History (HIS)

HIS 100  Introduction to the Social Sciences  (4 credits)  
HIS 102  Ancient and Medieval History to the 14th Century  (3 credits)  
Prerequisites: This course does not have a prerequisite.
HIS 103  History of Western Civilization 1300-1815  (3 credits)  
This course covers the cultural contributions of the Renaissance, Reformation, and Counter Reformation. It examines the ages of discovery and of absolutism, the Enlightenment, the early scientific revolution, the background and events of the French Revolution, and ends with the age of Napoleon.
Course Rotation: NYC: Fall and Spring. PLV: Fall and Spring.
Prerequisites: This course does not have a prerequisite.
HIS 104  History of Western Civilization 1815 to Present  (3 credits)  
This course deals with the continuing efforts during the 19th and 20th centuries to establish new systems of world order to replace those destroyed in the age of the French Revolution. The course examines the growth of nationalism, liberalism, industrialization and the new imperialism, culminating in the two World Wars and the bi-polar, post-1945 world.
Course Rotation: NYC:TBA. PLV: Fall and Spring.
Prerequisites: This course does not have a prerequisite.
HIS 105  Western Civilization I  (3 credits)  
HIS 106  Western Civilization II  (3 credits)  
HIS 107  World Civilization I  (3 credits)  
A general survey of world history; a study of the world's major cultural areas, their unique achievements and their interaction with and relation to other societies. Covers the period to the mid-17th century.
Course Rotation: NYC: TBA ; PLV: F.
Prerequisites: This course does not have a prerequisite.
HIS 108  World History After 1650  (3 credits)  
A general survey of world history; a study of the world's major cultural areas, their unique achievements and their interaction with and relation to other societies. Covers the period from the mid-17th century.
Course Rotation: NYC:TBA; PLV: F.
Prerequisites: This course does not have a prerequisite.
HIS 108C  The World Since 1650 - CAP  (3 credits)  
HIS 111  American Civilization to 1877  (3 credits)  
An examination of the social, political, and economic factors which have shaped American civilization. The course emphasizes the European background, the American Revolution and the building of a new nation, the emergent forces of nationalism, sectionalism, and westward expansion, the Civil War and the period of Reconstruction.
Course Rotation: NYC: Fall and Summer. PLV: Fall and Spring.
Prerequisites: This course does not have a prerequisite.
HIS 112  American Civilization Since 1877  (3 credits)  
A survey of political, social, and cultural developments in the United States since 1877, emphasizing the Populist and Progressive movements, the New Deal, and the role of the United States in international affairs.
Course Rotation: NYC: Spring and Summer. PLV: Fall and Spring.
Prerequisites: This course does not have a prerequisite.
HIS 112C  American Civilization Since 1877 (CAP)  (3 credits)  
HIS 113A  The History of Native Peoples in the United States  (3 credits)  
This survey course will focus on the study of Native peoples in the area now identified as the United States to the 20th Century American Indian Movement. We will focus on the diverse cultural, political systems, and survival of various indigenous groups throughout European contact, the colonial period, and the United States. We will also be placing a special emphasis on the efforts of the United States towards assimilation, conflict, and detribalization. We will delve into Native American roles in various events of American history such as but not limited to the American Revolution, Civil War, and WWII. We will be also examining the concept of political relations with sovereign Native nations and groups. Students will utilize historical analysis and become engaged with primary and secondary sources and develop arguments that are based on historical evidence from various perspectives.
Course Rotation: NYC: Fall
Prerequisites: This course does not have a prerequisite.
HIS 113B  The American Experience: American Diversity, Immigration, Ethnicity and Race  (3 credits)  
The U.S. is and always has been a nation of immigrants. This course studies American pluralism and diversity. It explores such topics as the push, pull, and means factors that have attracted and continue to attract millions of people to America; the interplay of race, ethnicity, class, and gender on the American political system, economy, and culture; the things that support or that oppose acceptance, assimilation, and socio-economic mobility of various ethnic and racial groups; and the aspirations, values, and experiences that unite Americans, as well as the social conflicts, prejudices, and fears of national fragmentation that arise in a heterogeneous nation. Credit Badge: Immigration Advocacy and Policy.
Course Rotation: PLV: Fall,Spring
Prerequisites: This course does not have a prerequisite.
HIS 113C  The American Experience: United States and the World - (CAP)  (3 credits)  
This course provides a thorough understanding of why diversity has been, and continues to be, a major factor in American History. In chronological terms, the course will proceed from the circumstances surrounding the adoption of the Declaration of Independence in 1776 to the struggle over ratification of the proposed Equal Rights Amendment to the Constitution in the nineteen eighties.
Prerequisites: This course does not have a prerequisite.
HIS 113D  The American Experience.: America between the Wars 1920-41  (3 credits)  
HIS 113E  The American Experience: Dissent American History: Civil War to Present  (3 credits)  
The United States was founded by people who were dissenters. The recognition of differences and the need to incorporate them in a constantly evolving society is written into our founding documents. Through the textbook and original documents this course will explore major political and social movements that were once considered radical and the times in which they arose. We will also examine how over time many of the demands of these movements have become part of the core values of the United States.
Prerequisites: This course does not have a prerequisite.
HIS 113F  The American Experience: The American Constitution and the Presidency  (3 credits)  
This course will examine themes in American History from the 1780s to the present through the Constitution and the Presidency. By the end of the course, students will be able to: 1) Identify the changing meaning and significance of individualism in United States presidential politics and 2) Discuss the major developments in Constitutional history in topics of limitations on power and protections of minorities.
Course Rotation: NYC: Fall and Spring
Prerequisites: This course does not have a prerequisite.
HIS 113G  The American Experience: The Colonial Legacy  (3 credits)  
HIS 113H  The American Experience: Lessons in Liberty: Promise and Reality  (3 credits)  
Through a study of documentary and literary sources related to specific topics, the course will examine how the idea of “liberty” has developed and changed throughout the course of American history. Students will read, discuss and write about a wide variety of materials, including but not limited to political documents, speeches, political treatises, letters, biographies, newspaper articles and poetry, in an effort to understand what liberty has meant to others in the past and what it means to them today. Through frequent writing assignments, debates and class discussions, students will develop the critical thinking skills necessary to relate these documents both to the documents’ historical context and to current national and international issues.
Prerequisites: This course does not have a prerequisite.
HIS 113J  The American Experience: Challenge and Opportunity  (3 credits)  
HIS 113K  The American Experience: The City and the Workplace  (3 credits)  
This course will focus on the political, economic, cultural, and social history of NYC from the colonial period to the consolidation of the five boroughs in 1898 asking the question and attempting to answer: How did NYC evolve into the place we now inhabit?
Prerequisites: This course does not have a prerequisite.
HIS 113L  The American Experience: Promise and Reality  (3 credits)  
HIS 113M  The American Experience: The Early American Legacy  (3 credits)  
This course examines early America's society and culture as reflected by important political, economic, and military developments from the earliest Indian encounters with Europeans and Africans through the American Civil War with a focus on race, gender and class relations; capitalism; and competing religious and secular values.
Prerequisites: This course does not have a prerequisite.
HIS 113N  The American Experience: Wealth and American Culture - OBDP  (4 credits)  
HIS 113P  Introduction to Public History: Pace University 9/11 Oral History Project  (3 credits)  
This course integrates community-based learning and civic engagement with the discipline of History. Students are introduced to public history and oral history and deepen and broaden their knowledge of September 11, 2001. Simultaneously, students study the meaning of civic engagement through readings in history, literature and political theory and experience community-based learning by their participation as interviewers and transcribers for the Pace University 9/11 Oral History Project.
Prerequisites: This course does not have a prerequisite.
HIS 113Q  The American Experience: American Political Tradition  (3 credits)  
This course focuses on the fundamental elements of the American political system. Topics include the Constitutional Convention, the amendments, the presidency and the Congress, political parties, elections, lobbies and pressure groups.
Prerequisites: This course does not have a prerequisite.
HIS 113R  The American Experience: Changing Roles of American Women  (3 credits)  
This course introduces students to the active participation of women in molding the nation’s history. The construct of gender norms and the changing assumptions about women and their place in society provides a central focal point. The experiences of women from diverse class, race, ethnic, and religious backgrounds etc. also will be considered.
Course Rotation: PLV: Fall.
Prerequisites: This course does not have a prerequisite.
HIS 113S  The War Film in History: Genre, Gender and Race  (3 credits)  
The War Film in History: Genre, Gender and Race will view American and international was films on the context of history, and as interpretations of history, while discussing such themes as genre, gender and race. Films depicting the American Civil War, World War I, World War II, the Korean War, Vietnam War, and more recent wars, will be viewed and assessed critically. The function of war films as propagandistic, motivational, and as either pro- or anti-war statements will also be discussed and evaluated.
Course Rotation: PLV:FALL
Prerequisites: This course does not have a prerequisite.
HIS 113U  The American Experience: The United States and the World  (3 credits)  
This course traces the transformation of the U.S. since World War I from an isolationist power, reluctant to form "entangling alliances" or interfere in international affairs outside the Western Hemisphere to the dominant world power. It will examine how and why this change occurred through U.S. participation in two World Wars and forty years of Cold War and what the consequences of that transformation have been for Americans at home and for world international relations.
Course Rotation: Fall and Spring.
Prerequisites: This course does not have a prerequisite.
HIS 113W  The American Experience: Wealth and American Culture  (3-4 credits)  
An analysis of the accumulation and utilization of legendary American fortunes, with emphasis upon post- Civil War industrial fortunes: Gilded Age lifestyles: impact of the World Wars and Great Depression of the twentieth century: dot.com fortunes of the late twentieth century: paths to wealth in the twenty-first century; philanthropy.
Course Rotation: NYC: Fall, Spring, and Summer. PLV: Fall and Spring.
Prerequisites: This course does not have a prerequisite.
HIS 113X  The American Experience: Wealth and the American Culture  (4 credits)  
HIS 113Y  Technology, Transportation, and Trade in New York City  (3 credits)  
HIS 113Z  Imagining the Future: New York City and the American Dream  (3 credits)  
HIS 114A  European Experience: European Civilization and Minorities  (3 credits)  
HIS 114B  The European Experience: British Heritage  (3 credits)  
HIS 114C  Ideas and the Modern State (CAP)  (3 credits)  
HIS 114D  The European Experience: Women's World  (3 credits)  
HIS 114E  The European Experience: The Age of the Renaissance  (3 credits)  
This course will focus on Italy and the Northern Monarchies from 1350-1550. Among the chief Renaissance values that diffused across Europe and remain part of the Western Heritage are social fluidity, civic and urban culture, learning and humanistic excellence, capitalism, and a global economy, and the application of wealth to stimulate learning and the arts.
Course Rotation: NY: Fall, Spring and Summer.
Prerequisites: This course does not have a prerequisite.
HIS 114F  The European Experience: The Holocaust: History and Legacy  (3 credits)  
More than fifty years later, the Holocaust remains one of the most compelling and horrible events in European history. How was it possible for the Nazis to exterminate most of Europe's Jewish population? What role did Adolph Hitler and other Nazi leaders play? How responsible were ordinary Germans for this tragic event? What was every day life in Nazi Germany like? This course will attempt to answer these and other questions.
Course Rotation: PLV: Spring.
Prerequisites: This course does not have a prerequisite.
HIS 114M  The European Experience: Ideas and the Modern State  (3 credits)  
This course examines intellectual, political, social and economic issues concerning the transformation to modernity in Europe and its consequences to the present day. In the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, nationalism, Fascism and Communism challenged freedom and equality and justified violence in new ways. Modern industrial techniques revolutionized warfare in "The Great War" from 1914-1918 and even more destructively, in World War II from 1939-1945. Since World War II, both domestic and international conditions - the Cold War, decolonization, immigration, the decline of Communism and economic globalization have provoked fresh debates among Europeans about the character of the modern State.
Course Rotation: NYC: Fall and Spring
Prerequisites: This course does not have a prerequisite.
HIS 114R  The European Experience: Russia and Eastern Europe: Continuity and Change  (3 credits)  
A survey course tracing the history of Russia and Eastern Europe from the 9th century to the present day, with a focus on Slavic civilization. Special attention is paid to questions of ethnic identities, nationalism, empire building, and revolution, especially with regard to the Russian Empire/Soviet Union. Students will be exposed to traditional and new approaches in history and area studies, including Marxist and Weberian interpretations, orientalism, colonialism and exploration, and the image of Russia in the West.
Course Rotation: NYC and PLV: Spring and Fall
Prerequisites: This course does not have a prerequisite.
HIS 114S  The European Experience: Church, State and Society in Medieval Europe  (3 credits)  
This course surveys the history of the Mediterranean region and Europe from ca. 300-1500 C.E. Topics include: the "fall" of the Roman Empire and foundation of Germanic kingdoms in Europe; the emergence of the Byzantine Empire; the rise of Islam; early medieval empires; feudal society; the Crusades; Europe's economic expansion after ca. 1050; cultural life and literature; universities; papal monarchy and religious dissent; and the problems of late Medieval Europe.
Course Rotation: PLV: Fall
Prerequisites: This course does not have a prerequisite.
HIS 114W  The European Experience: The Ancient World  (3 credits)  
This course focuses on the history of the Near East and Mediterranean world between ca.3500 B.C.E. to ca.300 C.E. Topics include: The Ancient Near East; Minoan Crete; Mycenaean and Homeric Greece; the development of the Greek city-state; the Athenian Empire and the Peloponnesian War; Alexander the Great and the Hellenistic Age; the Roman Republic and Early Roman Empire; the spread of Christianity; and the Later Roman Empire.
Prerequisites: This course does not have a prerequisite.
HIS 119  The Middle East: An Historical Survey  (3 credits)  
After a survey of the medieval Arab world and the Ottoman Empire, the course focuses on political, social, economic and cultural developments in the Arab world, Israel, Turkey, and Iran. The Israeli-Arab conflict is emphasized.
Course Rotation: NYC: Spring and Summer; PLV: Spring and Fall
Prerequisites: This course does not have a prerequisite.
HIS 119C  The Middle East: A Historical Survey - CAP  (3 credits)  
After a survey of the medieval Arab world and the Ottoman empire, the course focuses on political, social, economic and cultural developments in the Arab world, Israel, Turkey, and Iran. The Israeli-Arab conflict is emphasized.
Prerequisites: This course does not have a prerequisite.
HIS 120  Crimes Against Humanity: Historical Perspectives  (3 credits)  
This course examines the historical development of the idea of a “crime against humanity,“ and the strengths and weakness of the idea as an element of international law. Crimes against Humanity emerged as a legal institution in the aftermath of World War II and the Holocaust, and the global relevance of the concept has expanded from this particular, European, base. After first examining the violence and genocide that ultimately led to the post-WWII Nuremberg trials and formal prosecutions for "crimes against humanity", the course looks at how the definition of a crime an against humanity has expanded and become more inclusive in response to historical events such as South African Apartheid or Argentina’s "Dirty War". The last part of the course examines how we think and cope with crimes against humanity; the creation and development of international institutions meant to police and prosecute such crimes; the role of public memory and discourses serve in politicizing (or de-politicizing) the legacy of such crimes, and the place of reparations and recognition of past crimes in the contemporary political and social landscape.
Course Rotation: PLV; Spring
Prerequisites: This course does not have a prerequisite.
HIS 123  Modern Europe: French Revolution to Present  (3 credits)  
HIS 130  Historic Walking Tours of New York City  (2 credits)  
HIS 131  The Asian World: A Historical Survey  (3 credits)  
A survey of Asian history with the emphasis on the traditional Asian world order and modern transformations of the Asian societies under western impact.
Course Rotation: NYC: Fall, Spring, and Summer. PLV: Fall and Spring.
Prerequisites: This course does not have a prerequisite.
HIS 132  Africa: An Historical Survey  (3 credits)  
This course covers modern African history from 1800 to the present, mainly in West, North, and South Africa. The focus is on the changes in culture from pre-colonial times in 1800 through the rise and decline of European colonialism, the successful independence movements, and the economic problems and successes of the post-independence period from 1960 to the present.
Course Rotation: NYC: Fall, Spring, and Summer. PLV: Fall and Spring.
Prerequisites: This course does not have a prerequisite.
HIS 132A  Africa: A Historical Survey-Discovery Program  (4 credits)  
HIS 133  Latin America: The Colonial Era  (3 credits)  
This course begins with an overview of Spain and Portugal in the era before 1492 and continues with an analysis of the classic Amerindian civilizations of Mexico and Peru. It studies early Spanish administrative institutions established in the Caribbean and examines their transfer to the mainlands of North and South America. Developments in Portuguese Brazil during the same period will be surveyed. The Spanish mercantile system will be described as well as its collapse in the late 18-century, and the emergence of the first foci of the movements for independence.
Course Rotation: NYC: Fall. PLV: TBA.
Prerequisites: This course does not have a prerequisite.
HIS 134  Modern Latin America  (3 credits)  
Historical, political, and economic survey of modern Latin America. Overview of the major countries, such as Argentina, Brazil, Peru, Chile, Mexico, and Central America. Their development since 1870 will be analyzed, with emphasis on the period after 1900. The role of the region's economic and political dependence upon Europe and the USA, and of the U.S. as a key regional actor will be closely examined.
Course Rotation: Fall and Spring.
Prerequisites: This course does not have a prerequisite.
HIS 134C  Modern Latin America (CAP)  (3 credits)  
Historical, political, and economic survey of modern Latin America. Overview of the major countries, such as Argentina, Brazil, Peru, Chile, Mexico, and Central America. Their development since 1870 will be analyzed, with emphasis on the period after 1900. The role of the region's economic and political dependence upon Europe and the USA, and of the U.S. as a key regional actor will be closely examined.
Prerequisites: This course does not have a prerequisite.
HIS 150  New York's Legacy of Landmarks  (2 credits)  
HIS 196A  Topic: World Wars: Hot and Cold: A Global Perspective  (3 credits)  
This course will examine three of the key international conflicts of the twentieth century, the two world wars and the Cold War, in a global perspective. Students will obtain from the course an understanding of these events, their origins, development, and consequences for the global community.
Prerequisites: This course does not have a prerequisite.
HIS 196C  History of Ancient and Medieval Africa  (3 credits)  
This course will start with the arguments about the origins of man and African prehistory, and then discusses religion in Africa: traditional religions, Christianity and Islam. Other topics will include matrilineal societies, the medieval empires of Ghana, Mali and Songhay, archaeological findings, and the Transatlantic Slave Trade and creation of the African Diaspora. The founding of Modern South Africa in 1652 will also be introduced.
Prerequisites: This course does not have a prerequisite.
HIS 196D  Topic: Coping With Hard Times: Economic Downturns Throughout American History  (3 credits)  
This course will use a historical perspective to explore the causes of economic downturns (whether they are called “panics,” “depressions,” or “recessions” in the United States, and how the American people (at the government, business, and grass-roots levels) have responded to them.
Course Rotation: Online: Summer.
Prerequisites: This course does not have a prerequisite.
HIS 196H  Tpc:COVID-19 & Black Lives Matter: Comparative, Crisis-based Oral History in the American Experience  (3 credits)  
The impact of the global pandemic COVID-19 and the Black Lives Matter Movement will be studied in the context of 20th Century American History. The course will comparatively examine from social, economic, political, and cultural perspectives milestone historical developments that are substantively linked to COVID-19 and the Black Lives Matter Movement, but separated by 100 years and 60-70 years respectively: the Spanish Flu pandemic 1918-1919; the Race Riots of 1919; the early 1950s polio epidemic that culminated in the Salk vaccine; and the 1950s-1960s Civil Rights Movement. Oral history interviews pertaining to the Spanish Flu, Race Riots of 1919, the polio crisis and Civil Rights Movement will serve as primary source materials and offer oral history models for student-conducted COVID-19 and the Black Lives Matter Movement oral history interviews.
Course Rotation: NYC & PLV: Summer 2
Prerequisites: This course does not have a prerequisite.
HIS 198  Ancient and Medieval African History  (3 credits)  
In brief, the course surveys the major social, economic, and religious incidents on the continent of Africa that produced stable institutions that are functioning in the 21st century. The course also reveals the historic events of the Middle East that influenced the formation of the current nation-states of Africa.
Course Rotation: Fall
Prerequisites: This course does not have a prerequisite.
HIS 201  The Building of England  (3 credits)  
A survey of the growth of England's political and legal institutions and of her economic and social life from the Anglo-Saxon beginnings through the Revolution of 1688.
Course Rotation: NYC: TBA.
Prerequisites: This course does not have a prerequisite.
HIS 202  Modern Britain  (3 credits)  
A study of Great Britain in the modern period, surveying the political development of her empire and commonwealth, the Industrial Revolution, and constant economic and social adjustment.
Course Rotation: NYC: TBA.
Prerequisites: This course does not have a prerequisite.
HIS 203  Rome's Golden Age: The Late Republic and Early Empire  (3 credits)  
This course examines one of the most turbulent and creative periods of Roman history, c. 146 B.C. to c. 68 A.D. Topics include: the effects of imperial expansion upon Roman society; the failure of the Gracchi to democratize the Roman Republic; slavery; the destruction of the Republic by ambitious generals like Julius Caesar; the establishment of an imperial government by Augustus; and the criminal insanity of the Julio-Claudians. The course will pay special attention to how the Romans perceived these traumatic events.
Course Rotation: NYC: Fall, even years.
Prerequisites: This course does not have a prerequisite.
HIS 204  Ancient Civilization: Greek History and Archaeology, c. 3000 BCE - 323 B.C.  (3 credits)  
This is a survey course on the history and archaeology of ancient Greece that covers material from c. 3000 BCE to the death of Alexander the Great in 323 B.C.
Course Rotation: TBA
Prerequisites: This course does not have a prerequisite.
HIS 205  The Crusades  (3 credits)  
This course examines an important, but little understood, episode in European, Islamic, and Jewish history, the Crusades. Topics include: concepts of “just war” and the religious importance of the Holy Land; the appearance of the Seljuk Turks in the eastern Mediterranean; Urban II, the First Crusade, and the establishment of the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem; Saladin’s recovery of Jerusalem, and the Second and Third Crusades; the diversion of the Fourth Crusade to Constantinople; crusading in the 13th century; and crusading in Spain, southern France and the Baltic. This course will emphasize primary sources written by Christians, Muslims, and Jews in an effort to understand how medieval people perceived the Crusades then and now.
Course Rotation: NY:Spring
Prerequisites: This course does not have a prerequisite.
HIS 206  European History: Witches, Wizards and the Rise of Scientific Thought  (3 credits)  
The fifteenth through the eighteenth centuries produced some of the great intellectual milestones in European history: the Renaissance, Reformation, Scientific Revolution, and the Enlightenment. Yet during this same period, Europeans also became increasingly fascinated with (or terrified of) magic and the occult. This fascination manifested itself in witchcraft hysteria among the general population, as well as in an interest in the study of divination, astrology and alchemy among the intellectual elite. This course will examine the social, cultural, political and economic trends which produced this apparent dichotomy, and seek to identify those forces which ultimately led to victory of science over magic.
Course Rotation: PL: Spring
Prerequisites: This course does not have a prerequisite.
HIS 207  Europe Since World War I  (3 credits)  
This course examines the European nations and cultures which came out of the first World War, including: the emergence and growth of conflicting ideologies during the 1920's and 1930's; Modernism and mass culture; the great depression, the rise of fascism and the breakdown of international order; World War II and the Holocaust; existentialism and other intellectual and artistic movements; Europe and the cold war; decolonialization; the feminist and student movements of the 1960's; the creation of the common market; the growth of the welfare state and its dismantling; and the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Course Rotation: NYC: Spring
Prerequisites: This course does not have a prerequisite.
HIS 208  The Arab World: A Civilization in Crisis  (3 credits)  
HIS 209  Israel and Palestine: The Heritage and the Challenge  (3 credits)  
After a survey of the history of Zionism and Arab nationalism, this course focuses on the creation of the state of Israel and reaction of the Arabs at various stages, leading up to the demand for an independent state of Palestine. Topics include the Mandate, the establishment of the State of Israel, the Arab/Israeli wars, Jewish immigration and absorption, Arabs in Israel, the formation of the PLO and opposition groups, religious fundamentalism, and economic considerations. A special focus will be on the ongoing peace process and the development of Palestine.
Course Rotation: NYC: Spring; PLV: TBA.
Prerequisites: This course does not have a prerequisite.
HIS 210  Germany and Central Europe Since 1848  (3 credits)  
This course surveys the history of German-speaking Europe since the mid-19th century. It will examine the history of Austria up through 1918; the revolution of 1848 and the wars of German unification; the rapid social and economic development of Germany in the late 19th century; and cultural or ideological movements which emerged in German-speaking Europe during this period (e.g., socialism, feminism, Freudianism). The course also emphasizes developments after WWI: the growth of national socialism; how the Nazis came to control the German government in 1933; daily life in Nazi Germany; WWII; and the Holocaust.
Course Rotation: NYC: TBA. PLV: Spring.
Prerequisites: This course does not have a prerequisite.
HIS 211  Modern Germany  (3 credits)  
HIS 212  Topics in Literature:  (3 credits)  
HIS 213  Modern Russia  (3 credits)  
A survey of the main political, diplomatic, economic, social and cultural developments in Russia since 1860.
Course Rotation: NYC: Spring - Odd years. PLV: Spring.
Prerequisites: This course does not have a prerequisite.
HIS 214  Pathways Through Time: Introduction to Archaeology and World Pre-History  (3 credits)  
This course introduces students to the world of archaeology and provides them with a fascinating overview of World Pre-History.
Course Rotation: NYC:Fall
Prerequisites: This course does not have a prerequisite.
HIS 215  American Social and Cultural History  (3 credits)  
A survey course of the major social groups, institutions, and values in U.S. history from the colonial period to the present. Topics include a study of racial, ethnic, and religious groups and the changing role of the American family, and explores representations of American identity in art, literature, philosophy, music, photography, architecture, and education. Special emphasis on late 19th and 20th centuries, complex interaction of urbanism, modernism, and industrialism.
Course Rotation: NYC: TBA. PLV: Fall.
Prerequisites: This course does not have a prerequisite.
HIS 216  History of Human Rights  (3 credits)  
Since the end of WWII, social and political movements around the world have articulated their messages around the concepts of rights. This course is an inquiry about the historical development of the norms, processes and institutions for the international human rights movement. It looks at the process by which international legal rules have been made or elaborated. The course examines the historical confrontation between the human rights concept and the notions of national sovereignty, domestic jurisdictions, and cultural autonomy. It also examines the historical development of the monitoring institutions within the United Nations and the human rights non-governmental organizations. The aim is to show the United Nations' strength and weakness. It finally looks at the dual or contradictory role played by the U.S. government in the development of the international human rights movement. Credit Badge: Immigration Advocacy and Policy.
Course Rotation: NYC: Fall; PLV: Spring.
Prerequisites: This course does not have a prerequisite.
HIS 217  Modern East Asia in Film  (3 credits)  
Using films produced by Chinese, Japanese and Korean directors, this course discusses the cinematic representations of history as event, experience and myth in modern East Asia.
Course Rotation: NY: Fall.
Prerequisites: This course does not have a prerequisite.
HIS 218  Nonviolent Activism in Modern Asia  (3 credits)  
Nonviolence has long been used as an effective strategy for opposing Western imperialism, pursuing democracy and justice, creating social and political change, and resolving domestic and global conflicts in the 20th century Asia. The best examples are Mohandas Gandhi in India, Dalai Lama in Tibet, Aung San Suu Kyi in Burma, and the Tiananmen pro-democracy student movement in China. Through a critical study of documentary sources and a series of interactive “games,” this course explores the philosophy, tactics, and outcomes of nonviolent struggles in modern Asia from historical, comparative and cross-cultural perspectives.
Course Rotation: NY;Fall
Prerequisites: This course does not have a prerequisite.
HIS 219  History of the Modern Middle East  (3 credits)  
HIS 220  Modern Islamic World: 1850-Present  (3 credits)  
This course will deal with modern developments in the entire Islamic world - from China, South, Central, and Southeast Asia to the Middle East, Africa, and in Europe and America. Topics will include the role of Islam in the history of Indonesia, Malaysia, Afghanistan, and Pakistan as well as in the Arab world, Turkey and Iran; Islamic fundamentalism and issues of modernization; terrorism, the Arab-Israeli conflict; and the current situation in Iraq.
Course Rotation: NYC: Fall, Spring, Summer.
Prerequisites: This course does not have a prerequisite.
HIS 222  Empire Falls: Ottomans, Europe, and Making the Middle East  (3 credits)  
This course examines the last century of the Ottoman Empire, one of history's longest-lasting, and its eventual fragmentation into new countries and polities across South-Eastern Europe and the Middle East. In doing so, the course encourages students to think critically about the "decline" of empires, and will help them better understand the foundations of the Middle East in the 20th Century. Exploring the domestic obstacles and external pressure of Europe's great imperial powers that increasingly hampered the Ottoman government, the course will survey Ottoman efforts to reform, adapt, and modernize. It will look at the constitutional structure of the late empire, examine its borderlands, compare the Balkan and Arab provinces, and how the empire tried to manage new challenges from refugees, nomads, and emerging nationalist movements. The course will outline the transition from empire to nation-state in the case of the Turkish Republic and the European Balkan states, and from empire to European mandates in the case of the Arab provinces. After discussing the violence of imperial collapse during World War I, the course will look at the legacies of the Ottoman Empire in the Balkans, Anatolia, and the Arab provinces.
Course Rotation: PLV: Fall
Prerequisites: This course does not have a prerequisite.
HIS 223  Discrimination, Integration and Assimilation: Global Jewish Experience  (3 credits)  
Issues of discrimination, persecution, tolerance, assimilation and integration in pluralistic societies are faced by many peoples, whether members of a "universal minority" such as the Jews, or a local minority in a given region or country. They must be understood in their historical context. Through an examination of the Jewish experience throughout the world, this course looks at what it means to be the "Other".
Course Rotation: NYC: TBA
Prerequisites: This course does not have a prerequisite.
HIS 224  Supermen and Superwomen: U.S. History Through Popular Fantasy  (3 credits)  
This course will examine how heroic popular culture (as presented in newspaper comics, comic books, animation, radio, television, and motion pictures) reflected the anxieties and aspirations of the American public throughout United States history, focusing on the 20th and 21st centuries. The political and cultural topics include (but are not restricted to) such topics as: isolationism between the two World Wars (and how that was reflected in Little Orphan Annie and Superman), the treatment of various ethnic and racial groups in the context of wars, conflicts over civil rights, and conflicts over immigration (as reflected in the animated films of Walt Disney, the Warner Brothers, and other studios), the empowerment of women (as reflected in the characterizations of Lois Lane, Wonder Woman, and the X-Men characters Storm and Phoenix). Juvenile delinquency (as reflected in Dick Tracy's "Crimestoppers" in the 1940s and the creation of the Comics Code Authority in the 1950s), atomic energy (as it played into the creation of classic Marvel superheroes as the Fantastic Four, the Hulk, and Spider-Man), criminal justice from the Prohibition era to the modern issues surrounding the Black Lives Matter movement (as it played out in such classic strips and characters ranging from Dick Tracy and Batman to the comics and new television show hero, Black Lightning), the liberty vs. security conflict of the post-9/11 era (as reflected in such comic-book based feature films as "Civil War" and "Suicide Squad").
Course Rotation: NYC: TBD. PLV: Spring.
Prerequisites: This course does not have a prerequisite.
HIS 225  The World of the Middle Ages: Byzantium  (3 credits)  
Economic, social, religious, political history of the eastern Mediterranean states from the fourth to the 15th centuries. The major problems considered include the dissolution of the Roman imperial system, the development of the Byzantine Empire, the expansion and impact of Islam, the spread of Orthodoxy, the Crusades, the decline of the Byzantine world and the emerging Balkan and Turkish states.
Course Rotation: NYC: Spring.
Prerequisites: This course does not have a prerequisite.
HIS 226  The World of the Middle Ages: The West  (3 credits)  
This course examines the history of the high Middle Ages, ca. 900-ca. 1300 A.D., focusing on western Europe. The course will examine the creation of stable political structures as the age of migrations ended; the expansion of Europe's internal and external frontiers; religious reform movements; European contacts and confrontations with Byzantium and Islam; the growth of cities and urban society; the development of schools and universities; the challenge of Greek, Muslim, and Jewish philosophy; courtly culture, chivalry, and romanticism; popular piety, asceticism, and heresy; the development of the "secular state"; papal monarchy; and unresolved tensions within medieval society. Emphasis will be placed on the reading of a variety of primary sources from this creative period.
Course Rotation: NYC: Fall.
Prerequisites: This course does not have a prerequisite.
HIS 227  Ancient Egypt from the Old Kingdom Through the Ptolemaic Period  (3 credits)  
A survey of ancient Egypt from the Old Kingdom (ca. 2686 BC) until Cleopatra Vll's death (ca. 30 BC). This course will provide an overview of the history, politics, religion, architecture, art, geography, and funerary beliefs of the ancient Egyptians over a period of approximately three thousand years . Students will learn about the achievements of the kings, the development of the tomb and temple, Egyptian mythology, the basics of hieroglyphics, the evolution of the cult of Amun, and why the ancient Egyptians were the masters of propaganda and spin.
Course Rotation: NYC: Spring
Prerequisites: This course does not have a prerequisite.
HIS 228  History of Ancient Mesoamerica  (3 credits)  
This course will introduce students to the history of ancient Mesoamerica, tracing the social and political development of the region's great civilizations (Olmec, Mayan, Aztec, and related) from the birth of maize farming and the earliest villages up to the eve of the Spanish conquest. We will explore the growth of cities; the independent development of hieroglyphic writing systems, astronomy, and mathematics; contrasting patterns of political organization and religious practice; and the legacy of pre-conquest belief and practice that survives today throughout the region. Our approach throughout will be historical, addressing the broad patterns of social development and cultural elaboration that transpired across and between different regions and groups, including the signature features of Olmec civilization, the rise and fall of the Classic Maya, the powerful city of Teotihuacan, and the multiple contesting city-states of the post-Classic era that were subsumed within the Aztec empire.
Course Rotation: NYC: Fall.
Prerequisites: This course does not have a prerequisite.
HIS 229  History and Culture in Guatemala  (6 credits)  
Based in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala, this six week Study Aboard program will introduce students to the complex history of Guatemala and Central America from shortly before the Spanish Conquest up to the present, with a special focus on Hispano-indigenous cultural and political interaction in the colonial and post-independence eras, as well as twentieth century U.S relations with Central America in the context of the Cold War.
Course Rotation: Summer
Prerequisites: This course does not have a prerequisite.
HIS 230  Canada and the United States  (3 credits)  
HIS 231  Latin America: Century of Social Change and Revolution  (3 credits)  
This course examines the unique experience of Central and South America, together with the Caribbean nations, over the last century. Violent social and political revolution has dominated Latin America since its attainment of political independence. Accordingly, the related themes of social change and revolution; economic underdevelopment and political upheaval will receive major focus. A case study comparative approach may be used to scrutinize selected countries. Church-state and military influence and the dominance of the United States in diplomatic and economic relations will be seen in balance with the region's emergence on the world stage.
Course Rotation: NYC: Fall
Prerequisites: This course does not have a prerequisite.
HIS 232  Caribbean America  (3 credits)  
Course Rotation: NYC: TBA
Prerequisites: This course does not have a prerequisite.
HIS 233  Cuba: History and Politics  (3 credits)  
HIS 234  South American Colossus: The History of Modern Brazil  (3 credits)  
Brazil, the world's fifth largest country and an emerging Western Hemisphere power, is examined in this historical survey. Brazil is unique within Latin America in its Portuguese language and colonial backround; its strong African ethnic and cultural influences and its large population (currently 185 million), industrial sector and resource base. This course begins with a rapid survey of the Portuguese period (1500-1822), then devotes major focus to modern nationhood; especially the 20th-century. Key themes include the country's multi-ethnic society, economic development and dependency, the role of powerful leaders such as Getulio Vargas, the legacies of military rule (1964-89) and the challenges of contemporary democracy. Brazil's recent emergence as a major economic power will also be studied, including its involvement in the Mercosur South American economic bloc.
Course Rotation: NYC: Alternate Years, Fall; PLV: Alternate Years, Spring.
Prerequisites: This course does not have a prerequisite.
HIS 235  Latin America  (3 credits)  
HIS 236  Seminar: The Emerging Nations  (3 credits)  
HIS 237  Wealth in America  (3 credits)  
HIS 238  European Discovery and Conquest of the New World  (3 credits)  
HIS 239  Wars in the Asia-Pacific  (3 credits)  
This course examines the relations between total wars and state-building in the Asia-Pacific region throughout the 19th and 20th centuries.
Course Rotation: NY: Spring.
Prerequisites: This course does not have a prerequisite.
HIS 240  The US-Mexico Border and the History of Mexican Migration  (3 credits)  
This course offers a historical perspective on the US-Mexico border and the movement of people and goods across it. Immigration has long been controversial and recent Mexican migration to the United States in particular has proven to be a political lighting rod. This in-depth study of the history of the U.S.-Mexico border and Mexican immigration will provide us with insight into long-standing debates over who should be allowed into the country; how - and against what perceived threats - we should secure our borders; how immigration impacts American society and what our country will look like in the future. In this course we will address such as: How and why has the U.S.-Mexico border changed physically from a mere "line in the sand" to a militarized checkpoint reinforced by weaponized fences, borders patrol agents, volunteer vigilantes and drones? How has it changed legally in order to facilitate the flow of certain goods while restricting the flow of laborers? What factors drive migration, and how has Mexican migration to the United States change over time? Why are some groups seen as "assimilable" while others are assumed to be unable or unwilling to assimilate? Why is immigration such as controversial issue in the US politics? How do we reconcile conflicting national narratives of the United States as both a "nation of immigrants" and a "gatekeeping nation"? Credit Badge: Immigration Advocacy and Policy.
Course Rotation: NYC & PLV: TBD
Prerequisites: This course does not have a prerequisite.
HIS 241  Modern China  (3 credits)  
Study of China in the 19th and 20th centuries. Unequal treaties. Opium War. Decline of the Manchu Dynasty. U.S. and European relations with China. War lords. Sun Yat Sen and Chiang Kai-shek. World War I and II. Rise of communism. Korean and Vietnam Wars. Relations with Taiwan. Restrictions/Requirements: 3 credits of History or equivalent learning community or topics course. Satisfies 3 credits toward Asian Studies minor. New Core: Fulfills 3 credits in Area of Knowledge III.
Course Rotation: NYC: Spring -. PLV: Fall and Spring
Prerequisites: This course does not have a prerequisite.
HIS 242  Modern Japan  (3 credits)  
A study of Japan in the 19th and 20th centuries. Feudal period. Shogunate. Coming of Perry. Imperial rule. Meiji Era: from feudalism to industrial age. Liberal aspects. Imperialism: Sino-Japanese War, Russo-Japanese War, World War II, General MacArthur, and SCAP Peace Treaty and after.
Course Rotation: NYC: Spring; PLV: Fall
Prerequisites: This course does not have a prerequisite.
HIS 243  Service and Study in Latin America  (3 credits)  
This course combines academic study of the history, politics, social structure and economic development of Venezuela with travel and a communitarian service learning experience. Reading, discussions, films and guest speakers will be followed by 1 to 2 weeks of travel and voluntary labor in Venezuela. The venue of service learning will be a public educational, health, nutrition or multi-service agency. Travel This course combines travel and service learning with weekly seminars at Pace’s Downtown campus. Seminar study will examine Venezuela from a multi-disciplinary perspective, including history, ethnic makeup and culture, economic development and social issues. Guest experts will explore pertinent social, economic and cultural issues. Hands-on workshops will prepare the class for culture shock, team building and civic engagement. During the inter-cession (May) period, the class travels to Venezuela. The travel experience will include visits to cultural and historical sites together with several days of service consisting of teaching basic English to primary school children in one of Caracas' poorest neighborhoods. Spanish is not required, but knowledge of it will enhance your experience.
Course Rotation: NYC: Spring.
Prerequisites: This course does not have a prerequisite.
HIS 247  The Global Cold War  (3 credits)  
The Cold War (1945-1990) shaped nearly every aspect of post-war twentieth-century life including political ideologies, international relations, military and security strategies, and even cultural and artistic expressions. While many of us think of the Cold War as a standoff between the United States and the Soviet Union, it was in fact a broader international conflict that had especially devastating consequences in the so-called Third World. This class will study the Cold War as a multi-polar conflict involving more than just the superpowers of the US, Soviet Union, and China. We will explore topics such as decolonization, race and gender, international institutions, and transnational activism. We will also examine the global effects of the Cold War using case studies of individual countries across Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Throughout this course we will see that the Cold War was a truly global conflict and, at least in the developing world, was rarely "cold."
Course Rotation: PLV: Spring, Even Year
Prerequisites: This course does not have a prerequisite.
HIS 248  Twentieth Century World  (3 credits)  
HIS 249  American Foreign Relations  (3 credits)  
HIS 250  Civic Engagement, History, and Popular Culture  (3 credits)  
This online Civic Engagement course will challenge students to compare and contrast how a real- world issue of civic engagement has been depicted in heroic popular culture (as presented in newspaper comics, comic books, animation, radio, television, and motion pictures), with how the student has experienced that issue through that student’s own work with a real-world community partner during the semester.
Course Rotation: NYC & PLV: Summer 1 & 2
Prerequisites: This course does not have a prerequisite.
HIS 252  American Diplomatic History 1898-Present  (3 credits)  
HIS 254  The American Civil War  (3 credits)  
This course explores the causes, course, and consequences of the American Civil War. Lincoln described the Civil War as "fundamental and astounding" while attempting to justify its costs by promising a "new birth of freedom;" no other single event has affected the United States more. Topics include nationalism and sectionalism; slavery, race, gender, and freedom; total war; Reconstruction as an exercise in nation-building; the political, legal/constitutional, economic, social, intellectual, and moral consequences of the Civil War and its aftermath.
Course Rotation: Fall.
Prerequisites: This course does not have a prerequisite.
HIS 255  Diplomatic History of Europe 1914 to Present  (3 credits)  
HIS 256  American Colonial History  (3 credits)  
The background of European beginnings, with the emphasis on the contribution of the old world to the new. In addition to the normal chronological treatment of colonial development, there is a special focus on the unique institutional developments of Massachusetts and Virginia as extremes in the colonial pattern. The concluding part of the course covers the economic, social, and intellectual background of the American Revolution.
Course Rotation: NYC: TBA
Prerequisites: This course does not have a prerequisite.
HIS 257  History and Dynamics of Dictatorship  (3 credits)  
HIS 258  History and Dynamics of Democracy  (3 credits)  
HIS 259  The American Revolution  (3 credits)  
This course will examine the creation of an American nation out of thirteen colonies from 1763 to 1789 and the limits of that creation. Topics include the social, economic and political roots of colonial resistance to British power, the decisions for revolution and independence, the rise and fall of the confederation and the creation of the Constitution. Special attention will be devoted to historical decision-making during critical moments of the revolution, such as the Second Continental Congress of 1775-1777, and writing and ratification of the Constitution in 1787-88.
Course Rotation: NYC: TBA
Prerequisites: This course does not have a prerequisite.
HIS 260  Constitutional History of the United States  (3 credits)  
After a study of the historical and philosophical background of the Constitution, selected topics are analyzed to illustrate the development of the Constitution through judicial interpretation. Recent court decisions involving federalism, judicial review, and civil rights are also discussed. Recommended for pre-law students.
Course Rotation: NYC: Fall - Odd years. PLV: Spring.
Prerequisites: This course does not have a prerequisite.
HIS 262  Back to the Future: Developing a Historical Heritage Center in Lower Manhattan  (3 credits)  
This course is designed to introduce content areas consisting of public history, New York City history and the study of history museums while also presenting a community-based learning component that directly connects to the academic content of the course and contributes to the creation of Heritage Hall. Material will be explored through lectures, readings, field trips and discussions. Coordinated with these academic-content areas will be an immersion in a dimension of public history through a special semester-long project at Our Lady of the Rosary Church and Seton Shrine located at 7 State Street that also is known as the James Watson House.
Course Rotation: NY: Spring.
Prerequisites: This course does not have a prerequisite.
HIS 263  History of the American Presidency 1789-1900  (3 credits)  
HIS 264  History of the American Presidency 1900 - Present  (3 credits)  
This course traces the development of the Presidency from William McKinley to Barack Obama. In addition to analyzing the development of the Presidential office itself, the course will also examine the evolving roles and public expectations of the Presidency.
Course Rotation: PLV: Fall and Spring
Prerequisites: This course does not have a prerequisite.
HIS 265  American Urban History  (3 credits)  
This course will deal with the process of urbanization during the 20th century. An in-depth analysis will include the following: the impact of industry and technology; the urban environment, housing, and homelessness; "inner cities" and the role of government in resolving urban problems.
Course Rotation: PLV: TBA.
Prerequisites: This course does not have a prerequisite.
HIS 266  History of New York City  (3 credits)  
HIS 266C  History of New York City  (3 credits)  
HIS 267  Heroes, Villains and Just Plain Folks: A Biographical Perspective on American History  (3-4 credits)  
Utilizing excerpts from acclaimed biographies of recent years, plus chapters from respected biographies which have stood the test of time, supplemented by a series of documentaries and an occasional docudrama, this course will explore the role of individuals in shaping the American nation. The motivation, preparation, accomplishments and misdeeds of figures, both illustrious and infamous, will be explored. In addition to political and military figures, e.g. Abigail Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Benedict Arnold, Aaron Burr, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Richard Nixon, the course will include figures involved in westward expansion, e.g. Sam Houston, Kit Carson, scientists, inventors, and entrepreneurs, e.g. Thomas Edison and Sarah Breedlove Walker, and individuals associated with the civil rights and other movements of the twentieth century, e.g. Martin Luther King. Throughout the course the instructor, whose book Silent Builder: Emily Warren Roebling and the Brooklyn Bridge has elicited comments and queries from the BBC and American film producers, will share personal insights on the intellectual and creative challenges associated with writing a biography.
Prerequisites: This course does not have a prerequisite.
HIS 268  American Labor History  (3 credits)  
The course will trace the rise of the labor movement from the colonial period to the present. The emphasis will be on the late 19th and 20th century development. Problems facing unions since 1945 will be explored and analyzed.
Prerequisites: This course does not have a prerequisite.
HIS 269  Recent United States History  (3 credits)  
A detailed examination of political, economic, social and cultural developments in the United States from 1945 to the present. Some topics considered are: the Cold War, the Civil Rights Movement, Radicalism of the right, the new left, the Vietnam War, the Nixon Era, the impact of Ronald Regan and trends at the end of the century.
Course Rotation: NYC: Fall- Odd Years; PLV: TBA
Prerequisites: This course does not have a prerequisite.
HIS 270  History of Modern South Africa  (3 credits)  
History of Modern South Africa investigates the historical origins of modern South Africa. Were the original founders the Dutch East India Company in 1652 or the Bantu-speakers who arrived supposedly in 1500 A.D.? The course also traces South African history from the Cession of the Cape in 1806; the Great Trek in 1836; the gold and diamond rushes, 1868-1890; the Anglo-Boer War, 1899-1902; the formation of the Union of South Africa in 1910; the victory of the National Party in 1948; the Sharpeville Massacre of 1960; the release of Nelson Mandela in 1990; the dismantling of apartheid in 1991; the new constitution of 1999 and the new government under President Thabo Mbeki
Course Rotation: NYC: TBA
Prerequisites: This course does not have a prerequisite.
HIS 271  Culture and History of Black America  (0-3 credits)  
This course surveys African-American History from 1619 to present. The social history of Black America under slavery and in the post-Civil War years is emphasized. Shifting Black leadership from the Reconstruction period through the post-Civil Rights era is studied. We shall explore the manner in which the African-American experience has inspired citizens of Third World countries to undertake peaceful change.
Course Rotation: NYC: Fall - Even years. PLV: Fall - Odd years.
Prerequisites: This course does not have a prerequisite.
HIS 273  Ethnic and Racial History of the United States  (3 credits)  
This course traces the history and culture of American ethnic and racial minorities from the colonial era to the present. Using historical texts, essays, memoirs and novels, it explores the interplay of race, ethnicity, class and gender in shaping America’s politics, economy, social structure, and the lives, conflicts, values and experiences of individual Americans.
Prerequisites: This course does not have a prerequisite.
HIS 274  History of North Africa After 1800  (3 credits)  
History of North Africa after 1800 focuses on the history of the Maghrib (Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia), Libya and Egypt from 1800 to present. It emphasizes the diversity of Berber, Islamic, and African cultures and the imposition of and reaction to European colonialism. It also explores North African social, religious, and political movements and their effect on west and central Sudan, and most recently, on world politics. The course is unusual in that it emphasizes that North Africa has an historical identity independent of Middle Eastern, African, or European History.
Course Rotation: NYC: Spring - Odd years.
Prerequisites: This course does not have a prerequisite.
HIS 275  Modern History of Afghanistan, Iraq and Iran  (3 credits)  
The countries of Afghanistan, Iraq, and Iran have been the central focus of American foreign policy in the past decade. This course will provide a geographic, social, cultural, political and economic survey of the modern history of all three countries. We will examine the trajectory each nation followed in becoming a modern state including the critical role of oil, political Islam, superpowers, and imperialism in shaping each of their histories in the 20th and 21st centuries. The class will focus especially on the watershed political events in each country since 1970’s, and especially 1979, the rise to power of Saddam Hussein, the Iranian revolution of 1978-79, and the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979 up through the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003.
Course Rotation: NYC: Spring
Prerequisites: This course does not have a prerequisite.
HIS 280  History of American Women  (3 credits)  
This course presents an in-depth analysis of the history of American women. Topics covered include the following: role of gender, the struggle for suffrage, the formation of women¿s institutions, issues of equity and equality, the second Women's Movement, feminist ideology and issues of diversity.
Course Rotation: NYC: TBA; PLV: TBA
Prerequisites: This course does not have a prerequisite.
HIS 281  European Women and Social Change  (3 credits)  
This course examines a variety of topics in European women's history since 1700, focusing particularly on the results of recent research in this field. We will discuss such topics as: the impact of industrialization and class formation on European concepts of masculinity, femininity, and sexuality; masculine "honor" and duels in the 19th century; work roles assigned to men and women in the factory and the family; gender and the rise of mass consumer culture in the 20th century; women and the European welfare state; and women in Eastern European socialist societies.
Course Rotation: NYC: TBA.
Prerequisites: This course does not have a prerequisite.
HIS 283  Medieval Heritage: Europe 400-1400  (3 credits)  
HIS 285  Making of Modern Ireland  (3 credits)  
HIS 288  History of Nationalism  (3 credits)  
HIS 289  Social History of Sports in the U.S.  (3 credits)  
This course will examine the experience of sports and leisure for different groups of Americans (e.g., African-Americans, women, working class), from colonial times to the present but primarily focused on the twentieth century. My goal is to introduce students to historical analysis and argument through the examination of the sports and leisure time activities that won increasing popularity among Americans from the late nineteenth to the late twentieth century. This course will incorporate analytical categories from social history (class, race, gender, ethnicity) as well as the frameworks used by cultural, economic, and political history. This course will thus involve students in gaining a better understanding of the relationships that sports and leisure have with the social, economic, cultural and political forces at work in the United States and the world. Students will appreciate the issues that have affected sports participation over the years, including racial and gender discrimination, class economics, and commercialization.
Course Rotation: NY: Summer
Prerequisites: This course does not have a prerequisite.
HIS 290A  Topics: Between Two World Wars  (3 credits)  
HIS 290B  Historical Studies: Renaissance Studies  (3 credits)  
HIS 292M  Seminar in Changing America: 1945 to the Present  (3 credits)  
HIS 293  Travel Study Tour: Africa  (3 credits)  
HIS 293M  Study Tour: Soviet and Eastern Europe  (3 credits)  
HIS 293S  Travel Study Tour: Ireland  (3 credits)  
HIS 293T  World Civilization Study Tour  (3 credits)  
HIS 294  Internship in Historical Agencies  (3 credits)  
HIS 296A  Barbarians and Mandarins: China and Her Inner Asian Neighbor  (3 credits)  
By redefining China and Mongolia as multi-ethnic, multi-religious, and multi-cultural empires, this course examines the dynamic of nomadic and sedentary civilizations in East Asia from the earliest times to the 20th century. It also examines the history of both countries within the wider context of global-international conflicts and cultural exchanges across inner-Asia. Major topics include the strategic significance of the Great Wall, the arrival of Buddhism in China and Mongolia, the development of literati and martial cultures, Genghis Khan and the Mongol conquest, the rise of the Manchus, the arrival of the West, and regional developments in the Communist and post-Communist eras.
Prerequisites: This course does not have a prerequisite.
HIS 296C  Topic:Conflict Resolution: A Historical Perspective  (3 credits)  
This course is a study of the nature of conflict and the various attempts at the resolution of conflicts on the national and international level. Select global problems which continue to have a significant impact upon humanity will be considered.
Prerequisites: This course does not have a prerequisite.
HIS 296D  Topic: Cultural Heritage and Service Learning in Inner Asia  (3 credits)  
HIS 296E  Topic: Tolstoy, Turks and Taliban: Russia's "Orient"  (3 credits)  
This course is designed as an in depth study of the building of the Russian Empire in Asia since the late 16th century. Special attention will be paid to the dynamics of imperialism, colonialism and inter-cultural exchange in the frontier settings of Central Asia and Siberia. The geographical scope of the course will not be limited to areas completely incorporated into the Russian/Soviet state, but will extend also to claimed and realized spheres of influence in South and East Asia. Restrictions/Requirements: New Core: Fulfills 3 credits in Area of Knowledge III.
Prerequisites: This course does not have a prerequisite.
HIS 296F  Topic: Bosnia-The Balkan Tinderbox  (3 credits)  
This course will provide students with an opportunity to explore and discuss the current treatment interventions, which provide rehabilitative opportunities for inmates in correctional facilities.
Prerequisites: This course does not have a prerequisite.
HIS 296G  Topic: History of Modern Mexico  (3 credits)  
HIS 296H  Topic: America and the Vietnam War  (3 credits)  
HIS 296I  Topic: Cultural Heritages and Learning in Inner Asia  (3 credits)  
This international travel and service-learning course involves a week's stay at a cultural site in Mongolia and 2 weeks travel in North China. Stduents will work with Mongolian communities in restoring a Tibetan Buddhist monastery and conduct oral history research. Historical walks, museum tours, guest lectures at local universities, home visits and theatre performances will be included to help students cultivate an inter-Asian perspective in cross-cultural learning.
Prerequisites: This course does not have a prerequisite.
HIS 296J  Topic: The Bible in History  (3 credits)  
HIS 296K  Consuming Desires: Mass Production, Advertising and Consuming Desires in Modern Europe  (3 credits)  
This course discusses the development of industrial consumer cultures in Europe since the late eighteenth century. Topics covered will include: proto-industrialization and the development of the factory system; changes in the retail distribution system; the impact of colonial products on the European market; the development of modern advertising and popular commercial recreations; and the role that consumer politics played in 20th century European political systems (e.g., against the backdrop of the Cold War). The readings discuss these topics within several European nations, including Germany, France, Britain, Russia, and Italy. Restrictions/Requirements: New Core: Fulfills 3 credits in Area of Knowledge II or 3 credits in Area of Knowledge V.
Course Rotation: NYC: TBA
Prerequisites: This course does not have a prerequisite.
HIS 296L  Topic: Close Encounters of the Global Kind  (3 credits)  
HIS 296M  Topic: Service and Study in Argentina  (3 credits)  
HIS 296N  Topic: Legal History-The Bill of Rights  (3 credits)  
HIS 296O  Topic: Italy from the Renaissance to the Present  (3 credits)  
HIS 296P  Topic: History of the Holocaust: Origins and Legacy  (3 credits)  
HIS 296Q  Topic: Conflict and Resolution- A Historical Perspective  (3 credits)  
HIS 296R  Topic: Wealth and Business in American History  (3 credits)  
HIS 296S  Topic: Cultural Diversity and National Experience  (3 credits)  
HIS 296T  Topic: Introduction to World History: Global Perspective  (3 credits)  
HIS 296U  Topic: Bible and Gun: Christianity in China since 1500  (3 credits)  
This course is designed to acquaint students with the important aspects of the rise and fall of Christianity in China and her East Asian neighbors - Japan, Korea, and Southeast Asia - from 1500 to the present. Major topics include the Jesuit mission and "Rites Controversy" in the Chinese imperial court; foreign imperialism and anti-Christian violence in late imperial China; the Taiping and Boxer rebellions; the emergence of indigenous Christian communities in the Chinese countryside; and cultural interactions between Christianity and Confuscianism.
Course Rotation: NYC: Spring- Even Years
Prerequisites: This course does not have a prerequisite.
HIS 296V  Topic: The Story of the Vietnam War  (3 credits)  
HIS 296W  Topic: Afghanistan and its Neighbors  (3 credits)  
HIS 296X  Topic: In Your Own Backyard, Westchester County  (3 credits)  
HIS 296Z  Topic: Long Island Sound: Historical Cont. Perspective  (3 credits)  
HIS 297  Topics in History  (3 credits)  
HIS 297E  Topic: Islamic Social and Cultural History to 1850  (3 credits)  
This course will examine the socio-cultural trends and economic currents that have shaped Middle Eastern history since the advent of Islam. We will discuss issues such as the context in which the prophet Muhammad arose, tolerance in early Islam, the golden age of science, art and scholarship, economic and commercial success until 1500, the causes of the decline of society since the sixteenth century, and the significance of the Islamic system to the common people, merchants, religious circles, scholars, literary and scientific groups. Islam in North and East Africa and South and Southeast will be discussed.
Prerequisites: This course does not have a prerequisite.
HIS 297F  Topic: Of Swords and Cherry Blossoms: Samurai Images Past and Present  (3 credits)  
The course explores the history of the samurai as warrior, noble, official, and most importantly, pivotal figure in the construction of a Japanese national "mythistory." The focus is on the study of medieval and early modern texts and images, as well as of nineteenth/twentieth century popular books and feature films dealing with samurai as people, concept, and ideal.
Prerequisites: This course does not have a prerequisite.
HIS 297J  Topic: The Silk Road- Eurasian Cultural Exchange and Early Globalization  (3 credits)  
The course is designed as an in-depth study of the cultural and technological exchange that linked the great civilizations of the Eurasian landmass in the first millennium CE and beyond. Special attention will be paid to the dynamics of trade, conquest, center-periphery relations and ecological factors in the frontier settings of Central Asia. The geographical scope of the course will not be limited only to the oasis societies of the actual trade routes but will include the nomadic and sedentary empires facilitating the exchange of goods and ideas as well.
Prerequisites: This course does not have a prerequisite.
HIS 297M  Topic: History of the American Environment  (3 credits)  
This course will examine the whole sweep of how Americans have regarded their lands and waters, how government has come to play the key role in protecting the environment and conserving natural resources, what the science and practice of public health have meant, and how politics has influenced and been influenced by the environmental movement. The textbook will be A Fierce Green Fire by Philip Shabecoff, veteran environmental journalist, editor, and author. The textbook will be supplemented with readings from Emerson, Thoreau, John Muir, Aldo Leopold, Rachel Carson, John McPhee, Barry Commoner, Bill McKibben, and Elizabeth Kolbert, among others. There will be two 3-5 page papers, and a 12-15 page final paper, as well as some quizzes. Class discussion will be an integral part of the course.
Prerequisites: This course does not have a prerequisite.
HIS 297N  Topic: The Social History of Sports in the United States  (3 credits)  
This course will examine the experience of sports and leisure for different groups of Americans (e.g., African-Americans, women, working class), from colonial times to the present but primarily focused on the twentieth century. My goal is to introduce students to historical analysis and argument through the examination of the sports and leisure time activities that won increasing popularity among Americans from the late nineteenth to the late twentieth century. This course will incorporate analytical categories from social history (class, race, gender, ethnicity) as well as the frameworks used by cultural, economic, and political history. This course will thus involve students in gaining a better understanding of the relationships that sports and leisure have with the social, economic, cultural and political forces at work in the United States and the world. Students will appreciate the issues that have affected sports participation over the years, including racial and gender discrimination, class economics, and commercialization.
Course Rotation: NY: Summer.
Prerequisites: This course does not have a prerequisite.
HIS 297P  Topic: Historicizing Comics and Humors in Western Popular Culture  (3 credits)  
This course seeks to give students an introduction to the history of western graphic novels and the role they have played as political propaganda, social commentary and legitimate evidence of historical events. Historical events as the French Revolution, WWI, WWII and the Cold War are looked at to see how they influenced the development of Western Comics.
Course Rotation: NY: Spring
Prerequisites: This course does not have a prerequisite.
HIS 297Q  Topic: Empire Falls: Ottomans, Europle, and Making the Middle East  (3 credits)  
This course examines the last century of the Ottoman Empire, one of history’s longest-lasting, and its eventual fragmentation into new countries and politics across South-Eastern Europe and the Middle East. In during so, the course encourages students to think critically about the “decline” of empires, and will help them better understand the foundations of the Middle East in the 20th century. Exploring the domestic obstacles and external pressures of Europe’s great imperial powers that increasingly hampered the Ottoman government, the course will survey Ottoman efforts to reform, adapt, and modernize. It will look at the constitutional structure of the late empire, examine its borderlands, compare the Balkan and Arab provinces, and how to empire tried to manage new challenges from refugees, nomads, and emerging nationalist movements. The course will outline the transition from empire to nation-state in the case of the Turkish Republic and the European Balkan states, and from empire to European mandates in the case of the Arab provinces. After discussing the violence of the imperial collapse during World War I, the course will look at the legacies of the Ottoman Empire in the Balkans, Anatolia and The Arab provinces.
Course Rotation: PLV: Fall
Prerequisites: This course does not have a prerequisite.
HIS 300A  Topic: America and the Vietnam War  (3 credits)  
HIS 300D  Topic: Philosophy, Magic,Science-Early Modern Europe  (3 credits)  
HIS 300E  Topic: History of North Africa after 1800  (3 credits)  
HIS 300G  Topic: History of Ideas to the 14th Century  (3 credits)  
HIS 300H  Topic: History of Ideas/World Civilization Since 1500  (3 credits)  
HIS 300I  Topic: Civil War and Reconstruction 1846-1877  (3 credits)  
HIS 300J  Topic: Europe Since 1943  (3 credits)  
HIS 300K  Topic: Israel - The Heritage and the Challenge  (3 credits)  
HIS 300L  Topic: Hellenic Civilization  (3 credits)  
HIS 300P  Topic: Community Studies  (3 credits)  
HIS 300R  Topic: Lincoln and Democracy  (3 credits)  
HIS 300S  Topic: The Fall of Communism  (1-2 credits)  
HIS 300T  Topic in History: The Lincoln Era  (3 credits)  
HIS 301A  Topics in African-American History Since 1910  (3 credits)  
HIS 301B  Topic: Roman Civilization  (3 credits)  
HIS 302  African-American History Since 1910  (3 credits)  
The course is a survey of the major historical events which shaped the lives of African-Americans in the United States starting with the Great Migration to the North around 1914 and ending with the end of the century events, such as the inclusion of African-Americans into major national institutions of leadership. The course is oriented toward research and discussion of topics in social history. Some of the issues covered are labor policies toward African-Americans during the twentieth century; the work of the major civil rights organizations including the NAACP, the Urban League, CORE, SCLC, and SNCC in charting social change; the history of black feminist thought; African-American participation in World War I and World War II, Korea and Vietnam; integration versus black nationalism; and the 1990's crisis of black leadership as analyzed by Cornel West, John White, and Stephen F. Lawson. Restrictions/Requirements: 3 credits of History or equivalent learning community/Interdisciplinary or topics course.
Course Rotation: NYC: Spring - Odd years.
Prerequisites: This course does not have a prerequisite.
HIS 310  United States in the Era of Franklin D. Roosevelt, 1929-1945  (3 credits)  
This course focuses on one of the most critical periods of the twentieth century. It covers the stock market crash; the Great Depression and its impact on American society; the Relief, Recovery, and Reform measures of President Franklin D. Roosevelt and his New Deal; the rising fascist threat and America's response; Pearl Harbor; World War II on the home front, the battlefields, and the summit conferences of Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin; and the birth of the United Nations and the nuclear age.
Course Rotation: NYC: Fall - Even years.
Prerequisites: This course does not have a prerequisite.
HIS 315  The American Mosiac  (4 credits)  
HIS 321  Economic History of the United States  (3 credits)  
A survey of the transformation of the United States from an agrarian society to a completely industrialized economy. Principal topics include developments in agriculture, labor, industry, trade, transportation, and money and banking.
Course Rotation: PLV: Fall.
Prerequisites: (ECO 105 and ECO 106 with minimum grades of D) and [(HIS 111 with minimum grade of D) or (HIS 112 with minimum grade of D)].
HIS 322  History of Long Island Sound I  (3 credits)  
HIS 324  Problems in Twentieth Century Westchester  (3 credits)  
A topical approach to key issues confronting the county and its citizens from 1900 to the present; transportation; trolleys to the MTA; zoning and the quality of suburban life; urbanization of the county; on-campus meetings with county and municipal governmental leaders; corporate officials and journalists.
Course Rotation: PLV: Spring - Even years.
Prerequisites: This course does not have a prerequisite.
HIS 330  Barbarian Europe: 300 - 1000 A.D.  (3 credits)  
This course covers the period from ca. 300 to ca. 1000 A.D. The course examines the disintegration of the Roman Empire; the occupation of its western provinces by various Germanic tribes; the Roman Emperor Justinian's attempted re-conquest of the lost western provinces; the expansion of Islam and the breakdown of the unity of Mediterranean civilization; the emergence of the Frankish kingdom in northwestern Europe as the self-proclaimed heir of Rome's imperial tradition; the rise of the Carolingian Empire under Charlemagne; the connection between religion and imperialism; the breakup of the Carolingian empire due to aristocratic resistance to imperial absolutism, a localized economy, and renewed invasion; and the new political forms which emerged in Europe as the Carolingian empire collapsed. Restrictions/Requirements: New Core: Fulfills 3 credits in Area of Knowledge II.
Course Rotation: NYC: Spring - Odd years.
Prerequisites: This course does not have a prerequisite.
HIS 335  Europe: Enlightenment to 1900  (3 credits)  
The course covers the period of Enlightenment, birth of Capitalism, representative democracy, Protestantism, Industrial Revolution, birth of Socialism and the concept of Human Rights and citizenship.
Course Rotation: Fall and Spring
Prerequisites: This course does not have a prerequisite.
HIS 340  Chinese Cultural Tradition  (3 credits)  
The course concentrates on China¿s cultural accomplishments in philosophy, religion, arts, sciences, and socio-political order before the 19th century. The cultural interactions between China and other Asian countries will also be explored. Restrictions/Requirements: New Core: Fulfills 3 credits in Area of Knowledge II.
Course Rotation: NYC:TBA
Prerequisites: Any 200 level HIS course with a minimum grade of D.
HIS 345  History of America Immigration Law, 1790 to the Present  (3 credits)  
American immigration and its legal treatment, touching upon pre-1875, but focusing on post 1875 Chinese Exclusion Act forward, using a monograph, academic journal articles and case law. Credit Badge: Immigration Advocacy and Policy. Restrictions/Requirements: Completion of one 200-level History course.
Course Rotation: Spring.
Prerequisites: This course does not have a prerequisite.
HIS 366  History of New York City  (3 credits)  
This seminar course will provide an in-depth study of the history of the City of New York from precolonial beginnings through the latter twentieth century. The course will begin with a consideration of the indigenous world and examine the emergence of New Amsterdam through Dutch settlement, and the shift to English control. Other topics will include slavery, commercial development, political life, immigration, and urban planning and the changing cityscape. The course counts in the History Department's "Western Heritage American History" historical offerings for majors and minors, and also for the New York Studies minor.
Course Rotation: NYC: Spring
Prerequisites: HIS 111 or HIS 112 with a minimum grade of D.
HIS 367  History and Geography of New York  (3 credits)  
This course deals with the history and geography of the Empire State. Topics will include: topography, waterways, natural resources, geography and the economy of New York, Native Peoples, colonial settlement patterns, New York in the American Revolution, New York as the nation's first capital, 19th century transportation innovations: canals, steamboats, railroads; industrialization, 20th century New York: suburbanization, urban decay and renewal, the post-industrial age, environmental challenges, New York State government. Restrictions/Requirements: 3 credits in History or equivalent Learning Community/Interdisciplinary or topics course. Satisfies 3 credits toward NYC Studies Concentration/Minor. Required for education majors.
Course Rotation: : NYC: Spring; PLV: Spring and Fall
Prerequisites: This course does not have a prerequisite.
HIS 380  Seminar on Historiography  (3 credits)  
Students will read a variety of historical works in order to understand the sources of historical knowledge and modes of historical expression. Students will become acquainted with a wide variety of techniques and analytical tools developed by historians. Students will examine debates among historians on major issues within the discipline and analyze the complex relationship between the past and the present in historical writing. Restrictions/Requirements: Junior or senior standing and 3 credits of History. Required for History majors. Recommended for History minors.
Course Rotation: NYC: Fall; PLV: Fall
Prerequisites: This course does not have a prerequisite.
HIS 390  Honors Project in History  (3 credits)  
HIS 391  History Internship  (3 credits)  
Students will work at least eight hours per week at an internship based either in a museum or other cultural institution, a government agency, a court, or a public interest law firm. Combined with a weekly seminar that explores the history and purpose of such institutions, the course will provide students with valuable work experience in venues dedicated to serving the public good. Students interested in careers in these fields will be able to use the internship to help clarify their goals. In addition to the internship and the seminar. The course requires weekly entries in a journal and a final paper.
Course Rotation: Fall and Spring
Prerequisites: This course does not have a prerequisite.
HIS 395  Independent Study in History  (1-9 credits)  
Restrictions/Requirements: Junior standing and minimum CQPA of 3.00. With the approval of the appropriate faculty member, the department chairperson, and the academic dean, students may select a topic for guided research that is not included in the regular course offerings. The student meets regularly with the faculty member to review progress. A research project or paper must also be submitted.
Course Rotation: All Campuses: Fall, Spring, and Summer
Prerequisites: This course does not have a prerequisite.
HIS 395A  Independent Study in History (A)  (1-9 credits)  
HIS 395B  Independent Study in History (B)  (1-9 credits)  
HIS 395C  Independent Study in History (C)  (1-9 credits)  
HIS 396A  Barbarian Europe: Early Middle Ages 300-1000 A.D.  (3 credits)  
HIS 396B  Topic: Modern East Asia in Film  (3 credits)  
HIS 396C  Topic: Germany Since 1848 - A Single Nation?  (3 credits)  
HIS 481  Seminar in European History  (3 credits)  
HIS 482  Seminar in Changing America: Cold War to Present  (3 credits)  
HIS 483  Historiography  (3 credits)  
HIS 484  Seminar in History  (3 credits)  
HIS 499  Senior Year Experience in History  (3 credits)  
Each student will select a topic and write a research paper under the direction of the seminar instructor. The seminar's instructor will guide each student through the process with the help of a second consultant with expertise in the appropriate field. The class will meet on a regular basis to discuss work in progress and share insights into the nature of historical research.
Prerequisites: HIS 380 with a minimum grade of D.