Algeria to Iran and
from Turkey to the Arabian Peninsula. Course focuses on the political, economic, and intellectual trends that have shaped
the Middle East as we know it. General topics include the Ottoman and Safavid Empires, the impact of European
imperialism, the construction of nationalism, Zionism, Islamism, capitalism, the "Arab Spring" and how all of this impacts
current events in this complex region.
150 U.S. History to 1876
(HS) R. Weir
MW 10:10-11:00 plus discussion
Lecture with discussion sections. Covers the period from 1450 to 1877. Emphasis is not on names and dates but rather on
the forces that shaped American history such as the shortage of labor and the abundance of land, slavery, racism, capitalism,
and “democracy.”
151 U.S. History since 1876
(HS) S. Redman
TuTh 10:00-10:50 plus discussion
This course will provide students with an understanding of the contours of American history from the period of
Reconstruction through the late twentieth century. The course explores the politics and culture of the period, as well as the
interactions of race, class, and gender in U.S. history. Particular attention will be paid to African American history, Native
American history, and women’s history. Primary source readings will be emphasized.
161 History of Africa Since 1500
(HS G) J. Bowman
TuTh 10:00-10:50 plus discussion
Topics to be covered include African and European imperialism, colonialism, nationalism, and independence. The main
objective of the course is to assess how these developments have changed the lives and cultures of African people.
Requirements include: two exams, short essays, weekly reading and participation. No pre-requisites.
181 Western Science and Technology II: from the Scientific Revolution to the Cold War
(HS) E. Redman
MW 11:15-12:05 plus discussion
This sequel to History 180 surveys Western science and technology in their cultural context from the Scientific Revolution
to the Cold War. The course introduces students to key scientific ideas of the modern age through the lens of social,
political, and intellectual history. Important themes include the social organization of science, the creation scientific spaces
and sites for the production of scientific knowledge, and the role of technology in both science and the basic infrastructure
of modern life. Course topics will vary widely, including subjects such as the Copernican view of the universe, Darwinian
evolution in science and society, the quantum revolution in 20th century physics, and the Space Race. Readings will consist
of primary and secondary sources; short research and response papers will be assigned. No prerequisites, although previous
exposure to a course in modern European or American history is helpful.
241 Irish Experience
(HS) L. McNeil
TuTh 10:00-11:15
Lecture. This course will examine the economic, political and social developments in Ireland, from the Act of Union to “the
Troubles” in Northern Ireland. In particular we will focus on the divisive issues of land ownership, religious sectarianism
and the articulation of a national identity as we chart Ireland’s progress from a British colony to any independent state. We
will also discuss Irish emigration to America, and the influence of Irish-American nationalism or Irish political movements.
242H American Family (Honors)
(HS U) M. Yoder
MW 2:30-3:45
Over the past half-century, Americans have experienced rapid and potentially disorienting changes in marriage and
reproduction, in expectations of the family, and in the relationship between work life and home life. While we generally
have greater family choice, many of us also fear that the family has become too fragile to meet our social and individual
needs. In this course we will take an historical and cross-cultural approach to examining this evolving tension
between freedom and stability. Exploring the ways in which economic and political structures have affected the family over
time, we will also examine the roles played by race, ethnicity, and immigration in determining behavioral differences. In the
final weeks of the semester, we will employ this historical perspective as we examine contemporary debates over new
family forms, over the household division of labor, and over the appropriate relationship between society and the family in a
postindustrial and increasingly globalized environment.
280 History of Baseball
(HS) J. Wolfe
MW 1:25-2:15 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 and Migration in the US 1877-present
J. Fronc
MW 4:00-5:15
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.
297S History of Sports Management
J. Lombardi
Tuesdays 4:00-6:30
In this course we search for the structure and enduring organization of college sports. We look for the development of
college athletics that produced yesterday and today highly paid coaches, great fan enthusiasm, endless national media
attention, and the opportunity for scandal and corruption. We search for the organic link that has bound intercollegiate
sports to American higher education for over a century. This requires knowledge about what we were and what we have
become. It is much easier to learn about what we have become than it is to learn about what we were. In this class, we do
both.
298 – INTERNSHIPS!!!!
Contact internships@history.umass.edu office: Herter 603
Practicum, mandatory pass/fail credits. Are you interested in exploring history related to work, gaining job experience,
establishing career contacts, building your resume, and developing professional confidence? Through an internship you can
do all this while earning academic credit. Internships can be conducted locally, regionally, or nationally, and some paid
positions are available. You can hold an internship in history or other fields, and the department’s internship advisor can
help you find one that works with your interest and schedule. 1-9 credits depending on number of hours worked.
303 Later Middle Ages 1100-1350
A. Taylor
TuTh 1:00-2:15
We will examine the cultural, religious and political history of the High and Later Middle Ages, focusing on themes such
as the relationship of sacred and secular power, the interaction of Christianity, Judaism and Islam, religious movements,
heresies, and persecution. We will read a variety of primary sources including accounts of the crusades from eastern and
western perspectives, and the letters of Abelard and Heloise. Assessment will include quizzes, a midterm and research
papers.
308 French Revolution
J. Heuer
MW 2:30-3:45
The French Revolution provided a model for democratic political reform throughout the world, spreading new ideas about
social equality, national identity, and rights for women, slaves, religious minorities, and other oppressed groups. Yet
revolutionaries also killed thousands of people in the name of change. We will examine both the attempts to create a new,
more just society and the spiraling violence against internal and external enemies, from the symbolic storming of the
Bastille prison to Napoleon's rise and fall as Emperor. We will look closely not only at events in France itself, but also in
Haiti and other French colonies in the Caribbean.
314 European Intellectual History 20th century
D. Gordon
TuTh 10:00-11:15
Lecture. Existentialism, socialism, psychoanalysis, and their application to cultural criticism in a wide variety of thinking.
About two dozen excerpts illuminate the nature of humanism, responses to concentration camps, and the state of culture in
1970s. Discussion encouraged; student interest considered. A anthologies by Kaufman, Josephson, Sears. Research paper
on topic of student’s choice; written exercises. Non-history major should enjoy.
315 Russian Empire
A. Altstadt
TuTh 10:00-11:15
Lecture. A survey of Russian History from its origins to the revolution of February 1917. Major themes: Russia's growth
and centralization; cultural and political interaction with its neighbors including the Byzantine Empire, Tatars, Poland,
and Western Europe; Russia's identity as an empire and the identities of major nationalities in the empire: and the rise,
success, and decline of absolute, centralized monarchy. We will read primary sources as well as a major textbook and
shorter scholarly works. Grading will be based on participation, exams and a short paper.
323 Modern German History
(HS) A. Donson
Tu Th 2:30-3:45
A social, cultural, and political history of the German-speaking countries from the mid-eighteenth century to the
present. The course covers great social and political transformations, including the Enlightenment, rise of the modern
state, the unifications and divisions of Germany, the emergence of modern urban culture, the role of women, the influence
of Social Democracy, the course of National Socialism and the Holocaust, and Germany's place in postwar
Europe. Emphasis is on reading primary sources and writing historical arguments based them. This course is taught using
a Team-Based-Learning classroom.
330 English History to 1688
B. Levy
MWF 10:10-11:00
Lecture. This course will emphasize the development of the English state and its social, legal, and economic implications
from the Black Death through the Glorious Revolution. Though we will cover medieval events, the major focus will be
on the English Reformation, the Civil War, and the Glorious Revolution (Tudor-Stuart). More emphasis on England than
Scotland and Ireland. An issue will be whether or not England’s limited government and civil freedoms were a product of
modernity or a survival of medieval events. Focus on families throughout society. Several paperbacks will be assigned
and so will primary source reading in the library.
346 Twentieth Century China
S. Schmalzer
TuTh 11:30-12:45
China began the twentieth century with a Manchu emperor and ended it with a communist party committed to “market
socialism.” The course will begin with several weeks devoted to the basic historical narrative that explains this enormous
transformation. We will then focus on key readings that illustrate such important themes as nationalism, socialism,
globalization, and struggles for democracy and labor reform. Requirements include one short test, several short papers,
and a final project in which students use a topic of their own choosing (for example, sex, sports, science…) as a “window”
into the main themes of twentieth-century Chinese history.
347 Traditional Japan
G. Washington
TuTh 1:00-2:15
This course traces the history of Japan from the distant past through the centralization and prosperity of the Tokugawa
period (1600-1868). It will focus on social, political, cultural, and religious history and will place familiar figures like the
Japanese samurai, sumo wrestler, geisha, haiku poet, and Buddhist monk in their proper historical context. Through a
variety of primary sources, from the performance piece to the autobiography to the legal edict, as well as a textbook,
students will learn about the diversity, constant reinvention, conflict, and harmony that characterized traditional Japan.
365H US LGBT History (Honors)
(HS U) J. Capo
TuTh 10:00-11:15
This honors general education course explores how queer individuals and members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and
transgender (LGBT) communities have influenced the social, cultural, economic, and political landscape in United States
history. Topics include sodomy, cross-dressing, industrialization, feminism, the construction of the homo/heterosexual
binary, the "pansy" craze, the homophile, gay liberation, and gay rights movements, HIV/AIDS, immigration, and samesex marriage. This four-credit course fulfills both "HS" (i.e.,Historical Studies) and "U" (i.e.,Diversity: United States)
general education requirements.
383 American Environmental History
(HS) D. Glassberg
TuTh 10:00-11:15
This four-credit upper level general education course examines 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 to help you think about the connections between past and present environmental circumstances, as well
as to help you practice 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.
387 Holocaust
(HS) A. Donson
TuTh 11:30-12:20 plus discussions
Lecture. This course explores the causes and consequences of what was arguably the most horrific event in all of history.
Topics include both the long-term origins of the Holocaust in European racism and anti-Semitism and the more immediate
origins in the dynamics of the Nazi state and the war against the Soviet Union. Particular attention will be given to debates
and controversies, including the motivations of German and non-German perpetrators, bystanders, and collaborations, the
place of the Jews and non-Jews in Holocaust historiography, the continuities of racism and genocide and their
comparability, and the consequences of the Holocaust for memory and world politics.
390E Imperial America: US and World 1898-now
(HS) 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?
391WH Social Responsibility in Museums (Honors)
E. Sharpe
MW 2:30-3:45
The purpose of this course is to explore how museums are increasing their relevancy in the 21st century by transforming
themselves into agencies of social responsibility. Museums have traditionally accepted the values of the cultures that created
and organized them, often a century ago, and have limited their collections, messages, and audiences to serve those values.
In this course, we will examine the ways in which many of today’s museums are moving beyond their original missions to
become socially relevant institutions unafraid to discuss hard truths about the past, to engage in a dialogue with the public
about how the past has shaped the present, and to imagine new futures. We will look at case studies of museum that accept
the role of being the trusted place where people go to learn and to connect after a community or national trauma and address
enduring social issues in new ways by serving as a neutral ground for dialogue about equity. Museums are living up to their
responsibilities as ADA-compliant institutions by offering inclusive experiences for disabled persons, including those with
learning, sensory, social, and cognitive disabilities. We will address underlying ethics and political issues, community
participatory models, public reaction, funding, and the decision-making process. The course will be divided into 5 units:
hard truths about the past; sites of conscience and memorials; social issues/social justice; audiences and access; and a group
project. Course content will consist of readings, case studies, guest speakers, and local field trips. There will be three
“reflection” papers and one long research paper to accompany the group project.
392E Inter-American Relations
J. Wolfe
MW 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 twentiethcentury presidents. We analyze these events through the lenses of political, economic, social, and cultural history.
392G Animals in Human History
A. Taylor
TuTh 4:00-5:15
Claude-Levi Strauss famously said "animals are good to think with." This upper level course will explore both the
symbolic and practical uses of animals. We will examine how we have used them to think about issues such as human
identity, civilization, and Nature, and also investigate their role in human social and economic history. Looking at history
from the perspective of "dumb beasts" and "noble brutes" challenges our usual anthropocentric perspective. From this
vantage, we can examine major cultural transformations (such as the Renaissance and the Scientific Revolution) and raise
more specific issues, such as the nature and purpose of the zoo. We will also address important historiographical
questions, such as how do we speak for those who have no voice in the historical record, and how do our priorities and
interests shape our approaches to and narrative of the past. Drawing on a wide range of primary sources, such as epic
poetry, theology, painting, material culture, and instructional literature, we will focus on the functions of particular animal
species (sometimes even specific individuals, such as Pope Leo X's rhinoceros Clara) in various eras from the earliest
millennia of human civilization until the twentieth century. This class is not a survey and requires a background
knowledge in western civilization. Prerequisite is one of the following: the sequence HIS 100-101, or HIS 112, or
instructor permission. Assessment places a heavy emphasis on participation. A research paper, presentations, and
homework assignments will also be required.
392P Globalization in Indian Ocean
J. Mathew
TuTh 2:30-3:45
Globalization is a phenomenon that seems to be occurring everywhere around us and yet seems to have no origin. Is the
world really flat? Or have certain places, people and things become better connected than others? This course seeks to
answer these questions by exploring when and why certain places became better connected, people became more mobile
and things gained wider circulation. Since the Indus valley civilization started trading with the Mesopotamian civilization
four millennia ago, the Indian Ocean has been an important space of economic and cultural exchange. Technological
innovations were pioneered within the Indian Ocean littoral and others were imported from other parts of the world. We
can then see how ideas, commodities and people became incorporated into the Indian Ocean world and how they were
resisted. The readings and assignments in the course are designed to make you think about how economics, politics,
culture interact to make connections. The course is divided into four thematic sections: technology and exchange, politics
and space, people and mobility, and culture and representation. Each theme will cover three to four weeks and end with a
writing assignment.
393EH Intellectual Origins of Colonialism (Honors)
J. Higginson
TuTh 1:00-2:15
While the last apparent vestiges of colonial rule are fast becoming historical artifacts, few people in the former colonizing
countries have more than an impressionistic understanding of what colonialism was. This course is designed to disabuse the
intelligent layperson of erroneous ideas about the nature of colonial rule and the legacy it bequeathed to the contemporary
world. We will examine the origins of colonial policy, as well as its conjuncture with other economic and political
problems, through a series of case studies and intellectual histories.
393I Indigenous Women of North America
A. Nash
MW 2:30-3:45
Lecture. This course examines the lives and struggles of indigenous women in North America through variety of sources
and conceptual frameworks. We will consider both the ways in which indigenous women defined and understood
themselves, and the ways in which they have been defined and (mis)understood by others, from before the arrival to
Europeans through the present day. This semester we will pay special attention to the ongoing history of missing and
murdered indigenous women in the U.S. and Canada. Coursework includes heavy reading, a research paper, and several
shorter assignments
394CI Ideas that Changed History
(IE) D. Gordon
TuTh 1:00-2:15
This class is about
1. Ideas that have changed the discipline of history.
2. Ideas that have changed the larger flow of history.
3. Ideas that have changed you, the student, and your relationship to history.
4. Ideas that have changed your personal history.
Satisfies the Integrative Experience requirement for BA-Hist majors.
394CI Ideas that Changed History
(IE) R. Weir
MW 2:30-3:45
This IE class seeks to uncover some of the folk history of the American past. Folklorist Simon Bronner dubbed the United
States a "folk nation" because of the ways in which the American past is a complex mix of actual events and imposed
meanings. Some of the latter were once dismissed as mere tall tales, though skilled humanists know that surface narratives
are seldom the deeper story. This course will look at American historical tales, legends, visual images, and material
culture with an eye toward analyzing how 'meaning' is created and recreated. It will also probe the use of unconventional
historical sources, ideological constructions of heritage, and hidden subtexts within master narratives.
394RI Comparative Revolutions Modern Era
(IE) J. Higginson
TuTh 10:00-11:15
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.
397GGH Gandhi & Myth Perspective, Politics (Honors)
P. Srivastava
TuTh 10:00-11:15
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 anti-colonial 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.
397GS Global History of Sport
B. Bunk
MW 2:30-3:45
The Global history of Sport is devoted to the modern history of international sport. The course examines the ways that
sport has influenced and been influenced by important social, political, and economic institutions or ideologies. Class
material will address the emergence of international sporting institutions and tournaments such as the Olympic games and
the World Cup while also examining several individual case studies including baseball and soccer. Students analyze
historically important events, developments, and processes as a way of gaining an awareness of and appreciation for an
historical perspective. The readings of the course include a variety of primary and secondary sources in order to better
analyze and understand the diversity of global norms and values and the way they change over time. The course work
emphasizes the development of critical thinking and writing skills and assignments include short essays, exams and digital
projects.
397J The Year 1979
A. Altstadt
TuTh 1:00-2:15
The Year 1979 was a pivotal year that shaped the world we know today.
This class will examine several major events of 1979 -- the Iranian Revolution and hostage crisis, the Soviet census of that
year showing a population explosion in Central Asia, and the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan to name a few -- and their
repercussions on the world from the 1980s to the present. This is a new class and will continue being shaped, even as it is
taught. We will read widely and write short to medium research-analysis papers. It is an analytical-discussion class, not a
lecture course. Students will have to complete readings before class sessions and take an active role in class.
397LA Environmental History of Latin America
H. Scott
TuTh 11:30-12:45
This course explores varied themes in the environmental history of Latin America. Beginning with the Pre-Columbian era,
the course moves on to examine the intertwining of environmental, social, and cultural transformations brought about by
the European colonization of the Americas, and finally the environmental and related social repercussions of the
emergence of modernity, urbanization, and industrialization in the era of independence. The course focuses not only on
environmental change, its causes and social repercussions, but also on examining cultural attitudes and ideas towards the
environment and the changes that these ideas have undergone at different phases in Latin America's history.
397LEH Liberation or Equality? : History of LGBT Rights Law (Honors)
J. Nye
TuTh 10:00-11:15
The last fifteen years have seen incredible legal victories for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LBGT) people in the
United States, from the decriminalization of same sex sexual activity to gay marriage. And yet, in most states, it remains
legal to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity in employment, housing, and public
accommodations and LGBT people still experience violence in their families, on the streets, and in schools. This course
will examine the history of LGBT people in the United States through the lens of the law. We will explore a host of legal
issues facing LGBT people in the last fifty years, such as sodomy laws, employment discrimination, school bullying,
health law issues, particularly those related to HIV/AIDS and transgender health care, and family law issues, such as child
custody, adoption, and marriage. Some questions we might consider include: When and why have LGBT people turned
to the courts or legislatures for redress of legal grievances and to what success? What claims have LGBT people made for
legal protection and how has it mattered whether these claims have been based on equality, liberty, or privacy arguments?
In what ways has the use of “the law” by the LGBT movement to achieve social justice been different from and similar to
other “rights” movements, such as the civil rights movement, the women’s rights movement, and the disability rights
movement? What conflicts have arisen over legal goals and strategies between the LGBT “movement” and LGBT
people? What role have lawyers historically played in advancing (or constraining) the goals of the LGBT movement and
how effective has litigation been in securing these rights? Does (or will) legal equality for LGBT people mean justice or
liberation for LGBT people? How has the lived legal experience of LGBT people differed on the basis of other social and
legal categories, such as sex, gender, race, class, ability, or immigration or incarceration status? What new legal issues are
on the horizon for the LGBT movement, particularly involving trans and intersexed people? (continued…)
(397LEH continued) This course will require extensive reading of court decisions and law review articles, the completion
of on-going reflection essays responding to course readings and class discussions, and the completion of a significant final
research paper.
Prior law and/or sexuality/gender related coursework (particularly U.S. LGBT and Queer History) helpful, but not
required. Prior law and/or sexuality/gender related coursework (particularly U.S. LGBT and Queer History) helpful, but
not required. Non-Honors students may enroll in this course with permission of the instructor. For permission to enroll,
please contact the professor at jlnye@history.umass.edu.
397MJ Women in Modern Japan
G. Washington
TuTh 2:30-3:45
In this course students will learn about the history of women in nineteenth- and twentieth-century Japan. We will examine
the constantly shifting ways in which Japanese society defined womanhood and study the actual ideas and actions of
Japanese women. This course in gender history course will introduce students to the legal, political, intellectual, social,
and cultural developments that have shaped the place of women within Japan. Since there no textbook and no primary
source reader exist for women’s history in Japan, we will be building our own versions of the narrative using a variety of
secondary and primary sources. Through scholarly articles and book chapters, students will learn about women
participating in the bloody Meiji Restoration (1868), fighting for women’s rights and against licensed prostitution (1900),
raising morale and patriotism in wartime (1940), and protesting labor injustice and social inequality in Japan’s economic
miracle (1969), among other topics. We will supplement this information with the voices of Japanese women ranging
from the songs of exploited textile mill workers (1910s) to the tales of fisherwomen (1930s) to the speeches of politically
active women (1880s and 1950s). Taken together, these perspectives will allow students to counter the stereotyping,
essentializing, and simplification that has largely obscured the complexity and significance of women’s history in Japan.
This exercise will empower students to think and communicate more critically about the place of women as objects and
subjects within dynamics of social change well beyond the Japanese context.
397MW The Middle East and World War I
M. Wilson
MW 4:00-5:15
This is NOT a military history course since we will spend little if any time on battles, strategy, and weaponry. Rather, we
will explore social and political change in the Middle East consequent to World War I. Student effort and achievement
will be assessed through attendance, classroom participation, occasional quizzes, and three papers.
397PR Power and Resistance in Latin America
K. Young
TuTh 11:30-12:45
Latin American history is filled with people taking collective action to shape their societies. This course surveys the history
of Latin American and Caribbean social movements from the late nineteenth century to the present day, seeking to identify
key patterns and lessons in the process. Why have ordinary Latin Americans joined social movements, often at high
personal risk? How and when have those movements achieved their goals? What factors have influenced the forms and
strategies that movements adopt? Some of the case studies will include struggles to abolish slavery in Cuba, labor
movements in twentieth-century Chile, peasant/indigenous movements in Mexico and the Andes, feminist and LGBT
struggles in El Salvador, mobilization against military dictatorship in Argentina in the 1970s, the transnational campaigns
against U.S. intervention in Central America in the 1980s, and struggles in defense of natural resources and
the environment. We will also consider some of the groups who have mobilized in opposition to these movements.
Requirements will include biweekly response papers, several quizzes, an in-class final exam, and active class participation.
Some prior knowledge of modern Latin America is recommended but not required.
397REH Race, Sex and Empire: Britain and India (Honors)
P. Srivastava
Tuesdays 2:30-5:00
Imperialism cannot be understood merely as an economic-military-territorial system of control and exploitation.
Cultural domination is integral to any sustained system of global exploitation. Focusing on cultural aspects of imperialism,
this course explores the racial and sexual politics of British Empire in India from the late eighteenth to early twentieth
century. Using a combination of primary and secondary sources as well as visual and literary material the course will
examine how socially constructed racial and gendered hierarchies, and myths about the sexual practices of colonized people
were linked to the pursuit and maintenance of imperial rule over India. Simultaneously, we will consider how the complex
intersection of race, sexuality, and class influenced the political and social cultures of both Britain (the metropole) and
India (the colony). We will analyze key scholarly perspectives on the following: forms of colonial knowledge, theories of
Aryanism, colonial masculinities, regulation of sexual behavior and prostitution, and the varying roles of colonial
institutions, medical practices, popular discourses, and cultural artifacts in producing racial and sexual stereotypes and in
creating distinctions between the colonizers and the colonized.
Students will complete regular short writing assignments and presentations along with a midterm historiographical essay
and a final research project on a topic of their own choosing.
397ST Science, Technology & War in the 20th Century in US and Europe
E. Redman
MWF 1:25-2:15
This course will examine the nexus of science, technology, and war in the 20th century United States and Europe. Topics
covered will vary widely, including subjects such as the development and use of chemical and biological warfare;
scientific, political, medical, and philosophical implications of nuclear technology; the technology of prostheses; the
Manhattan Project and Big Science; Nazi science; Cold War technologies and their role in political and domestic spaces;
the Space Race; and psychological research and the military. As a unifying theme we will consider the symbiosis of
science and technology with war, examining the ways in which war influences science and tech alongside the ways that
science and technology inform practices and philosophies of war. Readings will consist of primary and secondary sources
as well as historical and contemporary films. Requirements will include writing several short papers as well as a longer
historiographical essay.
398A Practicum – Career Development
M. Roblee
Tuesdays 5:30-6:20 (Pass/Fail - One Credit)
This class is designed to help students think about life after the BA. The class will explore a variety of subjects, including
what jobs history majors have gotten in recent years, what qualifications history majors bring to the job market, what your
interests and skills suggest about the sort of employment you might find rewarding, opportunities for pre-professional
training (UMass courses, internships, study abroad, and graduate school), resume writing, job search strategies, and
interview skills.
491CAH Explorations in Colonial Andean History (Honors)
H. Scott
TuTh 2:30-3:45
This course examines key moments and processes in the historical trajectories of the Andean regions, with particular
emphasis on Peru, Bolivia, and Ecuador. The temporal scope of this course incorporates the pre-conquest era (before 1492)
and the wars of independence in the nineteenth century. The principal focus of discussion, however, is the era of Spanish
conquest and the nearly three centuries of Spanish colonial rule (ca. 1530 to 1809). Reading and discussion centers on
prominent themes and debates in recent historiography on the colonial Andes. The dynamics of conquest, the creation and
characteristics of colonial urban environments, the transformation of religious patterns and thought, the role of slavery in
Andean colonial society, patterns of rebellion and resistance, and debates over the emergence of Spanish American
consciousness are just a few of the themes this course addresses.
497AA Theory & Methods of Oral History
S. Redman
Tuesdays 2:30-5:00
Oral history is a method for recording first-hand accounts of past events. In this class, we will explore the history of oral
history as a method and different theoretical approaches to interpreting oral histories as documents.
HISTORY 450: Junior Year Writing Seminars in History
450 :01 History of Crime and Punishment
J. Fronc
MW 2:30-3:45
This writing seminar will explore historical and sociological literature on crime and punishment in the 20th century United
States. Murder and mass incarceration will be among the topics covered. Students will write several short papers during
the first half of the semester; during the second half, they will work on individual research projects, resulting in a final
paper of 15-20 pages.
450:02 China and the US
S. Platt
MW 2:30-3:45
This writing seminar will explore cultural and political relations between China and the United States from the nineteenth
century to the present. Readings will include travel narratives, missionary and diplomatic accounts, popular press
coverage and other sources that bring to life what China has meant to Americans, and what America has meant to
Chinese, over the course of the last two centuries. Short regular writing assignments will lead up to a longer research
paper at the end of the course. Prerequisite: History 115 or equivalent background in Chinese history.
450:03 History of Technology
B. Ogilvie
TuTh 11:30-12:45
Examination of technological change in its social and cultural context, focusing on Europe from the late Middle Ages to
the second Industrial Revolution. After a brief overview of important developments and an examination of theoretical
perspectives on technological change, students will use primary and secondary sources to write the history of a specific
technological innovation.
450:04 American Privateering 1756-1815
B. Levy
MWF 1:25-2:15
A privateer is a privately owned vessel licensed by a government to attack and plunder enemy ships during a war 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 a major 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 needed 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.
450:05 Sex and the Supreme Court
J. Nye
Thursday 2:30-5:00
This Junior Writing seminar focuses on the U.S. Supreme Court and its rulings regarding sexuality. We will examine
several hot button issues the Supreme Court has weighed in on, such as pornography/obscenity, sodomy, reproduction
(sterilization/contraception/
abortion), marriage (polygamous/interracial/same sex), sexual assault on college campuses, and sex education in public
schools. We will consider how the Court and advocates framed these issues, used (or misused) historical evidence, and
how the argument and/or evidence changed depending on the audience (i.e. the Court or the general public). Students will
write several short papers, such as a letter to the editor, opinion column (op-ed), reading response essay, blog entry and/or
case summary, and a 15-20 page research paper (a paper with an argument supported by evidence) on a topic of their
choosing related to sex and the law. Finally, students will engage in a peer review process during the drafting of their
final papers and will give a presentation about their paper to the class.
450:06 Latin American Revolutions
K. Young
TuTh 2:30-3:45
Through a series of case studies from twentieth-century Latin America, this course seeks to determine how revolutionary
movements originated, how they attained power (or in some cases, did not), and what sorts of problems they encountered.
Most revolutions have faced hostility from both foreign actors and certain sectors of domestic society. Further obstacles
have stemmed from the fact that the revolutionaries themselves have often disagreed on goals, entertaining different and
even conflicting visions of the societies they wish to build. We will explore these and other issues through close analysis
of scholarly studies, personal testimonies, government documents, newspapers, pamphlets, artwork, and films.
450:07 History of Reproductive Rights and Justice in the United States
J. Berkman
Tuesdays 2:30-5:00
This Junior Seminar, although primarily focused on the history of reproductive rights and justice in the United States, is
open to student research and writing on the related history in other countries. The course is organized into two parts. Prior to
spring break, students will read widely in reproductive rights and justice theory and the history of reproductive rights and
justice issues since the colonial era. An essay, ca. 10-15 pages, based upon assigned readings, lectures and class discussion
will climax this first half of the semester. During the weeks after spring break, the seminar turns into a workshop, which
features student presentations of the first drafts of their term papers as well as study of research and writing techniques. The
term paper builds on the readings of the first half of the semester along with research undertaken soon after spring break.
The final draft of the paper will be due a week after the last day of the Seminar.
-----------------------------------------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.