History

• MET HI 101: The History of Western Civilization I
  Surveys the development of Western society and culture from a.d. 1000 to the French Revolution of 1789. Topics include the development of medieval European society and culture, the Renaissance, the Reformation, the scientific revolution, absolutism, enlightened despotism, and eighteenth-century rationalism.
• MET HI 102: The History of Western Civilization II
  A survey of Western society from the French Revolution through World War II, including the Industrial Revolution, nineteenth-century nationalism and imperialism, the rise of working-class movements, international rivalries, and ideological conflict in the twentieth century.
• MET HI 215: Special Topics in History
  Fall 2021, METHI 215 A1- Special Topics: "Politics, Media and Propaganda from World War I to Present". This course will cover the emergence of powerful new propaganda techniques during WWI and WWII, trace the evolving political uses of radio, cinema, and television during the 20th century and culminate with an exploration of internet culture, social media, and political polarization in the 21st century.
• MET HI 252: US History 1775-1865: America from Revolution to Civil War
  This course explores American history from the end of the Revolution up through the Civil War. Particular emphasis is given to debates on the form and role of the both state power and the Federal Government, the evolution of slavery and the abolitionist movement, the impact and outlines of the Industrial Revolution, the emergence of the suffragette movement, immigration and America's role in the world, and the development of a unified popular culture in the US. The events of this period are contextualized by examining various primary sources from the era and exploring different historiographic viewpoints.
• MET HI 253: US History 1877-1945: Making Modern America
  This course explores US history from Reconstruction through World War II. Emphasis is given to the debate over questions of race and national identity, the Gilded Age and the rise of Modern American industry, the evolution of the Presidency/Federal Government, the Great Depression and the New Deal, the birth/evolution of the modern civil rights and women's rights movements, the creation and expansion of a unified American culture, and America's rise as a global power. These events are contextualized by examining various primary sources and exploring different historiographic viewpoints. Effective Fall 2023, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Historical Consciousness, Research and Information Literacy, Teamwork/Collaboration.
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  • Historical Consciousness
  • Research and Information Literacy
  • Teamwork/Collaboration
• MET HI 312: The History of the U.S. Supreme Court
  The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the ultimate legal interpreter of the United States Constitution. It is one of the most visible and also most controversial organs of the Federal Government. This course examines the political, legal, and cultural history of the United States through the lens of some of the Court's major rulings. Students will be introduced to the Court's institutional history, several of its major Justices, as well as many landmark decisions on issues such as abortion, free speech, slavery, segregation, immigration and citizenship, and the right to privacy. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Critical Thinking, Research and Information Literacy.
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  • Critical Thinking
  • Ethical Reasoning
  • Research and Information Literacy
• MET HI 349: The History of International Relations
  This course will explore the evolution of international relations and the international system from the Congress of Vienna through today. Special focus will be paid to the role of ideology in international relations, the rise of America and China as a world powers, the Nonaligned Movement and decolonization, the uses of hard and soft power, as well as attempts at supranational government, like the League of Nations, UN, and EU. The course will end with an examination of the post-2000 world and discuss whether our current system is new or, perhaps, a return to a former way of nations conducting business.
• MET HI 373: History of Boston
  The foundations, development, and "fate" of Boston since the colonial period. Explores the architecture, geography, social structure, and economic development of the city, as well as political changes.
• MET HI 395: Film and History
  This course deals with international films about revolution and war, their origins, social consequences, and legacies. It considers films from and about Japan, Africa, India, the Americas and Europe. It explores "the angle of vision" problem in history: who should we trust more, eye-witness accounts, great film recreations, novelists, or traditional historians? Who gets us closest to the "truth" of the human experience and condition?
• MET HI 476: Special Topics: The American Presidency
  This course will focus on the changing institution of the American Presidency from 1901 to the present. As it examines the policies and personalities of modern U.S. presidents from Theodore Roosevelt to Barack Obama, this course will pay special attention to the evolving concept of the "imperial presidency" over the past century. We will also consider how changes in our political culture, driven by the rapid evolution of new communication technologies, have transformed the office of the presidency.
• MET HI 501: Special Topics
  HI501 A1: US History 1783-1865. It will cover the US from the end of the Revolution up through the Civil War. Included in this are the debates on the form and role of the Government, the evolution of slavery and the abolitionist movement, the impact and outlines of the industrial revolution, the emergence of the suffragette movement, immigration and America's role in the world, and the development of a unified popular culture in the US.
  * HI501 A2: US History 1865-1945. This course will cover American history from Reconstruction through the end of World War II. Included in this will be the debate over race and national identity in the aftermath of the Civil War, the Gilded Age and the rise of Modern American industry, the evolution of the Presidency/Federal Government, the Great Depression and New Deal, the birth/evolution of the modern civil rights and women's rights movements, the creation and expansion of a unified American culture, and America's rise as a global power in the Spanish American War, as well as World Wars 1 and 2.