History is the study of the record of past human experience. Historians understand the term “record” in a very broad way, so that the line between history and various other disciplines is sometimes a thin one. History has its own methodologies, however, as interdisciplinary as it necessarily is in practice.

Work in the department is directed toward the achievement of two goals. On the one hand, the student gains insight into other times and cultures and the human condition generally as she learns about the past. She discovers what has endured and what is new. On the other hand, the student gains experience in gathering, evaluating, and interpreting large amounts of information as well as the opportunity to sharpen her ability to communicate her findings to others.

HIST 103 (3) - Introduction to History: Intoxication and Addiction in American History

Contemporary commentators regard addiction as a biological and psychological condition, rooted in heredity, biochemistry, and family dynamics. Yet, historians have argued that prior to 1800, there were no alcohol addicts, only Americans who overindulged in drink. In this course we will examine evidence bearing on this radical thesis. By examining the experiences of Native Americans, native-born Protestants, and immigrant groups, we will also examine how women’s concerns shaped nineteenth-century movements to control the use of alcohol and the American society. Documents bearing on the point of view of sufferers as well as professionals and reformers will be considered. Offered alternate years. V.1, V.5

HIST 105 (3) - Introduction to History: Doing Sweet Briar History
Prerequisite: Open to first-year students and sophomore; others by permission of the instructor.

This course explores the realm of historical explanation using the Sweet Briar archives. Each step in historical construction will be illustrated by short projects: locating sources, determining their contexts, analyzing sources with reference to their use as historical evidence, forming theory in response to evidence, and constructing narrative. Each student will combine these short projects to create a history of a topic of her choice. Offered alternate years. III.W, V.5.

HIST 107 (3) - Introduction to History: Stalin and Hitler
Prerequisite: Open to first-year students and sophomores; others by permission of the instructor.

An examination of the careers of Stalin and Hitler, with particular emphasis on that period (1933-1945) during which both were in power. Topics include each man’s role as leader of his country, his ideology, and his domestic and foreign policies. Special attention will be paid to the Holocaust and to the related question of whether the Soviet experience of the Gulag is in any way comparable. Offered alternate years. III.W, V.1

The roots of many contemporary western legal concepts and institutions reach far back into Europe's past. This course explores how the legacy of ancient Roman law (the basis for much modern European law) and medieval canon law and common law have shaped the development of human civil rights in the West. The topic of the course will vary and may concern the rights of native peoples, the history of free speech, or changing definitions of legal personhood. Readings will include fundamental texts of western legal history, modern commentaries, and leading Supreme Court Cases. Prerequisite: Open to first-year students and sophomores; others by permission of the instructor. This course may be counted toward the minor in Law and Society. V.1

HIST 121 (3) - Early and Medieval Britain

This course surveys British history from antiquity to the War of Roses. Topics include the early Celts and Britons; the Roman occupation; Christianization of the British Isles; Anglo-Saxon Britain, the Norman conquest; and the development of the monarchy, Parliament, and the common law. It also explores historicity of such popular subjects as the Arthurian tales. V.1

HIST 127 (3) - English History, 1500 to 1689

A survey of English history under the Tudors and Stuarts, with some attention to Scotland and Ireland as well. The course will begin with an examination of early modern English society, including social relations in local communities and family structure, familial relationships and the position of women. Other topics include: Henry VIII’s break with Rome, the Protestant Reformation, assessment of Elizabeth’s abilities as queen, the Civil Wars, Restoration politics and the world of Samuel Pepys. V.1, V.5

HIST 135 (3) - America, Origins to 1877

A survey of American history from its colonial origins to the end of Reconstruction. The course emphasizes the major trends in society, politics, and economics, and covers such topics as the causes of the Civil War, the nature of Jacksonian democracy, and the meaning of the American revolution. V.1

HIST 136 (3) - The United States, 1877 to the Present

A survey of modern American history. The course emphasizes the major trends in society, politics and economics, and covers such topics as the meaning of Reconstruction, the impact of industrialization, the nature of race relations, and McCarthyism. V.1

HIST 206 (3) - Modern Israel

The Jewish national movement arose in nineteenth-century Europe as a response to Enlightenment ideals. The growth of nation-states coupled with the spread of democratic ideologies prompted many Jews to experiment with many forms of social Utopia that eventually became the modern state of Israel. The study of contemporary sources will shed light on the origins of Zionist ideology, the role of women in the development of the kibbutz collective settlement, and finally, the conflict between Israel and Arabs after the founding of the state in 1948. Offered alternate years. III.W., V.1, V.7

HIST 209 (3) - Medieval and Early Modern Europe 1100-1700
Prerequisite: Open to first-year students only with permission of the instructor.

A survey of some major themes in European history between the 12th and 17th centuries. Topics will include knightly society and the code of chivalry; the growth of cities and urban culture and values; monarchy and state building; relations between church and state; Renaissance culture; traditional religion, the Reformation and the Wars of Religion; changing social and familial structures. V.1

HIST 210 (3) - Europe, 1789-1989: From the French Revolution to the Collapse of Communism
Prerequisite: Open to first-year students only with permission of the instructor.

A study of major efforts in the 19th and 20th centuries to improve systems of government and methods for the production and distribution of goods. The course will also examine ideas about human nature and ways in which these ideas relate to different political and economic systems. Among the topics covered: the French Revolution, industrialization in Europe, Nationalism, Marxism, Social Darwinism, Freudian thought, Fascism, Communism, the Welfare State and the National Security State. V.1.

HIST 221 (3) - Spirituality and Religious Institutions in U.S. History

Americans have long struggled to reconcile spiritual intensity with stable communal institutions. This course examines the historical development of this struggle, focusing in particular on its gendered dimensions and the formation of religious communities set apart from the mainstream of American life. We will also examine the impact of religious zeal on American political life and movements for social change, and inquire into the social and cultural forces behind the resurgence of fundamentalisms and the rise of therapeutic spiritual philosophies in the twentieth century. V.1, V.5

HIST 223 (3) - The Ancient World, 8000 BC to 300 AD

This course probes the origins, rise, and characteristics of the civilizations that appeared in Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece, and Italy in the centuries from the Neolithic era to the rise of Christianity. The political, religious, economic, social, intellectual, and artistic dimensions of these civilizations will be examined. We will also discuss the legacy of the ancient world for the modern west. This course may be counted toward the majors in Classical Studies. V.1

HIST 224 (3) - The Medieval West, 400-1350

This course challenges the perception of the Middle Ages as the "Dark Ages" by introducing the cultural, political, intellectual and religious complexity of the period from the fall of the Roman empire to the Black Death. While focusing geographically on Europe, north Africa and the Near East, it also explores the medieval West in the context of sub-Saharan Africa and China. Offered alternate years.V.1

HIST 225 (3) - The U.S. South
Prerequisite: Not open to students who have taken HIST 339.

A survey of Southern history from founding of Jamestown to the rise of the Sunbelt. Topics will include the plantation, slavery, white society, Civil War, Reconstruction, Redemption, and the rise of Jim Crow. The course will conclude with the South’s continuing efforts to deal with the legacies of its past. Offered alternate years. V.1, V.5

HIST 227 (3) - The Family in U.S. History

The course will trace changes in the function of the family and in ideology regarding the family. Attention will be given to regional, ethnic and racial differences in family structure. Offered alternate years. This course may be counted as a core course toward the minor in Women and Gender Studies. V.1, V.5

HIST 228 (3) - Women in American History

Changing relationships between women and men in American history from 1600 to the present, with emphasis upon the changing functions and roles of women and upon varieties of feminism. Offered alternate years. This course may be counted as a core course toward the minor in Women and Gender Studies. V.1, V.5

HIST 234 (3) - Masculinity and Power in the Shaping of American Life

This course explores changing ideals of American masculinity and how those ideals shaped the development of public and private life from the colonial period to the present. We will inquire into the cultural and social forces that went into the construction of a “male” public sphere in the 18th and 19th centuries, and how different groups of men organized themselves to acheive a public impact. Other topics include the changing uses of work, home life, and leisure to construct male identities, the emergence of sexuality as a key component of masculinity, and the impact of urbanization, immigration and race on the ideals of manhood. V.1, V.5

HIST 238 (3) - From Montgomery to Watergate: The Long 60s in America

America changed dramatically and fundamentally between the presidencies of Eisenhower and Nixon. This course examines the events and developments of the 50s, 60s and 70s. It emphasizes the Civil Rights Movement, involvement in the Vietnam War and protests against it, the 60s counterculture, and the rise of conservatism. It is based on primary source materials. Offered alternate years. This course may not be taken on a P/CR/NC grading option.

HIST 240 (3) - Gender, Sexuality and Family in Pre-modern Europe
Prerequisite: HIST 127, HIST 209, HIST 223, or HIST 224 recommended.

This course explores gender and sexuality in Europe and the Mediterranean from late antiquity to the Industrial Revolution. It considers such topics as marriage and the family, "women's work," the influence of law and religion on gender roles and sexuality, and early debates about the differences between the sexes. It also investigates the conflicting theoretical approaches to understanding gender difference, sex roles and sexual identity. Offered alternate years. This course may be counted as a core course toward the minor in Women and Gender Studies. III.W, V.1, V.5

HIST 245 (3) - Imperial and Soviet Russia

A study of major political, social, economic, and cultural developments from Peter the Great to Brezhnev. Offered alternate years. III.W

HIST 247 (3) - The Twentieth-Century World

A selective review of world history in this century beginning with an examination of the various kinds of imperialism existing before World War I. The course will also deal with both world wars, the emergence of national liberation movements between the world wars, and with Fascism and Communism. It continues with an examination of the Cold War and the appearance of dozens of new states after World War II, and concludes with a discussion of the development and dimensions of the North-South division that some see as characteristic of the late twentieth century world. V.7

HIST 251 (3) - The Idea of Race
Prerequisite: one course in modern European history.

Race is a relatively new idea in Western civilization, and the course will trace its creation in eighteenth century Europe as a response to the African slave trade, through the nineteenth century’s growth of race science and Imperialism, and finally into twentieth century versions in such diverse movements as Fascism and anti-colonialism. Although the course focuses on Western Europe, some mention will be made of North America. III.V, V.1, V.5

HIST 258 (3) - History of Crime and Punishment in the West

This course surveys the foundations and development of western criminal law, penal institutions, and criminal jurisprudence from antiquity to the modern world. Patterns of criminality and enforcement, attempts at controlling crime, and philosophies regarding crime and punishment will be explored. We will also examine current debates on such controversial issues as violence, the death penalty, and the prosecution of "crimes against humanity." No knowledge of statistics or data analysis is assumed. Students will learn the necessary techniques and skills in the course. This course may be counted as an adjunct course toward the minor in Law and Society. III.Q, V.1, V.7

HIST 269 (3) - Africa in World Affairs

An introduction to modern Africa from 1880 to the present that concentrates on the experience of Colonial rule and its relation to the rise of national movements that led to the creation of independent states in the 1960s. Special emphasis will be placed on economic and political developments during the period of independence that affect Africa’s international relations. Satisfies the non-Western requirement. V.4, V.5

HIST 272 (3) - Pre-Colonial African History

An introduction to the development of African political culture from the tenth to nineteenth centuries. After studying the historical foundations of local institutions, the course will focus on the formation of states before and during the period of the slave trade until about 1860. Emphasis on contemporary historical sources. Satisfies the non-Western requirement. V.4, V.5

HIST 301 (3) - Revolutions in the Modern World
Prerequisite: Two courses in the Division of Social Science.

A comparative study of the phenomenon of revolution using the techniques and findings of such disciplines as psychology, sociology, and economics, in addition to those of history and political science. Beginning with the emergence of this phenomenon in the 17th century, the course traces its growth and development to the present day. Offered alternate years.

HIST 308 (3) - Encounters, Conquest, and European Expansion, 1350-1650
Prerequisite: HIST 209 or HIST 224.

This course probes the economic, scientific, and territorial expansions that both fueled and resulted from the “rebirth” of western Europe during the early modern era. Topics include Columbus’s voyages to the New World; the Portuguest slave trade in Africa; Italian and Ottoman commercial rivalries in the Mediterranean; Spanish, British, and French colonization of the Americas; and Europes’s scientific responses to the new and strange environments being mapped and explored. III.W, V.1.

HIST 321 (3) - Studies in Medieval History
Prerequisite: HIST 209.

The millennium separating antiquity and the Renaissance witnessed the rise of western Christianity and capitalism, the "invention" of romantic love, the development of Islamic science, and the Black Death. Topics will alternate: "Early Middle Ages or Dark Ages?"; High Medieval Renaissances(s)"; Medieval Iberia"; "The Disastrous Fourteenth Century." Offered alternate years. May be repeated for credit when topic is different. III.W, V.5

HIST 322 (3) - Renaissance and Reformation
Prerequisite: HIST 127 or HIST 209.

The course will explore the social and cultural context of Renaissance and Reformation thought as well as the ideas and ideals of humanist intellectuals and religious reformers. The study of Renaissance Italy will include such topics as the family, sex and marriage, crime and criminal justice and social structure and politics in the city states as well as humanism and art. The Reformation section will examine traditional Catholicism and popular beliefs, as well as the ideals and goals of Protestant and Catholic reformers, and will assess the reformers’ achievements. The focus of the course may be EITHER Renaissance OR Reformation. Offered alternate years. V.5

HIST 336 (3) - Civil War and Reconstruction
Prerequisite: HIST 135 or HIST 225.

An analysis of the causes of the U.S. Civil War and the issues of Reconstructing the South and the Union. The course will pay special attention to the changing interpretations of historians in the past century. Offered alternate years.

HIST 339 (3) - Southern Slavery
Prerequisite: HIST 135 or HIST 225.

A study of slavery and its effects on Southern society. Students will examine the questions of the origins of racism, the origins of southern distinctiveness, the political economy of slavery, and the nature of master-slave relations. The course also considers the development of African-American culture, by examining slave narratives and autobiographies. Offered alternate years.

HIST 353 (3) - Dangerous Ideas: Darwin, Freud, and Marx in Their Day and Ours
Prerequisite: HIST 210.

Darwin, Freud, and Marx taught people in the 19th and 20th centuries how to think about themselves, their relations with others, and their place in the wider world. Each proposed ideas which, in the hands of lesser thinkers, had dangerous implications for race, sex, and class. This course explores the original ideas of each thinker in the context of his time, traces the development of the simplistic and dangerous ideas that others developed from the work of these men, and, finally, surveys the modifications to the theories of the three that made it possible for each man to exert significant influence throughout the 20th century. Offered alternate years.

HIST 355 (3) - War and Society in Modern Europe
Prerequisite: HIST 209 or HIST 210.

The study of war will illustrate connections between social organization, technology, and values in various periods in early modern and modern Europe. The course will conclude with an historical view of military thinking during the age of nuclear weapons. Offered alternate years.

HIST 358 (3) - The Cold War as History
Prerequisite: HIST 247 or GOVT 109.

This course begins with a review of various ways by which the history of the postwar world may be organized. Students will contend with the question of the extent to which selection of a method of organization determines what is to be studied. The main part of the course consists of a parallel examination of the histories of the two main actors in the period of the Cold War, the United States and the Soviet Union, and two countries fated to be major subjects of others’ actions, Germany and Vietnam. The course will emphasize short research papers and reports. Offered alternate years. V.7

HIST 361 (1, 2, or 3) - Special Study

Special topics pursued by students individually or in small groups under supervision.

HIST 373 (3) - Making African History
Prerequisite: HIST 269 or HIST 272.

By evaluating introductory African history textbooks in light of recent scholarship, the course will treat the variety of ways that historians construct a view of history. We will compare textbooks with regards to selected topics and then survey recent research in academic journals to show how fresh research and novel questions change our views of African history.

HIST 452 (3) - Senior Seminar
Prerequisite: Open by permission to seniors.

The seminar will deal with the question "What is history?" Primarily this will involve an examination of some of the best works of historians in the last few years. It also will consider ways in which people organize, analyze, and interpret past experience. III.0

HIST 461 (1, 2, or 3) - Independent Study

Research on a topic determined in advance by a student and her advisor.

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