![[History]](history.hdr.gif) 
Professors Leamon, Cole, Hirai, Grafflin, Jones, Hochstadt, Chair, and Tobin; Associate
Professors Carignan, Creighton, and Jensen (on leave, 1999-2000); Assistant Professor Harder
Horst; Mr. Carter, Mr. Beam, and Ms. Garrison 
Winter 2000 History Addendum 
Notes 
Short Term 2000 History 
Addendum Notes 
History has been defined as the collective memory of things said and done, arranged in a
meaningful pattern. Such knowledge of the past supplies context, perspective, and clarity in a
diverse and changing world. The members of the history department offer widely different views
of the history of a broad variety of peoples, yet they agree that the study of the past provides, for
each of us, meaning in the present and informed choices for the future. 
The study of history teaches an appreciation of both change and continuity, the critical examination
of evidence, the construction of arguments, and the articulation of conclusions. In addition to
teaching and to graduate studies in history and law, majors find careers in related fields, such as
work in museums and archives, public service, indeed any profession requiring skills of research,
analysis, and expression. 
Courses in the history department are designed to be taken in sequence: first, introductory survey
courses (100-level), then more specialized intermediate courses (200- and 300-level), and
ultimately advanced seminars (390). While nonmajors are welcomed in any history courses, all
students are encouraged to begin their study of history with 100-level courses. 
Major Requirements. Majors must complete at least nine courses and the mandatory Short Term
unit or eight courses, the mandatory Short Term, and one other Short Term unit. Majors choose a
primary concentration from one of the following five fields: East Asia, Latin America, Europe, the
United States, and premodern history. The primary concentration includes six courses focused on
the chosen field: one 100-level course, four 200- or 300-level courses (including at least one 390
seminar), and a senior thesis (History 457 or 458). 
Majors must take two courses from any one of the three following fields: East Asia, Latin America,
or premodern history. Students whose primary concentration is in one of these three fields must
take two courses in any other field. Courses that are listed in two fields may be counted in either
field, but not in both. 
Mandatory Short Term Unit. All history majors must complete History s40, Introduction to
Historical Methods, which focuses on critical analysis, research skills, and historiography.
Students are strongly advised to do so no later than the end of their sophomore year, and must do
so by the end of their junior year. This requirement is a prerequisite for registering for the senior
thesis. Majors must present to the department chair an acceptable plan for completing this
requirement before being approved for study abroad in their junior year. 
Senior Thesis. All senior history majors write a thesis in the fall or winter semester (History 457 or
458). Thesis writing develops the skills learned in earlier courses and demonstrates the ability to
work independently as a historian. To ensure that students have adequate background knowledge
of their topic, the department recommends that a senior thesis grow out of an existing paper. The
student should bring this paper to the thesis advisor when initially discussing the subject of the
thesis. This works best when the paper has been written for a Junior-Senior Seminar (History
390), but students may also use papers written for 200-level courses. A major planning a fall thesis
must consult with a thesis advisor in the previous spring; those planning winter theses must
consult with thesis advisors in the fall of the senior year. 
Pass/Fail Grading Option: Pass/fail grading may be elected for courses applied towards 
the major except for the following courses: any History 390 course, History 457, History 458, and 
History s40. Added 11/5/99. Effective beginning with 
Winter 2000 semester. 
Departmental Honors. The honors program in history focuses on a major research project written
during both semesters of the senior year (History 457 and 458), allowing more time for the
maturation of a satisfying project. This also helps to indicate the competence, discipline, and
independence sought by graduate schools and potential employers alike. The candidate presents the
two-semester, double-credit thesis to a panel of professional readers. This increases the required
number of history courses and units for an honors major to eleven. For honors students, there is
also a foreign language requirement of competence at the intermediate level (most commonly met
by satisfactorily completing the fourth semester of college language). This level of study should be
regarded as the bare minimum for students considering graduate work in history. 
Successful completion of an honors major requires imagination, critical judgment, and good
writing. Therefore the history department will invite majors with exceptional academic records to
consider the honors program. Invitees will be informed toward the end of their junior year. Any
invitee who intends to pursue an honors major must submit a preliminary proposal, defining the
topic and providing a basic annotated bibliography, to the advisor by September 1 of the senior
year. 
External Credits. Majors must take a minimum of six history courses and units from Bates faculty
members. This means that students may use a maximum of four credits taken elsewhere (transfer
or study abroad courses) toward the major requirements. Advanced Placement credits, awarded for
a score of four or five on the relevant examination, may count toward overall college graduation
requirements, but do not count toward the history major. 
Students considering graduate study in history should achieve at least a two-year proficiency in a
foreign language, and should take some work in American and modern European history prior to
taking the Graduate Record Examination. 
Courses 
100. Introduction to the Ancient World. This course introduces the Greco-Roman world and
serves as a useful basis for 200- or 300-level courses in classical civilization and ancient history.
Within a general chronological framework, students consider the ancient world under a series of
headings: religion, philosophy, art, education, literature, social life, politics, and law. The survey
begins with Bronze Age Crete and Mycenae and ends in the first century B.C.E., as Rome makes
its presence felt in the Mediterranean and moves toward empire. This course is the same as
Classics 100. (premodern) D. O'Higgins. 
102. Medieval Europe. A study of the genesis and development of Western European civilization
from the later Roman Empire in 300 C.E. to the crisis and collapse of the medieval world in the
fourteenth century. Attention centers around the political, social, economic, and cultural aspects of
an evolving Western medieval civilization. (premodern) M. Jones. 
104. Europe, 1789 to the Present. An introduction to modern European history. The course
analyzes major events, such as the French Revolution, the development of capitalism, and the two
world wars. It also introduces students to the different kinds of evidence used by historians:
original documents, books written by historians, novels, and films. Themes that run throughout
the course are class conflict, gender relations, and racial conflict as expressed through imperialism.
E. Tobin. 
140. Origins of the New Nation, 1500-1820. The first course in a three-course sequence that
presents the American experience from a deliberately interpretive point of view. The current theme
is the continuous redefinition of liberty through the various stages of American development. The
course employs primary and secondary sources, lectures, and discussion to examine political,
social, economic, and cultural dimensions of change and continuity and contrasts between ideals
and reality. J. Leamon. 
141. America in the Nineteenth Century. The second course in a three-course sequence that
presents the American experience from a deliberately interpretive point of view. The current theme
is the continuous redefinition of liberty through the various stages of American development. The
course employs primary and secondary sources, lectures, and discussion to examine political,
social, economic, and cultural dimensions of change and continuity and contrasts between ideals
and reality. M. Creighton. 
142. America in the Twentieth Century. The third course in a three-course sequence that presents
the American experience from a deliberately interpretive point of view. The current theme is the
continuous redefinition of liberty through the various stages of American development. The course
employs primary and secondary sources, lectures, and discussion to examine political, social,
economic, and cultural dimensions of change and continuity and contrasts between ideals and
reality. D. Carter. 
144. The Social History of the Civil War. This course examines the many causes and courses of
the Civil War in American historiography, but focuses on current interpretations that stress
conflicts over issues of race, gender, class, and sexuality. The military campaigns of the war itself
receive consideration, but particularly in their social dimensions. The contours of slave and planter
culture are covered in some detail, and the Confederate myth of the "Lost Cause" and the enduring
debate over Southern "difference" are examined in period literature, historical accounts, and
contemporary film. Not open to students who have received credit for History 247. M. Creighton. 
171. China and Its Culture. An overview of Chinese civilization from the god-kings of the second
millennium and the emergence of the Confucian familial state in the first millennium B.C.E.,
through the expansion of the hybrid Sino-foreign empires, to the revolutionary transformation of
Chinese society by internal and external pressures in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. (East
Asian) (premodern) D. Grafflin. 
172. East Asian Civilizations: Japan. This course explores the roots of Japanese civilization and its
modern transformation, by studying the evolution of Japan's political, social, and economic
institutions as well as cultural, intellectual, and literary achievements. It examines Japan in the
global context through its contact with East Asia, South Asia, Europe, America, and the Pacific
Rim at various moments of its history. (East Asian) (premodern) A. Hirai. 
173. Korea and Its Culture. The course examines the distinctive evolution of Korean 
civilization within the East Asian cultural sphere, from its myths of origin through its struggles 
to survive amidst powerful neighbors, to the twentieth-century challenges of colonial domination 
and its poisonous legacies of civil war and division, and the puzzles of redefining a hierarchical 
Neo-Confucian state in the context of global capitalism. This course is the same as East Asian 
Studies 173. (East Asian)(premodern). M. Wender, D. Grafflin. Subject to adoption by the Faculty. 
181. Latin American History: From the Conquest to the Present. This course explores the 
history of Latin America as a process of cultural transformation, political struggle and drastic 
economic change.  Drawing on interdisciplinary approaches and primary source materials, this course 
seeks to understand the evolution of colonialism, the reasons for its collapse and the complex 
challenges that its legacies have posed to emerging nation-states in the nineteenth and twentieth 
centuries. In particular, students will consider how the social construction of identities (in terms 
of race, class, gender and culture) relate to systems of control, strategies of resistance and 
ideological change over time. (Latin American) L. Guerra New description and title
effective beginning Fall 2000. 
201. Greek Civilization. This course considers: 1) the archaic civilization of Homer, a poet
celebrating the heroes of an aristocratic and personal world; 2) the classical civilization of
Aeschylus, Sophocles, Aristophanes, and Phidias, the dramatists and sculptor of a democratic and
political Athens; 3) the synthesis of Plato, celebrating the hero Socrates and attempting to preserve
and promote aristocratic values in a political world. Open to first-year students. (premodern) J.
Cole. 
202. Herodotus and Thucydides: Storytelling and Analytical Intelligence. This course considers the
literary achievement and the historical subject matter of the two preeminent Greek historians. In the
first half of the course, students read the work of the great storyteller, Herodotus, from start to
finish and consider particular problems in historical analysis related to his subject, the Persian
Wars. In the second half, students read the contrasting work of Thucydides, also from start to
finish, and consider particular problems related to his subject, the Peloponnesian War. Open to
first-year students. (premodern) J. Cole. 
207.  The Roman World and Roman Britain. The Roman Empire is famous for its
decline and fall. Stretching from the  Euphrates to the Atlantic, however, this remarkable 
multiethnic empire persisted for five hundred years. Its story is a fascinating example of what 
Theodore Mommsen tagged the moral problem of "the struggle of necessity and liberty." This 
course is a study of the unifying and fragmenting forces at work on the social, economic, and 
political structures of the Roman imperial world. Key themes include the western provinces and 
Roman Britain, the effects of Romanization on conquered peoples, and the rise of Christianity. 
The survey begins with the reign of Augustus and concludes with the barbarian invasions of the 
fifth century.  Open to first-year students. M. Jones. 
208. Introduction to Medieval Archeology. The Middle Ages were a time of major cultural changes
that laid the groundwork for Northwest Europe's emergence as a global center of political and
economic power in more recent centuries. However, many aspects of life in the period from 1000
to 1500 C.E. were unrecorded in contemporary documents and art, and archaeology has become
an important tool for recovering that information. This course introduces the interdisciplinary
methods and the findings of archeological studies of topics including medieval urban and rural
lifeways, health, commerce, religion, social hierarchy, warfare, and the effects of global climate
change. This course is the same as Classical and Medieval Studies 208 and Anthropology 208.
Open to first-year students. (premodern) G. Bigelow. 
209. Vikings. The Vikings were the most feared and perhaps misunderstood people of their day.
Savage raiders branded as the Antichrist by their Christian victims, the Vikings were also the most
successful traders and explorers of the early Middle Ages. The Viking Age lasted for almost three
centuries (800-1100 C.E.) and their world stretched from Russia to North America. Study of the
myth and reality of Viking culture involves materials drawn from history, archeology, mythology,
and literature. Prerequisite(s): History 102. This course is the same as Classical and Medieval
Studies 209. (premodern) M. Jones. 
221. History of Russia, 1762-1917. Despite a backward political and social structure, Russia has
been a world power since the eighteenth century. This course considers how Russia's rulers from
Catherine the Great to Nicholas II tried to prevent the forces of Western ideas and industrialization
from weakening their power, causing radical intellectuals, peasants, and workers to join together in
a unique revolutionary movement. The course ends with a study of the successful overthrow of the
government in 1917 and the creation of a Bolshevik state. Recommended background: History
104. S. Hochstadt. 
222. History of the Soviet Union, 1917-1991. The history of the Soviet Union has turned out
differently from the hopes of the revolutionaries in 1917. Beginning with an analysis of the
Revolution and its aftermath, this course studies the growth of the Bolshevik-Communist
government under Lenin, the attempts to create a workers' state and culture in the 1920s, the
transformation of state and society under Stalin, the emergence of the Soviet Union as a
superpower after 1945, and the dissolution of the USSR in the 1990s. Gender and class are used
as important categories of analysis. Recommended background: History 104. S. Hochstadt. 
223. The French Enlightenment. The eighteenth-century men of letters who thought of themselves
as "Philosophers" broke radically from traditional and previously authoritative ideas, values, and
beliefs. Simplifying outrageously, they challenged the sovereignty of the Christian faith,
advocating instead a cultural relativism, a rational utilitarianism, and a liberal rehabilitation of
human nature. Their opponents have always thought that this was for them to put the dear self in
the place of God; their followers think that this makes them the precursors of modernity. The
course centers on the works of five great figures: Descartes, Montesquieu, Voltaire, Rousseau, and
Diderot. All assigned reading is in English; research projects can be defined to suit the capacities
and interests of French majors. This course is similar to French 353. Not open to students who
have taken French 353. Open to first-year students. J. Cole. 
224. The French Revolution. This course devotes approximately equal time to each of three
periods and problems: 1) the pre-Revolutionary eighteenth century and its most important social,
political, and religious structures; 2) the more "moderate" Revolution of 1789, which destroyed the
old order of throne and altar, nobles and commoners, in attempting to create a new order based on
liberty and equality; 3) the more "radical" Revolution that climaxed in the Year II (1793-1794)
without managing to secure the "blessings of liberty" - and equality - to such groups as women
and blacks. Open to first-year students. J. Cole. 
225. England, France, and the Makings of Modernity. This course concerns the interrelated
histories of England and France in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, with a general
emphasis on political history and culture and particular attention to the first classics of
British liberalism (Locke, Two Treatises of Government, 1690) and British conservatism 
(Burke, Reflections on the Revolution in France, 1790), each of them defining British 
ideals in reaction to what the authors perceived of French realities. J. Cole. 
227. Germany in the Era of the Two World Wars. Between 1914 and 1945, Germany's diplomacy
and territorial ambitions precipitated two world wars, with terrible consequences for soldiers and
civilians; during the same time period Germany experienced one socialist revolution, an experiment
in democracy, and a racist dictatorship. Between the wars, German dramatic and visual artists were
among the most exciting in Europe. This course examines Germany during this period of
extraordinary cultural and political ferment, seeking to understand its causes and its legacy for us
today. Recommended background: one history course. E. Tobin. 
229. The Holocaust in History: The Genocide of European Jews. No event has shocked Western
sensibility as much as the mass murder of European Jews by Nazis and their collaborators. How
could Europeans, who considered themselves the most highly civilized people on earth, have
engaged in premeditated genocide? This course begins by contrasting the rich culture of European
Jews around 1900 with the rise of modern anti-Semitism. The focus of the course is the gradual
escalation of Nazi persecution, culminating in concentration camps and mass murder. The varied
reactions of Jews and non-Jews in Europe and America are a central subject. The question of the
Holocaust's uniqueness is discussed, as well as its continuing effects on European, Jewish, and
Middle Eastern politics. Recommended background: History 104 or 227. Enrollment is limited to 130.
S. Hochstadt. 
240. Colonial New England, 1660-1763. This one-hundred-year period in New England's history
is filled with crises: a new imperial system, the Glorious Revolution in England, accompanied by
rebellions in the colonies, wars against the Indians, the French, and - in Massachusetts - against
the Devil. Less dramatic but equally traumatic were economic and social changes that struck at the
heart of Puritan self-confidence. By the end of this era, however, New England had regained a
new self-image and revived sense of "mission" as a chosen people. Recommended background:
History 140. (premodern) J. Leamon. 
241. The Age of the American Revolution, 1763-1789. A study of the Revolution from its origins
as a protest movement to one seeking independence from Britain. The course examines differences
among Americans over the meaning of the Revolution and over the nature of society in the new
republic. The debates over state and national constitutions help to illustrate these differences. The
course considers the significance of the Revolution for Americans and for Europeans as well.
Recommended background: History 140. J. Leamon. 
243. African American History. Blacks in this country have been described as both
"omni-Americans" and a distinctive cultural "nation within a nation." The course explores this
apparent paradox using primary and interpretive sources, including oral and written biography,
music, fiction, and social history. It examines key issues, recurrent themes, conflicting strategies,
and influential personalities in the African American's quest for freedom and security. It surveys
black American history from seventeenth-century African roots to present problems remaining in
building an egalitarian, multiracial society for the future. Recommended background: one of the
following: History 140, 141, or 142. Open to first-year students. D. Carter. 
261. American Protest in the Twentieth Century. This course examines the persistent and uniquely
American impetus toward individual liberty, equality, and collective moral reform by studying a
variety of protest movements and representative dissenters from Emma Goldman to Jesse Jackson.
It consequently investigates the development and interplay of American variants of anarchism,
socialism, pacifism, syndicalism, anticommunism, racial egalitarianism, feminism, and radical
environmentalism and their influences - intended and fortuitous - upon the larger society.
Recommended background: History 142. D. Carter. 
271. The United States in Vietnam, 1945-1975. This course examines United States military and
political intervention in Vietnam, which became a dominant - and divisive - issue in the
post-World War II era. Topics explored include the origins and development of Vietnamese
anticolonial resistance movements, the Cold War and the evolution of U.S. policy in Southeast
Asia, the U.S. decision to intervene and later withdraw, domestic opposition to the war, and the
impact of the conflict on Americans and Vietnamese. The objective of the course is to develop a
coherent historical understanding of what became one of the costliest conflicts in U.S. history.
Enrollment limited to 50. Not open to students who have received credit for History 390G. C.
Beam. 
274. China in Revolution. Modern China's century of revolutions, from the disintegration of the
traditional empire in the late nineteenth century, through the twentieth-century attempts at
reconstruction, to the tenuous stability of the post-Maoist regime. Recommended background:
History 171. (East Asian) D. Grafflin. 
275. Japan in the Age of Imperialism. This is a course on Japan's modern transformation
necessitated by the global expansion of the West's imperialism and colonialism in the nineteenth
century. In the spirit that "imitation is the best defense," Japan adopted many Western institutions
and technologies in government, law, defense, industry, and foreign affairs. Along with them
came cultural and social changes. But not all was well with this Westernization as modernization.
This course examines the nature of nineteenth-century imperialism, Japan's adaptation to it, and the
vast majority of Japanese who bore the burden: peasants, industrial workers, women, and
children. Recommended background: History 172. (East Asian) A. Hirai. 
276. Japan since 1945 through Film and Literature. This is a course in Japanese history since
World War II. A brief survey of Japan's prewar history is followed by a detailed analysis of
postwar developments. The focus is on political institutions and processes and economic
development, but these aspects of postwar Japan are examined in their social, cultural, and
international context. Open to first-year students. (East Asian) A. Hirai. 
284. Church-State Conflict in Latin America. Discussions about politics and religion stir deep
emotions. Students examine how relations between church and state have shaped Latin American
societies. In some countries ecclesiastical and public administrators cooperated closely to achieve
similar goals. Much more frequently, churches and states clashed violently. This course studies
how Marxist-based liberation theology fomented popular resistance to military rule and debates the
implications of rapid Pentecostal growth. Recommended background: History 181. Open to
first-year students. (Latin American) R. Harder Horst. 
285. Social History of Latin America. An examination of divisive issues in Latin America. This
course studies the roots of race relations and ethnic conflict, popular uprisings, and coercive labor
systems. Students examine shifting patterns of gender relations, machismo, and the role of
women. Readings, films, and discussions provide perspectives from which to debate changing
social relations in our own communities. Recommended background: History 181. Open to
first-year students. (Latin American) R. Harder Horst. 
286. Indigenous Resistance in Latin America. National attempts to deal with the "Indian problem"
in Latin America have ranged from oversized murals to brutal genocide. Native peoples have
struggled creatively to retain their political, cultural, and economic autonomy. Students analyze
ethnic consciousness and cultural resistance to see beyond outside stereotypes and understand
indigenous groups as legitimate historical actors. Texts, films, and discussions focus on the
contradictory way native peoples have shaped state politics and economies within a changing
environment. Recommended background: History 181. Open to first-year students. (Latin
American) R. Harder Horst. 
287. Mexico: Aztecs to Zapatistas. Free trade, maquiladoras, drug traffic, and illegal immigration
dominate recent news about Mexico. Why do the media dwell on these issues? Beginning with the
major pre-Columbian cultures, students examine our southern neighbor's history. Using texts,
films, and records from the wars for independence, the momentous revolution, and the current
ruling party, students explore Mexico's political and economic situation and its contemporary
options. Recommended background: History 181. Open to first-year students. (Latin American) R.
Harder Horst. 
360. Independent Study. Independent study of selected topics by individual students. Periodic
conferences and papers are required. Departmental permission is necessary prior to registration.
Students are limited to one independent study per semester. Staff. 
365. Special Topics. A course or seminar offered from time to time and reserved for a special topic
selected by the department. Staff. 
374. Understanding Chinese Thought. Reading (in translation) the three greatest books ever 
written in Chinese, as a way of understanding the foundations of East Asian culture. The works are 
the philosophical/religious anthologies known as the Analects (attributed to Confucius), the 
Chuang-tzu (commonly labeled 'Taoist'), and the Buddhist scripture, Sutra of the Lotus Flower of 
the Wonderful Law (as translated in 406 from a source now unknown). Willingness to engage in the 
close reading and discussion of a wide variety of philosophical materials is required, but no 
background in Asian studies is assumed. (East Asian) (premodern) D. Grafflin. New
description and title effective beginning Fall 2000. 
390. Junior-Senior Seminars. These seminars provide opportunities for concentrated work on a
particular theme, national experience, or methodology for advanced majors and nonmajors alike.
Junior and senior majors are encouraged to use these seminars to generate thesis topics. 
390A. World War II in the Pacific. Social, political, and diplomatic history of and between the
United States and Japan before and during the war. Western imperialism; Japanese aggression; the
war and the Great Depression; biographies of national leaders; oral history of women, children,
and soldiers; atomic bombs; Tokyo War Crimes Trial; and other topics. Weekly discussion,
occasional short written assignments; 15- to 20-page seminar paper. Enrollment limited to 15.
(East Asian) A. Hirai. 
390B. The Nixon Presidency. This course explores the presidency of Richard M. Nixon, one of
the most controversial in U.S. history. Topics include, but are not limited to, Nixon's early
political career, the Vietnam War and U.S. foreign policy, domestic policies, party politics
including the 1972 election, the Watergate scandal, and the personalities and careers of his
associates and opponents. Enrollment limited to 15. C. Beam. 
390C. Gender and the Civil War: Abolition and Women's Rights. This course focuses on
women's activities in the anti-slavery and women's rights movements of nineteenth century
America, looking especially at issues of race and gender within those. Enrollment limited to 15.
Written permission of the instructor is required. M. Creighton. 
390D. Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. Edward Gibbon's classic Decline and Fall is the
most famous work of history written in English. This course uses it as an introduction to the
problem of the collapse of complex, premodern societies and specifically the end of the Roman
West. Changing historical explanations for the fall of Rome are a microcosm of Western
historiography. Students also explore basic questions on the nature of history and historians.
Enrollment limited to 15. (premodern) M. Jones. 
390F. The American West. Focusing in particular on the late nineteenth and early twentieth
centuries, this course considers the changing cultural, economic, and social landscapes of the
American West. Class discussion and readings pay special attention to the way that the West as an
imaginary construct intersected with the West as a social "reality," and to the history of contact
between Native Americans and whites. After completing an intensive overview of the subject,
participants are expected to produce a carefully researched paper of substantial length. Not open to
students who have received credit for History 345. Enrollment limited to 15. M. Creighton. 
390H. U.S. Relations with Latin America. This seminar examines various historical and
contemporary perspectives on U.S.-Latin America relations. Students read works by both U.S.
and Latin American authors, some of whom laud and others of whom criticize U.S. policies
toward Latin America. Students, working in groups, design and carry out research projects that
focus on U.S. relations with an individual country in Latin America. Students write a major
research paper and evaluate each other's work. Enrollment limited to 15. (Latin American) R.
Harder Horst. 
390I. Anglo-Saxon England. This seminar concentrates on Dark Age Britain, from the arrival of
the Anglo-Saxon invaders in the fifth century C.E. to the consolidation of England in the face of
the Viking invasions in the ninth century. The field of study is a mystery wrapped in an enigma.
Ignorance and obscurity offer one advantage to students: the sources for this period are so few that
they may be explored in a single semester. The course is designed to present typical kinds of early
medieval evidence (saints' lives, chronicles, annals, charters, poetry, genealogy, archeology),
introduce students to their potentials and difficulties, and then set a series of problems that requires
application of these materials to gain an answer. The course culminates in a research paper.
Enrollment limited to 15. (premodern) M. Jones. 
390J. Laboring Classes, Dangerous Classes. Since the nineteenth century, sociologists and
historians have worried about the connections between laboring classes and dangerous classes.
Workers who did not follow the rules and expectations of established governments and of
wealthier classes caused trouble, whether by crime, refusal to work, or outright resistance. This
course looks at the ways in which European workers tried to deal with industrialization, from
adaption to revolution. What united and what divided groups of workers? Which conditions
encouraged accommodation and which encouraged resistance to employers? How did the
experiences of female and male workers differ? Students concentrate on the period between 1815
and 1920. Enrollment limited to 15. E. Tobin. 
390M. Holocaust Memoirs: Gender/Memory. In this course students use close textual readings,
discourse analysis, and scholarship on memory to think about Holocaust memoirs as sources of
our knowledge about what camp inmates experienced at the hands of the Nazis, how inmates
responded to Nazi actions, and how inmates interacted with each other. A principal concern is
thinking about potential gender differences. Students look both at women's and men's experiences
in the camps and also at the ways each has chosen to write about them. Did the different kinds of
socialization women received at home mean they behaved differently from men in the camps? To
what extent do male and female survivors describe similar experiences differently? How should
historians regard texts written from memory? Recommended background: coursework in German
history, Holocaust studies, or gender analysis. Enrollment limited to 15. E. Tobin. 
390Q. Rogues, Rebels, Revolutionaries. This course examines people in early American history
who rejected the status quo of their time and place. Some, like Roger Williams or Phillis Wheatley,
successfully broke through the restraints of society to attain a new dignity for themselves and the
causes they represented. Others were "losers," such as Nathaniel Bacon, Virginian rebel; William
Kidd, who was hanged as a pirate; or the notorious adventurer, Aaron Burr. By means of readings
and research papers that are submitted to peer review, this course examines backgrounds, aims,
and consequences of a wide range of men and women, white, black, and indigenous, who refused
to conform. Enrollment limited to 15. Written permission of the instructor is required. J. Leamon. 
390R. Politics and Culture of American Anti-Communism. The course traces the trajectory of 
twentieth-century hostility to "radicalism" ั at home in the United States and abroad ั and its 
impact on American politics and culture. Along with an examination of "Red Scares," McCarthyism, 
and other historical manifestations of anti-communism, selected readings, films, and other cultural 
artifacts highlight the political intersection of "red-baiting" and "race-baiting." Anti-communism 
became a culturally sanctioned means for the expression of profound hostility to African Americans 
and other "ethnic Americans." The course demonstrates how the potency of anti-communism often blurred 
the American political spectrum, uniting liberals and conservatives as dramatically as it divided 
them. Recommended background: History 142 and History 261. Enrollment is limited to 15. D. Carter. 
390S. History Wars: History and Theory. Competing historiographical views and 
perennial philosophical questions (causation, objectivity, moral judgement) have always underpinned 
the craft and practice of history. Since the 1960s, however, upheavals in historical theory have cast 
doubt as to whether anything can be learned from the past or if it is even possible to recreate or 
recapture any serious understanding of past cultures. Using substantive examples of historical prose 
and the experience of doing history by practicing historians, this seminar course explores the 
theory and pursuit of history in the new millennium. Prerequisite(s): History s40. Enrollment is 
limited to 15. M. Jones. 
390T. Women in Japanese History. The seminar examines women in Japanese history from
ancient to modern times. Study materials are taken from various sources: myths, government
documents, literary works, scholarly writings, and films. Some of the women portrayed in these
sources are historical figures, others are fictive. The course attempts to follow the evolution of
women's lives in Japan and identify religious, economic, political, biographical, and other
variables that best explain women's roles in historical as well as contemporary Japan. It also
introduces perspectives comparing Japanese women and ideas about them with women in other parts of 
the world.  A. Hirai.  
457, 458. Senior Thesis. The research and writing of an extended essay in history, following the
established practices of the discipline, under the guidance of a departmental supervisor. Students
register for History 457 in the fall semester and for History 458 in the winter semester. History
457 or 458 is required of all majors. Majors writing an honors thesis register for both History 457
and 458. Staff. 
Short Term Units  
s14. Writing to the Future. The end of the millennium has given cause on many levels of 
contemporary society for reflection, ranging from apocalyptic fear to hope for transformative change. 
By considering such projections and speculations as historical events, this unit attempts to 
construct a position from which to think forward in time, maintaining a place for oneีs own 
historical agency. D. Grafflin. 
s16. Leadership Studies. Students review recent theories of leadership as presented by Gardner,
Heifitz, and Burns. The unit emphasizes different perspectives on the nature of leadership drawn
from other historical epochs, distinctive cultures, and different disciplines. Students spend three
days each week associated with a leader in a local organization studying leadership and engaging in
leadership activities and issues. J. Carignan. 
s17. The Several Sides of the Cold War. This unit reexamines the history of the Cold War in light
of new evidence from Soviet, Chinese, German, and other sources. In addition to secondary
material, students examine archival documents and memoirs (in translation) pertaining to such
events as the division of Germany, the Korean War, the Sino-Soviet conflict, the building of the
Berlin Wall, and the Cuban Missile Crisis. The unit uses these cases to discuss crisis bargaining
and conflict resolution, the sources of misperception in international politics, and the interaction
between foreign and domestic policy. This unit is the same as Political Science s17. Open to
first-year students. J. Richter. 
s25. A Brief History of Korea. An overview of the history of Korea, starting from ancient Korea,
continuing through the Silla Kingdom, the Koryo Kingdom, and the Chosen Kingdom, ending
with the annexation of Korea by Japan, the division of the peninsula during the Korean War, and a
look at Korea today. Recommended background: History 171. Open to first-year students.
(premodern) D. Grafflin. 
s25A. Japanese American "Relocation" Camps. This unit examines the United States' policy of
"relocating" Japanese Americans during World War II. It probes the connection between the
racially prejudicial government policy - the American version of Europe's concentration camps -
and the social and economic interests of the people involved in the formulation and execution of
that policy. (premodern) A. Hirai. 
s27. Native American History. This unit studies the history of Native American people since their
contact with Europeans. Students use books, films, and museum collections to study how
indigenous groups helped to shape the changing frontier and analyze popular stereotypes of Native
Americans. Focused on New England but drawing from throughout the United States, the unit
emphasizes an ethnohistorical approach that highlights the intersections between native cultures and
historical events. Enrollment limited to 30. R. Harder Horst. 
s35. The Geography of the Civil Rights Movement: Case Studies in Post-World War II African 
American Freedom Struggles. This unit provides students with the opportunity to closely examine 
a number of locally-based African American civil rights movements in post World War II American 
history and the interaction of these movements with "the state." The unit places emphasis on the 
impact of local circumstances on the evolution of black freedom struggles. The roles of municipal, 
state, and federal authorities in responding to civil rights agendas are also subjected to careful 
scrutiny. Recommended background: History 142, 243 and 261. Open to first-year students. D. Carter. 
s39A. Wollstonecraft: First Feminist. In the 1970s, toward the beginnings of the vigorous,
sustained, and institutionalized academic study of women, Mary Wollstonecraft (1759-1797) was
finally established in the pantheon of modern feminism as a sort of Founding Mother. Her
remarkably liberated personal life, as much as her radical works, had long offended traditionalists.
But in an era of women's liberation and self-conscious radicalism, these very qualities won her
newly respectful attention from a generation of younger scholars. This unit studies her life and
works in the historical context of the French Revolution. Intended to support majors in English,
French, history, political science, and women's studies by preparing underclass students for
related research projects. Enrollment limited to 15. J. Cole. 
s40. Introduction to Historical Methods. This unit provides an intensive introduction to research
skills, historical literature, and the principles and methods of historical critical analysis
(historiography). The unit is team-taught to acquaint students with a variety of historical
assumptions and methodologies ranging from the perception of history as fiction to the belief that
history is the accumulation of objective data about an ascertainable past. This unit provides
important preparation for the senior thesis. Recommended background: a college-level course in
history. Required of all majors. Open to first-year students. Written permission of the instructor is
required. Staff. 
s42. Historical Archeology. This program combines a theoretical and practical introduction to
historical archeology. Practical experience comes from excavating a seventeenth- or
eighteenth-century site in Maine, from recording and interpreting artifacts and features, and from
field trips to other archeological sites. Recommended background: History 240 and 241.
Enrollment limited to 12. Written permission of the instructor is required. J. Leamon. 
s50. Individual Research. Registration in this unit is granted by the department only after the
student has submitted a written proposal for a full-time research project to be completed during the
Short Term and has secured the sponsorship of a member of the department to direct the study and
evaluate results. Students are limited to one individual research unit. Staff.
 
  
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