Spring 2025 Curriculum

HIST 1120 – Public History, Public Memory

Introduces the role of law in shaping human society. Explores how laws have evolved over the past two millennia in different contexts under the influence of different religious systems and political, economic, and social theories. Studies key legal texts and analyzes legal traditions in several regions of the world. Considers how laws have affected the everyday lives of subjects, slaves, and citizens.

Professor Michael Thornton

MW, 2:50pm – 4:30pm

CRN: 39541

HIST 1130 – Introduction to the History of the United States

Engages with the major issues in U.S. history. Topics include the interaction of native populations with European settlers, the American Revolution and the Constitution, slavery, the Civil War, industrialization and migration, the growth of government and rise of the welfare state, media and mass culture, struggles for civil rights and liberation, and America’s role in the world from independence to the Iraq wars.

Professor Jessica Parr

T, 11:45am – 2:25pm
R, 2:50pm – 4:30pm

CRN: 35220

HIST 1150 – East Asian Studies

Seeks to provide an understanding of the constituent characteristics that originally linked East Asia as a region and the nature of the transformations that have occurred in the region over the last two thousand years. Concentrates on China and Japan, and addresses Korea and Vietnam where possible. Also seeks to provide students with effective interdisciplinary analytical skills as well as historical, ethical, cultural diversity, and aesthetic perspectives. ASNS 1150 and HIST 1150 are cross-listed.

Professor Michael Thornton

MWR, 4:35pm – 5:40pm

CRN: 33210

HIST 1170 – Europe: Empires, Revolutions, Wars, and Their Aftermath

Examines how empires, wars, and revolutions have influenced the development of the modern world, focusing on Europe and Europe’s connections with the non–European world. Explores how wars and revolutions led to the emergence of modern concepts of sovereignty, the state, and citizenship and how global competition between states led to the emergence of empires. Traces the promise of allegedly liberating ideologies and the political and economic revolutions they fostered, repeated wars and their aftermaths, and the challenges of recent world developments viewed from the perspective of history. Explores how human diversity and difference have shaped modern societies through history and how human difference and multiculturalism have both fostered and posed challenges to civic sustainability. Interrogates the meanings of “modernity,” democracy and totalitarianism, capitalism and socialism, and globalization.

Professor Erina Megowan

MWR, 10:30am – 11:35am

CRN: 34454

HIST 1187 – Introduction to Latin American History

Surveys major themes in Latin American history from the arrival of the first human inhabitants until the present through a diversity of primary and secondary sources. Examines the social, cultural, political, and economic transformations that shaped Latin America during this period. Emphasizes how concepts of race, class, gender, and sexuality informed these changes and the people’s experiences of them. Topics include migration, colonialism and post-colonialism, war and revolution, slavery and abolition, nationalism and nation building, democracy and despotism, urbanization, modernization, religion, imperialism and underdevelopment, human rights, drug policy and international relations, labor, the arts, popular culture, and the environment.

Professor Louise Walker

MWR, 1:35pm – 2:40pm

CRN: 36366

HIST 1200 – Historical Research and Writing

Offered in conjunction with HIST 1201. Introduces incoming history freshmen to the history major in the context of other disciplines within the college and University. Offers students an opportunity to learn and to practice methods and conventions of research and historical writing.

Professor Jessica Linker

Does Not Meet

CRN: 33211

HIST 1201 – First Year Seminar

Provides an introduction to historical methods, research, writing, and argument in which all students produce a substantial research project that passes through at least two revisions, and that is presented publicly to other members of the colloquium.

Professor Jessica Linker

MR, 11:45am – 1:25pm

CRN: 33212

HIST 1232 – History of Boston

Explores the history of Boston from colonial times to the present, with attention to the topographical growth and the ethnic composition of the city. Includes visits to historical sites, museums, and archives in the area.

Professor Malcolm Purinton

MW, 2:50pm – 4:30pm

CRN: 39543

HIST 1253 – History of Vietnam Wars

Presents a history of military conflicts on the Indochinese Peninsula from its precolonial settlement; internal developments and divisions; its stormy relationship with China; French colonization and the resistance to it; the rise of the Vietminh during World War II; the postwar struggle against the French; the impact of the cold war; and the involvement of the United States after 1950 in the creation of two Vietnams and in the conflict that engulfed it and its neighbors, Laos and Cambodia, in the decades that followed. Emphasizes the roles of nationalism and communism in the 20th-century conflicts and the motives for U.S. intervention. Films revealing the reactions of Americans to the escalating conflict are shown and evaluated.

Professor Peter Fraunholtz

Does Not Meet – Asynchronous

CRN: 36368

LACS/AFCS/HIST 1261 – Global Caribbean

Seen through the lenses of literature, art, music, food, technology, and performance, we will explore Caribbean creativity and resilience across English, French, and Spanish linguistic and political spheres. We consider the global reach of Caribbean diasporas, highlighting the long local histories of Caribbean communities in Boston and the vibrant responses and resistances to colonial and political power, paying attention to four key threads throughout: Indigeneity, Blackness, Diaspora, and Creolization.

Professor Kris Manjapra

MW, 2:50pm – 4:30pm

CRN: 40528

HIST 1272 – Europe in the Middle Ages

Seen through the lenses of literature, art, music, food, technology, and performance, we will explore Caribbean creativity and resilience across English, French, and Spanish linguistic and political spheres. We consider the global reach of Caribbean diasporas, highlighting the long local histories of Caribbean communities in Boston and the vibrant responses and resistances to colonial and political power, paying attention to four key threads throughout: Indigeneity, Blackness, Diaspora, and Creolization.

Professor Robert Cross

MWR, 4:35pm – 5:40pm

CRN: 39544

HIST 1290 – Modern Middle East

Examines the political, social, and cultural history of the Arab countries of the modern Middle East, as well as Iran, Israel, and Turkey. Covers the period from the early 19th century through the late 20th century. Offers students an opportunity to obtain a basis for understanding the politics, social movements, and cultural expressions of the region in the late 20th century. Major themes include imperialism and colonialism; the creation and transformation of the modern states and their political systems since World War I; the transformation of Middle Eastern societies during this same period under the impact of colonialism, independence, regional wars, and oil; women’s and labor movements; and revolutions. Uses a variety of sources including memoirs, photography, literature, and political speeches.

Professor Ilham Khuri-Makdisi

TF, 9:50am – 11:30am

CRN: 35735

HIST 1294 – History of Jews in the Modern World

Surveys the history of the Jews in the modern world, with an emphasis on global cultural exchange. Examines Jewish interaction with non-Jewish society from Europe to North Africa, the Middle East, the Soviet Union, Israel, and the United States and explores this relationship’s creative and destructive consequences. Focuses on how Jewish society, culture, religious practice, and political definition changed in relation to a variety of processes now associated with modernity, such as urbanization, industrialization, state centralization, and the development of nationalism and secularism.

Professor Simon Rabinovitch

MWR, 10:30am – 11:35am

CRN: 39545

HIST 1300 – Intro to Health and Humanities

Explores the ways in which narrative and other forms of creative and cultural expression help shape conceptions of illness, healing, and the body. Offers students opportunities to consider the health and humanities through a variety of interdisciplinary perspectives and genres. Includes small-group and classwide experiential field outings. Culminates in the composition of reflective responses, a medical ethics/medical journalism piece, and a team-based experiential e-portfolio project. Course objectives include differentiating between healing and curing; knowing how to elicit, listen to, and analyze stories to determine how participants in the healthcare system experience illness and healing; being able to articulate the ways health is a cultural construct; and using this analysis to identify an empathic response as a future professional.

Professor Christopher Parsons

T, 11:45am – 2:25pm
R, 2:50pm – 4:30pm

CRN: 39546

HIST 1357 – History of Information in the U.S.

Explores the history of espionage through a series of case studies from ancient Rome, Greece, and China; the Reformation; the Age of Discovery; the French Revolution; the American Civil War; World War I and the Russian Revolution; and World War II. Commonly referred to as the world’s “second oldest profession,” espionage is an intrinsic part of the relationships between communities, institutions, and states. Draws from a wide variety of published and unpublished primary and secondary sources, supplemented by modern theoretical and social science perspectives, literature, and films.

Professor Victoria Cain

MWR, 1:35pm – 2:40pm

CRN: 39547

HIST 1389 – History of Espionage 1: Antiquity to World War II

Explores the history of espionage through a series of case studies from ancient Rome, Greece, and China; the Reformation; the Age of Discovery; the French Revolution; the American Civil War; World War I and the Russian Revolution; and World War II. Commonly referred to as the world’s “second oldest profession,” espionage is an intrinsic part of the relationships between communities, institutions, and states. Draws from a wide variety of published and unpublished primary and secondary sources, supplemented by modern theoretical and social science perspectives, literature, and films.

Professor Erina Megowan

MWR, 9:15am – 10:20am

CRN: 36369

HIST 1500 – Modern Chinese History and Culture

Introduces modern Chinese history and culture through literary works, films, and historical texts. Examines political, social, and cultural changes in China since 1800: the decline of empire; the New Culture Movement of the 1920s; the rise of nationalism and rural revolution; the changing roles of women; the Cultural Revolution of the 1960s; and China’s cinematic, literary, and economic engagement with the world since 1978. Taught in English and open to all undergraduates. CLTR 1500 and HIST 1500 are cross-listed.

Professor Philip Thai

MWR, 1:35pm – 2:40pm

CRN: 41001

HIST 2011 – Capitalism and Business

Analyzes the emergence of capitalism as a global system, from the emergence of early modern market societies to today’s globalization and its discontents. Considers how technological and geopolitical developments changed the economic lives of people around the world and how those people responded. Examines historical debates about ethics of redistribution and economic justice. Topics include empire and slavery, industrialization and deindustrialization, moral economy and market societies, and finance and speculation, as well as the histories of money, commodities, and consumer cultures. Sources include historical scholarship, archive documents, economic philosophy, and cultural production such as novels, music, and art.

Professor Malcolm Purinton

MR 11:45am – 1:25pm

CRN: 39548

HIST 2211 – The World Since 1945

Examines the political, economic, social, and cultural relationship between the developed and developing world since the end of World War II. Topics include the Cold War, independence and national movements in developing countries, the globalization of the world economy, scientific and technological innovations, wealth and poverty, the eradication of some diseases and the spread of others, the fall of the Soviet Union, Middle East turmoil, and the enduring conflict between Israel and Palestine.

Section 01 – Professor Katherine Luongo

MWR, 9:15am – 10:20am

CRN: 36370

Section 05 – Professor Peter Fraunholtz

Does Not Meet – Asynchronous

CRN: 36371

HIST 2217 – Global Far-Right Since 1945: Politics, Culture, Violence

Explores the emergence of far-right activism globally since the end of World War II. Emphasizes how radical far-right ideology developed and shifted over the course of the last 75 years by focusing on how it globalized through written culture, music, and the internet. Examines a number of case studies in which far-right cultures developed and then spread, which can include South Africa, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Russia, as well as related movements such as radical Hindu nationalism and Hindutva. Explores each case study in terms of culture, politics, and ideologies of violence.

Liam MacLean

WF, 11:45am – 1:25pm

CRN: 40937

HIST 2220 – History of Technology

Offers an interdisciplinary survey of the global history of science and technology. Explores how scientific and technical knowledge, processes, and innovations developed and circulated. Examines how science and technology both shaped and responded to society, culture, ethics, and thought.

Section 02 – Professor Jessica Linker

MWR, 9:15am – 10:20am

CRN: 36372

Section 03 – Professor Tiffany Nichols

MWR, 10:30am – 11:35am

CRN: 39550

HIST 2301 – The History Seminar

Introduces history majors to advanced techniques of historical practice in research and writing. Offers students an opportunity to conduct original research and write an original research paper. Seminar themes vary; students should check with the Department of History for a list of each year’s seminar offerings. May be repeated without limit.

Professor Tiffany Nichols

MR, 11:45am – 1:25pm

CRN: 30294

HIST 2302 – Historical Writing

Covers learning and practicing methods and conventions of historical writing for publication. Adjuncted to a Seminar in History, which fulfills the Advanced Writing in the Disciplines requirement.

Professor Tiffany Nichols

Does Not Meet

CRN: 35280

HIST 2311 – Colonialism/Imperialism

Examines the military, economic, political, and cultural expansion of world powers since the fifteenth century, and the ways in which colonized peoples were ruled. Why did colonialist countries feel the need to conquer and dominate, how did they do it, and why did they retreat on some fronts? How did people resist and cooperate with colonialism? How did colonialism affect national and cultural identities? Colonialism is examined as a global phenomenon and from a comparative perspective that looks at particular case studies. Also examines decolonization in the twentieth century.

Section 03 – Professor Peter Fraunholtz

Does Not Meet – Asynchronous

CRN: 35221

Section 04 – Professor Heather Salter

TF, 1:35pm – 3:15pm

CRN: 39551

HIST 2340 – Digital Histories of Ethnic Boston

Integrates history of ethnic groups in Boston with methods from the digital humanities (DH) through a semester-long collaborative student project focused on one particular ethnic group. Combines learning how to use DH technology (as well as its possible misuses) with learning about the history of particular ethnic groups in Boston, such as Jews, the Irish, African Americans, etc. Uses hands-on approaches to study ethnic migration and history to and within Boston by touring neighborhoods and sites. Examines DH technologies through workshops introducing tools such as Omeka, Story Maps, and Tableau, among other possibilities. Also examines different techniques for data visualization, relationship mapping, network analysis, and text analysis.

Professor Nicholas Brown

W, 10:30am – 1:25pm

CRN: 39553

HIST 3330 – The Global Cold War

Examines the Cold War, emphasizing how the Soviet-American struggle for global preeminence intersected with decolonization and the rise of the “Third World.” Uses primary sources, monographs, and scholarly articles to trace the major events and developments of the Cold War—ideological differences between the capitalist and socialist systems, the Cuban Missile Crisis, the construction of the Berlin Wall, the Vietnam War—while also exploring how and why the Cold War came to pervade economic, cultural, and social relations globally. Examines how unexpected actors—Cuban doctors and Peace Corps volunteers—responded to and shaped superpower rivalry. Considers how the Cold War continues to shape the world today.

Professor Gretchen Heefner

TF, 9:50am – 11:30am

CRN: 39554

HIST 3350 – Leaders & Leadership in History

Explores the classic historical question of whether leaders make history or history makes leaders. Some leaders are considered unquestionable successes, while others are deemed partial or abject failures. Examines how certain men and women arrived at leadership positions, considering personal charisma and historical contingency. Studies the choices leaders made in difficult situations, and analyzes leaders’ successes and failures through historical notions of ethics and justice. Also examines the question of legacy, to understand why some leaders stand out (for better or worse) and other leaders recede from historical narratives. Case studies from around the world include national leaders and unsung heroes, from the early modern period through the present. Sources include historical scholarship, archive documents, and cultural renderings.

Professor Louise Walker

MWR, 10:30am – 11:35am

CRN: 35222

HIST 4701 – Capstone Seminar

Offers students an opportunity to make use of advanced techniques of historical methodology to conduct original research and write a major, original research paper as the culmination of their work toward the history degree. This is a capstone research and writing seminar for history majors.

Professor Simon Rabinovitch

MW, 2:50pm – 4:30pm

CRN: 36374

HIST 5102 – Theory and Methodology 2: Intro to World History 2

This course provides an introduction to the historiography of the field of World History, with an emphasis on the period after 1950. We will explore the development of this growing field within the academy, and we will investigate some of the major questions historians have been asking in recent world history scholarship. We will also explore a wide variety of methodological approaches to ‘doing’ World History, as well as related approaches such as transnational and international history. Required for first year PhD and World History MA students.

Professor Heather Salter

T, 4:35pm – 7:30pm

CRN: 33214

HIST 7221 – Topics in World History

This course is designed to help second- and third-year PhD students prepare for comprehensive exams and/or prospectus writing.  Second-year students will work on building reading lists, defining topics, and strategies for getting the work done. Third-year students will craft their dissertation proposals. Much of the course will involve independent and small group work, as well as presentations by students who have already completed their requirements. This class can be taken on top of an existing course load, as assigned readings are contained to reviewing proposals and the books on your own reading lists. 

Professor Kris Manjapra

M, 4:35pm – 7:30pm

CRN: 35223

HIST 7239 – Space and Place

Professor Garrett Nelson

W, 4:35pm – 7:30pm

CRN: 39555