History (B.A.)
Faculty
Dr. James Stocker, Associate Professor of International Affairs; Executive Director of the Trinity Global Leadership Initiative (program chair)
Dr. Joshua Wright, Associate Professor of Global Affairs
Dr. Allen Pietrobon, Assistant Professor of Global Affairs
Dr. Kimberly Monroe, Assistant Professor of Global Affairs
Dr. Mary Lynn Rampolla, Associate Professor of History*
Dr. Susan Farnsworth, Professor of History*
*Sabbatical
Description
The history major is particularly flexible. Students may select an orientation suiting their own individual interests, supported by complementary courses in art, literature, the social sciences, theology, and philosophy.
The study of history is integral to a liberal education. Students develop an informed perspective about the varieties and diversity of human experience and about their own inherited cultural traditions. They learn ways to study the past and to make connections between the past and the issues of the contemporary world. Through their investigation of human experience, they develop an understanding of institutions, ideas, and values different from theirs, and, in turn, recognize and deepen their own values. In the process, they acquire skills in interpretation and synthesis based on systematic inquiry and research, analysis of evidence, and the formation of critical judgment.
Training in history offers a foundation for many different careers. Broad reading, the development of critical perspective, the discipline of research, organizational ability, logical presentation of evidence and conclusions, intuitive insight, understanding of human nature -- all these prepare the student for a wide variety of professions. As a result of this academic preparation, Trinity history majors have pursued careers in law, business, print and broadcast journalism, public relations, teaching, and museum education and curatorial work.
The History Program offers both a major and a minor to students in the College of Arts and Sciences.
Prerequisites for History Courses
Only 100-level courses satisfy General Education Curriculum requirements. (See course descriptions for specific information.
200-level courses do not have pre-requisites and are open to all interested students.
Most 300-and 400-level courses require a research paper; therefore, familiarity with historical methodology is highly recommended.
Major Requirements
Required Courses (33 credits)
Students majoring in history must take the following distribution of courses at the 200-level or above:
TWO courses in Europe before 1700, including either
- HIS 231 The Renaissance and ReformationStudies the political, social, and economic history of the major centers of the Italian Renaissance, the Northern Renaissance and Christian humanism, the scientific revolution, the relationship between humanism and reform, the continental and English Reformations, and popular culture in early modern Europe.
3 credits
or
HIS 234 Kings, Commoners and ConstitutionsExamines religion and politics in the 17th century, the English constitutional conflicts and the triumph of the common law tradition, the mystique and reality of royal power in the court of France, the trend toward secularization of thought, and the growing role of commoners in political institutions.
3 credits
General Education: Leadership
TWO courses in Europe after 1700, including
- HIS 485 Age of Dictators: Europe 1914-1945Examines the transformation of the European order as a result of World War I and the peace of 1919; analyzes the rise of the dictatorships, the leadership of Mussolini, Hitler, Lenin and Stalin; and investigates the outbreak of World War II.
3 credits
THREE courses in United States history, including
- HIS 337 The United States 1789-1865Studies the evolution of United States political and constitutional institutions, emphasizing the presidency, the extraconstitutional emergence of political parties, and the political implications of economic policy. Chronological development highlights the Federalist achievement, Jeffersonian period, the Market Revolution, and the causes leading to the Civil War.
3 credits
and
HIS 338 United States Comes of Age, 1865-1941Studies the political and economic consequences of the evolution of the United States to an urbanized, industrialized society, the dilemmas of Reconstruction, the formation of a national economy, the politics of equilibrium from 1865-1896, the Progressive Movement, the New Deal, and the emergence of the United States as a world power.
3 credits
TWO courses in Non-Western history
ONE elective course in history
ONE seminar: HIS 466
History majors are advised to take at least two upper-division courses in a complementary discipline, such as art, literature, any one of the social sciences, theology, and philosophy.
Where applicable, interdisciplinary courses may also fulfill requirements.
Minor Requirements
Required Courses (18 credits)
To earn a minor in history, students must take the following distribution of courses at the 200-level or above:
ONE course in European history
ONE course in United States history
ONE course in non-Western history
THREE elective courses in history
Program Policies
Advanced Placement:
A score of 4 or 5 on the AP examination is accepted for credit toward the degree. AP credit does not fulfill FLC, Core, major, or minor requirements.
CLEP Policy:
CLEP credit is not accepted to fulfill history major or minor requirements.
Grades in Major and Minor Courses:
Students are required to maintain an average of "C" (2.0) or better in the major and minor.
Pass/No Pass:
With the exception of practica and internships, courses fulfilling a major or minor requirement may not be taken pass/no pass.
Senior Assessment:
Senior history majors are required to pass a written and an oral comprehensive examination, normally administered early in the spring semester.
Study Abroad:
To support their major, students are encouraged to study abroad, preferably in their junior year.
TELL Policy:
TELL credits may count towards the major if the student is able to document active participation in an event, movement, or issue that has shaped contemporary history.
Transfer Credits:
Students may apply transfer credits toward the major in history if the accepted courses parallel courses required for the major at Trinity. In all, transfer students must complete a minimum of 15 credits in history at Trinity, including a colloquium or seminar.
Course Descriptions
HIS 210 The Historian's Craft: Why History Still MattersIntroduces the discipline and methods of history, including historical research and utilizing primary and secondary sources. Topics explored may include a survey of how history has developed as a discipline,career options for historians, the role of particular historians and their theories of history, the principles of narrative and logic within historical practice, and in-depth research on a specific historian, their ideas and writings.
3 credits
HIS 138 The African DiasporaExplores the collective historical and contemporary experiences of the African Diaspora. Examine the social, cultural and political relationships between Black communities, knowledge, and movements across the Diaspora. Examines the interwoven concepts of memory, culture and resistance, and span themes such as consciousness of Africa; the Haitian Revolution and resistance to slavery; African cultural transformation in the Americas; maroonage; Garvey and the UNIA; pan-African movements and global liberation struggles; women and resistance; Black Power, and issues of identity and race. Explore primary sources, historical terminology and themes and practices of the African Diaspora. Introduces students to major scholars of the African Diaspora through readings, films, group projects, and guest lectures.
3 credits
Core Area II: Understanding Self and Society
General Education: Knowledge and Inquiry
HIS 251 The Western World in CrisisExploring events in the United States and Europe, this course will examine the various crises that arose in the period after World War II ended in 1945. We will study not only the "big" events such as the process of recovery after the War and the remaking of the international order, the rise and fall of communism, the creation of a European identify, the appeal of separatist movements, and the resurgence of nationalism and populism, but will also explore how changes in technology, society, and culture affected these developments. Ultimately, we will analyze the historical origins of what some scholars today are calling the "crisis of liberalism" or the "collapse of the Western order.
HIS 314 Modern Latin AmericaThis course traces the modern history of Latin America, focusing on the 19th and 20th centuries. Issues to be considered include Latin America in the global economy, relations between Latin America and the U.S., dictatorships and democracies in the twentieth century, Indigenous cultures, national revolutions in Mexico, Cuba, and Central America, and Latin American identity. Cross-listed with INAF 314.
3 credits
Prerequisites: None
HIS 362 Sex, Scandal, and Civil War: Tudor/Stuart EnglandThis course examines the political, social, and cultural history of England during the reign of the Tudors and the advent of civil war under their successors, the Stuarts. Topics include: the rise of the Tudor dynasty; the court of Henry VIII and the English Renaissance; the English Reformation; Elizabethan England; the English Civil War; Oliver Cromwell and the Commonwealth; and the Restoration.
3 credits
Prerequisites: None
HIS 317 The Cold War and Its LegaciesExamines the Cold War, the world order that it created, and its enduring effects on contemporary international issues, with particular emphases on its social, political, and economic contexts. Among questions to be addressed are: What events and ideas provoked the Cold War? How did the Cold War shape international political and economic institutions? How did advances in science and technology helpfuel a global arms race? How did the Cold War condition society and culture? What traces of the Cold War continue to influence world politics in the early 21st century? Formerly SCC 317 - The Cold War and Its Legacies.
3 credits
Prerequisites: None
HIS 134 American CivilizationThis course will examine the major developments in American history to 1877 (discovery, colonization, American Revolution, establishment of the Constitution, westward expansion, the role of ethnic minorities and women, Civil War, and Reconstruction). Students will be able to describe key historical terms and theories in American History and demonstrate knowledge of these theories clearly in both written and oral communication; analyze the role of state and federal government and the rights of citizens in terms of the U.S. Constitution; critically evaluate how historians and others have interpreted the American past; analyze various perspectives and interpretations of historical issues and events; identify and explain chronological relationships and cause and effect relationships in history; and evaluate contemporary problems/issues in terms of historical perspectives.
3 credits
This course is only open to students in the Associate's Degree Program at THEARC. No other students are allowed to register.
Prerequisites: None
SSC 358 The Modern Middle EastSurveys the Middle Eastern world from the fifteenth through the twentieth centuries. Topics include the Islamic heritage, imperialism and the growth of nationalism, the struggle for independence, the Arab-Israeli conflict and the tension between tradition and modernity.
ICAE 360 Ethics & Power: Contemporary DiplomaticAddresses the ethical issues facing states and policy makers in the contemporary period. Since the beginning of the 20th century, United States policy makers have sought to balance two competing paradigms in the establishment of the nation's approach to global affairs: idealism and realism. These two themes in foreign policy remain in tension. The purpose of this course is, first, to examine case studies in contemporary history when the nation's leaders needed to establish an effective integration of realism and idealism in response to complex international issues. Knowledge of the patterns emerging from these studies, in turn, will provide a basis for a critical appraisal of current, pressing issues on the international agenda in which ethical considerations figure prominently.
ICAE 420 Seminar in Research & WritingDevelops students' analytical and critical skills, their ability to organize and present arguments both orally and in writing, and their ability to work collaboratively. The primary focus of this writing-intensive seminar is on research techniques, including locating, sorting, and prioritizing sources; establishing the credibility and usefulness of those sources and synthesizing the information they contain; and organizing and presenting that information in a systematic and clear fashion. In the process, students will learn how to deal with sources that conflict; how to glean information from sources that are imperfect, misleading, or biased; and how to reach reasonable conclusions even when the information contained in the available sources is ambiguous, contradictory or inconsistent
HIS 493 Independent StudyAllows students to pursue an independent research project under the direction of a faculty member. Only juniors and seniors may enroll after preliminary discussion with an individual professor and with permission of the program chair.
Credits arranged
HIS 495 History Elective
HIS 496 Practicum
HIS 497 Independent StudyAllows students to pursue an independent project under the direction of a faculty member. Only juniors and seniors may enroll after preliminary discussion with an individual professor and with permission of the program chair.
Credits arranged
HIS 399 HON: Food, Feast and Famine
HIS 485 Age of Dictators: Europe 1914-1945Examines the transformation of the European order as a result of World War I and the peace of 1919; analyzes the rise of the dictatorships, the leadership of Mussolini, Hitler, Lenin and Stalin; and investigates the outbreak of World War II.
3 credits
HIS 489 PracticumProvides students with the opportunity to pursue applied research at museum and federal and D.C. government agencies. To be eligible for placement, students must demonstrate research and writing skills; minimum of 104 on-site hours; pass/no pass.
3-4 credits
Permission of instructor required
HIS 393 Women in US History to 1900Explores women's experience in United States culture from the colonial period to 1900. Topics include the diversity of women's cultures and the impact of this diversity on family, work, and socialization; women's legal and political standing; and the conflicts among women exemplified in religious, ethnic, class and racial difference.
3 credits
HIS 339 African American HistorySurveys African American history. Topics covered include the impact of slavery and the consequences of Reconstruction, with a major emphasis on the social and intellectual history of African-Americans since 1877.
3 credits
HIS 342 The United States Since 1945Studies the end of World War II and the development of nuclear weapons, the Cold War, McCarthyism, the Civil Rights movement, the Great Society, Vietnam, the Reagan years, US global leadership in the post Cold War era. Formerly HIS 342 - US History from 1946-1988.
3 credits
Prerequisites: None
HIS 343 20th Cent African American Liberation MovementExamines the nineteenth-century origins of African American protest; provides an in-depth exploration of the earliest national protest organizations, the prologue to the Movement in the 1930's and 1940's, the Civil Rights Movement, 1954-1965, the Black Power Movement, changing strategies after 1970; special emphasis on the role of women from the 1890's to the present.
3 credits
HIS 344A African American Women's HistoryExplores the history of African American Women from the years of slavery to the present, emphasizing their influence in the creation of African American culture. Topics include the experience of African American women as workers, as individuals in their communities, as intellectuals, and as leaders in reform movements and political organizations.
3 credits
HIS 345 Civil Rights Movement in the Twentieth CenturyThis course explores the origins, evolution, and consequences of the Civil Rights Movement from the beginning of the twentieth century through the Black Power Movement and the liberation movements of the 1970's.Topics include the origins of protest in the 1890's and the first decade of the twentieth century, the transition from protest to resistance in the social movements of the 1930's and 1940's, the emergence of the mass movements of the 1950's and 1960's, and the Black Power Movement.
Credits: 3
Prerequisites: None
General Education: Civic Knowledge
HIS 358 The Modern Middle EastSurveys the Middle Eastern world from the 18th to the 21st century. Topics include the Islamic heritage, imperialism and the growth of nationalism, the struggle for independence, the Arab-Israeli conflict, and the tension between tradition and modernity.
3 credits
HIS 360 Ethics & Power: Contemporary Diplomatic History of the USExamines key moments in contemporary US history when previous generations had to address complex international challenges and establish an effective integration of realist and idealist perspectives. The course considers the various factors that affected the incorporation of ethical traditions into policy and analyzes their domestic and international consequences. Knowledge of these historic patterns, in turn, provides a basis for a critical appraisal of current, pressing issues on the international agenda in which ethical considerations figure prominently.
3 credits
Cross-referenced with ICAE 360
HIS 363 Enlightenment and the French RevolutionExamines the sources of Enlightenment thought, the influence of the Enlightenment on the French Revolution, the course of the Revolution in documents and eye-witness accounts, the role of peasants and artisans in the French Revolution, and Napoleon, the man and the legend.
3 credits
HIS 128 Creation of the Atlantic WorldExamines the emergence of the Atlantic World as the point of contact linking the peoples of Europe, Africa, and the Americas. The course details the migrations, voluntary and involuntary, of Africans and Europeans to the Western Hemisphere and their contact with native nations. Topics include pre-colonial West Africa, pre-Columbian cultures, dynamics of culture contact, the Conquistadors and the African slave trade.
3 credits
General Education: Knowledge and Inquiry Area
FLC Area II, History Cluster
HIS 130 Introduction to American CivilizationsExplores the major themes that have shaped the American experience from the Colonial period to 1890. Topics include the Age of Exploration and Discovery, the American Revolution, the causes of the Civil War, and industrialization and urbanization.
3 credits
General Education Curriculum: Knowledge and Inquiry
FLC Area II, History Cluster
HIS 132 Twentieth Century United StatesIntroduces the critical issues of 20th-century United States, including the transition to a post-industrial society, the challenge of the Civil Rights and feminist movements, the development of the modern welfare state, and the consequences of the United States' role as a global superpower.
3 credits
Core Area II: Understanding Self and Society
General Education: Knowledge & Inquiry
HIS 133 Travelers' TalesConsiders travelers' accounts of their journeys as a unique window into the cultural interactions of the past. The course focuses on travelers from a variety of cultures and historical periods, and explores what their stories can tell us not only about the people they encountered but also, and perhaps more importantly, about the travelers themselves. The course explores the relationship between reality and fiction in travelers' tales, the assumptions travelers brought to these interactions, and the ways in which their experiences modified (or did not modify) their perception of the "others" whom they encountered.
3 credits
FLC Area II, History Cluster
General Education Curriculum: Knowledge and Inquiry Area
HIS 390 Close Encounters: Christianity, Islam, and Judaism in the /Middle AgesExplores the relationships among Christianity, Judaism, and Islam in the Middle Ages. Topics include Arab and Christian experiences of the Crusades and the concepts of jihad/holy war; Christian-Jewish relationships in medieval towns and the roots of anti-Semitism; dissent, diversity, and repression in the medieval Church; tolerance and diversity in medieval Spain; and the misrepresentation of "the other" in Christian, Muslim, and Jewish literature.
3 credits
HIS 369 VietnamExamines the forces contributing to the impact of Vietnam on contemporary world history. Topics include the development of Vietnamese national identity, the role of France in Indochina, the phases of United States involvement in the region, and the postwar character of the Vietnamese state.
3 credits
HIS 338 United States Comes of Age, 1865-1941Studies the political and economic consequences of the evolution of the United States to an urbanized, industrialized society, the dilemmas of Reconstruction, the formation of a national economy, the politics of equilibrium from 1865-1896, the Progressive Movement, the New Deal, and the emergence of the United States as a world power.
3 credits
HIS 255 Contemporary History of the Third WorldLooks at the Middle East, Asia, Africa, and Latin America. After first examining the factors that created the global imperial order at the end of the 19th century, the course traces the rise of nationalism, the impact of the world wars, the process of decolonization, and the challenge of nation building in an age of global politics.
3 credits
HIS 337 The United States 1789-1865Studies the evolution of United States political and constitutional institutions, emphasizing the presidency, the extraconstitutional emergence of political parties, and the political implications of economic policy. Chronological development highlights the Federalist achievement, Jeffersonian period, the Market Revolution, and the causes leading to the Civil War.
3 credits
HIS 250 Contemporary World HistoryContemporary World History examines major forces that have shaped the world since 1945, including nationalism, revolution, democratization, globalization, ethnic and racial conflict, and technological transformation and the information revolution.
3 credits
HIS 241 America Comes of Age: The United States to 1865Introduces the history of the United States from pre-Columbian times to 1865. Covers topics such as the Columbian exchange, European colonization of the New World, trans-Atlanticslavery, the causes and consequences of the US War of Independence, the negotiation of the US constitution, industrialization, women?s rights, the family, westward expansion, slave rebellions, the evolution of sectional conflict, and the US Civil War.
3 credits
HIS 236 British Colonial North AmericaExplores the cultural backgrounds, political institutions, and social movements of Colonial America from the Age of Exploration through the American Revolution; emphasizes the transition from the first to the third generation, the long-term causes of the American Revolution, and the development of "Republicanism" ideology.
3 credits
HIS 234 Kings, Commoners and ConstitutionsExamines religion and politics in the 17th century, the English constitutional conflicts and the triumph of the common law tradition, the mystique and reality of royal power in the court of France, the trend toward secularization of thought, and the growing role of commoners in political institutions.
3 credits
General Education: Leadership
HIS 231 The Renaissance and ReformationStudies the political, social, and economic history of the major centers of the Italian Renaissance, the Northern Renaissance and Christian humanism, the scientific revolution, the relationship between humanism and reform, the continental and English Reformations, and popular culture in early modern Europe.
3 credits
HIS 229 Medieval SocietyExamines the structure, organization, and development of medieval life, thought, and institutions. Topics include the medieval vision of reality, rural life and the growth of towns, the development of political and religious institutions, and the expansion of the intellectual and cultural life of medieval Europe. Formerly HIS 125.
3 credits
HIS 220 Historian DetectiveCourse Description: This course uses the content of medieval history to teach critical thinking skills. In- class and written exercises focus on sequencing and chronology; understanding context; recognizing rhetorical strategies and biases in texts; identifying unspoken assumptions (premises); evaluating evidence; critiquing arguments; and identifying logical fallacies. Topics include rural life and the growth of towns, the development of political and religious institutions, and the expansion of the intellectual and cultural life of medieval Europe.
General Education Requirements: Critical Reasoning
Credits: 3
Prerequisites: None
HIS 155 The 20th Century WorldReviews the global processes of transformation that characterize world history in the 20th century, integrating the experiences of Europe, the Americas, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. Among the topics to be covered are: the two World Wars, the Global Depression, the Cold War, the collapse of the Western dominated imperial order and the rise of nationalism, the effects of modernization and globalization, contemporary global conflicts, and prospects for economic development, democratization, and peace building.
3 credits
Core Area II: Understanding the Self and Society
