History (HI)

HI 107 The History of Civilization I 3 Credits

A survey providing a global perspective of the history of human cultures and institutions from earliest times to 1500 CE, focusing on Europe, Asia, and Africa. The course offers an active and participatory environment to the study of history through discussions, simulations, study of primary sources, and research assignments. Open only to first year students or by permission of department. Offered annually.

HI 108 The History of Civilization II 3 Credits

A survey of major world civilizations that provides a global perspective of the development of the modern world from 1500 to the present. The course offers an active and participatory environment to the study of history through discussions, simulations, study of primary sources, and research assignments. Open only to first year students or by permission of department. Offered every semester.

HI 121 American History Survey I 3 Credits

A survey of American history from the Age of Discovery to 1877. American institutions ranging from political and economic to social and cultural will be examined. Open only to freshmen and sophomores. Offered every semester.

HI 122 American History Survey II 3 Credits

A continuing survey of multiple facets of American Civilization as presented in HI121, focusing on the period from the close of political Reconstruction in 1877 to the present. The maturation of democratic institutions and the emergence of the United States as a world power will also be examined. Open only to freshmen and sophomores. Offered every semester.

HI 201 Ancient Greece and Rome 3 Credits

A survey of Greek and Roman civilizations from the origins of the polis to the fall of the Western Roman Empire. Prerequisite: Sophomore standing or higher. Usually offered annually.

HI 202 The Middle Ages: Europe 500 - 1500 3 Credits

The history of Europe from the fall of the Roman Empire to 1500. The class examines the major political, economic, social, and cultural trends in the development of a distinctive European civilization, built primarily on Christian, Greco-Roman, and Germanic foundations. Prerequisite: Sophomore standing or higher. Usually offered annually.

HI 209 Historical Methods 3 Credits

This course introduces students to the methods, techniques and conventions of historical research and writing, including such skills as identifying, understanding, analyzing and interpreting primary and secondary sources, compiling bibliographies, citing sources, and understanding historiography. In addition, this course approaches the issue of ethics through a discussion of the ethical responsibilities of historians, including a discussion of plagiarism. Required for all history majors. Open to sophomore history majors only or by permission of department chair. This course does not fulfill the General Education History requirement. The course must be completed by the end of the junior year. Offered annually in the fall semester.

HI 211 Early East Asian Civilizations 3 Credits

This broad, historical survey course is about the civilizations and cultures of East Asia and the people that lived in them until the immediate post-Mongol conquest period. The core of the course will cover the areas that include modern Japan, China and Korea with reference to the inner Asian steppes. This lecture based course will be supplemented by primary source readings and discussion on Chinese and Japanese cultures, art and political philosophy. Prerequisite: Sophomore standing or higher. Usually offered annually.

HI 212 Modern East Asian Civilizations 3 Credits

This is a broad historical survey of the transformation of societies and states in East Asia from traditional empires to modern nation states. Rather than an exhaustive survey of facts and dates, this course is designed to introduce students to key questions in modern East Asian history. This lecture based course will be supplemented by primary source readings and discussion on Chinese and Japanese culture and politics. Prerequisite: Sophomore standing or higher. Usually offered annually.

HI 214 History of the Middle East 3 Credits

This course is a survey of a historically vital region. It will include an overview of the area known as the “Cradle of Civilizations and Monotheism,” as well as the rise of the Islamic Caliphate, the rise and fall of the Ottoman Empire, and the late 19th and 20th Centuries European imperialism and colonialism. The greatest emphasis, however, will be on the modern period. In order to fully comprehend the contemporary situation, it is necessary to include an historical examination of the cultural and religious diversity, as well as the political complexity of the people and states which comprise the so-called Middle East. Prerequisite: Sophomore standing or higher. Offered in the spring semester.

HI 215 Vermont Regional Material Culture 3 Credits

A survey of the human-manipulated landscape of Vermont from the time of European settlement in the mid-18th century to the present. The course will trace the impact of economic, social, cultural , and technological forces on the landscape. Students will observe, through extensive field observations, how those forces have shaped the environment of the region. Prerequisite: Sophomore standing or higher and permission of the instructor. 3 lecture hours.

HI 218 Survey of Sub-Sahara Africa 3 Credits

This course encompasses the history of sub-Saharan Africa from approximately 1800 to the end of the so-called "Cold War." It is a comprehensive introduction to the numerous and diverse cultural, political, and economic entities comprising this complex area of the world. The central themes of the course, however, will be the related phenomena of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade, European colonialism, and western neo-colonialism and their varying impact upon the different regions. Prerequisite: Sophomore standing or higher.

HI 223 Europe's Age of Revolution. 1500 -1800 3 Credits

This course traces Europe's path from medieval to modern by examining a series of political, intellectual, and technological revolutions between 1500 and 1800. Topics will include the Reformation, Scientific Revolution, Enlightenment, American and French Revolutions, and the Industrial Revolution, all discussed within the broader context of cultural change, social reform, and technological development, Prerequisite: Sophomore standing or higher. Offered annually.

HI 224 Modern European History 3 Credits

This course examines the political, military, and social history of Europe in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The nineteenth century witnessed remarkable changes in European society and politics. It was an age of romantics and reactionaries, liberals and imperialists, revolutionaries and racists, nationalists and irrationalists. At the beginning of the twentieth century, Europe dominated the world. However, two world wars, the rise and fall of fascism and communism, the concept of superpowers, and the growth of mass consumer society destroyed the old European hegemony and led to a new and evolving idea of "Europe". Prerequisite: Sophomore standing or higher. Offered alternate years.

HI 227 Modern British History, 1688 - Present 3 Credits

The history of the British Isles from the "Glorious Revolution" of 1688 to the region's current struggles with maintaining national identity at the dawn of the twenty-first century. Emphasis will be on the decline of the monarchy, the establishment of parliament as a truly representative body, and the rise and fall of the British Empire. Prerequisite: Sophomore standing or higher. Offered alternate years.

HI 228 Norwich University History 3 Credits

The history of Norwich University placed within the context of the history of higher education and the wider framework of U.S. cultural history. Prerequisite: Sophomore standing or higher. Offered on occasion. 3 lecture hours.

HI 235 Military History I 3 Credits

This course provides an examination of the major issues evident in the study of military affairs from the dawn of time to the present day. Using a modular approach, this course will explore the following topics: mobile warfare, urban warfare, child soldiers, war in the air, civilians in the path of war, women in war, and the unintended consequences of warfare. Prerequisite: Sophomore standing or higher. Offered every semester.

HI 236 Military History II 3 Credits

This course provides an examination of the major issues evident in the study of military affairs from the dawn of time to the present day. Using a modular approach, this course will explore the following topics: the origins of war, total war, soldiers in war, military theory, insurgency & counterinsurgency warfare, military revolutions, and static warfare. Prerequisite: Sophomore standing or higher. Offered every semester.

HI 260 Topics in History 3 Credits

Topics will vary.

HI 303 Colloquium in Ancient History 3 Credits

A reading and writing intensive course, emphasizing historical research and analytical skills. Possible topics include, but are not limited to, the development of historical writing, the Roman Empire, women in antiquity, pagans and Christians, etc. Prerequisite: C or better in one 200 level history course or instructor permission. May be repeated for credit with a different topic. Offered annually.

HI 304 Colloquium in Medieval History 3 Credits

A reading and writing intensive course, emphasizing historical research and analytical skills. Possible topics include, but are not limited to, the Crusades. medieval Christianity and medieval women. Prerequisite: C or better in one 200 level history course or instructor permission. May be repeated for credit with a different topic. Offered annually.

HI 315 Modern China 3 Credits

A standard reading and lecture course, Modern China introduces students to the major processes shaping twentieth century Chinese history. The course emphasizes regional knowledge, historical research and analytical skills building. Major topics will include in all cases an overview of Chinese history since 1700 (late imperial and twentieth century "modern" China) with emphasis on political, social history and environmental developments. Other sub-topics in the course include, but are limited to, nation building/nationalism, gender issues, and border/Central Asia relations. Prerequisite: C or better in one 200 level history course or instructor permission. Offered annually.

HI 317 Modern Japan 3 Credits

A standard reading and lecture course, Modern Japan introduces students to the major processes of shaping twentieth century Japanese history. The course emphasizes regional knowledge, historical research and analytical skills building. Major topics will include in all cases an overview of Japanese history since 1868 (Tokugawa dissolution through the late twentieth century) with emphasis on political and economic history. Other sub-topics in the course include, but are not limited to, Japan-in-the-world (international relations), gender issues, ethnic relations and the environment. Prerequisite: C or better in one 200 level history course or instructor permission. Offered on occasion.

HI 319 Colloquium in Chinese History 3 Credits

This is a thematic, reading and writing intensive course, emphasizing historical research and analytical skills. Possible topics include, but are not limited to, the development of ethnicity and ethnic visions of regional history in China, China's military history, frontier/border history, Ancient China and Greece, etc. Prerequisite: C or better in one 200 level history course or instructor permission. May be repeated for credit with a different topic. Offered alternate years.

HI 321 Reformation Europe 3 Credits

The years immediately following the 1517 publication of Martin Luther's Ninety-Five Theses saw a sudden and unprecedented upheaval in European society. This course will examine the social, political, and spiritual context of late medieval Europe, then consider the implications of the Reformation for politics, gender and the modern world. Original sources in translation will form the basis for discussion, supplemented by lecture and secondary materials. Prerequisite: C or better in one 200 level history course or instructor permission. Offered alternate years.

HI 322 Colloquium in Early Modern European History 3 Credits

A reading and writing intensive course covering a specialized topic within the history of Early Modern Europe. Topics could include the Thirty Years War, Crime and Deviance, the Enlightenment, the French Revolution, or Persecution and Tolerance. Designed for history majors in their junior or senior years. Prerequisite: C or better in one 200 level history course or instructor permission. May be repeated for credit with a different topic.

HI 326 Nazi Germany and the Holocaust 3 Credits

This course examines the political, military, cultural and social history of Germany during the period of Nazi rule, 1933-1945. Special attention is given to the sources of support for Nazism, the structure of the National Socialist state, the role of Adolf Hitler, and the Holocaust. Offered alternate years.

HI 329 Modern Russian History, 1917 to the Present 3 Credits

This course examines the political, military, and social history of Russia and the Soviet Union from the birth of the Soviet state through the present day. The foundations of the Soviet state - ideological, industrial, and soical - proved too shaky to support the needs and expectations of a modern society. From Nicholas II to Lenin, Stalin to Yeltsin, this course examines the unique and dynamic leadership of Russia, as well as the lives of ordinary people in this fascinating culture. Offered alternate years.

HI 331 The Colonial Period of American History 3 Credits

A study of the settlement and development of the British colonies from their origins to 1763. Offered alternate years. Prerequisite: C or better in one 200 level history course or instructor permission. 3 lecture hours.

HI 332 The American Revolution 3 Credits

A study of the separation of the 13 British colonies from the mother country and establishment of the United States as an independent nation in the period 1763-1789. Offered alternate years. Prerequisite: C or better in one 200 level history course or instructor permission. 3 lecture hours.

HI 333 Colloquium in Early American History 3 Credits

An intensive reading, research and writing course focusing on selected topics relating to early American history. The chronological range of possible topics extends from the Age of Discovery in the sixteenth century through the American Revolution and the ratification of the U.S. Constitution in 1789. Prerequisite: C or better in one 200 level history course or instructor permission. May be repeated for credit with a different topic.

HI 334 The Citizen-Soldier in American History 3 Credits

An examination of the evolution of American military policy from the colonial era through the Vietnamese War, giving special attention to the perennial conflict between the advocates of a professional army and the proponents of a civilian soldiery. Offered alternate years. Prerequisite: C or better in one 200 level history course or instructor permission. 3 lecture hours.

HI 335 20th Century U.S. History 3 Credits

A reading and writing intensive course, emphasizing historical research and analytical skills. Possible topics include, but are not limited to, the rise of political parties in the United States, the Gilded Age, etc. Prerequisite: C or better in one 200 level history course or instructor permission. May be repeated for credit with a different topic.

HI 338 U.S. Diplomatic History, 1776-1914 3 Credits

A study of the foreign relations and foreign policies of the United States from the American Revolution up to the First World War. Topics include territorial expansion, the War of 1812, the Mexican-American War, the expansion of American trade, and the Spanish-American War. Offered alternate years. Prerequisite: C or better in one 200 level history course or instructor permission. 3 lecture hours.

HI 339 U.S. Diplomatic History, 1914-present 3 Credits

A study of the foreign relations and foreign policy of the United States from the First World War to the present. Topics include the two World Wars, the Cold War, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and post-cold war policy. Offered alternate years. Prerequisite: C or better in one 200 level history course or instructor permission. 3 lecture hours.

HI 340 Colloquium in Twentieth Century United States History 3 Credits

A reading and writing intensive course, emphasizing historical research and analytical skills. Possible topics include, but are not limited to, World War I, the Great Depression, the 1960's, and the Rise of the Modern Conservative Movement. Prerequisite: C or better in one 200 level history course or instructor permission. May be repeated for credit with a different topic.

HI 341 U.S. Civil War Era, 1848-1877 3 Credits

This course examines the causes of the American Civil War, the course of the conflict, and the subsequent period of reconstruction through 1877. Offered alternate years. Prerequisite: C or better in one 200 level history course or instructor permission. 3 lecture hours.

HI 345 Colloquium in the History of the Middle East & Northeast Africa 3 Credits

The colloquium will be an intensive reading, research and writing course focusing on selected historical topics relating to this region of the world. Possible topics include, but are not limited to, the rise and expansion of Islam, the Medieval Middle East, the Axum Empire, European Imperialism and Colonialism, the Ottoman Empire, and the Arab-Israeli Conflict. Prerequisite: C or higher in one 200 level history course or instructor permission. May be repeated for credit with different topic.

HI 355 Colloquium in Modern Military History 3 Credits

A reading and writing intensive course, emphasizing historical research and analytical skills. Possible topics include, but are not limited to, the First World War, the Second World War, the military history of Russia, etc. Prerequisite: C or better in one 200 level history course or instructor permission. May be repeated for credit with a different topic.

HI 360 Topics in U.S. History 3 Credits

Topics vary. Prerequisite: C or better in one 200 level history course or instructor permission.

HI 361 Topics in Modern European History 3 Credits

Topics vary. Prerequisite: C or better in one 200 level history course or instructor permission.

HI 362 Topics in Pre Modern History 3 Credits

Topics vary. Prerequisite: C or better in one 200 level history course or instructor permission.

HI 363 Topics in Non-Western History 3 Credits

Topics vary. Prerequisite: C or better in one 200 level history course or instructor permission.

HI 371 Nation-Building 3 Credits

This course provides an exposure to the challenges of crating or re-creating nations after a period of crisis and upheaval. Whether following wars, grants of independence from foreign rule, or human rights atrocities, countries must undertake political, economic, and social reforms to construct stable, popularly accepted, and economically viable polities. How have nations tried to accomplish this complex task in the past hundred years? Historical case studies may be drawn from Africa, the Caribbean, Europe, and Asia. Prerequisite: C or better in one 200 level history course or instructor permission. Offered alternate years.

HI 372 Military History of the United States I, 1775-1902 3 Credits

This course will trace the evolution of American military power from the early days of frontier and revolutionary conflict to an era of American imperial ambition at the end of the nineteenth century. Particular attention will be given to strategic challenges of protecting/expanding the American state, the tactical innovations and failures of nineteenth century warfare, and the formulation of the civil-military relationship in American politics and society. Prerequisite: C or better in one 200 level history course or instructor permission.

HI 373 Military History of the United States II, 1902-Present 3 Credits

This course will explore the evolution of the American military from its days as a small frontier force at the turn of the twentieth century to its present status as a multi-tasking, global power. Specifically, this course will examine the struggle of American political and military leaders to work together in developing strategies and tactics capable of tackling the complex challenges of modern warfare.Prerequisite: C or better in one 200 level history course or instructor permission.

HI 400 Independent Study 3 Credits

An opportunity for qualified upperclass students to engage in an intensive reading or research program in fields of interest not satisfactorily covered by regular course offerings. Periodic conferences will be required. Prerequisites: written consent of the instructor to a specific project presented by the applicant. Offered as occasion demands.

HI 405 History Internship 3-12 Credit

Supervised experience at a museum, archives, historical society, or restoration project involving research or field work. Direct participation in such activities as the editing of manuscripts, the interpretation of artifacts, or the preservation of historic structures. Prerequisite: permission of department chair. Normally open only to seniors. Offered as occasion demands.

HI 430 Capstone Seminar in United States History 3 Credits

A semester course for advanced students, primarily for senior History or Studies in War & Peace majors. Topics vary from semester to semester. Prerequisite: Completion of one history colloquium with a grade of C or higher and permission of the instructor.

HI 431 Capstone Seminar in Modern European History 3 Credits

A semester course for advanced students, primarily for senior History or Studies in War & Peace majors. Topics vary from semester to semester. Prerequisite: Completion of one history colloquium with a grade of C or higher and permission of the instructor.

HI 432 Capstone Seminar in Pre-Modern History 3 Credits

A semester course for advanced students, primarily for senior History or Studies in War & Peace majors. Topics vary from semester to semester. Prerequisite: Completion of one history colloquium with a grade of C or higher and permission of the instructor.

HI 433 Seminar in Non-Western History 3 Credits

A semester course for advanced students, primarily for senior History or Studies in War & Peace majors. Topics vary from semester to semester. Prerequisite: Completion of one history colloquium with a grade of C or higher and permission of the instructor. 3 lecture hours.

HI 490 Honors in History I 3 Credits

First semester of a two semester sequence honors thesis project. The first semester is devoted primarily to research. Not repeatable for credit. Does not fulfill distribution requirement for major.

HI 491 Honors in History II 3 Credits

Second semester of a two semester sequence. The second semester is devoted to writing and defending the honors thesis. Not repeatable for credit. Does not fulfill distribution requirement for major. Prerequisite: A grade of "B" or higher in HI 490 and permission of the program director and department chair. 3 lecture hours.