Spring 2023 Course Listings

UA Department of History
Spring 2023 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 Steve Bunker. TR 9:30-10:45. 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 12:30-1:45. 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 and Medicine Since 1800. Professor Matthew Lockwood. TR 9:30-10:20. Recitations: F 9, F 11, M 9, M 10. 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 modern world? This course is intended as an introduction to the history of modern 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 “modern.” 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. MW 12:00-12:50pm. Recitations: R 11, R 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 305-001 British Popular Culture & Music. Professor John Beeler. TR 9:30-10:45. This course will survey the development of British pop music from the dawn of the rock ‘n’ roll era in the mid-1950s to the contemporary music scene, within the larger context of the country’s post-World War Two socio-cultural history. It will not, in other words, focus solely on artists and music, but will situate them within their broader economic, social, cultural, and political contexts.

HY 306-001 American Swagger. Professor Sharony Green. R 3-5:30. Since the eighties, the word “swagger” has been used in reference to the arrogance and confidence of human beings, especially with spectator sports in mind. Such behavior poses tensions with the “American character” a French judge saw during his 1831 visit to the United States. This course looks at “American character,” or swagger as a historical development. It come into being with the rise of the global market economy in the years approaching the Civil War. Using a variety of sources and readings, we will find meaning in how it emerges via pursuit of the so-called American dream.

HY 306-002 Digital History. Professor Julia Brock. MW 2-3:15. This course examines the conceptual foundations of digital history and offers a survey of its practices. Historians and public historians rely on digital methods for research, analysis, and presentation, thus the importance for a foundational class for emerging practitioners. Though not exhaustive, the course will familiarize students with tools and methods for collection and preservation of digital records; for public history interpretation and storytelling on the web; for textual and spatial analysis; and for thinking critically about issues of design, usability, and accessibility.

HY 306-003 Sexual Revolutions in the US. Professor Lisa Lindquist Dorr. MWF 10-10:50. 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 307-001 Age of the Samurai. Professor Patrick Hurley. MWF 1-1:50. This course covers the history of Japan from earliest times, through to the medieval and Early Modern period down to the fall of the Tokugawa Shogunate in 1868. Students will examine how the Japanese, who shared a sense of national unity in their regard for the person of the emperor of Japan, were in practice divided largely by Japan’s feudal system which was dominated by the daimyo and their armed retainers, the samurai. As well as the political and military history of Japan receiving coverage during this period, students will also look at the social, religious, and economic environment in which the samurai lived, and how their code of bushido held them to higher standards than everyone else.

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 Act,” 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 315 The Civil War. Professor Lesley Gordon. TR 11-12:15. 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 317 American at War 1916-2016. Professor Harold Selesky. TR 12:30-1:45. This course examines the ways in which Americans have organized and used armed force in the last 100 years, and the models that historians have used to understand and explain those actions. The central theme involves how Americans have addressed the security issues they faced and how they have both succeeded and failed to achieve stable political solutions they called “peace,” across the spectrum from the conventional to the unconventional. The format will be largely lecture-based, accompanied by images of people and events.

HY 324 US Constitution HY since 1877. Professor Lawrence Cappello. TR 3:30-4:45. Deals with the evolution of constitutional law and the interplay between the branches of government from the end of the Civil War to the Internet Age.

HY 356 The Holocaust: History and Memory. Professor Janek Wasserman. MW 3:00-4:15. This course explores how and why the murder of millions of Jews, Sinti and Roma, homosexuals and others was carried out by the National Socialists and their allies. It looks at the emergence of racial theory and anti-Semitism, the role of WWI and the Great Depression, and the conditions during WWII as key themes. The second half of the class looks at how the Holocaust has been remembered (and forgotten) in different national contexts.

HY 358-001 World War II. Professor Chuck Clark. MWF 11-11:50. 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 365 European Consumer Society. Professor Holly Grout. TR 11-12:15. This course explores the evolution of modern Europe’s consumer society from the 18th century to the present to understand how changing patterns of consumption fostered new relationships between individuals and the material world.

CL 386 History of Rome cross-listed with HY 385. Professor Yulia Minets. TR 9:30-10:45. Introduction to the ancient history of Rome, with emphasis on the Republic from its Etruscan beginnings to the Second Punic War, and on the golden age of Caesar Augustus at the beginning of the Roman Empire. If you need this course to count as a history credit, please contact Dr. Margaret Peacock.

HY 388 The Crusades. Professor James Mixson. MW 2-3:15. This course explores, from multiple perspectives, the troubled medieval marriage of religion and violence known as “Crusade.” It offers not only an overview of the traditional, largely military narrative of “numbered” crusades. It also explores the broader view – the general context of “holy war” down to c. 1100; tensions between the ideal and reality of crusading; the social and cultural impact of the Crusades, for good and ill; the Muslim perception of the “Franj” as both invaders and neighbors, and the long afterlife of the crusades down through the early modern period.

HY 391 Medieval Britain. Professor Lucy Kaufman. TR 9-10:45. Medieval England sounds to us like a time of legend: knights, castles, and chivalry. This course will look beyond the myth to examine the complicated world of medieval politics, society, and culture. Course topics will include religion and devotion; family life; death, disease, and epidemic (including the Black Death); popular politics and rebellion (including the Peasants Revolt); feudalism and feudal culture; Magna Carta and the creation of Parliament’ conflict with France; crusades; Wars of the Roses; and the crisis of monarchy. In sum, we will focus on medieval British history from Alfred the Great to the dawn of the Tudors (c. 850-c.1485). We will talk about Chaucer and Richard III and Eleanor of Aquitaine—but we will also discuss everyday life in medieval England. At its core, this course will investigate a period of history that is central to enduring institutions and long-lasting myths alike.

HY 406-001 (W) Summersell Scholars. Professor John Giggie. T 2-4:30. 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 is required for a passing grade in this course. A student who does not write with the skill normally required of an upper-division student will not earn a passing grade, no matter how well the student performs in other areas of the course.

HY 406-002 (W) Southern Memory-Lynching in Alabama. Professor John Giggie. W 2-4:30. Inspired by Equal Justice Initiative, students will help recover lives of lynching victims. 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 is required for a passing grade in this course. A student who does not write with the skill normally required of an upper-division student will not earn a passing grade, no matter how well the student performs in other areas of the course.

HY 409-001 (W) American Revolution/New Nation. Professor Harold Selesky. TR 2-3:15. The development of revolutionary sentiment in the North American colonies, the resulting revolution, and the subsequent efforts to establish the new nation. Writing proficiency is required for a passing grade in this course. A student who does not write with the skill normally required of an upper-division student will not earn a passing grade, no matter how well the student performs in other areas of the course.

HY 440 Public History Internship. Professor Julia Brock. M 12-12:50. This course provides a practical introduction to public history work via an internship. Public History internships offer an opportunity for students to apply knowledge gained through their academic training in history and public history to a meaningful, practical work experience under the mentorship of experienced and knowledgeable public history professionals. Prerequisites: HY 439 or instructor approval

HY 446 (W) Age of Reason 1715-89. Professor Matthew Lockwood. TR 11-12:15. This course examines the history of Enlightenment Europe from the seventeenth to the nineteenth centuries. We study Locke, Rousseau, Kant, Adam Smith, and Voltaire— as well as Catherine the Great, Benjamin Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson. Topics covered will include popular resistance and protest; the influence of science and rationality; the role of women in the Enlightenment; absolutism and liberty; and the life of the mind. Writing proficiency is required for a passing grade in this course. A student who does not write with the skill normally required of an upper-division student will not earn a passing grade, no matter how well the student performs in other areas of the course.

HY 474 (W) Relations US Latin America. Professor Steven Bunker. TR 12:30-1:45. 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 is required for a passing grade in this course. A student who does not write with the skill normally required of an upper-division student will not earn a passing grade, no matter how well the student performs in other areas of the course.

HY 491 (W) England under Stuarts. Professor Lucy Kaufman. TR 9:30-10:45. Divided by a civil war that pitted monarch against Parliament, seventeenth-century England saw the foundation of institutions and ideas that shape our world to this day. From the ideas of Hobbes and Locke to the scientific writings of Margaret Cavendish, from the execution of Charles I to the creation of the first Bill of Rights, from Shakespeare to Milton to Aphra Behn, from the settlement of North America to the long-lasting obsession with sugar, this course will explore a fascinating and transformative century. Writing proficiency is required for a passing grade in this course. A student who does not write with the skill normally required of an upper-division student will not earn a passing grade, no matter how well the student performs in other areas of the course.

HY 497-001 (W) Soldiers’ Stories in US History. Professor Andrew Huebner. T 2-4:30. 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. A grade of C or higher is required for credit in the major. Writing proficiency is required for a passing grade in this course. A student who does not write with the skill normally required of an upper-division student will not earn a passing grade, no matter how well the student performs in other areas of the course. 

HY 497-002 (W). East Asia in the World. Professor Di Luo. R 2-4:30. Students in this class will write a research paper on some aspect of the history of East Asia (China, Korea, and Japan) or its interaction with the rest of the world. The final project will include a 15-20 page research essay based on primary source analysis and secondary source reading as well as a 20-minute in-class multimedia presentation. Additionally, students will complete readings on the practice of history and on the craft of historical writing; develop and implement a research plan; submit a variety of short assignments throughout the semester; and complete several peer reviews. The seminar meets weekly; however, several weeks will be devoted to individual meetings. Skills in East Asian languages are not required. A grade of C or higher is required for credit in the major. Writing proficiency is required for a passing grade in this course. A student who does not write with the skill normally required of an upper-division student will not earn a passing grade, no matter how well the student performs in other areas of the course. 

HY 497-003 (W) Early Modern Europe. Professor Daniel Riches. M 2-4:30. 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, engage in peer critique of their classmates’ work, and 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 required for credit in the major. Writing proficiency is required for a passing grade in this course. A student who does not write with the skill normally required of an upper-division student will not earn a passing grade, no matter how well the student performs in other areas of the course. 

HY 497-004 (W) The Cold War at Home & Abroad. Professor Margaret Peacock. W 2-4:30. Come and do what historians do! This course offers students the opportunity to do original research in primary sources within the field of Cold War history (cultural, social, political, economic, and military history, as well as the history of public and diplomatic relations). In an encouraging environment that includes lots of one-on-one instruction and peer feedback, students learn how to do research, how to organize information, and how to write. The final product of this course will be a paper of approximately 15-20 pages and an accompanying oral presentation to the class. The seminar will meet weekly but several weeks will be devoted to individual meetings with Dr. Peacock. Do not be afraid of this course! At the end of it, students often say that this was their favorite. A grade of C or higher is required for credit in the major. Writing proficiency is required for a passing grade in this course. A student who does not write with the skill normally required of an upper-division student will not earn a passing grade, no matter how well the student performs in other areas of the course.