So in the midst of midterms it's time to start thinking about next semester since I will be scheduling soon. I LOVE picking new classes and planning out my schedule. I plan on taking two or three history classes but there are so many to choose from! I've narrowed down my choices quite a bit but I still can't decide. Help me choose by letting me know what y'all think would be the most interesting.
Hist 4004: Rome of the Caesars (T Th 12:00 - 1:30)From the death throes of the Republic and the assassination of Julius Caesar to the Golden Age of Augustus, the Principate of the early dynasties, the military monarchy and the rise of Christianity, leading to the New Rome of Constantine. Political and military developments provide the framework, but due attention is given to Roman society and culture; Roman relations with other peoples (allies and subject peoples, but also Rome's external enemies); Latin literature; the absorption of the Greek world, and the changing shape of the Imperial City itself. Two midterms and a final exam; two five-page research papers (or one paper and a class project); moderate reading load (mainly selections from ancient historiographers and imperial biographies). One or two film presentations. Prof. Steven Ross (I had this guy for Western Civ to 1500 and he is a pretty good teacher).
Hist 4022: France Since 1770 (T Th 9:00-10:30)This course covers the principal political, social, economic, and intellectual developments in France during the last two and a half centuries. Special emphasis is on two topics: how the government evolved from absolute monarchy to republic, with interruptions for constitutional monarchy and empire, and how the French people experienced the social and economic changes resulting from this political upheaval. Required reading: four books; required testing: midterm examination and final examination. Prof. Benjamin Martin.
Hist 4052: American Revolution, 1763-1789 (T Th 10:30 - 12:00)At the conclusion of the Seven Years’ War, the British Empire in North America stood at its zenith. Yet within twenty years after the end of that war, most of Great Britain’s colonial possessions in continental North America had been violently and conclusively separated from the empire. History 4051 examines the origins of this conflict, the directions that it took, and the contentious new nation that it produced. Among the topics considered are political theory and ideology; political and social conflict; the lives of common people; war; and the Constitution. We will hone our skills in analyzing these people, places, themes, and events through readings from documents and scholarly texts, short writing assignments, group debates, a midterm essay, a research paper, and a final exam. Prof. Mark Thompson.
Hist 4055: The Civil War (T Th 10:30-12:00)A lecture course on the history of the American Civil War (1861-1865). The course includes both political and military subjects from the origins of Southern secession to the beginning of postwar Reconstruction. Readings include a basic narrative text and shorter, specialized paperbacks. There are two essay examinations—a midterm and a final. The final exam covers the entire course. This course is also listed as Military Science 4055. Military strategy and engagements comprise approximately 40% of the class time. There are two 80-minute class meetings per week. Prof. Charles Royster.
History 4071: The Antebellum South (T Th 9:00-10:30) This course covers the history of the American South from the colonial period to 1861. Topics that receive particular attention include: slavery from its beginnings to the mature institution, with treatment of origins, the slave world, and the master-slave relationship; the nature of the southern economy; the white social order; the southern mind; political history from the Revolution to the breakup of the Union, emphasizing the connection between the South and the nation. Prof. William Cooper.
Hist 4073: Louisiana to 1815 (T Th 10:30 - 12:00)Political, economic, and social development of early Louisiana. Essay exams; possible project. Prof. Paul Hoffman.
Hist 4140: The Vietnam War (T Th 3:00-4:30) French colonial rule and Vietnamese nationalism; Ho Chi Minh and the war against the French (1946-1954); The National Liberation Front (Vietcong); process of American involvement and disengagement; counter-insurgency and the air war; anti-war movement in the United States; reasons for failure of American policy; Vietnam since 1975; lessons and legacies for the U.S. Prof. Stanley Hilton (I have this guy for WWII right now and he is a great teacher).
Hist 4197: Scandals in American History (T Th 12:00 - 1:30)Beginning with Benedict Arnold (the first "American" traitor) and ending with President William J. Clinton's sex scandal while in office, this class will ask how scandals reflect the changing political conditions of democracy. We will examine not only why scandals happen, but how these controversies act as a public forum for debating some of the most fundamental issues of democratic politics. Political scandals have never been merely personal tragedies. As public events capable of triggering moral and legal crises, they can be understood (in the words of the British scholar John Thompson) as "political struggles fought out in the symbolic realm." In most instances, scandals contribute to the ongoing debate over what is dangerous to American democracy, invoking (at times exaggerating, even distorting) palpable fears of deceit and secrecy, sexual disorder, racial impurity, social violence, tyranny and anarchy. As we will see, political scandals are more than an entertaining sideshow to the normal activities of democratic governance. By creating a public and national forum, they shape the shifting norms on state power and constitutional authority, the moral expectations for political leadership, and the very language of nationhood. There will be three take-home exams. Required readings: John Marszalek, The Petticoat Affair (2000); Michael Les Benedict, The Impeachment and Trial of Andrew Johnson (1973); Eric Rauchway, Murdering McKinley (2003); James Madison, A Lynching in the Heartland (2001); Keith W. Olsen, Watergate: The Presidential Scandal that Shook America (2003). Additional readings in course packet. Prof. Nancy Isenberg.
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1 week ago
9 comments:
I choose American Scandals! Yeah baby! Also, and of COURSE, American Revolution. That is a must, and don't let them try to get you to think that we were in the wrong...
The Rome/ Caesar class would be interesting but it sounds like a lot of work with all those papers. The American Revolution Class appeals to me more, but I think I'd go with the VietNam and the Civil War classes. Learning war strategies will look great on your resume for almost anything, whether you are a history or preschool teacher, a mommy, or the next member of the president's war cabinet!
Naturally, I'm partial to the Roman and French history courses. The history of the Caesars will provide lots of insights into the cyclical nature of civilization and the parallels between the decline and fall of the Roman and American empires. ;)
Scandals is my top choice. Rome sounds good, too, but I also think that taking American revolution and France since 1770 in the same semester would be a great comparison. The Civil War as a military strategy would be my ABSOLUTE LAST choice. But, I must admit that odds are, you'd be one of the only girls in the class.
Here's my undergraduate course offering for the spring. Would you take it?
HIST 333 Visions of the European Metropolis, 1850-1939. During the second half of the nineteenth century, the rapid urbanization of Europe sparked a set of complex, often contradictory, reactions to life in the large, modern city. As people seeking work poured into the metropolis from the countryside, the shape of the city changed from day to day. Citizens were both delighted and terrified by these changes. Despite new systems of lighting, the city was often seen as dark and foreboding. Despite sanitation measures, the big city was viewed as a cesspool of filth. And despite increased efforts to police the city, fears of crime and sexual violation (typified by characters such as Jack the Ripper) abounded, fueled by stories in the “gutter” press. In the big city, issues of class, gender, and morality came to the fore.
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This course will explore these interrelated symbols. Based on lectures and readings of contemporary and historical studies of European cities, students will become familiar with many of the issues of modern urbanity that affect us still today. Short readings of literature from the period by authors such as the British novelist Charles Dickens, the Parisian poet Charles Baudelaire, the French novelists Victor Hugo and Émile Zola, and American writer Edgar Allan Poe will provide contemporary portraits of the city. Students will also analyze photographs, art, architecture, and advertising from the period.
Rome and Louisiana. No thank you to scandals or Vietnam.
Nathan, I'd take your class! Sounds fascinating! Sarah, I think the French or Louisiana history sound good.
thank you all so much for your commentary....but i still can't decide!!! fortunately i have a week and a half to think about it some more. nathan, you class does sound pretty interesting. i love classes that involve more than just lectures to learn about the topic.
Me too. (I think cross learning is great). Nathan, can I audit the class?
so i've finally made my decision - france since 1770 and rome of the caesars. i'm thinking of taking a beginning latin class as well, what do you think about that, dad?
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