History (B.A., B.S.)

A survey of United States history beginning with precontact cultures, examining the varied colonial and native cultures, and tracing the political, economic, social, and cultural development of the United States, and concluding with Reconstruction. No P/F.
(Normally offered each fall semester.)

Effective Fall 2018 this course counts toward the Innovation thread. Students who took the course previously may count the course toward the Democracy thread.

A survey of United States history beginning with post-Civil War Reconstruction period, tracing economic, social and cultural development to the present, emphasizing the emergence of a dominantly urban-industrial society, multiple civil rights movements, the expanded role of government in the lives of individuals, and the increasing involvement of the United States in the world. No P/F.
(Normally offered each spring semester.)

An in-depth study of one time frame across world cultures. The course is designed to introduce students to the uniqueness and interconnectedness of cultures in the global community. Historical dimensions of today's ethical and political concerns will be examined in order to foster responsible world citizenship. Course topics change regularly and may include a global survey of the twentieth century or the history of indigenous nations leading up to the Age of European Exploration. (Normally offered each semester.)

'Who are you?' This question confronts everyone at some point in life. How you answer it is culturally determined, based on how you perceive the connection between yourself and the world you inhabit. In this course we will investigate how the understanding of the self has developed in Western culture, beginning with Ancient Near Eastern religious traditions and the philosophical discourse of Ancient Greece, and looking at how this understanding has evolved and changed over time. Particular attention will be focused on the challenge to traditional notions of the self that emerged with the development with modern psychological and sociological models of the self. No P/F.

(Normally offered each spring semester.)

One of the distinctive features of Western culture involves the interaction of religion and reason as a basis for understanding. From the Ancient World up to modern times, systems of understanding have rooted themselves in both divine revelation and rational inquiry. This course will explore the origins of such perspectives, and trace their development and interaction from antiquity to the present. The course will focus on reading and evaluating texts which exemplify these modes of thinking from mythologies of the Ancient Near East, to Greek and Roman philosophical writings up to modern debates concerning the sufficiency of religion or science as a basis for understanding. This course may be counted toward fulfillment of the Science and Religion thread, and as a Writing Instructive course. No P/F.

(Normally offered each fall semester.)

The course introduces students to basic theoretical approaches to understanding the past. Special emphasis is placed on research methods, resources, and the composition of a research essay. This course is designed for majors and students interested in the theories and techniques used by historians. Course topics change yearly and include subjects such as the study of chattel slavery in the United States through the words and remembrances of enslaved people from 1600 to 1877 and the relationship between collective memories of the past and the development of identity at the national, local, and individual level.
This course will meet with HIST 3800A/HIST-3800B.

An introduction to the experiences of women in the United States from colonization to the present, with an examination of cultural meanings attached to gender; various social inequalities in access to institutions, activities, and resources; and women's status, well being, and power in American society. The course investigates the lives of women from various social, ethnic, and racial groups, analyzing the ways that they affected one another. The course emphasizes sexuality, reproduction, and maternity, and also covers politics, law, work, education, and other issues in women's lives. This course includes a service learning component.
Cross listed with GEND-2370.

A study of movements for racial justice in the United States since 1900, this course focuses on the ideas, strategies, tactics and participants in movements which sought to counter racial discrimination, violence and oppression directed at African Americans, Latino/a Americans, American Indian nations, Asian Americans and various immigrant populations sometimes defined as "racial" groups. Attention also will be given to the interaction of the movements with other movements,such as LGBTQ+ or Feminist movements. No P/F.

This course examines liberalism and conservatism as dominant ideologies in the American political tradition focusing on the modern framework beginning with the New Deal era while devoting attention also to the traditions from which each ideology draws, including both within and outside of the United States. The course will examine the historical context and evolution of American liberalism and conservatism, the way each has been informed and shaped by radical movements, the ways that marginalized groups have employed each tradition, and the intersections of ideology with grassroots politics.

A broad survey of the major themes and issues in African American history from the early slave trade through emancipation to the present. Major topics include the creation of a diverse African American culture, resistance to the dehumanization of slavery, Civil War and Reconstruction, the Great Migration, the movement from Civil Rights to Black Power and contemporary issues such as reparations for slavery. This course includes a service learning component. No P/F.
(Normally offered each fall semester)

See HIST 4550 Gender & The Wild West.

Women of the American West to the Wild West? Gender in the American West.
This course highlights the history of the North American West through the lens of gender from precontact to present, and explores topics of myth and stereotypes; gender roles in the home, family, and community; as well as addressing questions of race, class, and ethnicity.  HIST4550 meets with HIST3550.  The requirements of the courses are the same EXCEPT that a research paper is required for students in 4550.
Prerequisite(s): HIST 1010 Topics in United States History to 1877, or permission of the instructor.

This course will provide an overview of Latin American history from precontact to the present, exploring such themes as cultural diversity, colonization, dispossession, accommodation, resistance, gender and minority issues, environment, independence movements, revolutions, economic determinism, neo-colonialism, and international relations. Utilizing assigned readings, discussions, and some short or long films, students will have the opportunity to identify misconceptions about Latin America, and truly understand its history and current dilemmas. This course is designed also to make the student think critically and analytically, as well as to improve research and writing skills. No P/F.

An overview of American Indian history from precontact to the present. It will explore numerous themes including cultural diversity, initial contact with Europeans, the different styles of interactions (Spanish/English/French), accommodation and dispossession, the U.S. treaty process, concentration, wardship, education, land allotment, termination and relocation, and modern American Indian issues. Utilizing assigned readings, discussion, and some short films, this class will eradicate misconceptions about American Indians and therefore help to eliminate the roots of discrimination and prejudice against the original Americans. No P/F.
(Normally offered each spring semester.)

This course introduces students to major topics in the history of East Asia. Rather than a century-by-century narrative covering prehistory to the present, the course emphasizes the theme of inter-regional relations. Students learn about traditions such as Confucianism and Buddhism that provided a foundation for the development of centralized, Sinicized states in East Asia, as well as the cultural, economic, and political aspects of the tribute system that structured inter-regional relations throughout the pre-modern period. The second half of the semester picks up the theme of inter-regional relations in the modern period by examining the continuing impact of twentieth-century warfare on the Chinese, the Koreans, and the Japanese. Our sources include a combination of secondary scholarship by leading experts on East Asian history as well as primary historical and literary sources. This also counts as an elective for the Modern Language Studies major.

In this course we will survey the historical factors that have shaped China's emergence as one of the dominant players on the global stage in the twenty-first century. We begin by exploring the history of the last imperial dynasty. Emphasis is placed on the historical diversity of Chinese society. After learning about the combination of domestic and external challenges that undermined the last dynasty and led to the overthrow of the imperial system, we look at the impact of the world wars, the civil war between the Nationalists and the Communists, and the establishment of the People's Republic. The course concludes with a section on the transition to "market socialism" and the legacy of the 1989 Tiananmen demonstrations. Our sources include a combination of secondary scholarship by leading experts on Chinese history as well as primary historical and literary sources. This also counts as an elective for the Modern Language Studies major.

See HIST 4030 Founding of the Americas.

A study of the “pioneers” of the Americas (e.g., indigenous, Spanish, French, and Russian) who all came to the continent to explore, negotiate the land and relationships with others they encountered. A mix of narrative and primary document history, the class will discover the true story of the settlement of the Americas.
Hist 4030 meets with HIST 3030. The requirements of the courses are the same EXCEPT that a research paper is required for students in 4030.

See HIST 4220 The Ancient World.

An examination of the political, social, and intellectual worlds of ancient Greece and Rome. The purpose of the course is to introduce students to the seminal contributions of antiquity to the Western tradition. The course will concentrate on the setting and content of Greek culture from the age of Homer to the rise of the Macedonian Empire, and the development of Rome from city republic to empire.
HIST-4220 meets with HIST 3220. The requirements of the courses are the same EXCEPT that a research paper is required for students in HIST-4220.
Prerequisite(s): HIST 2170 Body, Mind, Spirit: The Understanding of the Self in Western Culture, HIST 2180 Science and Religion in Western Tradition, or instructor permission.

See HIST 4230 The Middle Ages.

Prerequisite(s): HIST 1110 World Civilizations, HIST 2170 Body, Mind, Spirit: The Understanding of the Self in Western Culture, or HIST 2180 Science and Religion in Western Tradition.

A survey of European culture and society from the fall of the Roman Empire to the advent of the Renaissance. The course will focus on the creative religious, political, and social movements of this period, and their influence on the development of the West. Among the subjects covered: the Germanic tribes, the Carolingian Empire, the Church in the High Middle Ages, the culture of the High Middle Ages, the growth of centralized monarchy, the Crusades, and the evolution of the social order in the Middle Ages.
HIST 4230 meets with HIST 3230. The requirements of the courses are the same EXCEPT that a research paper is required for students in 4230.
Prerequisite(s): HIST 1110 World Civilizations, HIST 2170 Body, Mind, Spirit: The Understanding of the Self in Western Culture, or HIST 2180 Science and Religion in Western Tradition.

This course is a study of the history of sexualities from US and transnational perspectives. It covers the development of ideas about sexual behavior in antiquity and their influence on Europe and the United States, as well as global histories of sexuality. The course covers the influence science, religion, migration, and capitalism have had historically in shaping social values about sexuality. Additional topics include sexual norms and nonconformity, the connection between sex and gender roles, sex and the body, and sexual liberation.

This course is a study of the history of sexualities from US and transnational perspectives. It covers the development of ideas about sexual behavior in antiquity and their influence on Europe and the United States, as well as global histories of sexuality. The course covers the influence science, religion, migration, and capitalism have had historically in shaping social values about sexuality. Additional topics include sexual norms and nonconformity, the connection between sex and gender roles, sex and the body, and sexual liberation. Students in this course will conduct research in the history of sexualities and complete a research paper.

See HIST 4700 Revolutions in Latin America.

A study of the causes, course, and outcomes of several 20th century social revolutions in Latin America. The course will use a comparative perspective, paying particular attention to the transformations that accompanied each stage of revolution. This also counts as an elective for the Modern Language Studies major. HIST 4700 meets with HIST 3700. The requirements of the courses are the same EXCEPT that a research paper is required for students in 4700.

Prerequisite(s): HIST 1010 Topics in United States History to 1877, HIST 1110 World Civilizations, HIST 2110 Introduction to Latin America, or instructor permission.

See HIST 4840 Meiji - The Making of Modern Japan.

The Meiji period in Japan lasted from 1868 to 1912. Over that period of roughly four decades, Japan embarked on an ambitious program of Western-style modernization that left no aspect of the nation untouched. It was a period of rapid economic growth and industrialization that allowed Japan to challenge the Western powers and create its own empire in East Asia by the early twentieth century, but the accompanying social, political, and economic transformations were as dislocating for many Japanese as they were empowering. In this seminar, we will read widely in the political, social, and cultural history of the Meiji period to develop an understanding of the period's powerful shaping influence on the course Japan took in the twentieth century. In addition to secondary scholarship by leading authorities on the Meiji period, we will read works of literature and view several films that illuminate the complexities and tensions within Meiji society. HIST-4840 meets with HIST 3840. The requirements of the courses are the same EXCEPT that a research paper is required for students in 4840.

See HIST 4850 Twilight of the Samurai: Early Modern Japan.

The word samurai derives from the verb saburau, meaning "to serve." Whom did Japan's samurai warriors serve, and what made their "services" necessary in the first place? How did samurai become the dominant political figures during Japan's Middle Ages? After the Tokugawa shogunate succeeded in pacifying Japan in the early seventeenth century, how did a social group whose elite status derived from their role as warriors adapt-or fail to adapt-to a long period of peace? These are some of the questions we will seek to answer through our discussion of primary sources and secondary scholarship on Japan's samurai warriors. We will focus on the early modern period, but the seminar provides an overview of the historical development of the samurai dating back to their origins in the tenth century. Once we arrive in the Tokugawa period, we will also take a broader look at a changing Japanese social structure in which commoners-and merchants in particular-began to overtake the samurai. At the end of the semester, we will consider the ideological development of bushid, or the "Way of the Warrior," as an invented tradition that played an important role during Japan's transformation into a modern nation-state. This also counts as an elective for the Modern Language Studies major. HIST 4850 Twilight of the Samurai: Early Modern Japan meets with HIST 3850. The requirements of the courses are the same EXCEPT that a research paper is required for students in 4850.

A study of environmental history focusing primarily on the United States and including Canada and Mexico as they involve border environmental conflicts. Emphasis will be placed on environmental philosophy, ethnic minorities, power and politics, regionalism, industrialism, gender, and literature. Course format will be lecture, class discussions based on assigned readings from assigned texts, as well as supplemental sources, reports, videos, and field trips.

See HIST 4110 American Presidency.

This course is a biographical history of the Presidency that explores a number of individuals who have held the office and expanded the power of the executive branch of the United States' government. Presidents under discussion may include George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Andrew Jackson, Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin Roosevelt, Lyndon Johnson and Ronald Reagan. The course focuses on how historical context shaped each leader and his times, and vice versa. Students will also investigate the role of First Lady and some of the women who held that title.
HIST 4110 meets with HIST 3110. The requirements of the courses are the same EXCEPT that a research paper is required for students in 4110.

See HIST 4130 The Cold War and Modern America.

A study of society, culture and politics from 1932 to the present beginning with the New Deal and how it transformed the American state. The course then covers World War II, the atomic age and the Cold War, domestic issues in the fifties and sixties such as the Civil Rights Movement, the United States' involvement in Vietnam, changing gender roles and contemporary issues.
HIST 4130 meets with HIST 3130. The requirements of the courses are the same EXCEPT that a research paper is required for students in 4130.

See HIST 4450 Interrogate American History Through Artifacts.

This course uses a single historical artifact as a means to allow students to critically examine and participate in the construction of historical narratives. In short, we will ask "how do historians make sense of cultural artifacts? What questions do we ask? And how does the 'lens' we use affect our claims of knowledge?" The particular object of this class will vary each time the course is offered. During the course of the semester, we will examine the origins, meaning(s), and legacies of a single aspect of material culture. Students will have the opportunity to apply various methodological tools to make meaning of the past. Students will necessarily be asked to examine the artifact from diverse perspectives and build narratives that recognize differing experiences and disparities in how stories about the object have been told. HIST 4450 meets with HIST 3450 Interrogate American History Through Artifacts. The requirements of the course are the same EXCEPT that a research paper is required for students in the 4000-level course.

See HIST 4650 Topics in Nebraska History.

This course explores the History of Nebraska topically, covering such issues as American Indians, overland trails, expansionism, town founding, railroads, political development, and the dust bowl era; as well as the environment, gender history, and other topics of interest to students who enroll. This course will have field experiences.
HIST 4650 meets with HIST 3650. The requirements of the courses are the same EXCEPT that a research paper is required for students in 4650.
Prerequisite(s): HIST 1010/HIST 1010FYW Topics in United States History to 1877 or HIST 1020/HIST 1020FYW United States Society and Culture Since 1877.
(Normally offered each spring semester.)

This course will investigate the influence of disease on historical development, and look at the issues involved in the historical study of disease in the past. Themes will include the following: early human settlement and disease, disease as an agent of change, the emergence of new diseases and patterns of pandemics, and changes in diseases over time. We will also consider how the historical record might inform our understanding of the threat of emergent diseases today.

An overview of key themes in early modern and modern Japanese history with an emphasis on the period between the seventeenth and twenty-first centuries. The course concentrates on themes of change and continuity in Japan's political systems, social and economic institutions, and cultural forms. Specific themes include changing notions of samurai identity, the rise of the modern nation-state, imperialism and inter-regional relations, postwar prosperity and Japan's "Lost Decade." Our sources include a combination of secondary scholarship by leading experts on Japanese history as well as primary historical and literary sources. This also counts as an elective for the Modern Language Studies major.

see HIST 4100

Ah, Piracy, where "Every Man has a Vote in Affairs of Moment; has equal title to the fresh Provisions, or strong Liquors, at any Time seized, and use of them at Pleasure, unless a Scarcity make it necessary, for the good of all, to Vote a Retrenchment." While depicted as bloodthirsty, murdering outlaws-the bane of the open seas-pirates had a stronger more equitable system of laws, justice, shared power, multiethnic and multicultural crews (many crews included freed African slaves, Indigenous individuals, north Africans, eastern Mediterranean, captured/converted mariners from all nations in the Red Sea, Indian Ocean, Mediterranean, and Atlantic), and even a voice in determining activities and choose their leaders. Some say they were sea-based Robin Hoods, while others argue they were bloodthirsty devils. Who were these men and women and why did they become pirates? This class will explore the role that pirates, corsairs, buccaneers,and privateers played in the golden ages (more than one) of pirates. Looking at both the Mediterranean and Trans-Atlantic, student will explore the lives and adventures of historical piracy-famous men and women such as Captains Blackbeard, Morgan, Kidd, Ann Bonny, Grace O'Malley, as well as lesser-known men and women whose names we will never know. The class will explore the impact that piracy had on expansion/globalization, international law/commerce, gender (and vice versa), political sovereignty, power/privilege, race/ethnicity (and vice versa), religion-broadly conceived (including conflict), and settler- colonialism, equal title to the fresh Provisions, or strong Liquors, at any Time seized, and use of them at Pleasure, unless a Scarcity make it necessary, for the good of all, to Vote a Retrenchment." While depicted as bloodthirsty, murdering outlaws-the bane of the open seas-pirates had a stronger more equitable system of laws, justice, shared power, multiethnic and multicultural crews (many crews included freed African slaves, Indigenous individuals, north Africans, eastern Mediterranean, aptured/converted mariners from all nations in the Red Sea, Indian Ocean, Mediterranean, and Atlantic), and even a voice in determining activities and choose their leaders. Some say they were sea-based Robin Hoods, while others argue they were bloodthirsty devils. Who were these men and women and why did they become pirates? This class will explore the role that pirates, corsairs, buccaneers, and privateers played in the golden ages (more than one) of pirates. Looking at both the Mediterranean and Trans-Atlantic, student will explore the lives and adventures of historical piracy-famous men and women such as Captains Blackbeard, Morgan, Kidd, Ann Bonny, Grace O'Malley, as well as lesser-known men and women whose names we will never know. The class will explore the impact that piracy had on expansion/globalization, international law/commerce, gender (and vice versa), political sovereignty, power/privilege, race/ethnicity (and vice versa), religion-broadly conceived (including conflict), and settler-colonialism.

Prerequisite(s): HIST 1110 World Civilizations, or permission of instructor.

See HIST 4140 Biography in History.

An examination of a historical topic through the study of biography, emphasizing historical background, comparison and contrast of leading figures, and an analysis of motivations and character.
HIST 4140 meets with HIST 3140. The requirements of the courses are the same EXCEPT that a research paper is required for students in 4140.

See HIST 4350 Nazi Germany.

Prerequisite(s): HIST 1110 World Civilizations, HIST 2170 Body, Mind, Spirit: The Understanding of the Self in Western Culture, or HIST 2180 Science and Religion in Western Tradition, or permission of the instructor.

An examination of Germany in the twentieth century focusing on the rise of Adolph Hitler, the weakness of the Weimar government, the institutions of the Nazi regime, and the events of World War II and the Holocaust. This also counts as an elective for the Modern Language Studies major.
HIST 4350 meets with HIST 3350. The requirements of the courses are the same EXCEPT that a research paper is required for students in 4350.
Prerequisite(s): HIST 1110 World Civilizations, HIST 2170 Body, Mind, Spirit: The Understanding of the Self in Western Culture, or HIST 2180 Science and Religion in Western Tradition, or permission of the instructor.

See HIST-4530.

A study of women’s leadership and public speech across time and place, emphasizing the gendered nature of power, how it has been deployed and interpreted. This course begins in the Ancient World and then studies female leaders such as Cleopatra and Elizabeth I, along with women who have instigated reform in Asia, Africa, Latin America, the Middle East, and North America. HIST 4530 meets with HIST 3530. The requirement of the courses are the same EXCEPT that a research paper is required for students in 4530.

See HIST 4860 Japanese Popular Culture, Past and Present.

Prerequisite(s): Sophomore standing or instructor permission.

In this course we will be investigating the cultural history of history of Japan in the early modern and modern periods, with an emphasis on the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Specifically, we will focus on “popular culture,” a term whose multiple (and conflicting) connotations we will consider throughout the semester. Our exploration of “popular culture” will extend to aspects of everyday life (or “lifestyles”) as well as works of art, literature, music, and film. Together we will examine a variety of texts, musical genres, comics, and films (both live action and animation), always attempting to interpret them in the context of historical change. This will be a rigorous and intellectually challenging course, but it is also meant to provide an enjoyable overview of Japan’s rich cultural heritage.
HIST 4860 meets with HIST 3860. The content of the courses are the same EXCEPT students enrolled in 3860 write analytical essays and give presentations, while students enrolled in 4860 concentrate on writing a research paper in lieu of the essays and presentations.

Prerequisite(s): Sophomore standing or instructor permission.

This is a course taken as part of the signature work done by students at the end of their degree program: the senior thesis, internship, or student teaching in History. As part of the course, students will connect their previous learning in the Archway Curriculum, both in their liberal arts and History majors, with the signature work with which they are engaged as seniors. As part of the course, they will explore through their Archway Curriculum e-Portfolio (ACeP) their earlier work, connect the skills and ideas of that earlier work to their current signature work, engage in discourse with other students about themes relevant to their work, and prepare for the next stage of their career beyond college.
Pre or corequisite(s): HIST 3650/HIST 4650 Topics in Nebraska History or HIST 4970 History Internship or HIST 4980 Introduction to Senior Thesis and permission of department chair. 

On-the-job training for advanced history majors in settings such as archives, museums, archeological sites, libraries, or historical societies. The student will arrange for the position in accordance with the guidelines established by the department. Pass/Fail only.
Prerequisite(s): Permission of the department chair.
Corequisite(s): HIST 4940 History Capstone.
(Normally offered every semester.)

To be taken during the spring semester of the junior year or the fall semester of the senior year, this seminar is designed to aid students in the development of their senior thesis topics. Each will prepare a research proposal and a plan of study. Pass/Fail only.
Pre or corequisite(s): HIST 4940 History Capstone and permission of department chair.
(Normally offered every semester.)

To be taken during the senior year, the student will utilize this semester to research the topic developed in HIST 4980 Introduction to Senior Thesis and complete the senior thesis.
Prerequisite(s): HIST 4940 History Capstone and HIST 4980 Introduction to Senior Thesis and permission of department chair.
(Normally offered every semester.)