History

• CAS HI 364: Modern Chinese History
  A hodgepodge of lands and seas between the Pamir and the Pacific, China is ten thousand worlds folded into one. We trace the people who animated those worlds: Manchus, Maoists, and the many. Featuring fun stories and deep thinking. Effective Fall 2022, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Historical Consciousness, Critical Thinking.
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  • Critical Thinking
  • Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
  • Historical Consciousness
• CAS HI 367: The Odd Couple: China and the USA, 1776 to the present
  The USA, a bastion of capitalism, and China, the largest communist state on earth, are the two major global powers today. It was not always this way, and the course will map three centuries of this complex historical relationship, filled with mutual admiration and misunderstanding. Effective Spring 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Historical Consciousness, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Creativity/Innovation.
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  • Creativity/Innovation
  • Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
  • Historical Consciousness
• CAS HI 369: Empires and Modernity's in Motion: Modern Japan and the Asian World
  Modern Japan is a story of miracles and tragedies, both to the extreme. This course explores the rise of the Japanese empire, the fall of its Pan-Asian intrigues, and the reconstitution of a nation on the ruins of empire. Effective Fall 2024, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Creativity/Innovation, Oral and/or Signed Communication, Social Inquiry I.
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  • Creativity/Innovation
  • Oral and/or Signed Communication
  • Social Inquiry I
• CAS HI 370: Samurai, Ships, and Soil: Japan Among the Empires of Asia, 1600-1950
  Exotic as it may seem, Japan was never an isolated island country floating off the coast of Asia. This course offers a new narrative about the history of Japan in relation to the imperial orders and transnational spaces of Asia. Effective Fall 2023, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Oral and/or Signed Communication, Social Inquiry I, Creativity/Innovation.
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  • Creativity/Innovation
  • Oral and/or Signed Communication
  • Social Inquiry I
• CAS HI 372: Power and Pleasure in Asian America
  How have Asians and Asian Americans endured and survived US empire, war, and anti-Asian discrimination? Ranging across law, politics, and culture, this course reveals the complicated position of Asian Americans in the US racial order since the nineteenth century.
• CAS HI 377: The Sword, the Cross, and the Crescent: Byzantium and the Near East
  Examines Byzantine society and culture, focusing on conflicts and cooperation with the Islamic East until 1453, when Muslim Ottomans captured Constantinople and radically altered life and politics in the eastern Mediterranean. Explores lessons from Byzantine-Muslim relations for the twenty-first century.
• CAS HI 379: Modern Armenian History and Literature
  Introduction to modern Armenian history and literature from the nineteenth-century "cultural renaissance" to the upheavals of the twentieth century--genocide, independence, and Sovietization--and the literatures of Soviet Armenia and the diaspora.
• CAS HI 383: Modern History and Geopolitics of the Caucasus
  Surveys history of the Caucasus with a focus on Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia, from the early nineteenth century to the post-Soviet period. Explores advantages and problems of modernization, nationalism, and major power geopolitics within the context of international political economy.
• CAS HI 384: History of Genocide
  History and comparative analysis of genocidal mass murder with focus on the twentieth century. Hereros, Armenians, holomodor, Holocaust, Cambodia, Rwanda, Darfur. Attention to political leaders, state ideology, dehumanization of victim groups, geopolitical competition, war, empire building and decline.
• CAS HI 389: Americans and the Middle East
  Examines the intersecting histories of America and the Middle East from the late eighteenth century to the present, focusing first on American missionary and educational efforts in the region and then on American political and military involvement after World War II. Effective Fall 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Historical Consciousness, Critical Thinking.
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  • Critical Thinking
  • Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
  • Historical Consciousness
• CAS HI 390: Cities in the Middle East: Mecca to Dubai
  Examines Middle Eastern history through the lens of its cities because cities have always been pivotal sites of governance, religious life, cultural development, architectural legacies, and political protest. Today, they are the epicenter of neoliberal globalization. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness, Critical Thinking.
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  • Aesthetic Exploration
  • Critical Thinking
  • Historical Consciousness
• CAS HI 392: Israel: History, Politics, Culture, Identity
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., WR 100 or WR 120) - Using a broad array of readings, popular music, documentaries, film and art, this course explores Israel's political system, culture, and society, including the status of minorities in the Jewish state; post-1967 Israeli settlement projects; and the struggle for Israel's identity. Effective Fall 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Writing- Intensive Course, The Individual in Community, Critical Thinking.
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  • Critical Thinking
  • The Individual in Community
  • Writing-Intensive Course
• CAS HI 393: Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
  History of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, analysis of conflicting narratives through primary sources and film. Students present their own reflections on the conflict and debate possibilities of resolution. Counts toward majors and minors in History, International Relations, Middle East & North Africa Studies, and Jewish Studies. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Historical Consciousness, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy.
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  • Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
  • Historical Consciousness
• CAS HI 397: Modern Latin America
  Struggles for equality and inclusion in Mexico, Argentina, Peru, Chile, Brazil, Venezuela, and Bolivia from the 19th to the 21st centuries.
• CAS HI 399: Introduction to Latin American Politics and International Relations
  (Meets with CAS IR 367 and CAS PO 360.) Examines patterns and complexities of Latin American politics and foreign policies. Focuses on a range of Latin American political and historical experiences, from colonization to global inequality to the impact of Indigenous, Black, feminist and other social movements in the region. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Historical Consciousness.
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  • Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
  • Historical Consciousness
• CAS HI 400: Topics in History
  May be repeated for credit as topics vary. Topic for Spring 2025, Section A1: Gender and Educational Opportunity in Africa. Considers histories of gender, sexuality, and education in Africa from the nineteenth century to the present. We explore precolonial diversity, colonial constraint, and post-colonial divergences in gender and educational access, concluding with the promises and opportunities of the present.
• CAS HI 401: Senior Honors Seminar 1
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: senior standing and departmental approval. First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., WR 100 or WR 120) - The first of a two-semester seminar that guides students through the research and writing of an honors thesis grounded in primary historical research. Students participate in a workshop environment and are matched with an additional faculty advisor. Effective Fall 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Writing- Intensive Course, Historical Consciousness, Research and Information Literacy.
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  • Historical Consciousness
  • Research and Information Literacy
  • Writing-Intensive Course
• CAS HI 402: Senior Honors Seminar 2
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: senior standing and departmental approval. - The second of a two-semester seminar that guides students through the research and writing of an honors thesis grounded in primary historical research. Students participate in a workshop environment and are matched with an additional faculty advisor.
• CAS HI 410: Religion, Community, and Culture in Medieval Spain
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., WR 100 or WR 120). - Interactions between Muslims, Christians, and Jews in medieval Europe's most religiously diverse region -- from the establishment of an Islamic al-Andalus in 711 CE to the final Christian "reconquest" of the peninsula and expulsion of the Jews in 1492 CE. To enrich exploration of interrelated themes and learning outcomes, student registrants of RN/HI 410/RN 710 will meet with student registrants of LS 410 during scheduled class time on 2/21, 3/13, 3/27, 4/24, and 5/1 during the term. Effective Spring 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Writing-Intensive Course, Historical Consciousness, Research and Information Literacy.
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  • Historical Consciousness
  • Research and Information Literacy
  • Writing-Intensive Course
• CAS HI 412: Popular Culture in Medieval and Early Modern Europe
  An exploration of the various expressions of culture among the commoners of Europe, ca. 400-1600. Topics include religion, storytelling, material life, social and political organization, law and justice, gender roles, witchcraft and popular crusades, and the impact of the printing press.