Spring 2022 Undergraduate Course Listings

UA Department of History
Spring 2022 Course Descriptions
Undergraduate

Note: There are no prerequisites for any courses in History. 300-level courses cap at 40 students and are lecture based. 400-level courses cap at 30 students, are discussion based, and usually have the “W” designation (double check below). 300 and 400-level courses have roughly the same workload.

HY 101 Western Civilization to 1648. A history of Western civilization from its origins in Greece and Rome through the Middle Ages, the Renaissance and Reformation, and the age of discovery and expansion during the emergence of modern Europe.

HY 102 Western Civilization Since 1648. Covers the development if the Western world from the Thirty Years’ War to the post-World War II era; the age of absolutism, the Enlightenment, the French Revolution, industrialization and the wars of the 20th century.

HY 103 American Civilization to 1865. A survey of American history from its beginning to the end of the Civil War, giving special emphasis to the events, people, and ideas that have made America a distinctive civilization.

HY 104 American Civilization Since 1865. A survey of American history from the Civil War to the present, giving special emphasis to the events, people, and ideas that have made America a distinctive civilization.

HY 105 Honors Western Civilization to 1648. A history of Western civilization from its origins in Greece and Rome through the Middle Ages, the Renaissance and Reformation, and the age of discovery and expansion during the emergence of modern Europe.

HY 106 Honors Western Civilization Since 1648. Covers the development of the Western world from the Thirty Years’ War to the post–World War II era: the age of absolutism, the Enlightenment, the French Revolution, industrialization, and the wars of the 20th century.

HY 107 Honors American Civilization to 1865. An honors-level approach to the American experience. Prerequisite(s): Invitation of the department or membership in the University Honors Program.

HY 108 Honors American Civilization since 1865. An honors-level approach to the American experience. Prerequisite(s): Invitation of the department or membership in the University Honors Program.

HY 112 Modern Latin America since 1808. Professor Steven Bunker. TR 12:30-1:45. Survey of political, economic, and social life in the 19th and 20th centuries with emphasis on the larger countries (Brazil, Mexico, and Argentina).

HY 114 Modern Asia since 1400. Professor Di Luo. TR 9:30-10:45. An introductory and comparative survey of modern Asian history that focuses on China, Korea, and Japan. We will examine major political, social, economic, and military issues that have shaped Asia from 1400 to the present. One goal of this course is to understand the evolution of sociopolitical structure in each country; a second goal is the study of the long-lasting interactions among these countries as well as their contact with the West.

HY 116 History of Science since 1800. Professor Erik Peterson. MWF 11:00-11:50. Recitations: R 8, R 11, F 10, F 11. Science and technology are ever-present in today’s world, defining not only how we live our daily lives but also shaping our conceptions and evaluations of modernity, civilization, and progress. How did science and technology become so important and pervasive to the modem world? This course is intended as an introduction to the history of modem science and technology from the Enlightenment to the present. Our focus will be on the development of science and technology in the Western World (Europe and North America). However, we will also make comparisons across cultures to explore how science and technology shaped notions of what counts as “Western” and “modem.” In addition to learning about key developments in the history of science and technology, from Ford’s Model-T to Einstein’s theory of relativity, we will address larger themes, including the relationship between science and religion and the role of technology in war and empire.

HY 118 World History since 1500. Professor Patrick Hurley. TR 12:30-1:20 Recitations: M 11, M 12, F 9, F 10. This course provides a historical survey of the major areas of the world from 1500 down to modern times. Areas of the world under study will include those of Europe, Asia, Africa, as well as the Americas. Political, economic, social, and religious historical developments will be examined, with special attention being given to cross cultural interactions and how they helped shape the modern world.

HY 226 History of Alabama from 1865. Professor David Durham. TR 2:00-3:15. This course offers a survey of Alabama history from the end of the Civil War to the early 21st century. The emphasis of the lectures and readings will be on major themes and trends throughout the period such as Alabama’s place within the South, Reconstruction, racial violence, redefinition of agricultural systems, development of industry, economic challenges, religion, political parties, the civil rights struggle, and current issues that are consistent with historical trends.

HY 306-001 Sexual Revolutions in the US. Professor Lisa Lindquist Dorr. MWF 11:00-11:50. The term “sexual revolution” may bring to mind particular images of the 1960s and 1970s, but this class asks whether there were other moments during the history of the United States when ideas and practices surrounding sexuality changed in profound, even revolutionary ways. Beginning with the period of settlement and continuing to the present, this class examines significant changes in understandings of human sexuality, what brought about those changes, how they reflected and challenged larger culture, as well as the ways in which ideas of race and gender shaped the sexual possibilities for different groups of Americans. In the process, we consider whether this is a story of progress toward greater sexual liberation and happiness or something else entirely. Topics covered include dating, marriage, birth control, abortion, same-sex relationships, and pornography.

HY 306-002 Gender in the Early Americas. Professor Heather Kopelson. MWF 10:00-10:50. This course explores the early modern history of all the Americas through the study of the varied and changing ideals of behavior for women, men, and other genders, as well as how those ideals affect all other areas of society. Half of the course content focuses on the Caribbean and Latin America.

HY 309 The Great Cases in US Legal History. Professor Lawrence Cappello. TR 12:30-1:45. An exploration of the most impactful cases of American legal history from the colonial period to the internet age. Major themes include free speech cases, law in the workplace, slavery, Indian removal, federalism, the right to privacy, sexual discrimination law, civil rights law, crime prevention, gun control, the rights of the accused, and the relationship between church and state.

HY 311 Antebellum America. Professor Sharony Green. W 3:00-5:30. This course will explore the antebellum period as an era of great change in the United State. Between 1820 and 1860, we witness an expanding frontier in the Cotton South, but also the rise of the “city,” among other things. While the South will always be on our radar, we will also be interested in finding meaning in other regions by paying close attention to the people who move through or live in them and the landscape itself.

HY 315 The Civil War. Professor Lesley Gordon. TR 12:30-1:45. This course takes a chronological and thematic approach to explore the American Civil War’s complex meaning to past and present Americans. We will discuss traditional military and political aspects of the conflict, as well as racial, social, gender and cultural dimensions. Reading and writing are central components of this course, but we will also watch and critically assess popular movies, historical documentaries and YouTube videos.

HY 328 How America Fights: War & Society since 1898. Professor Andrew Huebner. TR 9:30-10:45. This course will survey the radiating impact of armed conflict and military service on individuals, communities, culture, politics, and the state in America since 1898. Subjects of inquiry will include the relationship between military service and citizenship, the consequences of war for soldiers and their families, the selling of wars to the public, the representation and memorialization of violence in popular and literary culture, and the role of the military as a venue for the politics of class, gender, ethnicity, race, and sexual orientation. At its core, the class will ask students to dedicate sustained attention to this question: Is America a militarized country, a militaristic one, both, or neither?

HY 329 American Religious HY to 1870. Professor Margaret Abruzzo. MW 3:00-4:15. This course offers an introduction to American religious history from the first encounters between Native Americans and Europeans through the mid-nineteenth century. It places religious beliefs, practices, and arguments at the center of our study of history in order to cast light on how religion has shaped—and been shaped by—American life. How has religion affected American thought, values, politics, and culture? In turn, how have religious ideas, values, and practices been affected by the American political, intellectual, and cultural environment? To answer these questions, we will explore a diverse array of important religious traditions, including Catholicism, Quakerism, Mormonism, white and African-American forms of Protestantism, and varieties of Evangelicalism, among others. Rather than focusing exclusively on the religions themselves, we will consider the connections between religious values and crucial questions in American history, such as the debate over slavery, the changing roles of women, the American Revolution, debates over immigration, changing views of science, and movements for social reform. This course will involve significant writing and reading assignments, and discussion will play an important role in the class.

HY 330 Civil Rights Movement. Professor Kari Frederickson. MWF 12:00-12:50. This course will examine the major issues, tactics, and personalities involved in the twentieth century’s most important social and political movement. The course will cover roughly from World War II to the 1970s.

HY 338 History of Contemporary China 1921-2000. Professor Di Luo. TR 2:00-3:15. This course provides a general but analytical introduction to the development of China during the 20th century. We will review key revolutions that transformed China from a dynastic empire to a western-style nation-state—firstly Republic of China in 1912 and then People’s Republic of China in 1949. And we will examine the impact on everyday life brought by politico-economic development. With the general empirical information and interpretations about 20th-century China provided through this course, you will become capable of making your own judgment about the chief historical themes, trends, and causes of events that have produced China at the beginning of the 21st century.

HY 358 World War II. Professor Charles P. Clark. MW 1:00-1:50. Recitations R 12, R 1, F 10, F 11. The global conflict, or series of conflicts, from Manchukuo in 1931 to Tokyo Bay in 1945, with emphasis on battles on land and sea and in the air, life on the home fronts and in enemy-occupied areas, and the legacy of the war to future generations. Writing proficiency within this discipline is required for a passing grade in this course.

HY 361 Russia to 1894. Professor Margaret Peacock. MW 3:00-4:15. This course surveys the history of Imperial Russia, from its ninth-century Kievan beginnings to the brink of revolution at the end of the nineteenth century. Students explore the perennial struggle between strong, autocratic rule and violent revolution that punctuates Russia’s long history We look at the process of Russian empire-building and the paradox of reform from above — a project that originated with the enterprising princes of medieval Moscow, collapsed with the end of the Riurikid dynasty at the turn of the seventeenth century, spectacularly revived in eighteenth-century St. Petersburg, before falling into decay and violence a hundred years later. Amazing people fill this history, where fact truly is stranger than fiction.

HY 373 Environmental History of the Americas. Professor Teresa Cribelli. TR 11:00-12:15. This course examines the environmental history of North and South America from pre-European contact to climate change with the aim of understanding the ways in which humans have adapted to and transformed American landscapes, ecologies, and eco-systems. From the last ice age to the modern-day Anthropocene, human societies have profoundly shaped and been shaped by the environment of the Americas. Together we will explore key themes and topics including, Native American societies and their environmental legacies, European colonial economies and settlement, the Columbian Exchange, frontier expansion, industrialization, and the modern environmental movement across the Americas.

HY 386 History of Rome. Professor Patrick Hurley. TR 3:30-4:45. This course explores the history of Rome from the founding of the city to the rise of the Empire and beyond. Special attention will be paid to the individuals, institutions, and customs that contributed to the development of a distinctive Roman identity

HY 405 Outraged Europe: Scandals of the Fin de Siècle. Professor Holly Grout. T 2:00-4:30. What do Oscar Wilde, Jack the Ripper, and Alfred Dreyfus all have in common? All three dominated the European press and tabloid headlines between 1880 and 1914. Indeed, this period in history, referred to as the “fin de siècle,” or the “end of the century” was riddled with anxiety and characterized by malaise. Why were Europeans so anxious? What were they so concerned about? What role did the media play in creating and generating these fears? To answer these questions, this class examines European anxiety at the turn of the twentieth century through the lens of some of the century’s most salacious and divisive public scandals. We will explore how the unraveling of the middle-class family threatened to tear apart the social fabric; how scandals of sex and sexuality fueled fears of depopulation, degeneracy, and national decline; and consider how political scandals divided the French nation in the years just before the WWI.

HY 406-001 (W) Summersell Scholars. Professor John Giggie. TR 11:00-12:15. A research community of students dedicated to uncovering hidden histories of the South. Students share common readings and pursue community-based research that connect to research foci of the Summersell Center, including but not limited to queer history, civil rights, and legacies of racial violence. Requires permission of instructor and application. Writing proficiency within this discipline is required for a passing grade in this course.

HY 406-002 (W) Alabama Memories. Professor John Giggie. TR 2:00-3:15. Inspired by Equal Justice Initiative, students will help recover lives lost to lynching and history. They will begin to create new ways to identify and memorialize the hundreds of men, women, and children lost to racial violence, host their research on a digital site, and discuss legacies of these hidden histories. Writing proficiency within this discipline is required for a passing grade in this course.

HY 409 (W) American Revolution/New Nation. Professor Harold Selesky. TR 11:00-12:15. The development of revolutionary sentiment in the North American colonies, the resulting revolution, and the subsequent efforts to establish the new nation. Writing proficiency within this discipline is required for a passing grade in this course.

HY 430-001 (W) Europe since 1945. Professor Janek Wasserman. R 2:00-4:30. The Cold War. The birth of the welfare state. 1960s protests. European Unity. The end of Communism and the end of history. The rise of the Far Right. In this class, students will conduct original research on Europe since 1945. Areas of student research might include histories of: social, cultural, or intellectual movements; scientific theories/policies; art and literature; politics and diplomacy; labor history; and class, race, gender, and sexuality. Each student will identify an area of particular interest and develop a research project using proper historical methods. The final project will include a 15-25 page research essay based on primary source analysis and secondary source reading as well as a 20-minute in-class multimedia presentation. Reading proficiency in other languages is strongly encouraged. To achieve the goals of this class, students will complete readings on post-1945 European history and the practice of history; develop an original research topic with assistance from the instructor and university librarians; identify primary sources accessible at UA or online; identify secondary literature necessary to contextualize the topic; develop a research plan; submit short written assignments relating to the broader project; turn in rough drafts for instructor and peer evaluation ahead of the final due date. The seminar will meet weekly but several weeks will be devoted to individual meetings. Writing proficiency within this discipline is required for a passing grade in this course.

HY 430-002 (W) Soldiers’ Stories in US History. Professor Andrew Huebner. M 2:00-4:30. In this course, students will design an original research project using the digitized collections of the Library of Congress’s Veterans History Project or other similar repositories. Students will survey historical research methods, develop their own topics based in the experiences of American soldiers and their families, conduct primary and secondary source research, and communicate their findings in a 15-page paper and a 15-minute oral presentation. Students must earn a grade of C or higher to count the course toward their history major. Writing proficiency within this discipline is required for a passing grade in this course.

HY 430-003 (W) Early Modern Europe. Professor Daniel Riches. W 2:00-4:30. This course is designed for advanced History majors. It will introduce students to the issues involved in the study of European history from roughly 1300-1800, or from the eve of the Renaissance through the French Revolution. Our focus will be on cultivating the skills and methods necessary to conduct independent research on Early Modern Europe. The centerpiece of the course will be a major research project in which students (in consultation with the instructor) will select an appropriate research topic, work through a series of stages to develop and implement a research plan, report upon the results of their research at various points, present the final results in a paper (based on both primary and secondary sources) of at least fifteen pages and a significant oral presentation (20-30 minutes) to the class. A grade of C or higher is necessary to get credit for this course. Writing proficiency within this discipline is required for a passing grade in this course.

HY 430-004 (W) Topics in Latin American History. Professor Teresa Cribelli. R 2:00-4:30. In this course, students will devise a research project of their choosing on a topic in the colonial or modern history of Latin America or US-Latin American Relations. In conjunction with the instructor, students will explore the nature and process of historical research, identify a topic for their semester’s work, conduct primary and secondary source research, and write up their findings in an original paper at least fifteen pages in length. Writing proficiency within this discipline is required for a passing grade in this course.

HY 430-006 (W) US Empire in Progressive Era. Professor Sarah Steinbock-Pratt. T 2:00-4:30. During the Progressive Era, the United States became a serious global power and a formal empire. At the same time, the government consolidated its control over nonwhite noncitizens within its borders. In this seminar, students will conduct original research on one aspect of the history of U.S. empire and imperialism (domestic or foreign) from 1890-1920. Areas of research might include: the annexation of overseas colonies, the growth of U.S. economic influence and intervention, military interventions in Latin America, or the cultures of U.S. imperialism. Students will be encouraged to pay attention to the links between the domestic context of the U.S. and changing policies and goals abroad. The final project is a 20-25 page essay based on primary and secondary source research. A grade of C or higher is necessary to get credit for this course. Writing proficiency within this discipline is required for a passing grade in this course.

HY 444-001 (W) Reform & Counter Reformation. Professor Lucy Kaufman. MWF 11:00-11:50. This course covers the divide between the Catholic and the Protestant churches in sixteenth-century Europe and the splintering of religious unity in this remarkable century of change. We will study the history of great thinkers of the day, like Martin Luther, John Calvin, Ignatius Loyola and Teresa of Ávila and politicians like Elizabeth I of England and Charles V of Spain. But we will also explore what it was like to live during a period of such wrenching change: what it meant to experience—and to participate in—the fracturing of religious, familial, gender, professional, institutional, and national identities. Though the class focuses on European history, we will also examine the impact of the Reformation on the relationship between Europe and the world, from China to New England to Mexico to India. Writing proficiency within this discipline is required for a passing grade in this course.

HY 473-001 (W) Indians, Nuns, & Rogues: Cities in Colonial Latin America. Professor Juan José Ponce Vázquez. MWF 12:00-12:50. In less 50 years after the conquest of Latin America, the Spanish built hundreds of urban centers across the region. From these cities, the Spanish extended their influence over a vast territory. In this course we will learn about Latin American colonial cities, how they were erected, and the varied cast of characters that populated their streets and neighborhoods: Indians, impoverished and wealthy Spaniards, enslaved and free Africans, people of mixed ancestry, bureaucrats, notaries, clergymen, and nuns, all living in close proximity in a deeply hierarchical society. Their lives and interactions defined the character of Latin America during the colonial period and set the stage for the modern era. Writing proficiency within this discipline is required for a passing grade in this course.

HY 474-001 (W) Relations with US and Latin America. Professor Steven Bunker. TR 9:30-10:45. A survey of US-Latin American relations spanning from the birth of the American Republics up to the present day. The Monroe Doctrine was the cornerstone of US policy in the region for over 150 years, and an analysis of its origin, interpretations, and evolution serves as the unifying theme for this course. Writing proficiency within this discipline is required for a passing grade in this course.

HY 483-001 (W) Thirty Years’ War. Professor Daniel Riches. TR 11:00-12:15. This course explores the background, events, and consequences of the largest and most destructive war of the early modern period, the Thirty Years’ War that raged in the center of Europe from 1618 to 1648. We will examine not only the history of the war itself, but also the controversies that continue to divide scholars over the causes, nature, and significance of the conflict. Readings will include both primary and secondary sources. Writing proficiency within this discipline is required for a passing grade in this course.