Course Catalog

Broad introduction to global history, by exploring the global structures and transnational forces that have shaped human history, from the emergence of agriculture and urban centers to our contemporary global village.

What is black music, and how do we know what we think we know about it? Together, we will examine musical creations pioneered by Africans and individuals of African descent over several centuries and across hemispheres. Doing so will allow us to consider the unity of the African Diaspora and its music, and also examine internal differences and diversity. Special focus is given to Latin America and the U.S., but, depending on the semester, we will also read about, listen to, and talk about music and musicians in Asia, Africa, and Europe.

[IAI Code: H2903N] Survey of Latin American history from the discovery of America to 1824.

[IAI Code: H2903N] Surveys the three major East Asian civilizations from ancient and classical times, through the period of Western influence, political revolution, and modernization, to the contemporary age and the emergence of East Asian superpowers. Same as EALC 120.

Course is identical to HIST 141 except for the additional writing component. See HIST 141. Credit is not given for both HIST 140 and HIST 141. Prerequisite: Completion of campus Composition I General Education requirement.

[IAI Code: H2901] Western societies from antiquity to the early modern age in western Asia, North Africa, and Europe; with an emphasis on cultural exchange, migration, and the transmission of knowledge, ideas, technologies, and arts. Topics include the formation of the earliest civilizations; political and intellectual experiments of the Greek and Roman worlds; emergence of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam; military, commercial, social, and educational revolutions of the Middle Ages; rise of independent cities and territorial monarchies; religious upheavals and violent aftermaths. Credit is not given toward graduation for: Credit is not given for both HIST 141 and HIST 140.

Same as JS 120 and REL 120. See REL 120.

[IAI Code: H2904] U.S. history survey beginning with the diverse peoples who have populated North America since before the age of contact with Europeans and extending forward through the advent of European colonialism, the movement for independence, the foundation of the republic, the Civil War, and Reconstruction, ending in 1877. The course provides an introduction to historical interpretation, with particular attention to racialized and other forms of social, political, and economic inequality and struggles for freedom and democracy. Credit is not given toward graduation for: Credit is not given for both HIST 171 and HIST 170.

[IAI Code: H2905] Survey of U.S. history from the end of the Civil War to the present, focusing on struggles to achieve a multiracial democracy, the evolution of an industrial, urbanized, and pluralistic society, the intersections between domestic and global affairs, and the practice of historical interpretation. Epoch-making events and elites are considered in light of their relation to the activities and lives of ordinary people, including people of color, immigrants, women, and the working and middle classes. Credit is not given toward graduation for: Credit is not given for both HIST 172 and HIST 173.

Course is identical to HIST 172 except for the additional writing component. Credit is not given for both HIST 173 and HIST 172. Prerequisite: Completion of campus Composition I General Education requirement.

May be repeated.

Through the careful examination of a specific topic or theme, this course provides a thorough introduction to historical interpretation. Particular attention will be devoted to research strategies, writing practices, handling primary and secondary sources, and the analysis of historiography. May be repeated to a maximum of 6 hours with permission of the Director of Undergraduate Studies.

Same as AFRO 221 and LA 221. See LA 221.

The history of ancient Greece and neighboring civilizations from the Archaic Period to the conquests of Alexander.

Exploration of the Holocaust in historical perspective by examining European anti-Semitism, political developments in Germany, the rise to power of the Nazis, and the origins of the Holocaust with first-hand accounts, films, and historical texts, concluding with the legacy of the Holocaust in the contemporary world. Same as JS 252.

Medicine and public health in the United States from the colonial period through the twentieth century. Topics include medical theories, therapeutic practices, and institutions as determined by science, culture, politics, law, and social structures. Additional attention will be paid to illness and epidemics; health care providers, patients, and public policy. Throughout, the course will highlight race, sex, (dis)ability, and other social categories that have affected medical care and been defined in medical terms. Same as GWS 263.

History of Afro-Americans in the age of white supremacy; the rise of modern protest organizations; the era of integration; and the black power movement. Same as AFRO 276.

Same as LLS 279. See LLS 279.

Study of the economic, political, and social forces which shaped migration, settlement, and community formation of Puerto Ricans, Cubans, and Dominicans living in the United States. Same as LLS 280.

Exploration of the migrations of peoples from the Asian continent into the United States, their attempts to build family and community, and their subsequent impact on American history. Same as AAS 283.

Examines films as a significant medium of commentary on society and history. Explores the motives and careers of moviemakers, the ways in which films are influenced by their audiences, and how audiences' perception of historical processes are affected by films. Topics will vary. Same as MACS 300. May be repeated to a maximum of 6 hours if topics vary. Students may register in more than one section per term. May be repeated to a maximum of 6 hours.

History of immigration and immigrant groups in the United States from 1830 to 1980. Covers major waves of immigration and focuses on the diverse cultural heritage, social structure, and political activism of immigrants from Europe, the Americas, and Asia.

Examines the twentieth-century history of Egypt, emphasizing the internal social, political, economic, and ideological developments, with attention to Egypt's role in regional and international politics. Readings include novels and short stories to introduce students to modern Egyptian culture. Same as AFST 338.

Social, economic, cultural and political history of the "four Kingdoms" of England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland between 1450 and 1800. Covers the Tudor and Stuart dynasties, Shakespeare, the English Civil War, the development of British colonial holdings across the globe, and the effects of empire at home.

Colonial encounters between Europe and today's Third World viewed in comparative historical perspective. Equal emphasis placed on (colonizing) Europe and colonial experience of Asia, Africa, and South America.

Cultural history of Europe in an age of global warfare and political, social, and economic upheaval.

An examination of how Jewish life and culture contributed to the creation of the world's first socialist society. Makes use of primary sources, scholarly essays and monographs, archival documents, literature, memoirs, film, and visual culture as a way of introducing students to Soviet Jewish History, from the reign of the last tsar, Nicholas II, to the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. Special topics to be examined include: the breakup of the Pale of Settlement during the Great War; the role of Jews in revolution and revolutionary culture; Soviet nationality policy; shtetl culture; antisemitism; everyday life; the purges of the 1930s; the Jewish experience in World War II; the Holocaust; and mass emigration. Same as JS 355.

Examines the reciprocal relationship between thought and society in western Europe from the French Revolution to the present.

Explores the relationship between history and fiction by focusing on specific cultural locations. May be repeated to a maximum of 6 hours if topics vary.

A study of political life in the U.S. during the century following the Revolution. The course covers the appearance and evolution of republican government, the Constitution, the expansion of voting rights, the rise and fall of political parties, and the relationship of all these things to the development of economic and social relationships.

The United States' civil war (1861-1865) and the years of postwar "reconstruction" (conventionally dated as 1865-1877). During this period as a whole, the nation underwent its second revolution -- a revolution more radical in its impact than the one that freed it from the British Empire. Much about U.S. history for the next century and more was decided during these critical years.

Study of the imperial dimensions of U.S. history from about 1877 to 1920. This was an era marked by an imperial world system, unprecedented levels of international trade and investments, massive labor migrations, significant missionary endeavors, and consolidation of U.S. power over Native Americans, and growing U.S. political and military assertion in the international arena. Considers how the United States and its peoples positioned themselves in an international context by investigating not only government policies but also commercial endeavors and cultural practices.

Examines the history of urban centers, paying special attention to the relationship between the city and its surrounding territory, the impact of migration and immigration, the delineation of space and the transformation of the built environment, and the role of a city's inhabitants in creating social networks, political structures, and cultural institutions. May be repeated in separate terms to a maximum of 6 hours if topics vary.

Same as GWS 387. See GWS 387.

Same as AFRO 378. See AFRO 378.

Topics and problems in the history of laws, legal institutions, jurisprudence, concepts of justice, and their role(s) in shaping societies over time. Specific readings and foci will vary. May be repeated in the same or separate terms for a maximum of 6 hours if topics vary.

With a faculty sponsor, a qualified students will develop a program of study or research related to an internship or other relevant employment opportunity. Consult departmental undergraduate advisor or Director of Undergraduate Studies. Approved for letter and S/U grading. May be repeated in separate terms to a maximum of 6 hours. Prerequisite: Consent of faculty sponsor and Director of Undergraduate Studies required.

Readings in selected fields in consultation with the instructor resulting in a 20-30 page paper. May be repeated with permission of the Director of Undergraduate Studies. Prerequisite: Junior or senior standing pursuing a History major; written consent of instructor and History undergraduate advisor required.

The development of influential political and cultural ideas on the African continent over the course of the long 20th century, highlighting the interactions of individuals (as members of educated elites and of rural societies) and institutions (such as universities) in developing trademark African intellectualism. These concepts include: Pan-Africanism, the need for political independence, Negritude, feminism/womanism, calls for the promotion of indigenous languages and ubuntu; as well as the contested justifications for one-party rule. Students will gain an appreciation of the breadth, depth and creativity of African thought and activism. 3 undergraduate hours. 2 or 4 graduate hours.

Same as JS 442 and REL 442. See REL 442.

Examination of the political, social, economic, military, institutional, religious and cultural development of the Roman Empire from the reign of Augustus (27 BCE - 14 CE) through the fall of the Western Roman Empire ca. 480 CE. 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours.

Political, social, and economic development of the USSR since the 1917 revolutions that brought the Bolsheviks to power; social change and social engineering; political struggles among Stalin and his rivals; the "Stalin revolution" from above and economic modernization; the USSR's emergence through World War II and the Cold War as a world power; "developed socialist" society. 3 undergraduate hours. 2 or 4 graduate hours. Graduate students will write an additional substantial paper and engage in special discussion sections.

Independent reading, research, and writing under the supervision of an individual instructor. Seniors in the History Honors Program taking this course in place of the Honors Senior Thesis must complete a substantive research paper (25-30 pages). No graduate credit. May be repeated to a maximum of 6 hours. Each 3-hour class must be taken with a different instructor. Prerequisite: Admission to the History Honors Program; or junior or senior of high standing with the consent of the Director of Undergraduate Studies.

This is a seminar for all students in the History Honors Program and other advanced students interested in honors level study of historiography and methodology. Students intending to write a senior honors thesis should take it no later than the spring of the Junior year. Students will study the development of the historian's craft and will be exposed to new research methods and techniques. The course will culminate in the preparation of a research proposal, developed in consultation with an individual faculty advisor. The instructor of HIST 492 and the Director of Undergraduate Studies will assist students intending to write a thesis in the selection of an appropriate mentor. 3 undergraduate hours. No graduate credit. Prerequisite: Admission to the History Honors Program or consent of the Director of Undergraduate Studies.

Two-term independent research and writing project under the supervision of a faculty advisor. Students enrolled in this course must submit a completed Honors Senior Thesis at the end of the second term, for evaluation by the faculty advisor and a second reader. 3 undergraduate hours. No graduate credit. Must be repeated for a total of 6 hours. Students will receive separate grades for each semester's work. Prerequisite: Admission to the History Honors Program and consent of supervising professor; HIST 492; concurrent enrollment in HIST 499 is required.

Capstone course required of all majors. Students will make history by researching and writing a work of original scholarship. Several of these seminars are offered each term and each focuses on a special topic, thus allowing students with similar interests to work through the process of gathering, interpreting, and organizing historical evidence under the direction of an expert in the field. The topics on offer each semester will be listed in the Class Schedule and described in the department's course guide at http://www.history.illinois.edu. 3 undergraduate hours. No graduate credit. May be repeated to a maximum of 6 hours.

A required seminar for all seniors writing Honor Theses in history, this course will meet throughout the year and will supplement individual students' meetings with their primary advisors. Provides an intellectually supportive environment in which students work together on common methodological problems, share the results of their research, and critique developing projects. 1 to 2 undergraduate hours. 1 to 2 graduate hours. Approved for both Letter and S/U grading. May be repeated in separate terms to a maximum of 3 hours. Prerequisite: Admission to the History Honors Program; HIST 492. Concurrent enrollment in HIST 493 is required.

Intensive comparative examinations of particular issues in the histories of multiple countries, cultures or periods; emphasizes methodology, the discipline of comparative history, and the nature of historiography in a cross-cultural and interdisciplinary context. May be repeated to a maximum of 12 hours.

Same as ANTH 504. See ANTH 504.

Topics will be listed in the department's course guide at http://www.history.illinois.edu. Same as EALC 520. May be repeated to a maximum of 12 hours if topics vary.

Topics will be listed in the department's course guide at http://www.history.illinois.edu. May be repeated in the same or subsequent terms as topics vary.

Seminar for first-year graduate students and is the second half of the introductory graduate sequence. Focuses on the process of writing an original piece of historical scholarship. Topics to be discussed include: developing an argument, exploring sources, arriving at a research strategy, planning and structuring an article, presenting complex data, and producing scholarship that is a coherent representation of an author's perspective on the past. Over the course of the semester, each seminar participant will develop and write an original, article length research paper. Students will work with the assistance of the instructors and an advisor from her or his own research field. Prerequisite: HIST 593.

Directed research in special fields; may be taken in lieu of seminars in fields in which seminars are seldom offered. Topics will be listed in the department's course guide at http://www.history.illinois.edu. May be repeated to a maximum of 12 hours if topics vary.

Directed readings in special fields. Primarily, but not exclusively, for students with a master's degree or equivalent, who are preparing for the preliminary examination in history and who need instruction in areas not provided by current course offerings. Approved for letter and S/U grading. May be repeated in the same or subsequent terms as topics vary. Prerequisite: Consent of instructor.

Approved for S/U grading only. May be repeated. Prerequisite: Candidate for Ph.D. degree in history.