History (HIST1-UC)

(formerly Y20.5804, Renaissance to Revolution, and Y20.5805, The 19th Century) Explores the foundations of modern civilization from the Renaissance through the social and intellectual revolutions of the mid-19th century. Topics include the awakening of humanist values, the fragmentation of Christendom, the development of early capitalist society, the consolidation of absolute monarchies, the rise of modern constitutional reform and political liberalism, the new sciences of the Enlightenment, the American and French Revolutions, and industrialization.

A survey of the main currents of Middle East international history since the mid-19th century. Its principal themes are Imperialism, Zionism, Nationalism, contemporary power struggles in the region, and their interaction with outside perspectives and interests. The overall objective is a comparative understanding of social, economic, and political change in the Middle East, its sources, evolution, significance, and impact on the modern world.

This course examines the history of New York City from its origins as a small Dutch settlement through its development as a mercantile British colony and its growth as a commercial and industrial metropolis, to its emergence as a center of capital and modernity and its ascendancy, decline and resurgence as a center of global capitalism. The class focuses on the social history of New York City, though it explores cultural, political, technological and economic developments and issues that defined its evolution. As such, the course topics include the influences of ethnicity and race on the city, the definitions, contestations and uses of social spaces, the social lives and roles of upper, middle and lower classes, the lore and intrigue of the larger than life personalities and infamous incidents in shaping the city¿s history, and the legendary conflicts over urban planning, use and design. Students will gain first-hand knowledge of the material culture of New York City through the use of walking and museum tours, historical societies, historical archives, and other historical institutions and landmarks.

Examines the social, cultural, political, ecological, and economic forces that created the American nation and shaped its development from European colonization to the end of the Cold War. Major themes and issues discussed include Puritanism, slavery and race, the American Revolution, feminism, the Civil War and Reconstruction, immigration and industrialization, the Great Depression and reform, the World Wars, the Cold War, counterculture and the 1960s, and the rise of neoconservatism.

Considers the foundation of the political, intellectual, and social structures of the West. Topics include the development of Mediterranean urban society, the rise of Alexander and the spread of Hellenism, the imperial development and disintegration of Rome, the rise of Catholicism and Islam, and the emergence of feudal Europe.

An historical survey of events and trends since 1875. Major themes and issues include imperialism, the emergence of the U.S. as a world power, the Great Depression, the two World Wars, the Cold War, Vietnam and the 1960s, the rise of the European Union, the changing power structure and economies of China, Japan, and other Pacific Rim countries, and the dissolution of the Communist world.

This course examines the role of the United States in the Vietnam War and its effects on the nation in subsequent American “forever” wars in Iraq and Afghanistan during the post-WW II period. The topics covered include the role of nationalism, the origins and impact of the Cold War, postwar support of colonialism and self-determination, American involvement and international commitments, the successes and failures of military power and strategy, the impact of antiwar protests, and the legacies of the wars.

This course introduces students to the key issues and debates in the making of history today. A central focus is on how ideas about the past are constructed, used and disseminated, in other words, how the past is made into 'history'. By looking at the varied ways in which people encounter the past - from scholarly works to museum exhibits and films - this course analyzes how both professional historians and the public shape our ideas about history. Key questions addressed in the course include: Do we view the past as a 'foreign country?' with little relation to ourselves? Or do we view it as a 'living present,' a source of contemporary ideas and identities? What are the techniques and strategies that historians and others use to interpret evidence and narrate the past? Why have some narratives proved so enduring? This question raises the problem of social memory, hence we will also explore what, how, and why societies choose to remember and forget about the past.

Few decades in American history have witnessed the amount of social, political and cultural upheaval as the 1960s. Although many of the movements and issues that have defined this era emerged during the 1940s and only partially faded by the 1970s, the decade continues to define a generation and constitute a watershed in American history. The significance of the 1960s also remains the subject of endless, passionate debate and consensus over its meaning and legacy. This course examines the people, events, and issues of the era through a thematic approach within a larger chronological framework and focuses on domestic social, cultural and political developments. Because the 1960s contained so many seemingly disparate topics and issues, the class will emphasize the connections between and across a broad variety of subjects and disciplines. Topics include the sees of change during the 1950s; the triumph and breakdown of postwar liberalism; the insurgent political and social movements, including the civil rights movement, feminism, antiwar protest, and the New Left; the counterculture; the sexual revolution; drug culture; the space race and technology; music; and the legacy of the sixties.

Explores several key themes in medieval history through the medium of film. In part, students are expected to judge the films for their historical accuracy and, thus learn more about the Middle Ages. However, since most medieval movies are either based on or help to generate 'myths' about the period - and thus have very presentist concerns - a further goal is to understand the ways in which ideas about the past are filtered through popular culture.

This course investigates concepts of hegemony and empire, their historical role in shaping global political and economic systems during the era of Western expansion, and the peoples, cultures, and regions embraced. Successive analytical models will be investigated, including mercantilism, 'free trade' imperialism, colonialism, liberation ideologies, movements, and neo-dependency, concluding with the contemporary significance, or otherwise, of these ideas.

Between the 15th and 19th centuries the Atlantic acted as a passageway for the movement of goods, technologies, peoples, and ideas between Africa, Europe and the Americas. Now understood as a critical phase in the process of globalization, this course examines the causes and consequences of these movements for each of the three continents. Topics covered include European exploration and colonization in the Americas, encounters between Europeans and Native Americans, the development of trans-Atlantic slavery and the formation of the Atlantic economy.

This course explores the revolutions that shook Europe and the Americas during the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. These revolutions, which continue to play a vital role in myths of national identity, not only helped to foster modern democratic politics, but also caused enormous social change. In this course we will examine the causes, course and consequences of these revolutions. Topics covered will include comparative revolutions, the popular basis for revolution, universal rights (their origins and limitations), commerce and revolution, and the legacy of the revolutionary era.

Explores the formation of a distinctive aristocratic or chivalric culture between c. 1000 and c. 1300. The term 'chivalry' (chevalier) had at least three different meanings: the skills associated with fighting on horseback with heavy armor; the social group or 'class' associated with fighting in this way; and the so-called 'codes' of behavior associated with this group. These 'codes' of chivalry were influenced by a variety of interest groups including churchmen, women, and members of the military aristocracy itself (which was by no means uniform). Indeed it is in part the argument of this course that there was no single 'code' of chivalry but rather a variety of competing ideals. Much of this course will be devoted to understanding how and why these ideals arose, and the extent to which they had an impact on daily life. Thus we will be examining both the 'tangible' lives of the knights and nobles as well as their ideals and most critically the complex interrelationships between the two.

Provides the opportunity for intensive study of specific topics in history, focusing on a different theme of a topic each time it is offered. The specific topic is listed in the course schedule for the semester.