Courses & Requirements

HIS-290: The Historical Imagination (4.00)

An introduction to the study and practice of history. This course presents students with an overview of historical interpretations through discussions of relevant historiographies, theories and methods for analyzing primary and secondary source material. Designed for history majors and minors.

HIS-420: Senior Seminar (4.00)

Preparation of a major research paper on a topic chosen by the student. Workshop sessions devoted to all phases of research and writing. Required of senior history majors.

HIS-251: African Societies From the Colonial Era To the Present (4.00)

Changes which followed Western domination; African responses to the new structures and the road to independence. Cross-listed with AS-251.

HIS-257: Kingdoms, Coionies and Nations: an Introduction to African History (4.00)

Survey of the main contours of African history from the Sudanic empires to postcolonial nations. Cross-listed with AS-257.

HIS-350: The African Diaspora (4.00)

The history of the dispersal of Africans from the continent to various regions of the world; the catalysts of dispersal; the distribution of Africans, especially in the Americas; and the communities which evolved out of the diaspora. Cross-listed as AS-350.

HIS-359: Topics in African & Afr Diaspora History (4.00)

Critical examination of a specific topic in African history or the history of the African Diaspora. Topics vary from year to year, and the course may be repeated for credit when the content changes. Cross-listed with WS/AS-359.

HIS-363: A History of Health & Healing in Africa (4.00)

A HISTORY OF HEALTH & HEALING IN AFRICA--Seminar on the history of disease, health and healing in Africa. In this course we consider the intersections between knowledge production, power, race, and class in African history. Cross-listed with AS/PH-363.

HIS-113: Introduction to Japanese History (4.00)

A survey of Japanese cultural, literary and institutional history from ancient times to the present.

HIS-114: Introduction to Ancient and Medieval Chinese History (4.00)

This course is a general survey of ancient and medieval Chinese history, from antiquity to roughly 1700 A.D. Topics include the origins of Chinese civilization, the establishment of the empire, and the economic and social development through the middle empires.

HIS-115: Introduction to Modern Chinese History (4.00)

This course surveys the major social, intellectual, and political developments in China from the Opium War of 1839 to the present. Themes include the fall of imperial China, the Chinese revolutions, post-Mao reforms, and contemporary Chinese social issues.

HIS-230: The Vietnam Wars (4.00)

An examination of the origins, expansion, and consequences of the Vietnam Wars from Vietnamese and American perspectives. Topics include French colonialism, the rise of nationalism in Vietnam, the responses to imperialism, American foreign policy and the "wars" at home.

HIS-352: The Chinese Revolutions (4.00)

A study of the complex sociopolitical crises of modern China, including an evaluation of the revolutions and their impacts on recent Chinese history; particular focus on the Republican Revolution of 1911, the Communist Revolution of 1949 and the Cultural Revolution.

HIS-354: Chinese Women on Film: History and the Cinematic Imagination (4.00)

This course examines the history of women and gender in China as depicted in film. Emphasis will be placed on the ways in which modernization, imperialism, and globalization have shaped women's roles and representations of women throughout the 20th century. Cross-listed with WS-354.

HIS-360: World War II in Asia on Film (4.00)

This course explores the history of World War II in Asia, especially as (re)presented and remembered in films. Special attention is devoted to the cross-cultural aspects of World War II and to how films shape the collective memory of different Asian countries and the United States.

HIS-362: Modern China Through Literature & Film China (4.00)

This course uses literature and film as primary sources to examine cultural and political changes in Modern China. It is organized as a research seminar and will focus on research methods, primary sources and writing.

HIS-396: Topics in Asian History (4.00)

TOPICS IN ASIAN HISTORY--Critical examination of a specific topic in the history of Asia. Topics vary from year to year, and the course may be repeated for credit when the content changes. Meets the Humanistic Studies standard.

Description for "RACE, EMPIRE AND ISLAM IN MODERN CENTRAL ASIA"--Islamic societies of Central Asia from the Russian imperial conquest (1860s) to the present. Main topics include: Persian and Mongol cultural and political heritage, colonialsim, Islam and modernity, Soviet imperialism, gender and Islam, nationalism, contemporary cultural and religious revival, and socio-political conflict. Cross-listed with REL-399-A.

HIS-101: Eur, Midd Ages to Enlightenment (4.00)

European society and culture from the Middle Ages through the Enlightenment including: marriage and family, religion and religious reform, women and gender, popular and elite culture, science and medicine, interaction with world cultures and state building.

HIS-102: Europe, At Peace & At War, From 1789 to The Present (4.00)

European culture, society and politics since the French Revolution, with a focus on war and peace, nations and nationalism, Nazism and the Holocaust, imperialism and racism, communism and post-communism, women and feminism, romanticism and modernism.

HIS-217: History on Film: Cinematic Explorations Of the European Past (4.00)

This course introduces students to the representation of history on film. With a focus on European history, students will analyze how filmmakers and others interpret social, political and cultural events.

HIS-220: European Women Since the Middle Ages (4.00)

Experiences of and ideas about European women in the public and private spheres from the late Middle Ages through the 20th century. Cross-listed with WS-220.

HIS-280: Hist of Sci-Ancient MidEast-EarlyModEur (4.00)

This course examines the history of science from the ancient Middle East to the Scientific Revolution in early modern Europe. Special emphasis will be placed on the development of astronomy, medicine, and anatomy.

HIS-305: The Middle Ages and Its Modern Representations (4.00)

This course examines European culture and society of the Middle Ages from the 8th - 14th centuries. This course also considers the relevance of the Middle Ages to the modern era by examining their representations in literature, film, and popular culture.

HIS-309: The Enlightenment in Europe (4.00)

European culture, society and thought in the age of the Enlightenment.

HIS-311: Europe in the Victorian Era (4.00)

Industrialization, nationalism, imperialism, international affairs, culture, gender and public and private life in 19th-century Europe.

HIS-312: Russia and the Soviet Union in the Twentieth Century (4.00)

Revolution, ethnicity, reform, stagnation and disintegration in Russian and Soviet politics, culture, economy and society from 1905 to the present.

HIS-313: Europe in the Era of the World Wars (4.00)

World War I, Nazism, the interwar years, World War II, and the Holocaust, with emphasis on ideology, culture, and diplomacy.

HIS-314: Europe From the Cold War to the European Union (4.00)

Society, economy, culture and foreign affairs in Western and Eastern Europe, since the end of World War II, with emphasis on European division and unity, the welfare state, immigration and diversity, as well as relations with the United States.

HIS-318: The Holocaust (4.00)

Victims and perpetrators of German genocide, with emphasis on anti-Semitism, origins of the Final Solution, Nazi ideology, survivors' memories and historiographical controversies.

HIS-343: Family, Love and Marriage in Premodern Europe (4.00)

The social and cultural history of families, love and marriage in Europe prior to 1800. Topics include: family and marriage structures; developing gender identities; sexuality; patriarchy; childhood; adolescence and old age; family planning; celibacy and virginity; family, sex and law. Cross-listed with WS-343.

HIS-347: Renaissance Italy: Ideas, Culture and Lived Experience (4.00)

This class explores the intellectual and artistic movements of the Renaissance and the society that gave rise to these movements by considering how changes in culture, politics, religion and the economy influenced daily life while shaping art, literature and science. Cross-listed with WS-347.

HIS-397: Topics in European History (4.00)

TOPICS IN EUROPEAN HISTORY--Critical examination of a specific topic in the history of Europe. Topics vary from year to year, and the course may be repeated for credit when the content changes. Meets the Humanistic Studies standard.

Description for "RUSSIA THROUGH THE AGE OF CATHERINE THE GREAT"--Vikings, Byzantines and Mongols in Russian History; the rise of Muscovy; society, politics and culture in medieval Russia; Ivan the Terrible; the rise of the Romanovs; Peter the Great; 18th-century female rule; Catherine the Great and the coming of Europe.

HIS-107: The Making of the Modern Middle East (4.00)

This course is an introduction to the study of the modern Middle East that covers events and themes from the eighteenth century until the present day. The goal of the course is to introduce the major topics, events, movements, and ideas that shaped the Middle East. Such topics will include but are not limited to: the integration of the Middle East into the world economy; the advent of imperialism and colonialism; the reforms of the nineteenth century; the transition from empires to nation-states; the World Wars and state formation; the rise of nationalisms and the consolidation of the state; the Arab-Israeli conflict; the role of the United States in the Middle East; and finally the most recent Arab uprisings.

HIS-207: The Global Middle East (4.00)

The proliferation of commodities, ideas, and peoples throughout the globe during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries has led to the rise of global studies. This course explores themes in the modern Middle East in light of this "global" turn. The first three weeks will provide a theoretical background on the questions that inform the course. The discussion will start with an overview of the study of nationalism in the Middle East. It will then proceed to a discussion of approaches to that question using the "national" as a lens to study the history of the modern Middle East. Students will learn about such concepts as "transnationalism," "internationalism," and "globalization." The rest of the course will then explore various themes from the late nineteenth century to the present. This includes: the rise of the world economy, imperialism, the first wave of globalization, World War I and internationalism, diasporas and transnationalism, the global Cold War, oil, the "Global War on Terror." Finally, students will also be asked to think about the recent Arab uprisings and the merits of using transnationalism as a point of inquiry in the history of the Middle East.

HIS-307: Women and Gender in the Middle East (4.00)

This course is an overview of themes related to gender and women throughout the history of the Middle East, from the rise of Islam to the present. The course will cover the place and role of gender relations and women in religion, state, and society. Specific topics include the place of women in Islamic foundational texts, the shaping of gender relations in early Islamic society and jurisprudence, the role of women and family in Islamic empires, as well as the effect of imperialism on families and societies of the Middle East. Starting with the nineteenth century, we will explore the question of gender through the themes of migration, modernization, nationalism, sexuality, feminism, state formation, decolonization, the rise of political Islam, the "global war on terror", and finally the Arab Uprisings. Cross-listed with WS-307.

HIS-308: Minorities in the Arab World (4.00)

This class aims to critically examine the history of minorities in the making of the modern Middle East. It traces the shift from an ethnically and religiously diverse Ottoman Empire to a system of nation-states defined by ethnic or religious exclusivity. The course opens with a discussion of theoretical and methodological approaches to the study of diversity in the modern Middle East. The first half of the course will cover topics that examine the Ottoman millet system, the emergence of modern notions of citizenship and sectarianism in the nineteenth century, the Armenian genocide and the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire, the role of colonialism in the politicization of ethnic and religious groups in the post-Ottoman period, as well as the role of minorities in identity politics and the formation of unifying ideologies. The second half of the course will examine the role of minorities in the states of Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Egypt, and Iraq. Finally, the course will end with a discussion of the rise of the Islamic State and the future role of minorities in today's Middle East. Cross-listed with REL-309.

HIS-108: The Foundations of United States History (4.00)

A survey of early American history from European conquest to 1877. Main topics include Native-American life; the structure of Colonial society; the Revolution; industrialization; slavery; Westward expansion; the Civil War and Reconstruction.

HIS-109: The United States in Modern Times (4.00)

Survey of the history of the United States since Reconstruction.

HIS-242: A Multicultural History of Americn Women (4.00)

A MULTICULTURAL HISTORY OF AMERICAN WOMEN--Experiences of and ideas about women in the United States since the colonial period, with special emphasis on how gender has historically intersected with women's race, class, ethnic, sexual and regional identities (Not open to students who have taken HIS/WS-330). Cross-listed with WS-242.

HIS-244: Islam in the United States (4.00)

This course focuses on the history of Islam in the United States, with an emphasis on the arrival of Muslims before 1900 through slavery and voluntary migration; the development of black Islam and black nationalism; the role of gender and popular culture in contemporary American Muslim communities; the experience of Muslims post-9/11; and finally the relationship of the United States to Muslim citizens and the Muslim world.

HIS-245: Oral History (4.00)

Introduction to oral history research methods and practice, including interview preparation, technique, transcription, equipment use, editing, and legal and ethical considerations. Students will study oral history collections and conduct original oral history research on a topic in regional history. Meets Humanistic Studies standard.

HIS-252: African American Women's History (4.00)

An examination of African American women's experiences from slavery to the present, considering the changing historical conditions under which black women challenged racism and sexism and fought for self-determination and autonomy. Meets the Historical Studies/Classical Civilizations standard and the Social/Cultural Analysis standard. Cross-listed with AS/WS-252.

HIS-255: African-American History (4.00)

Developments in the history of black Americans from slavery times to the present. Main themes include enslavement and emancipation, cultural formations, gender experiences, migration, resistance and activism. Meets Humanistic Studies standard. Cross-listed with AS-255.

HIS-260: Old South, New South, No South (4.00)

Introduction to the study of the American South, from Jamestown to the present, with a focus on theme of Southern distinctiveness. Topics include plantation slavery, Cherokee Removal, Civil War and Reconstruction, the New South, Jim Crow, the Civil Rights Movement, and Dirty South hip-hop music.

HIS-320: The History of Slavery in the United States (4.00)

An examination of the institution of slavery in American history and memory. Themes include: definitions of freedom; the Atlantic slave trade; slaveholding ideologies; slave communities and culture; abolition; and the impact of slavery on free people throughout the nation. Cross-listed with AS-320.

HIS-323: US Conservatism, TR to TeaParty (4.00)

A study of the conservative movement in the United States from 1900 through the present, examining historical context as well as change over time in what is considered "conservative." The course will consider intellectual, economic, social, religious, cultural, and political conservative movements. Cross-listed with POL-323.

HIS-324: Topics in African-American History (4.00)

Critical examination of a specific topic in the history of the African-American experience. Topics vary from year to year, and the course may be repeated for credit when the content changes. Cross-listed with AS-324.

HIS-325: Whose Independence? the American Revolution in Historical Perspective (4.00)

WHOSE INDEPENDENCE? THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION IN HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE. The United States today is a place of contested national values, but the study of the nation's origins provides insights, lessons and tools for understanding the current moment and determining how to navigate it. This course treats a formative period of American national history, tracing the key social, political, legal, and cultural developments surrounding the American Revolution and the short- and long-term implications of the Revolution for citizens, enslaved people, women of all races, and subsequent generations of Americans.

HIS-326: The Civil War & American Racial Memory (4.00)

THE CIVIL WAR AND AMERICAN RACIAL MEMORY--This course examines history and memory of the U.S. Civil War, probing issues of national, regional, and racial identity. Main themes include slavery, anti-slavery, emancipation, white nationalism, the promises of liberation, and the failures of Reconstruction. Sophomore standing required.

HIS-332: Coming to America: Immigration History 1900-Present (4.00)

America is a nation of immigrants while also being a nation of immigration restrictions. This course examines the political history of borders and immigration, including the legal history of immigration restrictions. Additionally, the course covers the immigrant experience from leaving homeland to migration to the U.S. Using primary source databases and secondary texts, students will explore waves of immigration from Europe, the Americas, Asia, and Africa. Sophomore, junior or senior standing required.

HIS-334: Us 1900-1945: War, Reform, & Soc Change (4.00)

The major themes and events in American social, cultural and political life between 1900 and 1945. Topics include Progressivism; technological innovation; the Great Depression and the New Deal; the World Wars; race relations and evolving gender roles.

HIS-338: The United States Since 1945 (4.00)

The social, cultural, political and diplomatic history of the United States since World War II. Topics include the Cold War, the Civil Rights Movement, Vietnam, feminism, the modern media and current events.

HIS-342: A History of Native Americans (4.00)

An examination of beliefs, practices and social structures among native North American groups from the seventeenth century to the present. Themes include: cultural diversity; European-American imperialism; environmental impacts; the politics and processes of "removal"; identity and citizenship; reservation life; and resistance.

HIS-375: Women in the New South (4.00)

Political, social and economic experiences of Southern US women since the Civil War, with special attention to issues of gender, race, class and sexuality. Students will conduct oral history and original research and will explore perceptions and misperceptions of Southern womanhood. Cross-listed with WS-375.

HIS-385: Digital Public History (4.00)

The study of public interaction with history through museums, historic homes, documentary film and oral history. Students will consider the benefits and challenges of presenting personal memories in historical context, culminating with the creation of a public history project.

HIS-121: History of Greek Civilization (4.00)

The literature, people and ideas of the ancient Greeks from the Bronze Age to Hellenistic times, including the basic outline of events with methods for understanding history and culture. Cross-listed with CLA-121.

HIS-122: Roman Civilization (4.00)

The development of Roman institutions from the Etruscan period through Constantine's adoption of Christianity as evidenced from literature, art and archaeology in constructing Roman social history. Cross-listed with CLA-122.

HIS-200: Global Study Tour: History (2.00)

GLOBAL STUDY TOUR TRAVEL COURSE SPONSORED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY (2-4 CREDITS); APPLICATION/PERMISSION REQUIRED TO REGISTER; IF MORE THAN 1 SECTION IS OFFERED DURING THE SAME SEMESTER, THEN BOTH DESCRIPTIONS WILL DISPLAY BELOW. Description for "HUMANITARIANISM IN THE MIDDLE EAST"--This 4-credit course studies the history of humanitarianism in the modern Middle East with an aim to interrogate modern humanitarianism's intersections with Western colonialism in the Middle East and North Africa. The course will focus on specific themes related to the broader topic: defining humanitarianism and elucidating its intersections with imperialism and Western missionaries, the politics of compassion, forced migration, disaster aid, medicine, militarism, and gender. Finally, the course brings to light recent discussions on south-south humanitarian pathways in the Middle East with the goal of bringing internationalism into question. The course will involve a two-week travel tour in Jordan, where students will have an opportunity to tour different NGO's and humanitarian organizations as well as engage in various daily cultural activities. Attendance in the bi-weekly classes in the Spring semester is an essential component of the course in the lead up to the travel experience.

HIS-215: African Environmental History (4.00)

This course will survey the evolution of African environmental and ecological systems over the past 200 years. Subjects will include aspects of the physical environment visible through changes in climate and hydrology, as well as key issues of human/environmental interaction, such as agriculture, deforestation, conservation, famine, malaria, and the role of colonialism and economic development in environmental change. The course will also examine the ways in which outsiders have created myths about the African environment and how Africans have managed their natural resources over time. The course will examine the causes and social effects of famine, vector-borne disease and the impact of political ecology of globalization on African environmental management. Course assignments will cover most geographical regions of Africa, but with special attention to East Africa. Materials available to students will include readings and lectures, but will also include films and other visual resources. Cross-listed as AS/ESS-215.

HIS-219: The Black Death (4.00)

How premodern people understood and responded to the plague medically, religiously, artistically, and culturally, and its impact on the economy, politics and society of Europe. The course also considers modern medical and environmental explanations for the Black Death.

HIS-248: The History of Cuba (4.00)

An examination of Cuban history from the arrival of the Spaniards to the present. Special attention will be given to imperialism, Cuba's role within the colonial empire, the formation of national identity, the events leading up to the 1959 revolution, and current social issues.

HIS-303: American Political Thought (4.00)

American political thought is often portrayed as the development of a distinctive or "exceptional" set of national ideals regarding freedom, equality, and democracy, but it is simultaneously a story of slavery, conquest, empire, racism, segregation, sexism, and civic exclusion. This course attends to the two sides of this complex legacy by approaching American political thought as a constellation of paradoxes and contentious challenges to U.S. founding ideals and ideologies. Students will read core political texts that have shaped the American political tradition (e.g. The Federalist Papers, The Constitution, Tocqueville's Democracy in America), as well as a range of other primary source materials to learn how influential political ideas have changed from the seventeenth century to today. Cross-listed with POL-303.

Course requisites: One 100-level POL course (or POL-226)

HIS-310: People on the Move: Migration/ & Displacement in the Middle East (4.00)

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE: MIGRATION & DISPLACEMENT IN THE MIDDLE EAST--The current Syrian "refugee crisis" has turned the world's attention to the questions of migration and displacement. This course traces the historical trajectory of these topics by considering the history of the modern Middle East through the theme of mobility and migration. It charts the transformation of migration patterns as the Middle East moved from a system of empires to a system of nation-states. Specific topics include but are not limited to: the population policies of the Ottoman Empire at its inception, population movement during the Russo-Turkish wars of the nineteenth century, Syrian migration to the Americas, ethnic cleansing, forced displacement, and population transfers during and after World War I, Jewish emigration and immigration during the twentieth century, passport regimes during the interwar period, labor migration in the Gulf, as well as the current refugee crisis.

HIS-330: Race & a Global War: Africa During WWII (4.00)

RACE & A GLOBAL WAR: AFRICA DURING WORLD WAR II--This course examines African experiences during World War II. Although most histories of World War II have tended to ignore Africa's role in this global conflict, the continent and its people were at the center of major developments during the war. We will examine how Africans and outsiders have conceptualized the continent's role in the war by analyzing a variety of sources, including scholarly writings, archival materials, films, former soldiers' biographies, and propaganda posters. Topics to be covered include: African servicemen; war crimes in relation to Africa and the war; race and racial thought during wartime Africa; the impact of the war on women and gender roles; political protest; and the war's impact on decolonization. Cross-listed with AS-330.

HIS-335: Black Protest Thought in America From Slavery to the Present (4.00)

Political, social, and ideological currents which influenced and shaped the black struggle for freedom, citizenship and equality. Cross-listed with AS-335/REL-340.

HIS-345: Christians, Jews & Muslims in the Premodern Mediterranean World (4.00)

This course explores conflict and coexistence among Muslims, Christians and Jews in the premodern Mediterranean world. Topics include the exchange of ideas, luxury goods, food and even slaves, as well as historians' debates over these complex relationships.

HIS-357: Power, Leadership and Gender in Machiavelli and His Times (4.00)

POWER, LEADERSHIP AND GENDER IN MACHIAVELLI AND HIS TIMES--This course will explore the relationship between power, leadership, and gender in the thought of the most famous and controversial political theorist in the Western tradition, Niccolò Machiavelli. Although Machiavelli is best known for the ideas that he expressed in The Prince (1513), for the rest of his life Machiavelli engaged in a constant process of rethinking and revising these ideas. We will examine how in the Discourses on Livy, the Art of War, the plays Mandragola and Clizia, his poetry and his personal correspondence with acquaintances and friends, Machiavelli reformulates his notions on the methods and limits of political power; of the forms of government and their relative merits; of social structures and the ways they condition individual action; and of the nature of political thought itself, especially how it is affected by assumptions about gender, family, and the realm of the private and erotic. Gender will be employed as the central category of analysis for our close readings of Machiavelli's works. Cross-listed with WS-357.

Course requisites: Soph, Junior or Senior standing (or permission).

HIS-398: Topics in Latin American History (4.00)

TOPICS IN LATIN AMERICAN HISTORY--Critical examination of a specific topic in the history of Latin America. Topics vary from year to year, and the course may be repeated for credit when the content changes. Meets the Humanistic Studies standard.

Description for "PYRAMIDS, PEWS AND PRAISE: THE HISTORY OF CHRISTIANITY IN LATIN AMERICA FROM THE ENCOUNTER TO THE PRESENT"--An examination of Christianity in Latin America since the arrival of the conquistadores. Themes include: church history; social aspects and identity; the place of women, slaves, indigenous populations and other marginalized groups; deviance; the rise of Pentecostalism; liberation theology and the election of Pope Francis.

HIS-399: Topics in Public History (4.00)

TOPICS IN PUBLIC HISTORY--Critical engagement with a specific topic, practice or project in the field of public history. Topics vary from year to year and the course may be repeated for credit when the content changes.

Description for "HISTORY IN THE COMMUNITY"--History in the Agnes Scott community. In this course, students will examine the history of diversity, inclusion, and exclusion within Agnes Scott's own history.

Course requisites: HIS-290 or permission of instructor (may take concurrently).

HIS-410: Directed Reading (1.00)

Supervised study in some field or period of history.

HIS-440: Directed Research (4.00)

Directed research courses are open to junior and senior majors to work with a faculty member on a project related to a particular field of intellectual or artistic interest, or to non-majors who demonstrate sufficient preparation in the discipline. Applications are available in the Office of Academic Advising and must be returned to the assistant dean of the college for approval. A 440 course carries 4 semester-hours credit.

HIS-450: Credit Internship (4.00)

For juniors and seniors who want a more-focused academic component to accompany their internship, the independently designed 450 may be an option. Students must identify a faculty sponsor and complete detailed paperwork for approval from the Office of Internship and Career Development.

HIS-490: Senior Thesis (4.00)

A senior thesis in the student's major gives superior students the opportunity to write a thesis about a project related to a particular field of intellectual or artistic interest. Interested students should obtain thesis guidelines (available in the Office of Academic Advising) and apply in writing to the appropriate department chair or program chair. A 490 course carries 4 semester hours of credit.