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History
view themselves in and over time, and (2) concepts of people, places, and environments. The course
pays special attention to the various periods into which historians divide American history; the racial,
ethnic, religious, and cultural diversity that has marked American society throughout its history; the
creation and development of the United States’ political and economic institutions; the role the United
States has played in the world; and the ways in which changing interpretations of their own history has
shaped Americans’ understanding of their identity. Offered spring semester. Class is available only for
elementary education.
H270 Historical Thinking 3 credits
This is a sophomore level course for students intending to major in history or history/social science, or
those interested in exploring these majors. It is also recommended but not required for history minors.
The course introduces students to the discipline of history, and in particular to the skills of thinking
historically, of collecting and analyzing historical evidence, of critically reading the work of historians.
The course also focuses on close readings of one or more major historical works which make large
claims about the human experience by integrating approaches from several disciplines, and also on
critical evaluation of the debates generated by these works. The course encourages students to broadly
synthesize their learning and to deeply reflect on the nature of the historical discipline. There are no
prerequisites for this course, but completion of a college level history course is recommended.
H298 Field Exploration 1-3 credits
This course is a supervised, practical application of historical concepts and techniques at institutions
such as historic sites, museums and local and state historical societies.
H305 Colonial and Revolutionary America in the Atlantic World 3 credits
This course is designed to not only give students an overview of the history of Colonial America and
the America Revolution, but also to introduce students to the larger historical events in which they
took shape: the Atlantic World. The course covers a diversity of social, political, cultural, intellectual,
and economic topics such as Native American societies, European empires in the Americas, European
settlement in the southern, middle and northern colonies, family and community structure, class
issues, the development of slavery and the transatlantic slave trade, the events leading to the American
Revolution and their relation to other revolutions in the Atlantic World, the Columbian Exchange
between Europe, Africa and the Americas, and the subsequent transformation of European, African
and American societies around the Atlantic basin. In addition to an understanding of the major topics,
students gain insight into both the methods historians use to interpret the past and the historiography
of colonial and revolutionary America.
H308 From the Constitution to the Civil War 3 credits
The writing and ratification of the Constitution are among the United States’ proudest historical
achievements, while the American Civil War was the Constitution’s greatest test. The purpose of this
course is to provide students with an in-depth understanding of the developments and debates
that led to the writing and ratification of the Constitution, the developments of the early national
and antebellum periods that fostered greater unity among Americans, and the divisive issues and
developments of the 1850s and 1860s that tore the nation apart yet ultimately affirmed the national
unity envisioned by the Constitution. The course covers a diversity of social, political, cultural,
intellectual and economic topics from the period between 1783 and 1865, such as the development
of state constitutions, the development and spread of slavery, the market revolution, the growth of
democracy, westward expansion and the removal of Native Americans, early reform movements,
growing sectional conflict, and the Civil War. In addition to a broad understanding of the major topics
of this period, students gain insight into both the methods historians use to interpret the past and the
historiography that surrounds this vital period.
H311 U.S. Foreign Relations in the 20th Century 3 credits
A general introduction to the history of American foreign policy in the 20th century, the course seeks to
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