History Course Descriptions

HIST - 110. European Civilization (4)

This course provides working familiarity with the major ideas and developments of European civilization from antiquity to the present. Offered every semester.

HIST - 115. European/U.S. History (4)

This course will prepare prospective elementary-school teachers in the fields of European and United States history, as required by the public school standards of the State of California. It will cover European history from the ancient civilizations of the Near East up through the Enlightenment and United States history from the colonial era up through the industrial revolution. Open only to students in the Dual Degree program.

HIST - 120. History of the U.S. (4)

The course will acquaint students with the political, social, economic, ethnic and international dimensions of the history of the United States. It aims to stimulate both analytical and moral understanding of critical issues from the nation's past. Offered every semester.

HIST - 130. East Asian Civilizations (4)

Introductory survey of the three East Asian civilizations of China, Japan, and Korea. The course offers a selective treatment of key issues and important achievements of these societies. Its methodology is historical, analyzing the political, economic, social, and cultural institutions as they have developed from antiquity to the present. The emphasis will be on the modern period, primarily after the middle of the nineteenth century. Offered every semester.

HIST - 135. Indian Civilizations (4)

A broad survey of South and Southeast Asian history from antiquity to modern times. Beginning with the rise of the Indus valley civilization, the course considers topics like European colonialism and imperialism, nationalism, and the post-independence period. Offered intermittently.

HIST - 140. Latin American Perspectives (4)

A social and cultural survey from pre-Columbian roots to the present, focusing on how Latin Americans have shaped their lives within colonial, authoritarian, and paternalistic societies. Offered every semester. Cross Listed With: LAS - 376

HIST - 150. Modern African History (4)

This course introduces students to the diverse history of Africa from 11450 to the present. Topics examined include the development of African societies and political systems, internal and external slave trades, African societies and politics, African resistance to foreign rule, European colonization, nationalist struggles for independence, and legacies of colonial rule.

HIST - 175. Historical Methods (4)

A study of the history of historical writing based on primary sources, and devoting attention to the theories, philosophies, methodologies, and issues of interpretation that arise from the texts. Completion of a research paper on an approved topic. Required of all History majors and suggested for History minors. Offered every semester.

HIST - 195. Feast and Famine: A History of Food (4)

Freshman Seminar: What can the history of food tell us about larger processes of historical change? What is the relationship between food, culture, and the environment? The search for nourishment has shaped political, economic, and cultural institutions around the world. This seminar examines the development of food production systems, the role of crop, technology and cultural exchange, the diversity of food cultures, the politics of food shortage, and the emergence of a global cuisine. Case studies primarily will derive from Africa and the United States. Offered intermittently.

HIST - 220. World Geography (4)

Systematic approach to the spatial distribution of resources, populations, cultural features, processes, and relationships. Required of students who would like to obtain a teaching credential in the Social Sciences. Offered every other year.

HIST - 300. The World Since 1945 (4)

An interpretive political history of the world since 1945, focusing on major actors, events, and international affairs, both Western and non-Western. Offered intermittently.

HIST - 310. The Ancient Near East (4)

The rise and development of the societies, cultures, religions and governments of the eastern Mediterranean (Mesopotamia, Egypt, Palestine, Asia Minor, Minoan Crete and Mycenean Greece), from the fourth millennium to about 1000 B.C. Offered every other year.

HIST - 311. The Classical Mediterranean World, 1200 B.C. to 31 A.D. (4)

A study of the new forms of society, culture, economy, and government that arose in the central and eastern Mediterranean after the collapse of ancient civilization around 1200 B.C.; the origins of the Greek city-states; the creations of the new empires by Athens, Alexander the Great, and the Romans; the creation of classical literature, philosophy, and art. Offered every other year.

HIST - 312. The Roman Empire (4)

The origins and evolution of Roman imperial society, government, and culture, from the first century B.C. to the third century A.D. The class also examines the interrelationship between archaeology and history as a means of discovering the past. Offered every other year.

HIST - 313. The Later Roman Empire (4)

The evolution and reorganization of the late Roman Empire, and a study of its social, cultural, religious, and political transformations. Offered every other year.

HIST - 314. Medieval Europe (4)

The social, economic, political, cultural and administrative revolutions of the twelfth through the early fifteenth century in Western Europe. Offered every other year.

HIST - 315. The Renaissance (4)

Political, economic, and social conditions in Western Europe from the late fourteenth to the sixteenth centuries; conciliarism and heresies; Italian intellectual and cultural developments; the spread of Humanism. Offered every other year.

HIST - 316. The Reformation (4)

The causes and progress of the Lutheran Reformation; development of variations within Protestantism; the Radical Reformation; Catholic reform and the Counter-Reformation; political, economic, and social history of sixteenth-century Europe. Offered every other year.

HIST - 317. The Expansion of Europe, 1450-1715 (4)

Social, political, economic, and cultural aspects of European expansion into the non-western world. Conquest of America, Europeans in Asia, colonial societies, slavery, colonial cultures and art, encounters between western and eastern philosophies/religions from the 15th to the 18th centuries. Offered intermittently.

HIST - 318. Early Modern European Civilization (4)

A survey of western European history from the Thirty Years War to the French Revolution. Modern science, the Old Regime, and the Enlightenment. Offered every other year.

HIST - 322. The Holocaust (4)

The origins of European anti-Semitism and the history of Germany with focus on the persecution of Jews which culminated in genocide during World War II. The course examines the machinery of death as well as the bystanders, perpetrators and victims. The course also addresses the latest scholarly literature on the topic. Offered intermittently.

HIST - 324. History of the Early Church (4)

The development of the Christian church, from the time of Constantine through the Middle Ages. Examination of the history of doctrine and dogma, how the church as an institution evolved and adapted to ever-changing historical circumstances, and the role Christianity played in the lives of ordinary people. Offered intermittently.

HIST - 327. Modern European Intellectual History (4)

Prerequisite: HIST - 110 or equivalent. A study of the breakthrough to modernity. The course covers major philosophical, cultural, and literary currents from Romanticism to the present day. Offered every other year.

HIST - 328. Twentieth Century Europe (4)

Fin-de-Siecle Europe, the causes and course of the First World War, inter-war Europe, fascism, the Second World War, the Cold War, the European Community, and the breakdown of communism. Offered every other year.

HIST - 329. Nineteenth Century Europe (4)

The age of Metternich and the revolutionary opposition; spread and impact of industrialization; nationalistic movements; the new imperialism. Offered every other year.

HIST - 330. History of Britain to the Reformation (4)

In this class we will examine the history of Britain - England, Scotland, and Wales - from the earliest period to the beginning of the 15th century. While we will discuss the changing political groupings on the island, we will be especially concerned with the social and cultural history of the period. The class will include regular discussions of many of the most important primary sources from the Roman, medieval, and Renaissance period. Offered every other year.

HIST - 331. History of Sexuality (4)

An examination of the various and changing western attitudes towards human sexuality. While we might think that most men and women in western history have shared our own sexual beliefs, or at least those of our parents, we will discover that both the biological and the social understanding of this important human drive has been very contested over time and space. To this end,we will look at various sorts of sources: scientific and medical, philosophical, practical, theological, and literary. We will at the same time encounter some of the major trends in the historiography of sexuality, especially feminism and post-modernism, and see how these challenge our traditional understanding of the past. Offered intermittently.

HIST - 334. History of Modern France (4)

The development of France from the Revolution of 1789 to the present. Offered intermittently.

HIST - 335. Modern German History (4)

A survey of the most important developments in Germany from the Bismarck Reich to the unification of 1990. Particular emphasis on the social, economic and cultural conflicts of the second Empire; the Weimar Republic; competing interpretations of the rise of Nazism; the Holocaust; and the post-World War II period. Offered intermittently.

HIST - 338. The History of Russia and the Soviet Union (4)

The course of Russian history from the time of Peter the Great to the fall of the Soviet Union. Offered intermittently.

HIST - 340. History of South Africa (4)

Introduction to South African history from the 16th century to the present. Topics examined include the interaction between African societies and European settlers, economic development, apartheid, the struggle for majority rule, and the problems plaguing the New South Africa. Offered every other year.

HIST - 341. Feast and Famine: A History of Food (4)

A comparative study of how food has shaped human societies and the environment. Topics include: food production, role of technology, food cultures, famine, and politics of food distribution. Case studies from Africa and the United States. Offered every other year.

HIST - 342. Environmental History of Africa (4)

Introduction to the environmental history of Africa from 1800 to the present. Topics examined include Africa's physical environment, role of natural resources in the development of African societies, demography, agriculture, desertification, deforestation, conservation, famine, and economic development. Offered every other year. Cross Listed With: ENVA - 342

HIST - 343. Pre-Colonial Africa (4)

This course introduces students to the diverse history of pre-colonial Africa. Topics examined include the development of African states, spread of Islam, economic development, slave trades, and European interests in Africa. Offered every other year.

HIST - 352. The Civil War and Reconstruction (4)

An examination of the epic conflict between Northand South in 19th-century America. This course will analyze the causes of the war and explore the war's meaning to its varied participants: whites and African Americans, women and men, soldiers and civilians. It will trace the war's aftermath and its legacy for race relations in the United States. Offered every other year.

HIST - 353. The Gilded Age in U.S. History, 1870-1900 (4)

The Gilded Age in U.S. History, 1870-1900. A study of the era named for its conspicuous display of wealth: an era of ascendant capitalism, the rise of big cities, racial segregation, and the acquisition of Hawaii and the Philippines.

HIST - 354. From Progressivism to Global War: America 1900-1945 (4)

A survey of critical events in a dramatic era: the rise of the Roosevelts and Woodrow Wilson, the World Wars and Depression; the Roaring Twenties, Harlem Renaissance and Scopes Trial, shifts in women's role and image, the impact of Einstein, Freud, and Ford. Offered every other year.

HIST - 357. Topics in American Foreign Policy since 1840 (4)

A survey and analysis of critical events in American foreign policy, focusing on Mexican-American relations, the Spanish-American War and Cuba, the policies of Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson and Franklin Roosevelt, World War II and the Cold War. Offered every other year.

HIST - 358. Women in United States History (4)

This course presents women's history both as an integral part of U.S. history and as a distinct subject of historical study. Using a variety of sources, it explores the private lives and public roles of women of different class, race, ethnic and religious backgrounds from the colonial period to the present. Offered every other year.

HIST - 359. The Civil Rights Movement in History and Film (4)

Explores the history of the civil rights movement in the U.S. through scholarship and film. Considers historical scholarship and historical films as complementary ways of understanding the history of the movement.

HIST - 360. American Women and Political Activism (4)

An overview of women's involvement in social and political movements in the U.S. from the 1880s to the 1990s. Topics include: the women's suffrage movement, social reform, anti-lynching campaigns, peace movements, labor politcs, feminism and anti-feminism, the civil rights and black power movements, and women in right-wing politics. Offered every other year.

HIST - 361. History of American Popular Culture (4)

A survey of the development and effect of popular culture in America, focusing on the rise of the Western, pulp fiction, popular music, the urban comic tradition, inspirational literature, movies, radio, and television. Offered every other year.

HIST - 362. Religion in United States History (4)

An examination of the central themes and issues in the history of American religion, emphasizing the links between religious experience and American society and culture. Offered every other year.

HIST - 363. Race and Ethnicity in United States History (4)

An exploration of the major racial and ethnic groups that have contributed to the making of American history, focusing on their distinctive cultures and patterns of interaction with one another. Offered every other year.

HIST - 367. The History and Geography of California (4)

A study of California's development from the American conquest and statehood to the present time of its social, economic, and political pre-eminence. Offered once per year.

HIST - 369. Oral History (4)

Introduction to oral history, its evolution, methodology, and application. Students will learn about the many facets of the oral history process, interview techniques, the nature of oral historical evidence, transcribing and editing, legal and ethical concerns, and the various uses of oral history. Offered intermittently.

HIST - 370. Colonial Latin America (4)

The blending of indigenous, European, and African cultures during the colonial period to form and create Latin America. This survey explores the tensions and richness embedded in this diverse and dynamic history and tracks how colonial attitudes and ideologies shape the region today. Offered every other year. Cross Listed With: LAS - 372

HIST - 371. Modern Latin America (4)

A survey of Latin America from the late colonial period to the present. Major themes include: political instability, authoritarianism, and the struggle for democracy; economic dependency, underdevelopment, and the search for national sovereignty; social inequality, culture wars, and recent religious transformations. Offered every other year.

HIST - 372. Indigenous and Colonial Mexico (4)

A comprehensive analysis of the social, political, economic and cultural history of colonial Mexico. Questions of power, identity, gender, race, ethnicity, and popular culture among Mexico's indigenous and colonial societies are central to the class. Course themes focus on pre-colonial societies, patterns of colonization in Northern, Central, and southern Mexico, development of a Spanish-Mexican society and culture, and the process leading to independence from Spain. Offered every other year.

HIST - 373. Modern Mexico (4)

A comprehensive analysis of the social, political, economic and cultural processes that shaped the growth and development of modern Mexico. Questions of power, identity, gender, race, ethnicity, and popular culture are central to the class. Course themes will focus on: nation building; the search for order, stability, industrialization, progress, modern development, popular upheaval, social reform, and national identity. Offered every other year.

HIST - 374. History of Central America and the Caribbean (4)

A comprehensive analysis of the historical processes that have shaped the lives, values, beliefs, and practices of the people of Central America and the Caribbean. It focuses on the region's response to global trends: colonization, integration into the world economy, imperialism, modernization, development, the cold war, and revolutionary movements. Offered every other year.

HIST - 375. Brazil and Amazonia (4)

Interdisciplinary survey of the geography, culture, and history of Brazil and Amazonia since 1500. Course themes include indigenous cultures, the impact of European expansion on the native people and the land, African and indigenous slavery, colonialism and its legacies, development, extractive economies, and nationalism. Offered every other year. Cross Listed With: ENVA - 375

HIST - 377. The Southern Cone (4)

A survey and thematic comparison from the histories of Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay. Most of the material will date from the last two centuries with some attention given to the colonial period. Course themes include the impact and legacy of colonialism, the process of nation building, militarism and civilian politics, and the significance of women and modernization. Offered intermittently.

HIST - 378. Andean Nations (4)

A survey and thematic comparison of the histories of Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, and Venezuela, focusing mostly on the national period. Salient themes include Andean civilizations and cultures, the impact of European colonialism, the process of nation building in multiethnic societies, violence and social change, and the tensions between dictatorship and democracy. Offered every other year.

HIST - 379. Latinos in the U.S. (4)

A study of the historical experiences of Mexican Americans/Chicanos, Central Americans, Puerto-Ricans, Cubans and Dominicans, as well as other Latin Americans living in the United States. Topics: identity, prejudice, immigration, social and political experiences, and participation in film, art, music, and other artistic expressions. Offered every other year.

HIST - 380. Traditional China to 1839 (4)

A broad survey of China's history prior to 1840, covering social, political, economic, and cultural developments. Offered intermittently.

HIST - 381. Modern China: Revolution and Modernization (4)

A broad survey of China since 1840, emphasizing China's response to the West and the impact of the Revolutions of 1911 and 1949. Offered every other year.

HIST - 383. Modern Japan Since Perry (4)

A survey of Japan's history after 1868, emphasizing its rapid modernization and its rise to great power status. Offered every other year.

HIST - 386. History of U.S.-China Relations (4)

A study of the United States-China relations from the 1780s to the present day, with special emphasis on the period since 1945. Offered every other year.

HIST - 387. History of U.S.-Japan Relations (4)

Consideration of a broad variety of political, social, economic, and cultural issues concerning America's relationship with Japan, beginning with Commodore Perry's visit in 1853 and including contemporary economic and security concerns. Offered every other year.

HIST - 388. Islamic Empires (4)

This is an upper-division course that addresses empire in the Islamic world. This course focuses on three Islamic Empires, the Ottoman Empire (1300-1922), the Safavid Empire (1501-1722), and the Mughal Empire (1526-1707) and is arranged both chronologically and thematically. While the focus of this course is pre-modern empire, this course will examine how a study of the pre-modern Islamic world challenges current narratives of empire, imperialism, and Islamic identity.

HIST - 389. The Modern Middle East (4)

This upper-division course provides students with a historical framework for understanding current political events in the Middle East and examines the intellectual trends that influence representations of the region. This course begins by framing the modern Middle East within the context of European imperialism in the 18th and 19th centuries, discusses decolonization and nationalism during the two World Wars, and concludes with the impact of American foreign policy on the Middle East today.

HIST - 390. Special Undergraduate Studies in History (4)

Experimental course focusing on exploration and discussion of material which complements that found in the regularly offered history curriculum. Topics are variable; the course involves the study of rarely-taught subject matter and/or innovative approaches to traditional historical themes. Offered intermittently.

HIST - 396. History Internship (4)

Prerequisite: HIST - 175 or permission of instructor. Provides an overview of the many ways that history is practiced in the field of public history. Includes supervised work at a public history placement, such as museums, archives, and historical sites. Offered once per year.

HIST - 398. Directed Reading and Research (1-4)

Prerequisite: one or more upper-division courses in the area of the proposed topic for directed study. The written permission of the instructor and the dean is required. Offered undeer special circumstances.

HIST - 410. Undergraduate Seminar in European History (4)

Topics will be announced before the seminars are offered, and range from Antiquity, the Middle Ages, the early Modern period, to the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Offered once per year.

HIST - 420. Undergraduate Seminar in United States History (4)

Topics vary. Offered once per year.

HIST - 421. Native Americans in U.S. History: Seminar (4)

Readings and discussions of major recent works exploring the place of Native American peoples in the history of the United States. The course will survey the field both chronologically and geographically, but will focus intensively on the impact of the dominant American culture on a selection of particular tribes. Offered intermittently.

HIST - 425. The American Revolution: Seminar (4)

Exploration of the history and meaning of the American Revolution through readings and discussion of major recent works. Covers the causes of the Revolution, the war years, and the political events up through ratification of the Constitution. Offered intermittently.

HIST - 430. Undergraduate Seminar in Latin American History (4)

A reading and research seminar focused on specific geographical areas - the Southern Cone, Brazil, the Andean Region, Central America and the Caribbean, Mexico, the Borderlands - or on particular comparative themes relevant to Latin America - Revolution, Religion, Labor and Politics, Women, Race and Class. Offered once per year. Cross Listed With: LAS - 450

HIST - 440. Undergraduate Seminar in Asian History (4)

Topics will be announced. Offered intermittently.

HIST - 450. Undergraduate Seminar in African History (4)

Topics will be announced. Offered intermittently.

HIST - 470. Honors Senior Thesis (4)

Offered every Fall.

HIST - 471. Honors Senior Thesis Continuation (4)

Offered Spring under special circumstances.