History Courses

101 The Medieval Web. 4. This course examines the development of the medieval idea of a “Christian Empire” from the time of Charlemagne to the mid-15th century. Through a close reading of contemporary texts of law, literature, religion and biography, students will explore such topics as the Papacy, Crusades, feudalism, scholasticism and medieval art. Fulfills humanities and social justice/environmental responsibility requirements; may fulfill historical perspectives requirement.

102 The Web of Europe since 1400. 4. This course investigates the genesis and movements of the modern period, from the Renaissance to the fall of the Iron Curtain. On the basis of contemporary documents, students will discuss such issues as nationalism, the Reformation, absolutism, religion in the Age of Reason, egalitarianism and totalitarianism. Fulfills humanities requirement; may fulfill historical perspectives requirement.

103 U.S. Origins: From Pre-Colonial Times to 1877. 4. This course begins by studying Native American cultures before European contact as well as emerging tensions as European populations migrated westward. Students analyze why the colonists revolted against Britain, how the new democratic political institutions evolved, the complex role of African enslavement and how Reconstruction-era politics and reform traditions fostered a new industrialized nation state. Fulfills humanities and social justice/environmental responsibility requirements; may fulfill historical perspectives requirement.

104 Modern Times: The U.S. from 1877 to the Present. 4. This course analyzes how the United States became a mature industrialized consumer society, a haven for peoples from around the world, a welfare state and a global superpower. Studying both the benefits and costs of 20th-century U.S. political and economic success enables students to understand some of the reasons why diverse social groups challenged the economic and political order. Fulfills humanities and social justice/environmental responsibility requirements; may fulfill historical perspectives requirement.

105 American Imperialism, American Progressivism. 4. The years 1890-1925 witnessed tremendous upheavals as America became a world power abroad while at home, reform movements flourished alongside anti-immigrant campaigns, the lynching and disfranchisement of African-Americans, a widening gap between rich and poor and a Red Scare. Students engage in a semester-long project to define this crucial era through the public writings of those who shaped it. Fulfills historical perspectives requirement.

205 United States Imperialism and Progressive. 4. Fulfills humanities requirements and may fulfill historical perspectives requirement.

221 Changing Face of the South. 4. Explores the demographic history of North Carolina from before the European invasion to the present, grappling with the idea and definition of immigrant, foreigner and outsider, as well as with issues involving regionalism, race, class, gender, religious difference and ethnicity. Fulfills humanities and social justice and environmental responsibility requirements.

222 North Carolina History. 4. Examines political, economic and social change in North Carolina from the period of exploration to the present. Begins with the state’s Native American and colonial roots and follows through the establishing of the commonwealth, slavery, the Civil War and North Carolina’s reinvention as an industrial leader in the 20th-century’s “New South.” Also explores the Civil Rights movement and contemporary changes in demographic character.

223 Gender and Power in U. S. History. 4. This course analyzes how both men and women with diverse social and ethnic roots participated in transforming gender norms, identities and power relationships in U.S. society from pre-colonial times to the present. Students examine how economic institutions, political debate, legal decisions, changing sexual patterns and social activism have all contributed to redefining social expectations and daily life in contemporary U.S. culture. Fulfills humanities and diversity in the U.S. requirements.

225 African American History. 4. Examines major themes such as the African heritage, slavery, emancipation, Reconstruction, migrations, labor, criminal justice, black nationalism, the Civil Rights Movement and current issues. Fulfills humanities and either diversity in the U.S or social justice/environmental responsibility requirements.

233 Medieval Civilization: Crusades and Chivalry. 4. This course investigates medieval civilization through some of its most intriguing characters – crusaders, pilgrims and knights. We will explore the developments in medieval church and religion, issues of international law or human rights, religious and ethnic diversity, social class and privilege and the romance and ethics of knighthood and courtly love. Fulfills humanities requirement.

235 The Renaissance in Florence (ART 235). 4. The course discusses the history of Renaissance Florence, its economy, society, politics and culture, in relation to the other major Italian city-states. A main theme of the course is how politics and religion combine during this time and find their expression in art and culture. Fulfills arts and humanities requirements.

236 Reformation: Luther to Fox (REL 236). 4. The course is designed to introduce students to a basic understanding of events and ideas of the Reformation era in Europe, ca. 1517 to 1660. A focal point of our readings will be the reformers’ view of the relation between political and ecclesiastical authority. Fulfills humanities requirement.

237 Europe in Revolution, 1789-1918. 4. A study of the main issues in 19th-century Western Europe – industrialization, shift from monarchy to constitutional government, growth of nationalism, socialism and imperialism – and their impact on Europe by the eve of the war in 1914. Fulfills humanities requirement; may fulfill historical perspectives requirement.

238 War and Peace: 20th-Century Europe, 1914-present. 4. This course compares different European countries and examines their relations with each other in a very ideologically driven century. While the course emphasizes politics and diplomacy, peace, war and socio-economic developments, it will also consider the history of the arts, science and technology, women, the environment, business, religion, ideas, law, culture and biography. Fulfills humanities requirement; may fulfill historical perspectives requirement.

     

241 Africa Before 1800. 4. An overview of African history before European colonial rule, focusing on the Iron Age and related civilizations. Introduces the history of such ancient kingdoms and empires as Tekrur, Mali and Songhai, Benin, Oyo and Asante, the Swahili coast, the Kongo and Zimbabwe. Also explores the impact of the European and Arab slave trades. Fulfills humanities and intercultural requirements.

242 Africa Since 1800. 4. A survey of Africa from the European colonial era to the emergence of African nationalism and modern times. Examines the impact of foreign rule on Africa’s economic, social, cultural and political history. Focuses on the history of South Africa as a case study, exploring change in the southern region from both pan-African and global perspectives. Fulfills humanities and intercultural requirements.

250 Special Topics. 4. May also be offered at 350 and 450 levels. Topics may include Civil War, the Russian Revolutionary Movement, Women in the 19th-Century Labor Force and Guilford County

255 The Second World War. 4. This course examines the developments of the Second World War, and the war’s impact on states, societies and international relations. It especially contrasts contingency in negotiations and on the battlefield on the one hand, with more inflexible causes in culture and economics on the other. Fulfills humanities requirement

260 Independent Study. 1-4. May also be offered at 360 and 460 levels. Involves weekly meetings with departmental advisors; oral or written examination.

264 The Asian Pacific in Modern Times. 4. Introduces the themes necessary to understand Asian countries today: cultural legacies, colonialism, the rise of nationalism and communism, war and revolution, as well as contemporary issues facing the region.  Includes East Asian  (China, Japan and Korea) and Southeast Asian (Vietnam, Cambodia, Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Burma and Thailand) countries. Fulfills either intercultural or social justice/environmental responsibility requirement.

266 Contemporary Chinese Society in Film. 4. Examines the dynamic changes that have occurred in Chinese society since the death of Mao Zedong in 1976. Using Chinese feature films produced in the 1980s and 1990s, the course examines how economic reform has dramatically changed Chinese society and focuses on the relationship between art and politics in the People’s Republic. Fulfills intercultural requirement.

268 History of Chinese Women. 4. Traces the lives of Chinese women from the imperial age, when “for a woman to be without ability [was] a virtue,” through a revolutionary era (1850-1950) which broadened women’s options, to the socialist  period, in which  “women [were said to]  hold up half the sky.” For each of these three periods, the course examines the multiple factors that shaped women’s experiences and the various ways women created a place for themselves. Fulfills intercultural requirement.

271 Colonial Latin America. 4. Explores Latin American history from the pre-Columbian era to independence in the early 19th century. The civilizations of the Aztec, Inca and Maya, the Spanish conquest and the formation of the colonial institutions that underlie modern Latin American reality will be examined. Focuses will also include racial, ethnic, and gender relations and the development of regional identities. Fulfills intercultural requirement.

272 Modern Latin America. 4. An introduction to the history of Latin America from the wars for independence from Spain, through the current era of struggles over democratization and globalization. This course emphasizes the actions and ideologies of Latin Americans – hacendados and peasants; masters and slaves; immigrants and indigenous peoples; elites and workers; politicians and masses; militaries and guerillas; men and women – in making their own history. Fulfills intercultural requirement.

290 Internship. 1-4. May also be offered at the 390 level.

300 Research Seminar. 4. An advanced research and writing course required of all majors in their junior year. Students select their own topics and, using primary sources, engage in a semester-long project, which culminates in an oral presentation.

302 Economic History of the United States (ECON 302). 4. Examines key issues in our economic history, including the emergence and spread of market institutions, the changing nature and conditions of work through different periods, the rise of big business and impact of industrial capitalism and the methods and outcomes of those who resisted these changes. Short research projects and a semester-long paper provide opportunities to engage in historical research. Alternate years.

303 U.S. Social History and Social Memory. 4. Study of the methods, subjects of research and critiques of U.S. social history and its public presentation in museums, historical sites and popular culture constitutes an introductory unit and frames the fundamental questions raised in this course. The central focus in course readings and student research is the historical evolution of social diversity in the United States. Fulfills humanities requirement.

308 The Underground Railroad. 4. Examination of abolitionist activity in U.S. between 1800 and 1865, emphasizing the historical context, scope and impact of efforts by diverse peoples who helped the enslaved escape to “freedom” in the Northern states and Canada. Each student will help develop and participate in a re-enactment to illustrate how the Underground Railroad operated. Fulfills humanities and either diversity in the U.S. or social justice/environmental responsibility requirements.

311 The U.S. since 1945. 4. Analyzes recent significant events such as theGreat Depression, World War II, the Vietnam War, the Cold War and its demise and their effects on contemporary U.S. society. The course also discusses the recent movements for social justice for African Americans, industrial and service workers, women of all classes and ethnicities, gays and lesbians and other ethnic groups. Fulfills humanities requirement.

312 Indians in American History since 1800. 4. Traces first the relationships between American Indians and the European colonial enterprises of the late 18th century and then explores in detail Indian efforts to chart their own path within an expansive and emerging United States over the course of the 19th and 20th centuries. Among the themes are dispossession, resistance, “civilization,” ecology and resource management, meanings of tribal identity. Fulfills humanities and diversity in the U.S. requirements.

313 War, Reconstruction and the State in the 19th Century U.S. 4. Examines the period’s dramatic expansion in the power of the federal government and the establishment of new economic, political, racial and social orders, as well as ways that various groups resisted, or adapted to, efforts at incorporation and asserted their own visions of ethno-racial, political or national identity. Fulfills humanities and social justice/environmental responsibility requirements.

315 The Civil Rights Movement. 4. Critically examines the reform movement that ended legal racial segregation, secured African American voting rights and renewed the quest for political empowerment, economic reform and social justice in the United Stats between 1948 and 1972. Includes discussion of related movements: black nationalism, black power, women’s liberation, community control and the “war on poverty.” Fulfills humanities and either diversity in the U.S. or social justice/environmental responsibility requirements.

335 Ancient Greece from Homer to Socrates (IDS 452). 4. This course examines the roots of Western cultural experience by examining the ideals and traditions of classical Greece. The seminar will focus on the evolution of Greek culture, its ethics, aesthetics and world-view, particularly as it was formed in the course of the Persian Wars and in the battle for Peloponnesian hegemony between Athens and Sparta. Fulfills humanities requirement.

336 The Elizabethan Age. 4. This course centers on the political, religious and cultural changes in the British Isles between the reign of Henry VIII and the Glorious Revolution. Main topics of discussion include the Reformation and the Civil War (1642-45). Fulfills humanities requirements.

343 Women in Modern Africa. 4. Explores the changing roles of women in 20th-century Africa, with emphasis on Ghana and South Africa. Enrollment limited to juniors and seniors. Fulfills humanities and intercultural requirements.

383 Imperial China. 4. Explores Chinese history from the time of Confucius to the mid-19th century. Themes include the struggle for unification, the interplay between Confucian and Buddhist values, China’s relationship to nomadic peoples, the growth of despotism, social organization patterns and China’s artistic and scientific contributions to the world. Fulfills humanities and intercultural requirements.

384 China in Revolution. 4. Analyzes the causes of five revolutions in 19th- and 20th-century China. Topics include the impact of Western imperialism on China, peasant uprisings, the nationalist struggle for “strength and wealth,” the rise of communism and efforts to create a socialist utopia under Mao Zedong (1949-1976). Fulfills intercultural requirement.

385 Medieval Japan. 4. Analyzes Japan politics, society, economy and culture from 1550 to 1850. Issues include the evolution of the samurai ethic (bushido), the warriors’ relationship to the arts, the rise of cities and a lively urban culture and changes in rural life. Fulfills humanities and intercultural requirements.

386 Japan: The Road to War. 4. Examines Japan from the 1850s, when Commodore Perry “opened” Japan, until the early 1950s, when the Allied Occupation of Japan formally ended. Issues include the impact of the Meiji Restoration on Japanese politics and society, the rise of imperialism and militarism, the Pacific War and the legacy of military defeat and foreign occupation. Fulfills intercultural requirement.

470 Senior Thesis. 2-4. Research and writing of a scholarly monograph.

490 Departmental Honors. 2-4. Honors and credit with grade of B or above; credit only for grade less than B.

The following course is accepted as history credit for majors with departmental approval:

•  GST 225  Medieval People. 1.