Fall 2022 Courses

The Dawn of Europe: Antiquity to the Renaissance

CAS HI 101 (4 credits) – Clifford Backman

Ancient and medieval Europe was a world of empires, kingdoms, and religious factions in conflict with each other. This course explores the ideologies, institutions, and texts that shaped these civilizations and continue to hold meaning in the modern world.

The Emerging United States to 1865

CAS HI 151 (4 credits) – Patrick Browne

Explores how the United States, at first only a series of borderland outposts, became a sprawling national republic. Investigates factors that brought Americans together and those that tore them apart, as they struggled passionately over racial, religious, and sectional values. Carries social science divisional credit in CAS. This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Historical Consciousness, Social Inquiry I.

World History to 1500

CAS HI 175 (4 credits) – Eugenio Menegon

Explores historical and environmental factors influencing how cultures take shape and impact each other. Examines early global connections and conflicts between people of different continents as well as between humans, other species, the natural environment, and the planet as a whole. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Historical Consciousness, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Critical Thinking.

History of Boston: Community and Conflict

CAS HI 190 (4 credits) – Andrew Robichaud

Explores the history of Boston and the city’s changes over time. Students work with archival objects, maps, and manuscripts. Topics include Native American history, colonial settlement, revolution, immigration, urban development, and race. Students visit nearby historical sites and museums. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Historical Consciousness, The Individual in Community, Teamwork/Collaboration.

Click here for more information on the HI 190 enrollment priorities and waitlist.

The Historian’s Craft

CAS HI 200 A1 (4 credits) – Betty Anderson

Required workshop for majors, normally taken in the sophomore year. Gives students the opportunity to analyze original sources and engage with leading works of historical scholarship. Explores how historians reconstruct and interpret the past using creativity, deduction, and contextual analysis.

The Historian’s Craft

CAS HI 200 B1 (4 credits) – Clifford Backman

Required workshop for majors, normally taken in the sophomore year. Gives students the opportunity to analyze original sources and engage with leading works of historical scholarship. Explores how historians reconstruct and interpret the past using creativity, deduction, and contextual analysis.

Magic, Science, and Religion

CAS HI 203 (4 credits) – Deeana Klepper

Boundaries and relationships between magic, science, and religion in Europe from antiquity through the Enlightenment. Explores global cultural exchange, distinctions across social, educational, gender, and religious lines, the rise of modern science, and changing assumptions about God, Nature, and humanity. Carries humanities divisional credit in CAS. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Historical Consciousness, Philosophical Inquiry and Life’s Meanings, Critical Thinking. Also offered as CAS RN 242.

Gender and Sexuality in Judaism

CAS HI 205 (4 credits) – Deeana Klepper

Explores the role of gender and sexuality in Judaism and Jewish experience, historically and in the present. Subjects include constructions of masculinity and femininity, attitudes toward (and uses of) the body and sexuality, gendered nature of religious practice and authority. 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. Also offered as CAS RN 337, CAS JS 377, CAS WS 377, GRS RN 637.

Game of Thrones: Power and Politics in Pre-Modern Europe

CAS HI 207 (4 credits) – Phillip Haberkern

This course employs medieval and early modern authors, as well as contemporary scholars, as vehicles for understanding the dynamics of power, gender, violence and politics in George Martin’s novel, Game of Thrones.

Catastrophe & Memory

CAS HI 221 (4 credits) – James Schmidt

Examines the ways in which catastrophes, both natural and social, enter into cultural memory. Goal is to understand how events that seem to defy comprehension are represented in works of art and given a place in the memory of a culture. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness, Research and Information Literacy. Also offered as CAS PO 394.

Click here to add your name to the waitlist.

Cities and Cultures

CAS HI 226 (4 credits) – Charles Dellheim

Examines the relationship between cultural expression and political, social, and economic change by focusing on cities such as Boston, Paris, London, Casablanca, and Johannesburg during times of intense creativity and upheaval.

Reconstructing the African Past

CAS HI 237 (4 credits) – John Thornton

Explores the richness and diversity of a continent where oral histories and environmental settings have shaped society as much as written records. Considers Africa’s critical place in the world from ancient Egypt and Ghana to the Asante and Ethiopian empires. Carries social science divisional credit in CAS. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Historical Consciousness.

Modern Africa

CAS HI 238 (4 credits) – David Glovsky

Provides an introduction to African history over the past 175 years, including the end of slavery, colonial rule and anti-colonial revolt, decolonization and nationalism, and the opportunities and challenges of life in postcolonial Africa. Effective Fall 2022, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Social Inquiry I.

The Nazis

CAS HI 271 (4 credits) – Jonathan Zatlin

Explores the rise and fall of Europe’s most notorious mass movement through film, diaries, party documents, and other sources. Considers the impact of Nazi rule on art, finance, politics, and family life. Analyzes the mass murder and destruction caused by Nazi rule. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Historical Consciousness, Critical Thinking.

The History of Imperial Russia

CAS HI 272 (4 credits) – Alexis Peri

Focuses on the history of Russia under the Romanov Dynasty and its establishment as a Eurasian power and empire. Emphasizes issues of religious, ethnic, and cultural diversity, modernization, reform and revolt, and the vexed question of Russian identity. This course cannot be taken for credit in addition to the course that was numbered CAS HI 272 and previously entitled “Russia and Its Empires until 1900. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Historical Consciousness, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Creativity/Innovation.

History of War

CAS HI 284 (4 credits) – Cathal Nolan

Why do we make war? Nothing else so engages the human genius for creative destruction. From crossbows to nuclear fire, this course traces five centuries of war to uncover depths of depravity and cruelty and heights of sacrifice and suffering.

History of American Foreign Relations since 1898

CAS HI 287 (4 credits) – David Mayers

Analysis of the history of American foreign policy from the perspective of the changing world and regional international systems; emphasis on the effect of these systems and the impact of America on the creation and operation of international systems. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Historical Consciousness, Social Inquiry II. Also offered as CAS PO 381 and CAS IR 376.

African American History

CAS HI 298 (4 credits) – Paula Austin

Surveys the history of African Americans from their African origins to the present, investigating their critical role in shaping the meaning of race, rights, freedom, and democracy during slavery, reconstruction, Jim Crow, and the civil rights era.Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Digital/Multimedia Expression, Historical Consciousness, Teamwork/Collaboration. Also offered as CAS AA 371.

American Popular Culture

CAS HI 300 (4 credits) – Brooke Blower

Examines how Americans have changed (and haven’t) since the nineteenth century by exploring their curious beliefs, social and sexual practices, and changing understandings of selfhood. Topics include Victorian etiquette, modern city pleasures, racial stereotyping, dating rituals, family dynamics, and more. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness, Critical Thinking.

A History of the Present: The United States since 1968

CAS HI 339 (4 credits) – Cari Babitzke

Analyzing the recent experience of the United States and its people in historical perspective, the course allows students to explore important developments in US politics, race relations, economy, and popular culture, investigate diverse social science approaches to contemporary problems, and develop an independent research project. Topics include war, politics, religion, and popular culture as well as changing notions about race, gender, and selfhood. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Historical Consciousness, Social Inquiry II, Research and Information Literacy.

Modern Chinese History

CAS HI 364 (4 credits) – Rui Hua

Since 1600, China experienced Manchu imperial expansion, conflict with the West, two revolutions, and the construction of a socialist society now dominated by authoritarian capitalism. Explores the interplay between enduring traditions, upheaval and modernity, and their consequences for our world. 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.

Introduction to Modern Japanese History

CAS HI 369 (4 credits) – Ronald Richardson

Developments from late Tokugawa Japan and the Meiji Restoration (1868) to the present. Focus on Japan’s economic, political, and social adjustment to modern times, the evolution of twentieth century Japanese imperialism, and Japan’s growth after World War II.

Modern Armenian History and Literature

CAS HI 379 (4 credits) – Simon Payaslian

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.

History of Genocide

CAS HI 384 (4 credits) – Simon Payaslian

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.

Americans and the Middle East

CAS HI 389 (4 credits) – Betty Anderson

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.

Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

CAS HI 393 (4 credits) – Betty Anderson

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.

Topics in History

CAS HI 400 (4 credits) – Sarah Phillips

May be repeated for credit as topics vary. Topic for Fall 2022: Alternative America. Explores groups who not only dissented from mainstream American society, but constructed entire alternative communities. Considers the ideas of freedom, religion, sex, family, community, justice, ecology, and survival that inspired such experiments from the country’s beginnings to the present day.

Senior Honors Seminar 1

CAS HI 401 (4 credits) – Andrew Robichaud

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. Honors program application available here.

Popular Culture in Medieval and Early Modern Europe

CAS HI 412 (4 credits) – Phillip Haberkern

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.

Fashion in History

CAS HI 451 (4 credits) – Arianne Chernock

This seminar treats clothing and other products of material culture as historical documents. Explore what clothings can tell us about key developments in the modern period relating to trade and commerce, empire, gender, class, industry, revolution, nation-building, identity politics, and globalization.

The Theater of History

CAS HI 480 (4 credits) – Ronald Richardson

A practical workshop in the uses of history as source for theatrical productions including narrative films, television and other forms of performance arts, including dance, and the uses of such creative engagement as modes of historical imagination.

Merchants, Pirates, Missionaries, and the State in Maritime Asia, 600-2000

CAS HI 482 (4 credits) – Eugenio Menegon

Oceans connected the peoples of coastal Asia, Africa, and Oceania long before the arrival of Europeans in the 1500s. This course examines how commerce, piracy, religious contact, and imperialisms shaped maritime Asia, and how oceans facilitated our own era’s global connections. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Digital/Multimedia Expression, Historical Consciousness, Research and Information Literacy.

Topics in History

CAS HI 500 B1 (4 credits) – Charles Dellheim

May be repeated for credit as topic varies. Two topics are offered Fall 2022. Section A1: Racism in European History. Explores racist theory and practice from antiquity to contemporary Europe, from lineage and confession to ethnicity and biology. Focuses on the discourses of religion, empire, civilization, freedom, and nationalism legitimating conquest and persecution. Section B1: Nazis, Jews, and Art. Explores the context, motives, impact, and aftermath of the Nazi dispossession of Jewish-owned art collections.

The American South in History, Literature, and Film

CAS HI 505 (4 credits) – Nina Silber

Explores the American South through literature, film, and other sources. Considers what, if anything, has been distinctive about the Southern experience and how a variety of Americans have imagined the region over time.

The Transformation of Early New England: Witches, Whalers and Warfare

CAS HI 506 (4 credits) – Brendan McConville

Explores how religious schisms and revival, warfare with Native Americans, political revolution, and commercial development transformed New England from a Puritanical agricultural society into an urbanized, industrial society by the outbreak of the American Civil War. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Historical Consciousness, Social Inquiry I.

Enlightenment and Its Critics

CAS HI 514 (4 credits) – Judy Swanson

Explores how eighteenth-century criticisms of the Enlightenment have been taken up by twentieth-century thinks such s Heidegger, Horkheimer, Adorno, Gadamer, and Foucault; discusses recent defenses of Enlightenment ideals of reason, critique and autonomy by Habermas and others.

World War II: Causes, Course, Consequences

CAS HI 537 (4 credits) – Cathal Nolan

Hitler, Mussolini, Tojo, Churchill, Roosevelt, Stalin, and 75 million ordinary and extraordinary dead. From 1939-1945, the whole world waged total war in cruel ways unknown to any history before or since. Explore the causes, course, and consequences of these events.

Places of Memory: Historic Preservation Theory and Practice

CAS HI 546 (4 credits) – Stevenson

Covers key aspects of the history, theory, and practice of historic preservation. Preservation is discussed in the context of cultural history and the changing relationship between existing buildings and landscapes and attitudes toward history, memory, invented tradition, and place. Also offered as CAS AM 546 and CAS AH 546.

Wars, Peace, and Diplomacy

CAS HI 559 (4 credits) – David Mayers

Why do wars occur? What constitutes peace? How is peace maintained or lost? What are the virtues and deficiencies of diplomacy as practitioners have implemented it? How do memory, justice, and the requirements of security interact in the international arena? Also offered as PO 559.

Boston Architectural and Community History Workshop

CAS HI 569 (4 credits) – Ahlstrom

Focuses on class readings, lectures, and research on a single neighborhood or community in Boston (or Greater Boston). Greatest emphasis is on using primary sources– land titles and deeds, building permits, fire insurance atlases and other maps. Topic for Fall 2020: Somerville Project. Explores the architectural and urban transformation of Somerville from agricultural fields, country estates, to an area of dense urban settlement and industrial development. Explores places and sources that help assess and narrate the rich history of architectural and urban development.

Labor, Sexuality, and Resistance in the Afro-Atlantic World

CAS HI 584 (4 credits) – John Thornton

The role of slavery in shaping the society and culture of the Afro-Atlantic world, highlighting the role of labor, the sexual economy of slave regimes, and the various strategies of resistance deployed by enslaved people. Also offered as CAS AA 514. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Historical Consciousness.

African American History

GRS HI 698 (4 credits) – Paula Austin

Surveys the historiography of African American history, investigating the meanings of race, rights, freedom, and democracy during slavery, reconstruction, Jim Crow, the Civil Rights era, and the Black Power Movement.

European Historiography

GRS HI 800 (4 credits) – Jonathan Zatlin

Examines historical writing about Europe through changing trends in method and approach.

Recent American History

GRS HI 851 (4 credits) – Ibram Kendi

Advanced graduate seminar that investigates significant problems in the history of the United States since 1900. The specific focus of the seminar changes from year to year. Topics have included “Politics and Popular Culture in Twentieth-Century America” and “State and Society.”

African Historiography

GRS HI 870 (4 credits) – Dave Glovsky

Examines historical writing about Europe through changing trends in method and approach.

Dissertation Workshop

GRS HI 900 (2 credits) – Alexis Peri

A workshop designed for students writing a dissertation that provides them with critical responses to their work and addresses important issues associated with becoming a professional historian.