Undergraduate Courses (1-99)

The following descriptions are taken from the Undergraduate Bulletin. For more detailed descriptions of individual courses, follow the links below to the course's instructor's webpage. Or, if you know the instructor whose courses you are interested in, you may access faculty pages via the alphbetical index of faculty.

6 First Year Seminars (3). The seminars are designed to enable first-year students to work closely with top professors in classes that enroll twenty students or fewer. See the directory of classes for specific offerings.

10 Introduction to the Cultures and Histories of Native North America (3). An interdisciplinary introduction to Native American history and studies. The course uses history, literature, art, and cultural studies to study the Native American experience. Fall, spring.

11 History of Western Civilization to 1650 (3). The emergence of western civilization from Greek antiquity to the mid-seventeenth century. Fall and spring. Staff.

12 History of Western Civilization since 1650 (3). The development of western civilization from the middle of the seventeenth century to the present. Fall and spring. Staff.

14 Ancient History (3). A topical survey of the ancient world, especially the civilization of the Near East, Greece, and Rome. Fall. McCoy.

15 Medieval History (3). A survey of western Europe and the Mediterranean World, 300 -1500. Spring. McVaugh.

16 Early Modern European History, 1450-1815 (3). Intellectual and social structures, dynamics of social and political change, principles of authority and bases of revolution from the Reformation to the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic period. Fall. Staff.

17 Twentieth Century Europe (3). A critical overview of twentieth-century European history, with particular attention to the constant ethnic, religious, social, economic, and cultural struggles (including Holocaust, Cold War) in various sub-units of the old continent. Spring. Jarausch.

18 The World Since 1945 (3). This introduction to the contemporary world examines the Cold War and its international aftermath, decolonization, national development across a variety of cases, and trends in the global economy. Fall and spring. (Cannot receive credit for both History 18 and 19.) Fletcher, Hunt, Raleigh, Reid, Saikia, staff.

19 Diversity and Post-1945 World History (3). This course presents an overview of world history since 1945 with special emphasis on cultural and social diversity in specific historical situations during this period. (Cannot receive credit for both History 18 and 19.) Fall and spring. Reid.

20 Africa in the Twentieth Century: Transformations in Culture and Power (3). Using fiction, film, primary sources, and scholarly work, this course provides an overview of the major issues in twentieth-century African history. Topics include colonialism and neo-colonialism, social change, gender, and ethnicity. Fall. GC-level Non-Western/Comparative perspective. Lindsay.

21 American History to 1865 (3). A survey of various aspects of American development during the colonial, revolutionary, and national periods, with stress upon major themes and interpretations. Fall and spring. Staff.

22 American History since 1865 (3). A survey of various aspects of American development during a century of rapid industrial, social, political, and international change, with stress upon major themes and interpretations. Fall and spring. Staff.

24 Latin America under Colonial Rule (3). Social and economic development under Colonial rule, especially in Mexico and Peru. Fall.

25 Latin America since Independence (3). A general introduction to Latin American society, culture, politics, and economics from a historical perspective. Focus will be on the events of the past two centuries. Spring. Chasteen, Pérez.

27 English History to 1688 (3). Prehistoric and Roman Britain; Dark Age and Medieval England; Reformation, founding of the Colonies, revolutions scientific and political. An introductory survey for freshmen and sophomores. Fall. Harris.

28 English History since 1688 (3). A general survey emphasizing the social, economic, political, and intellectual development of modern English society. Spring. Soloway.

30 Russian History to 1861 (3). The major themes of this survey are: the development of the unified, centralized state, the growth of serfdom, and the origins of the Russian revolutionary movement. Fall. Griffiths, Brooks.

31 History of Russia from 1861 to the Present (3). This course surveys fundamental issues affecting the Russian/Soviet/post-Soviet multinational empire in the last century and a half, emphasizing regime failures, revolutions, wars, and ethnic challenges. Spring. Brooks. GC-level Non-Western/Comparative perspective.

32A Southeast Asia to the Early Nineteenth Century (ASIA 32A, INTS 32A) (3). The history of Southeast Asia from prehistory to "high imperialism." Long-term political, economic, social, and religious developments, including Indianization, the impact of China, and the first contacts with Europeans. GC-level Non-Western/Comparative perspective.

32B Southeast Asia since the Early Nineteenth Century (ASIA 32B, INTS 32B, PWAD 32B) (3). Comparative colonialism, nationalism, revolution, and independence movements. Topics include: Indonesia and the Dutch, Indochina under French rule, United States involvement in the Philippines and Vietnam, communist and peasant movements, Cambodian revolution. GC-level Non-Western/Comparative perspective.

33 Traditional East Asia (ASIA 33) (3). Comparative and interdisciplinary introduction to the major political, social, and cultural traditions of China and Japan before their societies were disrupted in the nineteenth century by Western intrusion. Fall.

34 Modern East Asia (ASIA 34, PWAD 34) (3). Comparative and interdisciplinary introduction to China and Japan in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, focusing on impact of the West, nation-building, industrialization, and evolution of mass society. Spring. Fletcher.

35A South Asian History to 1750 (ASIA 35A) (3). Social, cultural, and political history of the South Asian subcontinent (also popularly known as the Indian subcontinent), from classical times to the pivotal encounter with the British. Fall. GC Non-Western/Comparative perspective.

35B South Asian History since 1750 (ASIA 35B) (3). Social, cultural, and political history of the South Asian (or Indian) subcontinent during and after British rule. Emphasis on encounter with Europe, colonialism, resistance struggles and independence, postcolonial order. Spring. GC Non-Western/Comparative perspective.

36 Introduction to Islamic Civilization (ASIA 36, RELI 25) (3). A broad, comprehensive, and interdisciplinary introduction to the traditional civilization of the Muslim world. Fall. Shields.

37 Later Islamic Civilization and the Modern Muslim World (ASIA 37, RELI 26) (3). A broad interdisciplinary survey of the later Islamic empires since the fifteenth century and their successor societies in the modern Muslim world. Spring. Shields.

38 Introduction to the History of West Africa (3). History 38 traces the important contours of West African history, balancing cultural continuity against historical change and regional diversity, and balancing local initiatives against external influences on the region. Fall. Lindsay.

39 Introduction to East African History (3). This course examines the history of East Africa over the past 200 years. Special attention is given to diverse African voices through novels, autobiographies, films, and essays. Spring. GC Non-Western/Comparative perspective.

46H Honors Seminar in Third World History (3). Examines selected themes in the history of one or more non-western nations or regions of the third world. Theme(s) chosen by instructor. Possible subjects include: colonialism, resistance movements, religion, the family, economic transformations. GC Non-Western/Comparative perspective.

47H Honors Seminar in Early European History (3). Examines selected themes in the history of Europe from ancient to early modern times. Theme(s) chosen by instructor. Possible subjects: legacies of antiquity, philosophy and religion, feudal society, gender and power. GC pre-1700 Western Historical perspective.

48H Honors Seminar in Modern European History (3). Examines selected themes in the history of modern Europe. Theme(s) chosen by instructor. Possible subjects: effects of industrialism, nationalism, history of ideas, consumer society, modern revolutions, imperialism. GC Western Historical perspective.

49H Honors Seminar in American History (3). Examines selected themes in American history. Theme(s) chosen by instructor. Possible subjects: colonial diversity, emerging nation, intellectual traditions, labor and capitalism, slavery and race relations, markets and political power, war and society. GC Western Historical perspective.

50 History of the Holocaust: The Destruction of the European Jews (PWAD 52) (3). Antisemitism; the Jews of Europe; the Hitler Dictatorship; Evolution of Nazi Jewish Policy from Persecution to the final Solution; Jewish Response; Collaborators, Bystanders, and Rescuers; Aftermath. Browning. A&S Western Historical perspective.

51 Global Issues in the Twentieth Century (ANTH 77, INTS 77, GEOG 77, POLI 84) (3). Survey of International social, political, and cultural patterns in selected societies of Africa, Asia, America, and Europe, stressing comparative analysis of twentieth-century conflicts and change in different historical contexts. Fall, spring. Kramer, Hevia. B.A.-level Non-Western/Comparative perspective, Cultural Diversity requirement.

52 History of Greece (3). A survey of Greek history and culture from the Bronze Age to the Hellenistic period. Spring. McCoy.

53 History of Rome (3). Origins to the first two centuries A.D. Focuses upon Rome's growth as a world power and the shift from republican government to autocracy. Fall or spring. Talbert.

54 Cathedral and Castle in Medieval England (3). An approach to the middle ages through the architectural masterpieces of medieval England. Spring. Pfaff.

55 Women and Marriage in Medieval and Renaissance Europe (3). Gender and family in European culture, 600-1600. Changes in religious and political principles regarding women and marriage practices. Evolution of domestic relationships in different classes, countries, and periods. Fall. Chojnacki. GC Pre-1700 Western Historical perspective.

56 Manor to Machine: The Economic Shaping of Europe (3). From agriculture to industry, Europe's march to industrialization. Survey from the medieval manor through revival of trade, rise of towns, credit and capitalism, overseas expansion and mercantilism to the Industrial Revolution. Spring. Bullard.

57 Origins of Modern Germany, 1356-1815 (3). A survey of Germany's political, social, and cultural history, including the Reformation and Counter Reformation, the Thirty Years' War, the development of the Prussian and Austrian states, and the Enlightenment. Fall or spring. McIntosh. B.A.-level Western Historical perspective.

58 Women in Europe before 1750 (WMST 58) (3). The female experience in preindustrial Europe (from Ancient Greece to the Industrial Revolution). Fall. Alternate years. Bennett, Harris.

59 Women in Europe since 1750 (WMST 59) (3). The impact of industrialization on woman's work, her position in the family, her role and social status during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Spring. Alternate years. Bennett, Harris.

60 Eastern Europe since 1815 (3). A study in the emergence of nations of Eastern Europe, their internal development, mutual conflicts, and struggle for independence. Fall.

61 Women in Russian and Soviet History, 1860-Present (WMST 60) (3). This course traces the development of the woman question in tsarist Russia, how the Soviet regime affected women's lives, and how women's experiences compare to the Party's claim of equality. Spring and summer. Raleigh, staff.

62 Women in American History (WMST 62) (3). Women's roles and contributions from the colonial period to the present. Themes include the family and sexuality, the impact of industrialization, reform movements, and difference of race, class, and region. Fall or spring. Hall, Hoffert.

63A History of Sea Power (PWAD 63) (3). The influence of sea power on international affairs will be surveyed from ancient times to the present. Emphasis on United States Naval History and its interaction with diplomacy, economics, and technology. Fall or spring. Staff.

63B Air Power and Modern Warfare (AERO 12A, PWAD 64) (3). Examines air power theory and practice from 1914 to the present. Focuses on the application of air power as an instrument of war and the effectiveness of that application. Fall.

64 History of American Business (MNGT 64) (3). A survey of the rise and development of the major financial, commercial, manufacturing, and transportation enterprises which transformed the United States from an agricultural into a leading industrial nation. Spring. Coclanis.

65 The Worker and American Life (MNGT 65) (3). From the experience of colonial artisans to contemporary factory and office workers, organized and unorganized, this course examines the effect of the industrial revolution on the American social and political landscape. Spring.

*66 North Carolina History before 1865 (3). The history of North Carolina from the original Indian cultures to the end of the Civil War. Important topics include colonization, the American Revolution, evangelical religion, slavery, economic and political reform, the rise of sectionalism, and the Civil War. Fall. Leloudis, Watson.

*67 North Carolina History since 1865 (3). The history of North Carolina from the end of the Civil War to the present. Important topics include Reconstruction, agrarian protests, disfranchisement and segregation, industrialization and workers' experience, the civil rights movement, and twentieth-century politics. Spring. Leloudis, Watson.

68 War and American Society to 1903 (PWAD 76) (3). The American military experience from colonial times to the early twentieth century. Major themes include the problem of security, the development of military policies and institutions, and the way in which the country waged and experienced war. Fall. Kohn.

69 War and American Society, 1903 to the Present (PWAD 77) (3). Survey of America's military experience in the twentieth century, focusing on national security policy, military institutions, World Wars I and II, the Cold War, the Korean and Vietnam Wars, and recent interventions. Spring. Kohn.

70 Women in the Age of Victoria (WMST 70) (3). See WMST 70.

71 Emancipation in the New World (AFAM 74) (3). See AFAM 74.

72A Native American History: The East. (AMST 072A) (3). This course covers the histories of American Indians east of the Mississippi River and before 1840. The approach is ethnohistorical. Fall. B.A.-level Western Historical perspective and Cultural Diversity requirement.

72B History of Native Americans in the Southeast (3). An examination of selected topics concerning the most significant Native American cultures and tribes in the Southeastern United States from the earliest times to the present. Fall and spring. A&S Western Historical perspective and Cultural Diversity requirement.

72C Native American History: The West (AMST 72C) (3). See AMST 72C.

72D Native American Tribal Studies (AMST 72D, ANTH 72D) (3). This course introduces students to a tribally specific body of knowledge. The tribal focus of the course and the instructor change from term to term. Perdue, Green. B.A.-level Non-Western/Comparative perspective, Cultural Diversity requirement.

72E Native America in the Twentieth Century (AMST 72E) (3). This course deals with the political, economic, social, and cultural issues important to twentieth-century Native Americans as they attempt to preserve tribalism in the modern world. A&S Western Historical perspective, Cultural Diversity requirement.

73 The United States in World War II (PWAD 73) (3). A History of the United States in World War II, 1941-1945: Home Front and Military Front. Fall. Lotchin.

74 The American West, 1800 to the Present (3). A survey and interpretation of the American West in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, emphasizing the special role of the West in the evolution of American history and the development of contemporary American society. Fall. Lotchin.

75 History of Gender in America (WMST 75) (3). See WMST 75.

76A History of African Americans to 1865 (3). Survey of African American History to abolition of slavery in North America with some attention to experiences of people of African descent in Latin America and the Caribbean. A&S Western History perspective, Cultural Diversity requirement.

76B History of African Americans, 1865 to Present (3). Survey of African American History since Emancipation in North America with some attention to experiences of people of African descent in Latin America and the Caribbean. A&S Western History perspective, Cultural Diversity requirement.

77 The Middle East in the Modern Era (ASIA 78) (3). This course introduces students to the last two hundred years of Middle Eastern history and focuses on the themes of global context, gender, legitimacy of the state, and religious political movements. These themes will also be used to compare the Middle East to the United States. Shields. Cultural Diversity requirement.

78 The Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade (3). Slavery in select African communities, economic and political foundations of the trans-Atlantic slave trade, and its impact on African and New World societies. Fall. Lindsay.

79 South Africa: The Apartheid Years (3). South African history from before European establishment to the mid-1980s. Focuses on the economic/political foundations of apartheid, its social effects, and African responses that transformed South Africa in the 1980s. Fall. Cultural Diversity requirement.

80 Women and Gender in Latin American History (WMST 80) (3). Examines the experiences of women and gender relations in Latin American societies from pre-Columbian times to the present, providing a new perspective on the region's historical development. Spring.

81 The Pacific War, 1937-1945: Its Causes and Legacy (ASIA 74, PWAD 83) (3). An examination of the origins of the Pacific War, the course of this bitter and momentous conflict, and its complex legacy for both Asia and the United States. Fletcher. B.A.-level Non-Western/Comparative perspective.

83 Origins of the Chinese Revolution (ASIA 83) (3). The struggle for revolutionary change in China from the turn of the century to the establishment of the People's Republic in 1949. Fall.

84 Revolutionary Change in Contemporary China (ASIA 86) (3). Political and economic reconstruction in China since 1949, the transition to a post-Mao order, and life and society in China today. Spring.

86 Thought and Society in Japan (3). Topical approach to the intellectual and social history of Japan. Topics include: the role of the family and women, keys to economic growth, development of antimodernism, search for Japanese values. Spring. Fletcher.

87 Imperial Japan: From "Revolution" to World War (ASIA 87) (3). This course studies Japanese feudalism, the Meiji "revolution," modernization, the formation of Japan's empire, the beginnings of Japanese democracy, and the coming of the Pacific War. Fall. Fletcher.

88 Japan since 1945: The Fragile Superpower (ASIA 88) (3). Examines Japan's recovery from defeat in World War II to rise again as a major power. Topics include: the American occupation, Japanese democracy, economic recovery, changes in social values, and foreign relations. Spring. Fletcher.

89 Peace and War (PWAD 78) (3). The emphasis will be historical, with conceptual tools from other disciplines used when appropriate. Theoretical explanations, militarism, the international system, internal order, and the search for peace will be examined. Spring. Brooks.

90 Undergraduate Seminar in History (3). The subject matter of the courses will vary with the instructor and topic. Each course will concern itself with a study in depth of some problem in history. Permission must be received from the Undergraduate Secretary in HM 556 to register for the course, and the course is in general limited to fifteen students. Both semesters. Staff.

91A Independent Studies in History (1-3). Permission required. Special reading and research, supervised by a member of the department, in a selected field of history. Prior course work in the selected field is recommended. Both semesters.

91B Internship in History (1-3). Permission required. A supervised internship at an organization or institution engaged in the promotion of historical studies or the collection and preservation of historical documents and artifacts. Both semesters.

92A The Culture of the Ancient Near East (RELI 20) (3). See RELI 20.

92B The History of Religion in America (RELI 29) (3). See RELI 29.

92C History and Culture of Ancient Israel (RELI 56) (3). See RELI 56.

92D Religion in Colonial Society (RELI 71) (3). See RELI 71.

93 Society and Culture in Postwar Germany (GERM 90A, POLI 51, SOCI 90) (3). See GERM 90A.

94A Myth and History (3). Myths and legends are the stuff of history. An interdisciplinary Capstone course treating topics such as Alexander the Great and George Washington as mytho-historical heroes; the Holy Grail; and uses of myth in the modern world. Fall or spring. Alternate years. Bullard.

94D Interdisciplinary Seminar in Renaissance Studies (CMPL 94A, ROML 94A) (3). An interdisciplinary, thematic study of Renaissance (fourteenth, fifteenth, and sixteenth centuries) letters, art, historic movements in Europe. Fall or spring. Masters.

94E Revolution in Modern East Asia (3). Non-western in focus and analytic and comparative in approach, this course deals with the revolutions that have defined the national life of Japan, China, Vietnam, and the Philippines. Fall or spring. Alternate years. Hunt.

95 Topics in Comparative History (3). Each section of this course is taught jointly by two faculty. The subject matter varies with the instructors and the topic but by definition comparative analysis forms a central feature. Fall, spring. History faculty.

96 Historical Problems (3). This is an intensive readings course designed to introduce students to ongoing debates in the historical profession. Specific debate and theme to be chosen by instructor. Fall, spring.

98A, B Honors in History (3 each). Permission of instructor required. Introduction to the methods of historical research, designed to lead to the completion of an Honors essay. 98A, fall; 98B, spring. Filene.

99 Special Topics in History (3). Subject matter will vary with instructor but will focus on some particular topic or historical approach. Course description available from departmental office. Closed to graduate students. Staff.