HIST - History

A survey of the European Middle Ages, including political, social, economic and cultural developments from the fall of Rome through the 15th century. (E)

Overview of the history field as practiced in museum work, historic preservation, state/national parks, archives, historic sites, historical societies, etc. Students will utilize local resources and do hands-on projects. This is the foundation course for the Public History Concentration and is also open to all interested students.

Credit by exam. The development of the United States from the colonial settlements to 1877.

Credit by exam. The development of the United States as a world power from 1877 to the present

This course surveys the major political, economic, social, and cultural contours of the African past from 1400 to the present. Key topics include the development of the Atlantic slave trade, the expansion of European colonialism, the process of decolonization, and the challenges of the post-independence period.

A chronological survey of African American history from pre-colonial Africa and colonial America through the twentieth century. Focuses on the economic, political, social and cultural context in which a uniquely constituted African American culture developed in the course of the struggle to achieve human rights.

Not open to students who have completed HIST 262. This course surveys the political, economic, social, and cultural contours of the global human experience from the ancient period to 1200. The course focuses on societies and interactions of peoples around the world, including empires, written traditions, the development of global religions, and the evolution of trade networks in Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Americas.

Not open to students who have completed both HIST 262 and HIST 263. This course surveys political, economic, social, and cultural contours of the global human experience from 1200 to 1800. The course focuses on challenges and changes to societies and human interactions during the period, including the development of global trade networks and the rise and fall of early modern societies in Africa, the Americas, India, the Middle East, China, Japan, and Europe.

Not open to students who have completed HIST 263. This course surveys the political, economic, social, and cultural contours of the global human experience from the mid-1700s century to the present. The course focuses on concepts and developments of the period, including liberalism, nationalism, industrialization, capitalism, communism, imperialism, and decolonization. Examples of specific regions illustrate global patterns and experiences.

This course addresses the history of Latin America, including Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean nations, and South America. Topics include the pre-Columbian period, Native peoples’ contacts with Europeans and Africans, Portuguese and Spanish colonial expansion, and the history of Latin American nations through the 20th century.

This course surveys women’s experiences in America from the arrival of Europeans to the present, focusing on women’s legal, political, economic, and social status and roles, as well as race, ethnicity, and class. We will cover trends and common experiences, but also specific experiences through the voices of women of privilege, less advantaged women, and women of color.

This course introduces general topics in history, allowing faculty and students to examine specific areas of interest.

Prerequisite: HIST 264 or permission of the instructor. A study of the peoples and culture of early medieval Europe, from late Rome through the 10th century. Includes Celtic population of Roman Empire; "barbarian" kingdoms such as Celtic Ireland and Scotland, Anglo-Saxon England, and Frankish Gaul; Visigothic and Islamic Spain; technological developments; the Carolingian Empire; and Viking invasions. (E)

Prerequisites: Completion of the Historical Analysis or English Composition section of Core requirement; or permission of instructor. The course addresses conflicts, wars, and cultural infighting among late medieval and early modern Europeans over issues of belief, heresy, and governing emerging European states. Students read banned and approved texts to understand cultural developments and the emergence of European imperial systems.

Prerequisite: HIST 264 or permission of the instructor. A study of the "holy wars" between the Islamic world and the Christian west in the 11th through 15th centuries, including long-term effects on the modern Middle East. (E)

Prerequisites: Completion of the Historical Analysis or English Composition section of the Core, or permission of instructor. A study of the roles and experience of European women during the Middle Ages, 500-1500. Legal and social status, queenship and power, religion and spirituality, marriage and family, and women in the ethnic minorities. (E)

Prerequisites: Completion of the Historical Analysis or English Composition section of the Core, or permission of instructor.  This course explores the history of England from the Norman Conquest in 1066 through the reign of Elizabeth in the 16th c. It traces the forging of English culture, government, and society in the medieval and early modern periods and addresses the longterm significance of these events and institutions. (E)

Prerequisites: HIST 217, or with the permission of the instructor. This course examines the evolution of the English colonies and their integration into a larger British Empire, effects of colonization on native peoples, the rise of slavery in North America, the experiences of Africans and their descendants, the origins and consequences of the Revolution, its impact on the population, and the long-term significance of this era.

Prerequisite: HIST 217 or HIST 218. A study of America’s most destructive war: its origins, impact and aftermath. The course also will deal with the problems, accomplishments and failures of reconstruction.

Prerequisite: HIST 217 or 218 or by permission of instructor. This course is an in-depth examination of American society, culture and politics during the period commonly known as "the sixties." The course will cover American politics, the Cold War, nuclear proliferation, social movements, the Vietnam War and American popular culture. Course materials include books and articles, movies, documentaries and sound recordings, as well as guest lectures by 60s participants.

Prerequisites: Completion of the Historical Analysis or English Composition section of Core requirement; or permission of instructor. Employing a cross-cultural perspective, this course explores the historical process as being a dialogue between the cultures of the indigenous peoples of Latin America, Europeans, and Africans.

Prerequisites: Junior or senior standing, completion of course(s) involved or equivalent competency and permission of the department. The teaching assistant will have significant responsibilities in the assigned class or classes supporting the instruction of the course. Duties can include research, assisting with course instructional technology, tutoring class members, and working on other class-related projects. May be taken only twice. Grading is on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis.

Prerequisites: HIST 218 or permission of instructor. Between 1877 and 1929, the United States wrestled with the wrenching social, political, cultural and economic transformations that accompanied the second industrial revolution. This course will address the ways in which Americans responded to the crises caused by industrialization, immigration and urbanization with special emphasis on Progressive Era reform.

Prerequisites: HIST 218 or permission of instructor. This course traces the rise and fall of the New Deal order. The first part of the course will discuss the legacies of the New Deal and WWII. The second part focuses on the turbulent 1960s. The final part examines the economic crisis of the 1970s and America’s "conservative turn" in the 1980s.

Prerequisite: Any 200-level history course or permission of the instructor. In this course students partake of and reflect thoroughly on the cultural resources available on campus and in Frederick, Baltimore and Washington, DC. During the semester, students attend historically themed public events and visit historical museums and sites, discuss their experiences, and complete reading and writing assignments.

Prerequisite: Any 200-level history course or permission of the instructor. Short Topics in History is a 1-credit course that offers a change to pursue in more detail more focused study of subjects only touched upon in broad survey courses, or those not covered elsewhere in the history curriculum. Format, perspectives and topics may vary according to the instructor's expertise.

Prerequisites: Completion of the Historical Analysis or English Composition section of Core requirement; or permission of instructor. The course addresses the histories of indigenous (or Native) peoples around the globe. Students will analyze the meanings of indigeneity across time and space, looking at different regions of the world from the thirteenth century to the present. (E)

Prerequisite: Completion of the Historical Analysis or Composition section of the Core or permission of the instructor. An exploration of the political, cultural, and social history of Europe from 1914-1945. In addition to European experiences of World War I and World War II, the course examines the rise of fascism and Nazism, the advent of Americanization, the interwar economic crises, genocide, and the rise of the Cold War superpowers.

Prerequisites: HIST 217 or HIST 218 or permission of the instructor. This course explores the history of America’s role in the world since the Second World War, examining the development of America’s position within the world community and the political, social and economic factors shaping its foreign policy. The course will cover such topics as the creation of the United Nations, the Cold War, Korea and Vietnam, détente, globalization and American involvement in the Middle East.

Prerequisites: Completion of the Historical Analysis or English Composition section of the Core, or permission of instructor. This course traces the history of warfare in medieval Europe, emphasizing military developments but also exploring social, economic, diplomatic, and religious aspects of war. Topics include military organization, strategy, tactics, weaponry, fortifications, technology, and logistics, from the late Roman period through the Hundred Years War. (E)

Prerequisites: Completion of the Historical Analysis or English Composition section of Core requirement; or permission of instructor. This course addresses the rise of early modern global empires beginning in the fifteenth century The Portuguese, Dutch, Spanish, English, and French empires up to the early nineteenth century will be the primary focus of the course. Particular emphasis will be placed on the Atlantic world and imperial experiences in the Indian Ocean.

Prerequisites: Completion of the Historical Analysis or English Composition section of Core requirement; or permission of instructor. A study of imperialism from 1789 to the present. Topics include the fall of the Atlantic World empires in the 18th century, the expansion of empires in Africa and Asia in the 19th century, the imperial experience of the world wars, and decolonization during the Cold War. The course explores the perspectives of colonial subjects and their rulers.

Prerequisites: Completion of the Historical Analysis or English Composition section of the Core, or permission of instructor. Focuses largely on the historic role of athletics in black communities; the interconnectedness of racial identity and athletic competition; racial exclusion and integration; and the formation and dismantling of black owned and operated teams, leagues, and complexes. We will also explore the intersection of sports, social paradigms, political transformations, and race in America during the nineteenth, twentieth, and twenty-first centuries.

Prerequisites: Completion of the Historical Analysis or English Composition section of the Core, or permission of instructor. This course surveys the accomplishments and challenges of women of African descent in America, from the colonial era to the present, with attention to their everyday lives, as well as their political and economic activism. Family structure, images in popular and material culture, and the social construction of gender and race will also be explored.

Prerequisites: Completion of the Historical Analysis or English Composition section of Core requirement; or permission of instructor. This course traces the early history of western civilization, from humanity’s origins in Africa, through the first civilizations of Mesopotamia and Egypt, to classical and Hellenistic Greece. It emphasizes the varieties of organization, individual and collective identity, and interaction between states, religious authorities and cultures. (E)

Prerequisites: Completion of the Historical Analysis or English Composition section of Core requirement; or permission of instructor. An exploration of the history of Rome, from its founding through the Republic and the Empire, focusing on political, social, cultural and military developments. (E)

Prerequisites: Declared history major; 12 credits of history, including 8 credits of history at Hood; and permission of the department chair. An opportunity for hands-on training or equivalent experience in the field of history. Examples of the practicum are an internship-type work placement at a local historical site or on campus, a research assistantship with a history faculty member, or an independent-study-type course that utilizes local historical sites. With the permission of the department, this course may be substituted for the required history internship.

Prerequisite: HIST 264 or permission of instructor. Advanced topics in ancient and medieval history. This course pursues in more detail subjects not fully covered elsewhere in the history curriculum. Students who lack the prerequisite, but who have other coursework or experience relevant to the specific topic, are encouraged to seek the instructor’s permission to enroll. (E)

Prerequisite: HIST 217, HIST 218 or AFHS 257 or permission of instructor. Advanced topics in colonial American and United States history. This course pursues in more detail subjects not fully covered elsewhere in the history curriculum. Students who lack the prerequisite, but who have other coursework or experience relevant to the specific topic, are encouraged to seek the instructor’s permission to enroll.

Prerequisite: HIST 266 or permission of instructor. Advanced topics in the history of modern Europe. This course pursues in more detail subjects not fully covered elsewhere in the history curriculum. Students who lack the prerequisite, but who have other coursework or experience relevant to the specific topic, are encouraged to seek the instructor’s permission to enroll.

Prerequisite: HIST 264 or HIST 266 or permission of instructor. Advanced topics in comparative and world history. This course offers a chance to pursue in more detail subjects only touched upon in broad survey courses, or those not covered elsewhere in the history curriculum. Format, perspectives and topics may vary according to the instructor's expertise.

Prerequisite: One of the following: HIST 208, HIST 217, HIST 218 or permission of the instructor. Advanced topics in public history. This course pursues in more detail subjects not fully covered elsewhere in the history curriculum. Students who lack the prerequisite, but who have other coursework or experience relevant to the specific topic, are encouraged to seek the instructor’s permission to enroll.

Prerequisite: Open to history majors with at least sophomore standing and HIST 217 or HIST 218 or AFHS 257 plus another history course. An introduction to historical method, including historical argumentation, evidence, documentation and archival research. Each student researches local or family history, using original sources from archival collections. As the entry into the major, the course is for second-semester sophomores, first-semester juniors, and new transfer students.

Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor. A readings course to supplement the regular offerings of the department. Conferences and written reports.

Prerequisites: Completion of the Historical Analysis or English Composition section of the Core; or permission of instructor. This course examines the concepts of frontiers and the frontier experience in North America from the colonial period to the late nineteenth century, including both indigenous and non-indigenous contexts.

Prerequisites: Completion of the Historical Analysis or English Composition section of the Core, or permission of instructor. This course analyzes the transformative and explosive events of the 1950s-early 1970s. It considers how varied social, cultural, and political movements, organizations, and individuals have shaped our modern world. It examines social, cultural, and legal challenges and triumphs in the struggle for equality.

Prerequisite: Completion of the Historical Analysis or English Composition section of the Core, or permission of instructor. Explores the relationship between American jurisprudence and African Americans, from the colonial period to the present. It identifies statutory law, case law, and de facto standards that determined the role and status of Blacks in American society. The course also examines how African Americans have used law and protest to gain civil rights and political power.

Prerequisites: Completion of the Historical Analysis or English Composition section of the Core, or permission of instructor. This course charts the development of urban centers in the United States from the colonial period to the present. It analyzes sociohistorical, political, geographical, and economic phenomena and trends that have fostered the growth and transformation of cities across the country.

Prerequisites: Completion of the Historical Analysis or English Composition section of Core requirement; or permission of instructor. The course addresses the long history of Native Americans from the period before contact to the present, with a primary focus on Native peoples’ history in the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries.

Prerequisites: Completion of the Historical Analysis or English Composition section of the Core; or HIST 208; or permission of instructor. The course addresses both practical and theoretical approaches to museums and archives, their history, and new developments in the field of collections management. Students visit local and regional museums and archives as part of the course.

Prerequisites: Completion of the Historical Analysis or English Composition section of the Core; or HIST 208; or permission of instructor. The course addresses both practical and theoretical approaches to history museum exhibitions in both traditional physical spaces and virtual or digital exhibitions. Students visit local and regional museums in preparation for the experiential learning exercise in which each student plans a mock history exhibition.

An upper-level special topics course offered at the discretion of the department. The content and methods vary with the interest of students and faculty members

Prerequisites: Completion of the Historical Analysis or English Composition area of the Core. An opportunity both to study a historical topic in depth and to learn actively through public service in a structured project in the local community. Topic, project and format will vary according to instructor expertise and community partner availability.

Prerequisites: 9 credits of history taken at Hood, or permission of the instructor. Supervised historical writing, research and/or museum work with private or govern-mental agencies full or part time. Grading is on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis.

Prerequisites: Junior or senior standing and HIST 217 or HIST 218 or AFHS 257. This course explores the origins and development of racial attitudes, both scientific and popular, supporting mythologies, and contemporary institutional expressions. It will also discuss the African Americans’ attempts to resist white supremacy. Emphasis will be on African American history since Reconstruction.

Prerequisites: Junior or senior standing and HIST 373 or permission of the instructor. This advanced course explores one topic in depth. The format, approach and perspective vary according to the instructor’s expertise and preference, but in general students are expected to read deeply in the topic, participate actively in seminar discussions and complete a major research project. This is the capstone for the history major.

Prerequisite: By invitation of the department. The departmental honors paper is a two-semester senior-year program designed for students who wish to pursue intensive research or special projects in close coordination with faculty advisers. Departmental honors students are known as the Christine P. Tischer Scholars and receive 6 credits for this work.