Topics

A study of a special topic at an advanced level. This and all 300-level courses are small discussion classes. Descriptions of HIST 300 courses offered in a given semester are available on the History department Website or in the History department office prior to registration for that semester. May be repeated for credit with different topics.

Current Semester Information

300A: Tps:Fallof EuroCommunism

Tps:Dancing on the Wall: The Fall of European Communism, 1989-1991

In 1989, Communist regimes through Eastern Europe collapsed, followed within months by the shattering of the Soviet Union. What caused this remarkable, unprecedented, and entirely unexpected failure? Why did these revolutions produce both democratic renewal and ethnic war? How did this turn fit within a global context? We will examine each revolution in depth, starting in Poland and ending in the USSR. Coursework will include a research paper drawing on substantial primary sources and a presentation of findings to the class.

300B: Tps:EnviroHist:N America

Tps:Environmental History: North America

This course is entered on human interactions with the natural environment in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. Throughout this class, we will use primary and secondary source materials to examine how various people defined concepts of "wilderness" and "nature" over time. We will discuss how and why humans transformed their environments and examined conflicts over natural resources, pollution, and science.