Lawrence University Course Catalog

2024-2025 Course Catalog

Please note: The information displayed here is current as of Thursday, November 21, 2024, but the official Course Catalog should be used for all official planning.

<<< Table of Contents

History

Professors	P. Cohen (Patricia Hamar Boldt Professor of Liberal Studies), J. Frederick (on leave term(s) III), M. Rico (Robert S. French Professor of American Studies and Professor of History)
Associate professors	P. Blitstein (Dean of Faculty Office), E. Kern (on leave term(s) III), B. Schlabach, B. Vance (chair)
Visiting Assistant Professor	G. Milano

Consciously or not, all of us operate as historians. We make judgments and decisions based on our knowledge, however inadequate, of what has gone before. Furthermore, we make sense of our own position in the present by composing and telling stories about where we have been in the past. The formal study of history—the critical examination of human accomplishments and failures—does likewise, and it greatly enhances our ability to judge and decide about both private matters and public issues.

Required for the major in history

Students who major in history will learn to analyze historical evidence, synthesize sources into an argument, explain historiographical debates, and appreciate diverse cultures and perspectives.

Required for the history major: 

HIST 110: The Emergence of the Modern World or HIST 115: The Modern World. Students should take this class in their first or second year. 
1. Students with a 4 or better on any AP History examination may submit their AP credit in fulfillment of this requirement. 
2. Transfer credit may fulfill this requirement. 
HIST 203: Introduction to Historical Methods. Students should take this course in their first or second year. 
HIST 620: Historiography. Students should ideally take this course in their junior year, but no later than the fall of their senior year. 
HIST 650: The Practice of History (senior experience) 
Four electives, at least three of which must be at the 200 level or above. 
1. No more than one student-initiated course (SIC) such as a tutorial, directed study, internship or independent study may be used in fulfillment of this requirement. 
2. AP credit may be substituted for one elective at the 100 level. 
Two seminars at the 400 level 
1. No more than one student-initiated course (SIC) such as a tutorial, directed study, internship or independent study may be used in fulfillment of this requirement. 
2. AP credit may not be submitted in fulfillment of this requirement. 
Breadth requirements: 
1. Students must take at least one elective or seminar in three of the following areas: Asia, Europe, Global and Comparative, Latin America, Middle East and Africa, North America. 
2. This requirement may not be fulfilled with HIST 110, HIST 115, or AP credit, but other 100-level courses may be counted towards this requirement.
3. Students must take at least one course covering material pre-1750.

Senior Experience in history

The Senior Experience in the history department consists of a collaborative one-term seminar, The Practice of History, culminating in an original and substantial piece of historical research. The Practice of History represents the culmination of a course sequence that includes Introduction to Historical Methods and Historiography. It is open to history majors who have completed an advanced seminar, tutorial, or independent study and have outlined a research topic that they are prepared to pursue intensively.

Required for the minor in history

One introductory course in history (100-199).
Five additional courses in history.
1. No more than one may be an introductory course (100-199).
2. At least one must be an advanced seminar or independent study (400-599).
AP credit may be substituted for one 100-level course.

Teacher certification in social studies (grades 4-12)

History majors can seek certification to teach social studies at the secondary level. Along with the major, students must take one course in each of economics, government, psychology, and anthropology or ethnic studies, and a second course in two of these fields. Students are urged to take courses in both U.S. history and global history. A course in environmental studies (such as ENST 151) is also required. Students who plan to seek teacher certification should review the requirements in the Education section of the catalog and meet with the director of teacher education, preferably before the end of the sophomore year.

Advanced placement

Students who have earned a 4 or better in the Advanced Placement Examinations in American History, European History, or World History will receive six units of credit in history and may use that credit in partial fulfillment of the major as a substitute for HIST 110 or HIST 115, or as one elective. We strongly encourage students to consult with any member of the department about appropriate placement in courses above the introductory level. Students may submit only one AP course towards fulfillment of the major.

Off-campus study

The history department encourages majors, whenever possible, to participate in one of the off-campus programs offered either by Lawrence or under consortial arrangements. The Lawrence London Centre has proven to be of particular interest to history majors, though majors have benefited from participation in numerous others—especially those that match up with students’ area interests (see Off-Campus Programs).

Graduate school

Students who are considering graduate studies in history should know that most doctoral programs require one or more (usually two) languages in addition to English and should work closely with their advisors to plan their schedules accordingly.

Courses - History

HIST 105: Cross-Cultural Interactions Along the Silk Road, 200 BCE - 1400 CE

HIST 110: The Emergence of the Modern World

HIST 115: The Modern World

HIST 130: Colonies to Republic: British North America, 1607-1789

HIST 131: Republic to Nation: The United States, 1789-1896

HIST 132: Nation in a Modern World: The United States, 1896-Present

HIST 140: Gender and Feminism in Historical Perspective

A comparative world history of both gender relations and the emergence of a feminist consciousness within the past 500 years. Case studies drawn from different regions of the world will precede the examination of the emergence of a global feminism in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Topics will include the social roles of men and women, ideas about masculinity and femininity, understandings of sexual orientation, forms of systematic subordination, and the politics of modern feminisms. (G&C)

HIST 150: Turbulence and Transformation: Stuart England, 1603-1714

HIST 191: Directed Study in History

HIST 195: Internship in History

An opportunity for students to gain experience in public history. Students might work for a museum, historic site, government agency or archive, including the Lawrence University Archives. Arranged under the direction of an instructor in the department in accordance with the guidelines for academic internships as stated in the course catalog. The academic component of the internship includes readings related to the substance of the internship, discussions with the faculty supervisor, and a written report appropriate to the discipline. Course grades are based on this academic work. PREREQUISITES: To register student must complete the Student Initiated Course Form with consultation of supervising instructor

HIST 200: American Experiences: An Introduction to American Studies

HIST 202: History in Public: Communities, Stories, and Memory

Introduction to the broad variety of activities and locations developed by historians to reach the general public, such as museums, libraries, and archives, historic preservation, documentary filmmaking, oral history, podcasting, historical editing, and community activism. This course examines public historians’ theoretical and ethical concerns in addition to developing relevant skills. Emphasis on experiential learning via field trips, interviews with practitioners, and individual and group projects.

HIST 203: Introduction to Historical Methods

HIST 204: The Black Athlete's Protest

This course represents an opportunity to turn everyday conversations, debates, and discourse about sports into conversations informed by history. Too often, to quote the creators of the Kaepernick syllabus, "especially within the media and from those whose whiteness--their privilege--insulates, empowers, and protects, people speak without the requisite tools, without the requisite historic foundation, and without the necessary information." If we are going to follow NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s lead to work toward justice, we must do so with a historic foundation, with knowledge about the persistent realities of racial injustice and inequality, with insight into the longstanding struggles of the Black athlete. Through their own research, a variety of writing assignments, and by leading class discussions, students will study the activism of Harry Edwards, Serena Williams, Simone Biles, and so many others to comprehend the historic significance the Black athlete’s protest.

HIST 205: Cross-Cultural Contacts in the Early Modern World

HIST 206: Perchance to Dream: A Comparative History of Dreams from Antiquity to Present

HIST 207: The Atlantic World

What if we think of an ocean as a meeting place and not a barrier? Between 1400 and 1800 the peoples living in west Africa, western Europe, and the Atlantic coast of the Americas encountered each other with transformative, often devastating consequences. This course investigates the creation of this ""Atlantic World"" and the identities formed as a result, uncovering how wars, piracy, enslavement, and resistance unfolded on ships and at sea. (G&C) (NA) PREREQUISITES: Sophomore standing or consent of instructor

HIST 208: African American History to Emancipation

This course surveys African American History from 1607 to 1865. Students will analyze the African origins of this country, the Middle Passage, the different manifestations of enslavement, and the historical changes that shaped African-American life and culture thereafter—from the Revolution to Civil War. Topics will include the gendered experiences of enslavement; slave resistance; the black abolitionist movement in the United States; Civil War; Reconstruction. (NA) PREREQUISITES: Sophomore standing.

HIST 209: African American History since Emancipation

HIST 211: Wēskōhsaeh: History of the Indigenous Nations of Wisconsin

HIST 212: East Asia in the Premodern World

HIST 213: East Asia in the Modern World

HIST 215: Atlantic Slave Trade

HIST 231: Survey of Greek History

HIST 232: Survey of Roman History

HIST 235: Periclean Athens

HIST 240: Augustan Rome

HIST 241: Warfare in Classical Antiquity

A study of the practice of warfare in classical antiquity from Homeric Greece to the Roman Empire. Topics to be considered include: Homer's Iliad and the warrior ideal, the political implications of hoplite and trireme warfare, the Persian Wars, the Peloponnesian War, the campaigns of Alexander, Hannibal, and Caesar, the organization and tactics of the Roman legion, and Roman frontier policy. Emphasis on the close interaction of military, political, and cultural developments in Greek and Roman history. All texts in English.

HIST 242: The Fall of the Roman Republic

HIST 246: Modern Britain, 1688 to the Present

HIST 247: The Impact of Empire on Great Britain, 1814-1914

In 1914 the British empire contained a population of over 400 million people and was territorially the largest empire in world history. While the British spread their ideas about government, language, religion, and culture to their colonies, Britain itself was also profoundly influenced by the colonies it ruled. This course will explore aspects of the impact of the Empire on British politics, economics, society, and popular culture during the 19th century. Among the topics to be covered are the anti-slavery movement, imperialism and new imperialism, jingoism and popular culture, economic responses, and the influence of imperialism on culture and the arts. The myriad resources of London will be used to provide specific examples of how important the Empire was in shaping British identity and institutions during the 19th century. Offered at the London Centre. (G&C or E) PREREQUISITES: Must be attending the Lawrence London Centre.

HIST 251: Turbulence and Transformation: Stuart England, 1603-1714

HIST 260: Culture and Power in Renaissance Europe

A study of intellectual, artistic, and religious innovations and their relation to dynamic political and social transformations between roughly 1350 and 1550. Beginning with the concepts of rediscovery, rebirth, and renewal as expressed in the writings of Renaissance Humanists, the course will explore how a new cosmology informed changes in artistic expression, political theory and practice, production and commerce, overseas expansion, popular ritual and spectacle, gender relations, and understandings of the self. (E) PREREQUISITES: Sophomore standing or consent of instructor

HIST 261: Rebellion and Discipline in Reformation Europe

An examination of the religious fragmentation of Christian Europe and its social and political aftermath from 1500 to 1715. The course will survey how revolt against the church evolved into a series of rebellions against authority — peasants against nobles, cities against overlords, and nobles against monarchs — and eventually culminated in a reassertion of social discipline through the consolidation of the state’s power, the formation of confessional orthodoxies (Lutheran, Calvinist, Catholic), an increased policing of morality, and the domestication of men’s and women’s roles in society. (E) PREREQUISITES: Sophomore standing or consent of instructor

HIST 266: Topics in History

The specific topic investigated changes each year. Student responsibilities may include engagement with secondary historical writings, primary source evaluation, research and essay writing.

Topic for Fall 2024: The Enemy Within: Modern Policing in Global Perspective
PREREQUISITES: None This course examines policing and correlative regimes of punishment within diverse historical and social contexts, from capitalism’s emergence in early modern Europe to the constitution of ethno-racial, class, and political “enemies” in the modern security state. Students will be introduced to formative historiographic arguments as well as a range of contemporary sociological, theoretical, and journalistic accounts of law enforcement, adjudication, and punishment around the worldhe Enemy Within: Modern Policing in Global Perspective

HIST 270: Europe in the Age of Revolution, 1789-1851

HIST 273: London, A City Shaped by Migration

HIST 275: Europe in the Age of Nationalism, World War, and Totalitarianism, 1851-1990

HIST 276: Spy vs. Spy: Espionage and the Cold War

HIST 278: Colonial Latin American History

HIST 279: Modern Latin American History, 1821-Present

HIST 280: Religion, Magic, and Witchcraft in Early Modern Europe

HIST 281: Thinking About Harry Potter

HIST 290: Modern European Thought I, 1500-1800

A close examination of 17th- and 18th-century intellectual trends (during the Scientific Revolution and Enlightenment) that influenced the epistemological, scientific, and political assumptions of the modern world. Works by such authors as Galileo, Bacon, Descartes, Hobbes, Newton, Locke, Voltaire, Rousseau, Goethe, and Wollstonecraft will trace the displacement of divine authority by human authority as the basis of knowledge in what some modern philosophers have called the “Quest for Certainty” that followed the 16th century. (E) PREREQUISITES: Sophomore standing or consent of instructor

HIST 291: Theories of Capitalist Domination and Social Transformation, 1750-2000

HIST 295: Nationalism in Modern History

An examination of the idea and the reality of nationalism in modern history. Among the questions we will ask are: Is nationalism a modern phenomenon, or does it have pre-modern origins? Is it compatible with democracy and human rights or fundamentally hostile to them? Is it primarily a European phenomenon transplanted to other places, or are there indigenous roots of nationalism throughout the world? We will attempt to answer these questions by reading theoretical works on nationalism from a variety of disciplines and by examining historical case studies. (G&C) PREREQUISITES: Sophomore standing or consent of instructor

HIST 300: Reel Men: Masculinity in American Film, 1945-2000

Focusing on an array of well-known American films — “The Maltese Falcon,” “Red River,” “Dr. Strangelove,” “McCabe and Mrs. Miller,” “Chinatown,” “Die Hard,” and “American Beauty” among them — the course will integrate film theory, gender theory, and American history to address the problem of how masculinity has been constructed in American culture since World War II. Not open to students who have previously received, or need to receive, credit for HIST 400. (NA) PREREQUISITES: Sophomore level or above

HIST 305: Film as History and History as Film

HIST 307: History of Black Business

This course focuses on the history of African-American entrepreneurship, the American Civil Rights movement, and legal history relevant to Black business development. The course begins with a discussion of the African origins of Black business, follows the trajectory of African American entrepreneurship in the United States to the Civil Rights movement, and closes with the emergence of the superstar Black athlete as an entrepreneur and the Hip Hop Superstar as an entrepreneur in late 20th century America. The course will conclude with a discussion of present-day laws and legal decisions impacting African-American entrepreneurship. PREREQUISITE: One college history course or AP credit in history. PREREQUISITES: One college history course or AP credit in history

HIST 308: Half the Sky: Chinese Women's History

HIST 315: Empire and Nation in Russian History

The course examines the history of ethnically diverse territories referred to as “Russia” from early modern times to 1991. Themes include the formation of the Russian empire, its transformation into the Soviet Union, and its partial collapse in 1991; the meaning of “empire,” “nation,” and “ethnicity” in historical context; and the interaction of Russians with non-Russian peoples in Ukraine, the Baltic States, Central Asia, and the Caucasus. (G&C) PREREQUISITES: Sophomore standing or consent of instructor; HIST 320 or 325 recommended

HIST 320: Imperial Russia, 1682-1917

HIST 323: Topics in Russian History and Culture (in English)

An interdisciplinary course examining the relationship between politics and culture in Russia since the 18th century through the close analysis of a specific historical theme. Emphasis is placed on reading and discussing literary texts, historical primary sources, and, where applicable, watching films. Possible themes include: Power and Culture in the Russian Revolution, 1900-1936; The Soviet 1960s; and The Agony of Populism: Terrorism and Literature in Russia's Nineteenth Century. Not open to students who have previously received, or need to receive credit for HIST 423. (G&C)

HIST 325: The Soviet Union, 1917-1991

HIST 326: The Soviet Union and the Second World War

The Soviet Union emerged as one of the key victors in the Second World War (known as the Great Patriotic War in Russia). Yet the war was devastating for the country and its people and victory came at a tremendous price. This course reexamines the impact of the war on the Soviet Uion, what kind of war effort took place on the Eastern Front and in the rear of the Soviet Union, and what kind of victory was achieved. To help address the themes of the course we will read a variety of works and documents including official government documents, personal diaries, letters, and memoirs many of which until recently were either unknown or unpublished in the West. PREREQUISITES: Sophomore standing

HIST 334: Japanese Migration to the Americas and the Caribbean

This seminar offers an overview of Japanese migration to the Americas and the Caribbean, including the United States, Canada, Mexico, Cuba, Peru, Brazil, Argentina, the Dominican Republic, and more. It draws on a wide range of readings, art, media, and cultural materials to understand the complex formation of Japanese communities across the Americas. Students will learn the historical context of 19th and 20th-century social and political developments in Japan and the Americas, and understand how these histories fit in larger global migration trends. Assignments will include leading one class presentation, one primary source analysis paper, and a final research project. PREREQUISITES: ETST 110 or instructor approval.

HIST 335: Women in Early America, 1607-1860

HIST 350: The 1920s, Great Depression, and New Deal, 1920-1945

HIST 354: History of Russian and Soviet Film

HIST 355: History of the American Environment

HIST 360: Contemporary China, 1949-2000

HIST 361: Western Encounters with China: Perceptions and Misperceptions

HIST 366: Topics in British History

HIST 371: The Rise and Fall of American Empires: The Americas, from the Beginnings Through the Conquest

HIST 374: Visions of Conquest

The creation of Colonial Latin America meant the political, cultural and spiritual reconfiguration of society on both sides of the Atlantic. In this course, we will elucidate the process of conquest through the study of historical accounts, cultural artifacts of the colonizers and colonized alike, and relevant theoretical texts. This course is held concurrently with SPAN 470. Lectures, discussion, and reading and writing assignments are in English. Students interested in work in the Spanish language who have met the prerequisites should register for SPAN 470.(G&C) PREREQUISITES: Sophomore standing

HIST 378: Ethnicity in Latin America

HIST 385: History of the Book

HIST 388: Early Modern Japan

HIST 390: Tutorial Studies in History

HIST 391: Directed Study in History

HIST 395: Internship in History

HIST 399: Independent Study in History

HIST 400: Reel Men: Masculinity in American Film, 1945-2000

HIST 415: Africa in the European Imagination

HIST 430: Society and the Sexes in Pre-Industrial Europe

HIST 431: Violence in Medieval and Early Modern Europe

A chronological and thematic examination of the understandings, uses, and effects of violence between roughly 1000 and 1800. Structured loosely around changing distinctions between licit and illicit forms of violence, the course will explore the transition from reliance upon self-help to well-articulated systems of jurisdiction at different levels of society. Topics will include warfare (feud, conflict among states, mercenaries, standing armies), jurisprudence (interrogation, torture, public execution), revolt (riot, rebellion), and interpersonal violence (criminal behavior, retribution). Readings will include a wide variety of documentary materials and scholarship. (E) Fulfills seminar requirement. PREREQUISITES: Junior standing or consent of instructor

HIST 435: Nazism and Stalinism in Comparative Perspective

HIST 440: Themes in European Intellectual History, 1789-present

HIST 460: The Era of the American Revolution

HIST 470: The American Civil War

HIST 473: Disasters That Made The Americas

HIST 476: Topics in the History of the Americas

HIST 478: Topics in Environmental History

HIST 479: Travel and Tourism in American History

HIST 480: Reconsidering the 1960s

HIST 482: Global City: The History of New York

HIST 483: History of New Orleans

This course explores the history of New Orleans from the colonial era to the present. Students will investigate the multiple racial and ethnic histories of identity construction that make New Orleans so significant to American culture today. Tracing identity constructions across the course of three centuries will allow us to understand some of the stakes in contested racialized categories and linguistic policies and practices today. The course explores the dominant tropes in New Orleans history: race, sex, carnival, jazz, prostitution, slavery, free people of color, and the environment. We will map the social, cultural, and political changes that occurred in New Orleans from colonial times to the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Fulfills seminar requirement. (NA) PREREQUISITES: HIST 130, 131, or 132

HIST 485: Topics in International and Comparative History

An advanced seminar in modern international and/or comparative history. The course combines review of key theoretical and historiographical issues with research and analysis of primary sources. Possible topics include: Secret Intelligence in the Twentieth and Twenty-First Centuries; the History of the Cold War; and the International History of the Second World War. (G&C) Fulfills seminar requirement. May be repeated when topic is different.

Topic for Fall 2024: Fascism and Nazism
PREREQUISITES: Junior standing or consent of instructor This course examines the history and politics of fascism and Nazism in Italy, Germany, and other national contexts from Brazil to Japan. We begin with basic concepts and debates on fascism and Nazism and explore a range of topics, including political and intellectual origins, the mobilization of cultural, gender, and racial difference, as well as the radical deployment of violence. In addition to reading recent scholarship on fascism, we examine fascist art, propaganda and film. We end the term with a look at twenty-first century neo-fascism and authoritarianism.

Type here to search

Information For

Helpful Links