UA DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY
FALL 2015 COURSE DESCRIPTIONS
Undergraduate
HY 101. Western Civilization to 1648. A history of Western civilization from its origins in Greece and
Rome through the Middle Ages, the Renaissance and Reformation, and the age of discovery and
expansion during the emergence of modern Europe. Usually offered in the summer session.
HY 102. Western Civilization Since 1648. Covers the development if the Western world from the
Thirty Years’ War to the post-World War II era; the age of absolutism, the Enlightenment, the French
Revolution, industrialization and the wars of the 20th century. Usually offered in the summer session.
HY 103. History of American Civilization to 1865. A survey of American history from its beginning
to the end of the Civil War, giving special emphasis to the events, people, and ideas that have made
America a distinctive civilization. Prerequisite (s): None.
HY 103-027 American civilization to 1865. Professor Harold Selesky. “A survey of American history
from first encounter to the end of the Civil War, with emphasis on events, people, and ideas that have
shaped the culture of the United States.”
HY 104 American Civilization Since 1865. A survey of American history from the Civil War to the
present, giving special emphasis to the events, people, and ideas that have made America a distinctive
civilization. Prerequisite(s): None
HY 110-001 Comparative World Civilization. Professor Michael Bergman. Examines various
civilizations in the world prior to A.D. 1500 and compares their governments, societies, economies,
religions, science, learning, and technology. History majors may substitute HY 110 for HY 101 to satisfy
part of the Western civilization requirement.
HY 110-320 Comparative World Civilization. Professor John Alexander. Examines various
civilizations in the world prior to A.D. 1500 and compares their governments, societies, economies,
religions, science, learning, and technology. History majors may substitute HY 110 for HY 101 to
satisfy part of the Western Civilization requirement.
HY 111-001 Colonial Latin America. Formation of the largely Spanish speaking New World, from the
shock of a conquest to the trials of freedom that spawned the modern nations of Latin America.
Prerequisite(s) None
HY 113-001 Asian Civilization to 1400. Conditions of various Asian civilizations in the 15th century,
followed by the arrival of Europeans, with emphasis on imperialism, colonialism and Asian nationalism.
Prerequisite(s): None
HY 115-001 History of Science to 1687. Professor Erik Peterson. This course will explore the origins
and evolution of science and technology and the relationship both had to the societies that produced them.
In addition to reading foundational texts in the history of science, like Aristotle and Galileo, we will
address larger themes, including the relationship between science and religion in the role of science and
scientists in the societies that produced them.
HY 225-001 History of Alabama to 1865. Professor David Durham. State history under the flags of
Spain, France, Great Britain, the U.S., and the Confederate States, with emphasis on cultural heritage.
HY 235-900 Christian Church To 1500. Professor Lawrence Clayton. Survey of the Christian church
from its origins in the Middle East through its victory over the Roman Empire and its ascendancy in the
Middle Ages.
HY 300-001 Religion and Civil Rights. Professor John Giggie. Religion and Civil Rights explores the
historical role of religion in the modern civil rights movement with a special focus on Tuscaloosa and
West Alabama. Students will partner with a local black church to tell its history under segregation,
including interviewing older congregants about their lives during Jim Crow. Please note that this is a
small course (enrollment limited to 10) and is designed to link classroom learning with community
research.
HY 300-003 History of Argentina. Professor Teresa Cribelli. From the time of its incorporation into
the Spanish Empire, the land now known as Argentina has held out the promise of fabulous wealth and
opportunity. This potential made Argentina the foremost destination of European immigrants to Latin
America in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, during which time it became one of the wealthiest
nations in the world. From the gauchos (Argentine cowboys) of the vast Pampas to the smoke-filled tango
parlors, immigrant tenements, and factories of Buenos Aires, Argentina offers a fascinating case for
examining the creation and sustainment of identity, nationality, and modernity in Latin America.
HY 300-008. Special Studies in History.
HY 300-009. Special Studies in History.
HY 300-011 Native American History. Professor Heather Kopelson. Examines the histories of
hundreds of indigenous American people from early human habitation to the present day, with a focus on
those residing in what is now the United States and Canada. We will study their experiences; their
encounters with one another, Europeans, and Africans; and the different histories that people have told
about those experiences and encounters. Class materials include art, film, fiction and students will
volunteer at the Moundville Festival in October.
HY 300-013 Race and Science. Professor Erik Peterson. The longstanding relationship between
science and race is only getting more confusing. Science has supported racial categorization AND torn
down notions of race-based categories. Biology and anthropology have been used to support racism and
refute it. In this class, we will examine the diverse interactions between science and race from the 18 th
century to the present era of human genomics and designer drugs.
HY 300-021 The Jacksonian Era. Professor Lawrence F. Kohl. This course will be a study of
American politics, the economy, society, and culture from 1815-1850. It will focus on the development of
the second party system, the spread of the market economy, the emergence of native schools of literature
and art, the impact of equality on society, and the spread of an ethic of individualism.
HY 300-023 Making of Europe. Professor Jimmy Mixson. Global and local commerce, Christianity,
crusades and cathedrals, literature and logic, universities and monarchies—these and more are all key
elements in the story of the origins of what we now call Europe from the eleventh to the fourteenth
century. This course explores that story in a way that highlights key recent scholarly debates in the field.
HY 300-031 The 19th Century City. Professor Sharony Green. Explore how the United States
transformed itself from being a country defined by open land to one largely defined by city living. Learn
how architecture, industry, gender, race, ethnicity, culture and even Tuscaloosa fit into the story of
America’s initial urban explosion. For details, see http://thenineteenthcenturycity.blogspot.com.
HY 300-041 US in the Age of Franklin Roosevelt. Professor Charles Clark. "America in the age of
FDR will examine the United States in the great Depression and Second World War, with focus on
political, economic, cultural, and military history. We will discuss how policy was made, and how it
affected the daily lives of individuals, and overall how the era of Franklin Roosevelt shaped the landscape
of American life."
HY 313-001 American South Since 1865. Professor Kari Frederickson. History of the South since
1865, covering Reconstruction, the Bourbon Democracy, the New South Creed, populist revolt, World
War I, the 1920s, the Great Depression, the civil rights movement, and Southern politics.
HY 319-001 19th Century Black History. Professor Hilary Green. Role of black Americans in
America life from the 17th century to the beginning of the 20th century, with emphasis on the institutions
and events of the 1800s.
HY 320-001 20th Century Black History. Professor David Beito. This course is an in-depth survey of
American history from Reconstruction through World War I. It will emphasize theroleof social
organization, government, and economic change. Students will be encourage to understand and analyze
specific controversies, key personalities, and events of the period.
HY 323-320 US Constitution History to 1877. Professor Samuel Webb. Deals with evolution of
constitutional law and the nature and process of judicial review, including 18th century constitutional
theory and Supreme Court decisions.
HY 325-001 US-World Power to 1898. Professor Sarah Steinbock-Pratt. This course will examine
the history of the United States in a global context. From its colonial origins to its emergence as an
imperial power at the end of the nineteenth century, the US has always been part of international networks
of empire, migration, trade, and warfare. Through assigned readings, lectures, and class discussions,
students will explore the transnational movement of people, ideas, and goods, territorial conquest and
nation building, ways that ideas about gender, race, and national identity influenced foreign and domestic
policies, and the rise and refashioning of the nation’s role in the world.
HY 327-001 Women in Early America. Professor Heather Kopelson. History of women in early
North America and the United States from 1300 through 1877. Learn about the diversity of women’s
experiences across different racial and ethnic groups. Find out how and why events of U.S. women’s
history do not always fit neatly into the traditional time periods of U.S. history.
HY 355-001 German History Since 1740. Professor Ian Wasserman. This course charts the evolution
of German-speaking communities, from the Holy Roman Empire to the present day. It explores the
challenges of nation-building and the difficulties of defining what it means to be German during the
Second Reich, the Weimar Republic, the Nazi Regime, the DDR and BRD, and today.
HY 357-001 World War I. Professor Charles Clark. World War I deals with the social, cultural, and
economic aspects of the war, the role that technology played in the outcome, and the impact of the war on
the world today. Students write two six to eight page comparative papers, identify important images from
the war, and write in-class essays to assess understanding.
HY 386-001 History of Rome. Professor Sean Lafferty. This course explores the history of Rome
from the founding of the city to the rise of the Empire and beyond. Special attention will be paid to the
individuals, institutions, and customs that contributed to the development of a distinctive Roman identity.
HY 400-001 Environmental History. Professor Bartow Elmore. This 400-level course offers an
introduction to the field of American environmental history. Originating out of the environmental
movement of the 1970s, this sub-discipline seeks to place nature at the heart of our national narrative. It
asks not only how Americans have affected ecological change over time, but also how nature has shaped
human events. The course is organized chronologically, beginning with the imperial expansion of
Western nation-states in the 1500s and ending with the modern environmental movement in the United
States in the 1970s and its legacies today. Our objective is to identify connections between the natural
world and the most important political, technological, and social changes in the nation since the 16th
century.
400-003 Russian Rebels. Professor Margaret Peacock. This W course explores the history of Russia’s
greatest thinkers and revolutionaries. From Dostoevsky to Stalin, this class tries to understand how some
of the world’s most brilliant visionaries could set the stage for some of humanity’s most terrifying
monsters. This is a seminar that hinges on discussion and unorthodox classroom techniques. All grades
come from papers (no exams).
HY 400-013 Foreign Military Intervention in Latin America. Professor Stephen Schwab.
Beginning with the Spanish Conquest of the Caribbean and Latin America in 1492, this region has been
subjected to foreign military interventions to the present day. What has prompted these interventions and
what impact have they had on Latin America?
HY 400-023 Anxious America: American National Security. Professor Stephen Schwab. This course
examines the history of U.S. National Security Policy and Concerns from 1898 to the Present. It begins
with the forceful emergence of the United States as a great power in 1898 and then focuses on its gradual
evolution as the "arsenal of democracy." It wrestles with such unanswered questions as: has Congress or
the President driven national security policy? How big and intrusive has our national government
become? Why almost 20 years after the end of the Cold War, does the United States still act as the world's
only superpower? Given the transnational nature of terrorism, nuclear proliferation, and criminal
networks, can the United States go it alone in pursuing its national security objectives?
HY 408-001 Colonial US to 1763. Professor Harold Selesky. Topical survey of major themes in US
colonial history, with particular emphasis on Anglo-American developments.
HY 416-001 US From Reconstruction to World War I. Professor Zachary Smith. Selected topics
relating to the development of the US, especially domestic affairs and the growth of important
institutions.
HY 424-001 American Thought Before 1860. Professor Margaret Abruzzo. American
intellectual/cultural history to 1860. Includes changing ideas about society, politics, morality, science,
nature, religion, gender and race. Writing proficiency within this discipline is required for a passing
grade in this course.
HY 430-001 20th Century US Political, Black or Economic History. Professor David Beito. Students
will design an original research paper within one (or more) of these general fields: political, black,
intellectual, or economic history in the twentieth century U.S. Students will survey historical research
methods, develop their own topics, conduct primary and secondary source research, and communicate
their findings in a 15-20 page paper as well as several oral presentations.
HY 430-011 American Civil War. Professor Glenn Brasher. This course's main focus will be on
guiding students in the research, writing, and editing of a substantial paper on some aspect of the
American Civil War, 1861-1865. Students will enjoy much leeway in their choice of a specific topic, and
their focus can be in the fields of military, political, social, or cultural history. Thus, possible topics could
include (but are not limited to) specific battles, military or political leaders, common soldiers, women, or
African Americans. Initial class meetings will involve lectures designed to refresh students on the war's
events, but mainly for the purpose of helping students to consider possible topics. After this, most
sessions will be collaborative in nature, with all students providing input to help each other select topics,
discuss research strategies, form arguments, and edit papers. In addition, students will be required to meet
several times over the semester individually with the professor to discuss their projects. Grades will be
based primarily on the finished paper, but also on a combination of assignments involving classroom
presentations, the submission of paper outlines, and the production of an annotated bibliography.
HY 430-012 Early Modern Europe. Professor Daniel Riches. This course is designed for advanced
History majors. It will introduce students to the issues involved in the study of European history from
roughly 1300-1800, or from the eve of the Renaissance through the French Revolution. Our focus will be
on cultivating the skills and methods necessary to conduct independent research on Early Modern
Europe. The centerpiece of the course will be a major research project in which students (in consultation
with the instructor) will select an appropriate research topic, work through a series of stages to develop
and implement a research plan, report upon the results of their research at various points, and then present
the final results in a paper (based on both primary and secondary sources) of at least fifteen pages and a
significant oral presentation (20-30 minutes) to the class. A grade of C or higher is necessary to get credit
for this course.
HY 430-013 American Military in the 20th Century. Professor Charles Clark. This course examines
how the American military transitioned from a small frontier army to the large citizen force of the midtwentieth century and then back to the all-volunteer force post-1973. Strategy, technology, soldier
experience, and the relationship of the military to the civilian world are all covered. There is a
reading/discussion aspect to this class, and every student will present on a book chosen at the beginning
of the semester, in addition to exams, book reviews, and an annotated bibliography.
HY 430-023 Slavery in Americas 1492-1888. Professor Jenny Shaw. Students in this class will write a
research paper on some aspect of slavery in the Americas (Latin America, the Caribbean, or North
America) from the period of first Spanish exploration in the fifteenth century to the end of slavery in
Cuba and Brazil at the close of the nineteenth century. Subjects of study might include, but are not limited
to, Indian slavery, family life, resistance, runaways, religious practices, domestic or field labor, plantation
organization, the Haitian Revolution, maroon communities, emancipation. Additionally, students will
complete readings on the practice of history and on the craft of historical writing; develop their topic in
conjunction with the instructor and/or university librarians; develop and implement a research plan;
submit a variety of short assignments throughout the semester; peer review paper outlines, and drafts.
This seminar will meet weekly; however, several weeks will be devoted to individual meetings.
HY 443-001 Renaissance. Professor George McClure. This course examines the origin of Italian
Renaissance in the fourteenth century and traces its development into northern Europe into the sixteenth
century. It will focus on the social, economic, and political factors leading to a “rebirth” of literature,
secular learning, and the arts—and in particular to the role of classical culture in inspiring and guiding
that rebirth. Readings will include works by Boccaccio, Machiavelli, Vasari, and Thomas More. We will
also examine the form and content of Renaissance painting, sculpture, and architecture and the role of
patronage in fostering a flowering of art culminating in such figures as Michelangelo.
HY 448-001 Women in Europe since 1750. Professor Holly Grout. Explores gender as an analytical
category by surveying the lives and experiences of European women and men from the mid-eighteenth
century to the present. Course themes include: the formation of and challenges to the middle-class
domestic ideal; intersections among race, sex, class, and sexuality; education; the family; consumption;
and high politics.
HY 475-001 HY475 From Columbus to Castro: A History of the Caribbean. Professor Jenny Shaw
Conquistadors! Planters! Pirates! Indians! Enslaved Africans! Religious Reformers! Independence
Leaders! Radical Revolutionaries! Together these people built a new world – a world forged at the
intersection of imperial ambitions and international contact, where the peoples and cultures of the
Americas, Africa, and Europe collided. This class examines how colonialism, plantation slavery, the age
of abolition, and the emergence of national independence movements made the modern Caribbean.