History

Chris Riley
509.793.2184
history@bigbend.edu

Jody Quitadamo
509-793-2177
history@bigbend.edu

History courses may be taken as part of the Associate in Arts and Science DTA degree. These courses may be used toward the Social Science Breadth requirement or for Specified or General Elective credit. Students seeking Associate in Arts and Science DTA degree should refer to the catalog section “Degrees & Certificates” for a detailed description of the degree, its program outcomes, and courses that will satisfy degree requirements.

History undertakes the study of past human affairs in order to understand who we are and where we might be going. It takes into account societies in diverse areas of the world from the earliest civilizations to the present day. History is an important part of a general liberal arts education. Students who plan to major in history may prepare for a number of careers, including public school teaching, government service, law, library and museum work, or professional historian.

Since programs differ at each college, students should consult program outlines published by the college or university to which they intend to transfer. Students should prepare their quarterly schedules with the assistance of an advisor knowledgeable in this transfer area.

Recommended Pre-Major Courses (20 credits)

HIST& 136 U.S. History 1 CWU & EWU

HIST& 137 U.S. History 2 CWU & EWU

HIST& 126 World Civilization I CWU

HIST& 127 World Civilization II CWU

HIST& 128 World Civilization III CWU
Or may substitute Western Civ for World Civ (CWU)

HIST& 116 Western Civilization I CWU & EWU

HIST& 117 Western Civilization II CWU & EWU

HIST& 118 Western Civilization III CWU

* Choose four courses, CWU

Courses

HIST& 116: Western Civilization I

Credits 5
From the origins of civilization to the dawn of the modern world in the 1500 s, this course surveys the classical world of Greece and Rome, Western Christendom, Byzantium and Islam, the Middle Ages, and the early Renaissance.

HIST& 117: Western Civilization II

Credits 5
From early modern Europe to the Napoleonic Wars in the nineteenth century, this course examines Western civilization in transition: The Renaissance and Reformation, commercial expansion into the Americas, Africa and Asia, absolutism, science, the enlightenment, and French Revolution.

HIST& 118: Western Civilization III

Credits 5
This course stresses the international transition from European dominance to the rise of superpowers and third world nations. World Wars, depression, Democracy, Nazism, Communism, and the European Community are major themes. (1800 -1990).

HIST& 126: World Civilization I

Credits 5
From the emergence of Buddhism in India to the fall of the Roman Empire, this course provides a general overview of major developments in ancient world history. Students investigate major historical developments as exemplified by the traditional cultures of Africa, Southwest Asia (Middle East), China, Japan, India, Oceania, the Americas, and Europe. Employing the same thinking skills and methods used by historians, students draw on a variety of disciplines and sources to piece together an informed and coherent view of the past and think critically about essential questions including How do humans interact with their environments? and How do belief systems reveal how major groups in society view themselves and others?

HIST& 127: World Civilization II

Credits 5
World Civilizations II is a systematic study of the major patterns of global history in the modern period, from 1000 C.E. to 1850 C.E. This course analyzes the distinguishing characteristics of the worlds major civilizations, and the gradual integration of the diverse cultures of the world into an interconnected system. Students will examine the major political, social, cultural, and economic developments, including the spread of Islam and European exploration in Africa, Asia, and the Americas. We will pay particular attention to colonialism, slavery, revolution, nationalism, globalization, democracy, and human rights. This course develops critical thinking, writing, and analytical skills by employing the same skills and methods used by historians to piece together an informed and coherent view of the past.

HIST& 128: World Civilization III

Credits 5
World Civilizations III introduces students to the history of the modem world from 1850 to the present day. Particular emphasis will be placed upon the global impacts of the industrial revolution, new ideologies such as liberalism and socialism, revolutionary movements like those in Russia and China, colonization and decolonization, legacies of WWI and WWII, the Cold War’s global impact, comparative study of genocide, and the transformation of the Middle East in modern times. The course focuses on a theme of connections among world societies to give students the “big picture” of world history.

HIST& 136: US History 1

Credits 5
Covering the first half of American history, this course takes students on a journey from the European foundations for colonization in the New World to the conclusion of the American Civil War. Along the way students are exposed to the philosophic, cultural, and political underpinnings of the American story, and personalities and events which bring that story to life.

HIST& 137: US History 2

Credits 5
From the end of the Civil War to the end of the twentieth century, this course examines the development of the modern United States and its transformation from an isolationist agriculturally based society to global superpower. Along the way students are exposed to the philosophic, cultural, and political underpinnings of the American story, and personalities and events which bring that story to life.

HIST& 215: Women in American History

Credits 5
A survey of women and U.S. history from pre-colonial times to the present. This course explores women’s place in American History, including historical attitudes about women’s place in society and the realities of life and work for women. This course also covers the women’s rights movements from the mid-1800’s to the present. Topics include cultural, ethnic, political, social, and economic history.

HIST& 219: Native American History

Credits 5
A survey of Native American history in the United States, this course explores Native American life before and after European contact, U.S Native American policy from 1789 to the present, and how the Native American nations maintained aspects of their culture in a changing and hostile environment. Students will examine the diverse Native American cultures prior to European contact, examine conflicts nations faced after contact, and study how the nations impacted and contributed to United States history.

HIST& 219: Native American History

Credits 5

A survey of Native American history in the United States, this course explores Native American life before and after European contact, U.S Native American policy from 1789 to the present, and how the Native American nations maintained aspects of their culture in a changing and hostile environment. Students will examine the diverse Native American cultures prior to European contact, examine conflicts nations faced after contact, and study how the nations impacted and contributed to United States history

HIST 105: Introduction to the History of Science

Credits 5

This course is a survey course designed to give the student a basic understanding of the history of science from the Ancient Greeks to the present through the lens of the discoveries and scientific personalities that shaped its development.  Students will examine the connections between science and the humanities and come to appreciate that science is not done in a vacuum, but has consequences for wider society.  Through a series of written projects and examinations, the students will learn fundamental facts and theories of science as well as how to study and analyze them using the methodologies and techniques of both history and science.  Course is cross-listed with SCI 105 and students cannot earn credit for both.

HIST 110: The American Experience

Credits 5
A brief history of the United States, this course combines a chronological and thematic approach to answer a few essential questions—the most important of which being, what does it mean to be an American? Critical periods in American History are examined with an eye toward their lasting impact upon American culture and politics. These periods include the colonial and revolutionary era, the age of reform (1830s/40s), the Civil War and Reconstruction, the Age of Industrialization, and world wars, and the Cold War. Essential questions will examine such things as democracy, opportunity, justice and equality. Please note: This course includes information also covered in greater detail in HIST&136 and HIST&137.

HIST 121: History of Mexico

Credits 5
This course will explore the social, cultural and otherwise varied history of Mexico from prehistoric times to the present. Lectures, discussion and readings will provide additional insights into the ethnic, economic and political realities of Mexico in our time.

HIST 210: Tudor England

Credits 5
Meet the Tudors—history’s most famous royal family and soap opera. Beloved by Hollywood, Henry VIII and his children (Edward VI, Mary I, and Elizabeth I) did more than behead spouses and burn heretics. Together they changed the face of the Western World by shepherding the transition from the Middle Ages to the modern world—sometimes willingly too! Exploring the political and religious reformation in England and the nature of the personalities at play, this course seeks to open sixteenth century England and see the great dynasty as it was seen through the eyes of those who lived in terror of it, as well as through the more scholarly—but no less fascinated— eyes of modern historians.

HIST 230: Ancient Near East

Credits 5
The course will study the growth and development of the Ancient Near East from its origin in Ancient Sumer in the bronze age to the rise of the Persians. Attention will also be given to Egypt and Israel and their contributions to the milieu of culture and society in the ancient Near East. The course will look at, in varying degrees, the culture, art, architecture, and religion of these societies.

HIST 245: American Civil War & Reconstruction

Credits 5
This course examines the institutions, events, and personalities that made the Civil War an “irrepressible conflict,” and the difficult reconstruction period that followed. The onset of the Civil War was rooted in the national controversy over slavery. For this reason a detailed look at southern slavery, northern industrialism and sectional politics and secession will precede study of the military history of the war itself and the political reconstruction.

HIST 250: Ancient Greece

Credits 5
A survey course of Greek history, beginning with the first identifiably Greek peoples of the Bronze Age and continuing down through the Dark Ages, the Classical period in Greece, the rise of Macedonia and Alexander the Great and the Hellenistic Age. In addition to the historical developments, we will look at Greek myth and religion, art, philosophy, science and other aspects of Greek culture.

HIST 270: The Roman World

Credits 5
This course is a survey of Roman history from the founding of the city in the 8th century BC to the collapse of the Empire in the west in the 5th century AD. The content is organized chronologically, but we will also take time to look at Roman culture including literature, art, architecture and drama.