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Undergraduate Catalog 2004-2006: Courses

History

HIS1200 American History I (to 1877) (4 semester hours)
Examines the evolution of the United States from its colonial origins to the end of the Civil War and Reconstruction. Looks at the Columbian Exchange and the exploration of North America, the concept of empire as practiced by Spain, France, and England in the Americas, and the founding of the British American colonies and their differences. Compares the colonial American experience in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Analyzes the causes and nature of the American Revolution and the problems associated with the founding of the nation. Examines the development of the American party system and economy, along with the clashing voices of growing nationalism and sectionalism. Analyzes the causes and nature of the Civil War and the problems associated with reuniting the country.
No Prerequisites OFFERED: Every Fall Semester
Meets General Education "Knowing Ourselves and Others" Group B


HIS1210 American History II (since 1877) (4 semester hours )
Surveys the major political, economic, social, and cultural developments in the United States since 1877. Considers such political developments as imperialism, the growth in the power of the federal government (especially the presidency), the development of the Cold War, and the emergence of the United States as a superpower, and such economic developments as the maturation of the industrial revolution and the Great Depression. Examines the causes and consequences of six wars (including the two world wars) and the major social reform and liberation movements since 1877 and the conservative reactions produced by them.
No Prerequisites OFFERED: Every Spring Semester
Meets General Education "Knowing Ourselves and Others" Group B



HIS 2500 Western Civilization I (to 1200) (4 semester hours)
Surveys the political and cultural history of the ancient classical world from its earliest beginnings in the Near East to the close of the Roman Empire in the West. This course presents the ancient Mediterranean civilizations as forerunners of modern Europe and the Western world. This course covers the early medieval era in Europe and the Middle East and the contributions that these peoples made to modern society.
No prerequisites
Meets General Education "Knowing Ourselves and Others" Group B


HIS 2550 - Western Civilization II (1200-1789) (4 semester hours)
Considers the development of Europe from the Middle Ages, through the Renaissance and Reformation, the age of religious wars, the rise of absolutism and constitutionalism, and the scientific revolution. Special emphasis in this course will be placed on social change and the impact of events upon the lives of common people.
No prerequisites
Meets General Education "Knowing Ourselves and Others" Group B

HIS2600 Western Civilization III (since 1789) (4 semester hours)
Investigates the religious, intellectual, social, economic, aesthetic and political forces at work in Europe from the late eighteenth century to the present day. This course will cover the French and Industrial Revolutions, the rise of capitalism and the free market system, imperialism, World Wars I and II, the Cold War and the post-Cold War era.
No prerequisites
Meets General Education "Knowing Ourselves and Others" Group B


HIS3050 American Urban History (4 semester hours)
Examines American city-building and the diverse populations that inhabited American cities. Compares the preindustrial city of the colonial period and early nineteenth century with the modern, industrial city in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Considers such contributing factors to urbanization as industrialization, the transportation revolution, population growth / immigration, and new types of architecture / city planning. Investigates such twentieth-century developments as the emergence of the metropolis, the modern suburb, urban sprawl, and the modern urban planning movement.
No Prerequisites
OFFERED: Every Other Spring Semester

HIS3100 The African-American Experience (4 semester hours)
Surveys the history of the black experience in the United States, tracing the history of African Americans from their African origins through their struggle against slavery and segregation to the drive for civil rights and full legal and social equality.
No prerequisites
Meets General Education "Knowing Ourselves and Others" Group B


HIS3150 Women in American History (4 semester hours)
Emphasizes the average woman from the colonial period to the present - - her life's opportunities, values, and culture - - and the changing idea of womanhood and the family as reflections of changing socioeconomic conditions in the United States. Examines the origins, development, and major ideas of the nineteenth- and twentieth-century women's movements. Reviews the status of modern women in the workplace and family as well as the major, current women's issues.
No prerequisites
OFFERED: Every Other Fall Semester


HIS3200 American History Since the 1960s (4 semester hours)
Examines the major social, cultural, political, and economic developments in the United States since the 1960s. Emphasizes the social / cultural revolution that swept the United States in the 1960s and its consequences (including a resurgence of conservatism) and the political developments of this era such as the changing relationship between the president and Congress and the United States' changing role as a superpower, both during and after the Cold War.
No prerequisites
Meets General Education "Knowing Ourselves and Others" Group B
OFFERED: Every Other Fall Semester


HIS3250 Illinois History and Government (2 semester hours)
Provides an overview of Illinois history and government from the colonial era to the present. Emphasizes the geography of Illinois, the political and economic development of the state, and the various groups of people across the centuries who have made Illinois their home. Surveys the major historical figures in Illinois history.
No prerequisites
OFFERED: Every year


HIS3300 The American West (4 semester hours )
Examines the Old West of the nineteenth century, discussing both myth and reality, and the New West of the twentieth century. Investigates the exploration and settlement of the Old West, including the mining, ranching, and farming frontiers. Reviews the various Native American cultures in the Old West and their changing relationship with the United States government (including the Indian wars and reservation system). Examines the ways in which the West changed in the twentieth century, considering such issues as growing corporate and governmental power, the environmental movement, and urbanization.
No prerequisites
OFFERED: Every Other Spring Semester


HIS3400 Problems in History (4 semester hours)
A reading seminar that focuses on a major era, issue, or event in history. This course is based on such readings as historical monographs, journal articles, and primary sources. Such issues as interpretation, bias, sources, and documentation will be discussed. There will be extensive reading on the selected topic (which will change each time the course is offered.
Prerequisites: 20 semester hours in history

HIS3450 Latin American History (4 semester hours)
Examines the establishment of European power and civilization in Latin America, the wars for independence, and the major developments during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. This course will also cover the contributions of indigenous peoples and those of African descent to Latin American culture. This course emphasizes major trends and developments in the various Latin American countries rather than the details of each of the present republics.
No prerequisites


HIS3650 Hitler and the Nazi Revolution (4 semester hours)
Examines the origins and development of European fascism (including nineteenth-century racial thought, World War I, and the Great Depression), the nature of European fascism, the rise of Hitler and the Nazi Party to power, and Hitler's blueprint for the Nazi revolution (and the extent to which it was fulfilled, both domestically and internationally). Reviews the origins of World War II, Hitler's performance as a war leader, and the nature of the German homefront and the Nazi Empire during the war. Investigates the origins, implementation, and consequences of the Holocaust. Investigates the question of why Hitler's revolution ultimately failed.
No prerequisites
OFFERED: Every Other Spring Semester

HIS3700 History of the Middle East (4 semester hours)
Examines the rise of Islam and traces the major developments in the Middle East up to the present day, giving attention to both regional and national concerns. The major emphasis of the course is on the period following World War I.
No prerequisites

HIS3750 The Far East (4 semester hours)
Examines the major political developments and personalities in the histories of China, Japan and Korea during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, with special emphasis placed on the period following World War I up to present.
No prerequisites


HIS4990 Senior Seminar in History (4 semester hours)
A capstone course that examines the nature and definition of history and historical truth, research methodology and tests of evidence, synthesis and skill in writing, the evolution of history as a discipline, and the tasks of the professional historian. It treats history as a liberal arts discipline and as a profession and is designed to be useful both to those going on to graduate work and to those who will undertake no further formal study of history.
Prerequisites: Open only to senior history majors
OFFERED: Every Fall Semester

Posted 31 December 2003
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