COURSES
HIS 105, 106 History of Civilization I, II (3) (3)
An analysis of the development of civilization in Europe and elsewhere. Particular attention will be paid to the evolution of a modern mind set. This course focuses on the theme of how human perceptions changed over time-a key component of the very notion of "civilization." As a result
of these courses, students will gain an understanding of the Western and non-Western heritages in terms of their origins, development, values, and distinctive qualities. Students will also gain an understanding of the nature of social, political, economic, and psychological forces and how they affect us. First term: 1300-1815. Second term: 1815 to the present.
HIS 205, 206 History of the United States I, II (3) (3)
A survey of the American colonial and U.S. national experience, this course is designed for the general student with emphasis on politics and society. Students successfully completing this course will demonstrate knowledge of the major themes and chronological periods of American history. They will also demonstrate a deeper understanding of historical method, and the role of interpretation and perspective in constructing historical narratives. First term: to 1877. Second term: since 1865. HIS 205 offered fall term; HIS 206 offered spring term.
HIS 271, 371, 471 Selected Topics (1-3) (1-3) (1-3)
An investigation of topics not offered in other courses, selected on the basis of student interest and available instruction.
HIS 290, 390, 490 Directed Study (1-3) 1-3) (1-3)
An opportunity for supervised, independent study of a particular topic based on the interest of the student, and the availability and approval of the faculty.
HIS 298, 398, 498 Honors in History (1-3) (1-3) (1-3)
Advanced academic preparation for students who have demonstrated outstanding academic performance in the discipline. Opportunities may take several forms: reading projects, teaching and tutorial assistance in courses, research and writing. Students successfully completing an honors project will demonstrate increased professional knowledge and a deeper understanding of disciplinary conventions. Students may complete two courses at each level. Prerequisite: Permission.
HIS 302 Native American History (3)
A survey of Native American social, cultural and political history, circa 1492 to the present, with a particular emphasis on the history of Native peoples living in the Great Plains area. Students who successfully complete this course will understand the diversity of Native American cultures as they developed over more than 500 years of living with Europeans and the new Americans of the United States. Students will also acquire knowledge about the major themes and issues of debate in the field of Native American history. Offered alternate fall terms.
HIS 305 Recent History of the United States (3)
Examines selected topics in U.S. history, from the 1950s to present. Students will gain a deeper understanding of Cold War culture, popular culture, gender roles, the modern civil rights movement(s) and other social movements. Particular attention is paid to domestic politics, from the rise of Lyndon B. Johnson's "Great Society" to Ronald Reagan and the rise of the "New Right." Students who successfully complete this course also will gain a deeper understanding of the interplay of culture, politics, and society (and the analytical constructs of race, gender, and class), as they study the origins of issues relevant to contemporary society. Offered alternate fall terms.
HIS 306 U.S. Interwar Years (3)
Provides an in-depth examination of political, social and cultural history, from the 1920s to the early 1940s. Students who successfully complete this course will demonstrate knowledge of the background to the economic collapse of the Great Depression, the rise of Franklin D. Roosevelt's "New Deal," and the beginnings of the Second World War. Students also will gain a deeper understanding of U.S. diversity, from region to race, from rural to urban, and from liberal to conservative strains of political thought. (Cross-referenced with PSI 306.) Offered alternate fall terms.
HIS 312 Industrialists, Populists, and Reformers (3)
An in-depth examination of the cultural, social, economic and political history of the United States from circa 1870 to 1920. Students who successfully complete this course will demonstrate knowledge of the main themes of industrialization, urbanization, and immigration and the rise of programs of various social-political reformers. Attention is given to the culture of the Victorian or Gilded Age and the Progressive and Modern critique of that culture. Students will also gain a deeper understanding of the interplay of culture, politics, and society (and gender, race, and class) as they study industrialists, reformers, laborers, and presidents. Offered alternate fall
terms.
HIS 314 History of the Vietnam War and the 1960's (3)
A course designed to provide an overview of the Vietnam War as well as the social, political and cultural context of the 1960s. Effects of the Vietnam War and the 1960s on U.S. culture and politics today are also emphasized. This course fulfills the Cultural Perspectives requirement of the Doane Plan. (Cross-referenced with INT 314.) Offered alternate fall terms.
HIS 315 The Civil War and Reconstruction (3)
Examines the causes, character, and consequences of two great American tragedies: the Civil War and Reconstruction, from the mid-19th century to 1877. Students who successfully complete this course will demonstrate knowledge about the failure of antebellum political mechanisms, the growth of sectionalism, justifications for and against secession, and the methods and implications of war. Students will also gain a deeper understanding of the different constitutional systems underpinning the conflict, efforts to eradicate Southern separatism, and the promises, failures, and continuing legacy of the Reconstruction Era. Offered alternate interterms.
HIS 317 Twentieth Century European Culture: Fascism (3)
An examination of fascism as an ideology which dominated the political and cultural life of Europe in the first half of the century. Readings in various disciplines, such as economics, sociology, education, art, psychology, philosophy, religion, and music, augment the investigation of this totalitarian ideology. The legacy of fascism in current political developments, both in
Europe and in other areas of the world, is also examined. This course fulfills the Cultural Perspectives requirement of the Doane Plan. (Cross-referenced with INT 317.)
HIS 318 Germany After Hitler (3)
Germany in the second half of the 20th century. The course begins at the end of World War II, and progresses through the cold war years and the split into two states - West Germany and the GDR - to the fall of the wall and unification. This course is taught in English. This course fulfills the Cultural Perspectives requirement of the Doane Plan. (Cross-referenced with INT 318.) Offered alternate spring terms.
HIS 320 American Environmental History (3)
Examines American Environmental History from colonial times to the present. Students who successfully complete this course will gain a deeper understanding of topics such as changing interpretations of nature and resources, the conservation and environmental movements, the roles of art, literature, and culture in American visions of nature, as well as issues of public health, government interaction with the environment, and more recent environmental debates. The primary objective of this course is to explore the question "What is environmental history?" Students will also demonstrate knowledge of major authors and their works and will demonstrate the complexity and interdisciplinary nature of environmental history and its interpretations of human interactions with the environment. Offered alternate fall terms.
HIS 321 American Race Relations (3)
Surveys events in United States history, from the colonial era to the present, that suggest the racial underpinnings of American culture and society and explores how race interacts with class, gender, ethnicity, religion and culture. Students will gain a deeper understanding of the historical reality of American multiculturalism. Students examine the history of Native "Indian" Americans, African-Americans, Asian and Western and Eastern European immigrants and their descendants, in colonial and national contexts. Topics covered include conquest, assimilation, slavery, ethnicity, eugenics, and the modern civil rights movements. Students also will gain a deeper understanding of the development and values of Western and non-Western cultures and the interrelations between people, systems, and social forces. This course fulfills the Cultural Perspectives requirement of the Doane Plan. Offered alternate fall terms.
HIS 326 Modern Asian History (3)
Emphasis on China and Japan with some coverage of the Korean peninsula. Themes include modernization, imperialism, relations with the West, Sino- Japanese relations, and economic development. As a result of this course, students will gain an understanding of the Western and non-Western heritages in terms of their origins, development, values, and distinctive qualities. Students will also gain an understanding of the nature of social, political, economic, and psychological forces and how they affect us. (Cross-referenced with PSI 326.) Offered alternate spring terms
HIS 329 The U.S. Revolutionary Era (3)
An examination of the U.S. colonial revolution and early national period. Students who successfully complete this course will demonstrate knowledge of the social, cultural and political history of Great Britain's North American colonies on the eve of the Revolution; the military course of the Revolutionary War; the formation of the U.S. Constitution; and selected topics in early national politics and culture. Students will also gain a deeper understanding of social diversity, from Native Americans, African-Americans, women, and the common soldier to well-known leaders such as Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, and George Washington. (Cross-referenced with Political Science 329.) Offered alternate spring terms.
HIS 335 Modern French History 1815-Present (3)
A review of the history of France from the end of the Napoleonic Era onwards. While grounded in political history, the course will emphasize French cultural contributions and social change and innovation. Students will gain knowledge of the cultural, political and social history of France. Offered alternate spring terms.
HIS 337 American Women's History (3)
A general survey of U.S. women's history, from the colonial period to the present. Students successfully completing this course will demonstrate knowledge of the major themes and problems of women in American history and women's contributions to American political, social, and cultural life. Students examine how women are connected and divided by region, race and class. Students will also gain a deeper understanding of the role of gender and sex in American history and how such themes/ideologies affect men as well as women. Offered alternate fall terms.
HIS 338 Modern Russia (3)
Russia from 1855 and the Great Reforms of Tsar Alexander II through the Bolshevik Revolution, the Stalin period, the decline and fall of the USSR, and the troubled emergence of the "New Russia" and the other post-Soviet successor states. As a result of this course, students will gain an understanding of Western and non-Western heritages in terms of their origins, development, values, and distinctive qualities. Students will also gain an understanding of the nature of social, political, economic, and psychological forces and how they affect us. (Cross-referenced with PSI 338.)
HIS 341 Modern British History (3)
An examination of the evolution of English, politics, economics, society and culture. Special attention will be paid to issues such as the industrial revolution, the British class system, suffrage and feminism, and the worldwide influence of British culture and the English language. As a result of taking this course, students will gain an understanding of crucial parts of Western and non-Western heritages in terms of their origins, development, values, and distinctive qualities. Students will also gain an understanding of the nature of social, political, economic and psychological forces and how they affect us. Offered alternate fall terms.
HIS 342 The United States and the Middle East (3)
A focus on the history of the Islamic Middle East and the relationship between the United States and the broader Middle East from the 18th century to the present, through an examination of selected countries, including Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel and Palestine. Students who successfully complete the course will demonstrate knowledge of the rise of Islam in the Arabian Peninsula; the history of the Ottoman Empire and the mandate system; U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East; the Gulf Wars; and the Middle East and the media. Students also will gain a deeper understanding of the development and values of Western and non-Western cultures and the interrelations between people, systems, and social forces. This course fulfills the cultural perspectives requirement of the Doane Plan. (Cross-referenced with PSI 342). Offered alternate spring terms.
HIS 346 Modern Eastern European History (3)
Students who successfully complete this survey course will demonstrate knowledge of the struggle for national independence by the people of the Balkans and East-Central Europe (Rumania, Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia, Poland and Hungary), and also gain a deeper understanding of the post-1945 Communist period and the dynamics of the transition from Communism since 1989. Offered alternate spring terms.
HIS 348 History of the Roman Empire (31 BCE - 476 CE) (3)
Focus is on the rise of Roman civilization. Students who successfully complete this course will demonstrate knowledge of the cultural, military, political, and economic aspects of Roman civilization. Students also will gain a deeper understanding of the political transformation from the Roman Republic to the Roman Empire, as well as why this amazing civilization, which would serve as a model for so many future empires, eventually collapsed. Offered alternate spring terms.
HIS 349 Contemporary Europe (3)
Collapse of European civilization through World War I and World War II, followed by the emergence of a New Europe in recent times. This course fulfills the Cultural Perspectives requirement of the Doane Plan. (Cross-referenced with INT 349.) Offered alternate years.
HIS 350 The Medieval World
This course is an overview of the history and culture of medieval western Europe and the Middle East from approximately 500 CE to 1500 CE. Through the examination of primary and secondary sources, students will gain insight into the events and ideas that influenced the political, economic, religious, social, and cultural developments of the medieval world. By focusing attention on both western and eastern medieval civilizations, students will be introduced to a more global perspective of the Middle Ages in particular and of world history in general. Offered alternate spring terms
HIS 352 American West (3)
In this survey of the American West, students examine the major themes of conquest, migration, water, agriculture, urbanization, government, myth, race, region, class, and gender, with special emphases on the Great Plains region and environmental history. Students will gain a deeper understanding of social, racial and cultural diversity in the West. Students also will gain a deeper understanding of the significance of region and the environment as forces in history and the West as a source of themes in U. S. history. Offered alternate spring terms.
HIS 421 History Internship (0-12)
On-the-job experience in history. Prerequisite: CED 205 or permission. (Pass/Fail)
HIS 496 Writing and Research Seminar (3)
Students will learn and apply the techniques of professional historians to produce a research paper. This will involve work with both primary and secondary sources, historiography, and the application of professional practices involving method, citation, research, and historical composition. This course will also enhance each student's ability to gather, analyze, and interpret historical data. Students will study these skills through discussion of Nebraska history, among other subjects. Through successful completion of this course, students will gain a deeper understanding of the development and values of Western (and non-Western) cultures and the interrelations between people, systems, and social forces. Prerequisite: Permission. Offered spring terms.