HIST 280 Topics

"19th Century Women in the U.S. West"

The U.S. West of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries was a complex historical space, and mythology of the West focuses, almost exclusively, on the male experience. Yet, women played central roles. This course will examine relationships, and intersectionality, of gender, class, race, and ethnicity. Thus, allow a better understanding of the why and how many women challenged the traditional distribution, and accessed avenues, of power to construct new social realities, identities, and status. In studying this female empowerment, a greater understanding emerges that helps to more accurately explain the American past. During the course of this seminar students will construct and revise a unique research paper based on primary and secondary sources.

"Remembering (and Forgetting) War"

This course looks at how societies have “remembered” war—through monuments, public holidays, commemorative rituals, reenactments, popular culture, and so on. More specifically, we will focus on how collective war memories have shaped and sustained notions of group identity. In the process, students will produce an original research paper, based on primary and secondary sources, that incorporates the theoretical insights gleaned from class readings and discussions.

"The Slave's World"

An examination of the institution of slavery in the US from the perspective of enslaved people. Students will read the classic slave narratives and autobiographies written by fugitive slaves and produce a research paper on slavery based on this material.

"Mapping Victory"

The American Soldier Experience in World War Two Europe - This course will examine the experience of American soldiers in World War Two Europe through a large collection of maps housed in Cushing Library and Archives. Students will use these maps as a source to understand the behavior, attitudes, and memories of American soldiers in North Africa, Italy, and Western Europe. The class will contribute to a digital research project that seeks to develop these maps as a public research tool.

""Policing and Public Memory in America"

This course traces the historical development of policing in the United States. Students learn the historical method while writing a 10–12-page essay based on their original research in primary and secondary sources. Specifically, students research and write about efforts to commemorate law enforcement officers and their actions in the twentieth century: memorial highways, statues, plaques, protest art, murals, graffiti, etc. Excellent student research may be featured in an online Public History platform dedicated to the topic.

"Popular Culture in Early 20th Century America"

Over the course of the semester, we will explore the ways in which popular culture informed experiences from 1890 through 1940. Historical study of popular culture allows us the opportunity to see the complex ways in which people have negotiated their identities – such as class, race, religion, political allegiance, ethnicity, and gender expression. Popular culture manifests in many ways, including sports, dance, magazines, cartoons, music, theater, toys, food, and language. Through analysis of primary and secondary materials, we will examine how the patterns of popular culture show us both the stability of everyday traditions and the potential for change in the actions of “ordinary” people. Students will develop original research papers supported by primary and secondary sources.