History

This course examines the various physical processes which shaped the world’s economic, historical, political and social forces, and how globalization changes the world’s social landscapes and human activities. The regions covered include Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, North America, the Middle East.

This course provides an introduction to geographic perspective on human activities. This course also examines the geographical worlds in which we live, the relationship between people and the Earth, and the interdependence of people, places and resources.

This course focuses on the first half of the American History; beginning with a brief overview of pre-Columbian America, and emphasizing the impact of eventual European settlements in North America. This course traces the founding of an independent United States, concluding with the consequences of the Civil War.

This course focuses on the second half of the American history; beginning in the immediate post-Civil War era, and introducing students to major themes and events in United States history in the late nineteenth century and through most of the twentieth century. No prerequisite.

This course focuses on a survey of the development of the Western tradition from its early roots in the ancient Middle East until the age of Charlemagne. It introduces students to the contributions of the peoples of the ancient Middle East, Greece, Rome, and the early medieval West to the formation of western civilization.

This course focuses on a survey of the socio-economic, political, and cultural forces that have shaped the West from the age of feudalism to the triumph of absolute monarchy in the mid-seventeenth century. It explores such topics as the Medieval origins of the modern state, evolving religious beliefs of the West, the intellectual ferment of the Renaissance and Reformation, and economic and social development during the era.

A survey of the major socio-economic, political, and intellectual movements in modern western history since the Age of Absolutism. Emphasizes the rise of nation-states, the Scientific Revolution and the Enlightenment, the French Revolution, industrialization, and the major ideologies of the twentieth century.

This course focuses on the history of North America from European settlement through the post-Revolutionary era, beginning with the cross-cultural encounters of Natives, Europeans, and Africans. It emphasizes the socio-cultural, political, and economic development of colonial America; the events that led to the American Revolution; and the immediate consequences of the Revolution in political and social terms.

China from the 1970s to the present. Emphasis on the economic, social, cultural, and political developments of recent China; the opening of China to the world; and the emerging of China into the global economy and market. Special attention to the intersection of Chinese and U.S. interests and trade in the global context. Satisfies global awareness domain of the core curriculum.

This course focuses on the history of the United States from the founding of the federal republic through the 1870s. It emphasizes the politics and diplomacy of the early republic; Jacksonian democracy and reform, national economic and territorial expansion; regionalism and sectional conflict; the institution of slavery; the Civil War; the immediate post-war society; and federal efforts to reconstruct the nation.

The history of Iowa from pre-territorial days until the present, beginning with an emphasis on Native Iowans and their encounters with European immigrant settlers. Traces changes in the landscape and farming patterns from the nineteenth century until the present, while also considering changes in the daily lives of Iowans affected by moves from agriculture to industry and from farm to town during this era.

This course covers the period since the beginning of the twentieth century, concentrating on the era since the Second World War. It focuses primarily on the history of China or Japan, with inclusion of the recent histories of other East Asian entities (North Korea, South Korea, Hong Kong, and Taiwan) in an alternating format. This course also covers the selected East Asian countries' relationship with the U.S. in the global context. The course satisfies the global awareness domain of the core curriculum.

This course examines the history of film, especially the narrative film from its advent at the end of the 19th century up until the present. It will look at films from many different countries as it examines the silent era of cinema, the coming of sound and color, the growth of the major studios in Hollywood, Post World War II cinema, The French New Wave, Third World Cinema, and the New American Cinema. Cross listed with FS 240.

This course explores the history of crime and the relationships between crime and culture in America. Major topics include the historical perspectives of crime and culture, cultural influences on crime and justice throughout history, and historical changes in the interpretation of crime.

This course focuses on the development of contemporary America during World War II, the Cold War, Vietnam, and the civil rights and women's movements. It examines changes in political, social, and popular culture.

This course focuses on Europe from the decline of the Roman Empire to the mid-fifteenth century, with special emphasis on the transition from the Roman World to the Early Medieval West, the rise and decline of feudal institutions, and the development of the Medieval church. It pays special focus on social and political changes, as well as intellectual and cultural developments of the era.

This course focuses on major movements in early modern European history from the end of the Middle Ages to the eve of the French Revolution. It places special emphasis on the Renaissance and Reformation, the emergence and triumph of the absolutist state, the Enlightenment, and social and economic changes during these periods.

An introduction to the history of Latin America, beginning with European penetration of the region and the legacies of the colonial era. Focuses on the wave of independence movements by the early nineteenth century, followed by a specific emphasis on the recent history of selected Latin American nations since independence. (Satisfies global awareness domain of the core curriculum).

This course focuses on Europe from the outbreak of the French Revolution to the end of the nineteenth century. It places special emphasis on the causes and effect of the French Revolution, the Napoleonic period, the Industrial Revolution, the conflict between liberalism and conservatism, the rise of labor and socialist movements, the impact of nationalism, and diplomatic relations in Europe.

The course covers the period from the 1900s to the present, focusing primarily on the social, economic, technological and scientific environmental developments in the United States. It examines the roles these developments played in changing the U.S. environment and environmental policies in the contemporary period, and how the American public's view of their environment has changed over time. Students will also learn about the U.S. government's role in shaping policies that affect the environment, especially since 1900. Students who are interested in environmental study will find the course significantly enhances their knowledge of the historical development of environmentalism in the United States.

This course focuses on Europe from the beginning of the twentieth century to the present. It palces special emphasis on the pre-1914 World War I era, the Great War and its impact, the Russian Revolution, the emergence of the Soviet Union as a world power, the inter-war fascist development, the origins and events of World War II, and the Cold War.

A study of the Vietnam War, with special emphasis on the reasons for American involvement in the conflict, the consequences of that involvement, reactions to the war, and an assessment of its legacy in American history.

This course focuses on the history of race and gender in the twentieth century. Special attention to social, political, and economic developments among Native Americans, African Americans, Asian Americans, and Mexican Americans, with emphasis on the changing relationships among these groups and mainstream Americans. Concentration also on gender issues, such as relationships between men and women, as well as the changing economic, political, social, and cultural roles of women in a historical perspective.

This course will focus on revolutions that have shaped the history of several Latin American nations during the last century, providing an historical overview and analysis of the consequences of such revolutionary events in the evolution of each nation's development. Particular attention will be paid (in a variety of configurations in different semesters, often depending on current events in specific nations) to revolutions in Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Cuba and Central America.

The course surveys Hispanic civilizations and links them to cultural developments over time. Course meetings will integrate art, film, history, music, and literature to familiarize students with cultural contexts that evolved in Spain and Latin America. Nations of emphasis vary. Course materials in English translation and subtitles. No prerequisite. (Students seeking credit in Spanish should check for cross-listing as SP 369.).

This course focuses on Russian and Soviet history from the accession of the Romanovs to the present. Emphasis on the reforms of Peter the Great; the shaping of the Russian autocracy; the socio-economic, political, and cultural ferment of the nineteenth century; the Russian Revolution and the Bolshevik seizure of power; the age of Stalin and the Great Purges; post World War II Soviet society; and the breakup of the Soviet Union.

This course is an introduction to the concepts and methods of historical investigation. It emphasizes evaluation of historical documents through the preparation of major research paper on a selected topic in history. (Capstone course for History majors. Recommended for the senior year. Must be taken at Mount Mercy).

Directed readings and research in history. Topics to be determined by the student and instructor.

Internship in a cultural institution, business, or non-profit organization. Emphasis on linking academic content and methodologies of the liberal arts with the practicalities of the workplace. Students will select internship site and determine objectives, with approval by the History faculty. (For history majors of at least junior standing).