History

The history of the United States from the colonial period to Reconstruction.

The history of the United States from Reconstruction to the present.

This course offers a general history of civilization, emphasizing the economic, intellectual, political and cultural aspects that have contributed to the development of our world. It covers the period up to 1715. 

This class surveys Latin American history from the eve of first encounters between Americans and Europeans in 1492 to the present: over 500 years of history for a vast region spanning Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, and South America. Students will explore historical processes like encounters between Europeans, Americans, and Africans; Spanish and Portuguese colonialism in the New World; struggles for independence and construction of new Latin American states; class struggle, revolution, and counterrevolution in the twentieth century; and globalization, neoliberalism, and inequality in the twenty-first century.
 

This course offers a comparative history of a historical phenomenon: revolution. Throughout the semester, this class will consider multiple modern revolutions across the globe. It will begin with an exploration of the political theory of the Enlightenment, before considering specific revolutions, including but not limited to the American, French, Haitian, Mexican, and Russian. Besides comparing and contrasting various revolutions, this course will ask a number of questions related to revolutionary change, including what causes revolutions? Who makes a revolution? What leads to success or failure in a revolutionary situation? How should we define conceptions such as democracy, freedom, and liberty? 

The History of Warfare from Ancient Times to the end of the Napoleonic era. In addition to examining the developments of warfare in terms of tactics, strategy, and technology, the course will set warfare in a social and institutional context as a major driver of change. Emphasis will be given mainly to Western military developments but we will also examine the way non-Western societies interacted, responded, and adapted to the Western way of war. 

The History of Warfare from the mid-19th century to the present. In addition to examining the main developments in modern warfare, the course will set the study of warfare in a social and institutional context as a major driver of change. We will examine the development of such concepts as total war, conventional war, guerrilla warfare, and the rise of terrorism. Emphasis will be on such well known conflicts as the American Civil War, the Wars of European Unification, the World Wars, and the various anti-colonial wars. 

This course explores the process of doing history and allows students to practice those processes and discuss the merits of different approaches to studying the past. Students will be exposed to the concept of historiography, its role within the discipline, and its importance regarding historical research. This course prepares students for upper-level courses,  including HIS 480. Required for history majors.

Study of selected topics in history.

An exploration of the complex history of the Cuban Revolution. We will embrace a methodology that examines Cuban history from within, while also devoting attention to the significant role that Cuba and Cubans have played in the international arena, especially since 1959. While much of the scholarship on Cuba has taken a top-down approach focused on political leaders and their policies, we will use creative examination of primary sources to build our own, bottom-up analysis of the social and cultural impacts of the revolution. We will seek to develop answers to difficult questions about the nature of popular democracy and totalitarian rule, the success of the Cuban Revolution in fulfilling its stated goals, and the ways that the revolutionary project has impacted the real lives of real people. 

The principle events surrounding the formation of England from the Norman Conquest to the end of the Stuart monarchy in 1714 with additional examination of England’s relation to its Celtic neighbors, the beginnings of the British Empire, and the creation of Great Britain.

The main political, social, economic, and cultural developments in Britain since 1714. Students will also examine British colonialism, Britain’s role in international affairs, and relations among the various territories that make up the United Kingdom itself.

Survey of the history of Ireland from the arrival of the Celts to the present-day conflict in Northern Ireland with major emphasis on explaining how Ireland’s history shaped and continues to shape its present.

A wide-ranging introduction to the history of Britain and the British Empire from the 16th century to the present with emphasis on the changing political system, the development of the British state, and the maintenance of an overseas Empire.

This course will explore the history of the early American republic, ranging from 1787 to 1848. Often overshadowed by the American Revolution that preceded it and the Civil War that followed, these decades were crucial to the development of the United States. It was during this period that Americans established the Constitution, developed the first political parties, debated how democratic the new nation should be, and argued over how to create a “more perfect union.” The early republic also saw crucial developments concerning slavery and the fate of Native Americans. This course will examine topics such as the creation of the U.S. Constitution, the birth of American partisanship, the War of 1812, the Market Revolution, the expansion of slavery, Indian Removal, Jacksonian Democracy, and the Mexican-American War.

A study of the colonial era of American history from the Columbian Encounter of 1492 through the French and Indian War. Students will explore the diverse peoples, cultures, and colonies across the Americas with a special focus on cultural exchange and conflict between European, Indigenous, and African peoples. Other topics include motivations for colonization, imperial wars, the growth of slavery, and the economic, political, and cultural development of European colonies.

A study of the era of the American Revolution, beginning with the French and Indian War and continuing to the War of 1812. Students will learn about the place of the thirteen colonies in the British Empire, the causes of the American Revolution, the course of the Revolutionary War, and the birth of a new nation under the Articles of Confederation and the U.S. Constitution. The course will consider whether the Revolution was a radical event, and explore the period from a variety of perspectives, including the Founding Fathers, common soldiers, women, African Americans, and American Indians. 

A survey of the main developments in European history between 1480-1610. Topics include the rise of the Habsburgs under Charles V; the impact of the Reformation; the Religious Wars; Spanish colonization overseas; the Military Revolution; and the Habsburg bid for European hegemony under Philip II; and the expansion of the Ottoman Empire in the Western Mediterranean and Eastern Europe.  

This course explores the origins of the United States’ relationship with the globe, ca. 1776 until 1919. Throughout the semester we will examine how domestic politics, gender, ideology, and race shaped broader US interactions with the globe. We will also consider how a revolutionary and anti-colonial republic became an imperial power. 

This course investigates the history of the United States’ interactions with the globe after World War I, including with Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. It will introduce students to important events, people, and the historiography of the subject. 

This course treats the main event in the History of Europe from 1814 to 1914. It will treat such topics as the Congress of Vienna; the age of Metternich; the liberal revolutions especially the those of 1848; the Crimean War; the rise of Louis Napoleon; the Wars of Italian and German Unification; the rise of Socialism and Anarchism; New Imperialism; and the political polarization of Europe at the end of the century.  Attention will also be given to artistic and literary movements such as Romanticism; Realism; and Naturalism. 

An introduction to the materials, methods, and latest trends in the teaching of social studies.

A survey of the main develoments in European in the 17th century. Topics include the Thirty Years War; the Little Ice Age; the English Civil Wars; the Franco-Spanish conflict; the reign of Louis XIV of France; and the Glorious Revolution. 

A showcase of several films based on real historical events. Students will research both the films and the actual events from the standpoint of professional historians, ascertain their historical veracity, and demonstrate how films are the reflection of the society that produced them. Film topics will vary but treat such issues as war, revolution, imperialism, colonialism, and the struggle of classes and social order.

Dominant currents in Europe and their dependencies from the Congress of Vienna to the present.

An exploration of the causes and consequences of this very decisive period which witnessed the destruction of the Old Regime and the birth of the modern state. Students will consider the ideology of the Enlightenment, social and political reforms, the forces of radicalism and popular violence, and the origin of nationalism, as well as examine the career of Napoleon and its impact on Europe.

An exploration of the causes and consequences of the Reformation with emphasis on understanding the role of the major reformers such as Luther, Calvin, and Loyola. In addition, students will explore the Reformation’s sociopolitical and cultural dimensions.  (Same as RPH 358)

Spanish culture and society during the Golden Age of the 16th and 17th centuries. Through the study of historical texts, students will explore some of the major issues of the age (the Inquisition, the Counter-Reformation, the problem of ethnic and religious minorities, and the rise and fall of an empire).

The history of France from the “new monarchs” of the 15th century to the end of the Ancient Regime in 1789. Course content will focus on students gaining an understanding of such traditional themes as the consolidation of the French kingdom, the Renaissance monarchy, the wars of religion, the development of absolutism, Louis XIV, the Enlightenment, and the forces that would eventually unleash the French Revolution. Great stress will be placed on understanding the larger economic and social forces that helped shape French history. In addition, students will explore some of the recent work in the areas of gender and cultural history.

An examination of the Civil War as a military conflict with great emphasis on understanding the strategy, operations, and tactics employed by both sides. In addition, students will study the war in the context of international diplomacy and domestic politics as well as its impact on the nation.

Arkansas from exploration to the present.

The history of the United States from the 1900s to the 1990s. Social history, domestic politics, influence of the media and popular culture will serve as themes while considering such topics as the Progressive Era, The Roaring Twenties, the home front during World War II, the Great Depression, Cold War culture, counterculture during the 1960s, and others.

Study of selected topics in history. Prerequisites will vary.

Reading and review of three to six monographs each semester. Tutorial.

These reading- and writing-intensive seminars provide opportunities for concentrated work on a particular theme, national experience, or methodology to develop subject expertise and research acuity. Students will critically assess previous historians' work and refine their expository skills in writing and speech. Topics vary by instructor.

Preparation of a major research paper with some study of methodology in history.

Study of selected topics in the Medical Humanities. Course content and structure will vary according to the interests of the instructor.