History

Surveys the history of human communities before approximately 1500. Strong emphasis on the development of the major Middle Eastern, African, European, Asian, and American civilizations and their economic, religious, cultural, military, and political interactions. Fall, Spring.

Surveys world history from approximately 1500 to 2000, with emphasis on modernization in Western culture from 1500 to 1914 and how various Eurasian countries and empires were affected by modern development. Other topics to be covered include Western global domination and indigenous responses to this domination, the global impact of the world wars, decolonization, and the Cold War. The role of the United States as a major power, especially in the twentieth century, will be stressed. Fall, Spring.

Surveys the history of the United States from the discovery of the New World to the end of Reconstruction. Emphasis on the establishment of the characteristic institutions, cultural values, and expectations of American life. Special coverage of the Revolution, the Frontier, ethnic and cultural diversity, and the Civil War. Fall, Spring.

Surveys the history of the United States from the end of Reconstruction to the turn of the twenty-first century. Emphasis on the development of a modern society exercising world power in a complicated world. Special coverage of industrialization, the World Wars, the Depression, the Cold War, and social and cultural trends in American life. Fall, Spring.

This course will provide students with an introduction to the issues and challenges associated with providing historical services, programming, exhibits, and archival material to the general public. Specific topics will include the management and operation of non-profit historical organizations, collection, storage and/or exhibit of historical objects and documents, fundraising and grant writing, and programming. Fall/Spring as needed.

As an introduction to History as an academic discipline, this course will discuss primary and secondary sources, argument development and analysis, proper research methods and citation techniques, research paper construction, and article and book reviewing procedures. This course will also touch on the major schools of historiographical thought and a variety of issues facing historians today. Using the skills they develop in this course, students will complete a major research project. Must have six credit hours of history or permission of instructor. Junior SEWS course. Fall.

Surveys the history of the thirteen British colonies in North America from 1607 to 1763. Emphasis on the establishment of English colonies, institutions, and values in the New World. Covers conflicts with Native Americans, French, and Spanish, and the growth and development of a culturally and ethnically diverse population in British North America. Must have six credit hours of history or permission of instructor. Fall/Spring as needed.

Surveys the history of Tennessee from its Native American roots to the late 20th century. Emphasis on the settlement period, the Revolutionary era, early statehood, Civil War and Reconstruction, and the turn of the century period. Studies the development of Tennessee society as well as the state’s relationship to national history. Must have six credit hours of history or permission of instructor. Fall/Spring as needed.

This course will examine the culture and history of Native Americans, beginning briefly with pre-Columbian societies of Central, South, and North America, but focusing largely on North America during the period from the earliest European contact to the present. Particular emphasis will be placed on the evolving nature of the diplomatic, social, political, and military interaction that took place between the various tribes and the governments of Europe and the United States. Must have six credit hours of history or permission of instructor. Fall/Spring as needed.

This course is an introductory survey of medieval society, culture, and politics, beginning with the decline of the Roman Empire through the fifteenth century. We will pay some attention to the interactions between Byzantium, the Islamic world, and the medieval West; however, the main focus of this course will be Western Europe. Topics covered in the course include the rise and fall of Charlemagne’s empire; the rise of European monarchies; the recurrent conflicts between popes and kings; the crises of the fourteenth century; and the recovery of the classical intellectual heritage. Must have six credit hours of history or permission of instructor. Spring, every third year.

This course is the first of a two-course sequence on British history. It will focus on political, social, economic, and cultural change during centuries when Britain moved from being a remote province of the Roman Empire to the early years of its own imperial expansion until the beginning of the Glorious Revolution of 1688. Special attention will be given to the development of English Common Law, the foundation of the English Parliament, and the English Reformation. Must have six credit hours of history or permission of instructor. Fall every even year.

Surveys British History from 1688 to the present. This course will examine the three major kingdoms in the British Isles but will focus more on England. This course will proceed chronologically and examine several themes throughout, including the role of religion in society, the development of parliamentary government from the Revolution of 1688 through the rise of the Labor party in the late 20th century, the birth of the Industrial Revolution and the changes in society, the rise of Great Britain as a commercial, naval, and imperial power, Great Britain's role in Europe, the central government's dealings with the other kingdoms in the British crown, including questions of British identity, and Great Britain's role in world politics in the late 20th century. Must have six credit hours of history or permission of instructor. Spring every odd year.

This course explores the evolution of Greek civilization from the Bronze Age to the Hellenistic period. Special attention will be given to the political institutions and practices, culture, economy and society of ancient Greece. Topics covered in the course include the Persian Wars, the Peloponnesian War, and Alexander the Great. There is a substantial research and writing component to this course. Must have six credit hours of history or permission of instructor. Fall every third year.

Examines the history of the Modern Middle East and North Africa from approximately 1770 CE to the present. Must have six credit hours of history or permission of instructor.  As needed.

Covers the relationship between the United States and the Asian and Pacific regions during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Examines how and why America acquired and ruled over Hawaii and the Philippines. Also examines American economic, military, and diplomatic involvement with China and Japan. Emphasis on cultural contact and the links between domestic affairs and foreign relations. Fall/Spring as needed.

This course examines the history of Latin America from 1492 to the end of the twentieth century. Particular focus is placed on the roles of religion, race, and economics in the creation of colonial creole societies and the emergence of modem independent nations. Readings and lectures will explore how the collision of Iberians, indigenous peoples, and Africans created empires and set the region on a trajectory of intense social and political upheaval in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Must have six credit hours of history or permission of instructor. As needed.

This course surveys the history of Rome from the beginning of the Roman Republic in 509 B.C.E. to the decline of the western Roman Empire in 476 C.E. It will focus on the development of political and military institutions, Roman expansion, and the interaction between Romans and the many cultural groups who interacted with them. Special emphasis will be given to the creation and change in Roman civilization over time, and its legacy to western civilization. Must have six credit hours of history or permission of instructor. Fall every third year.

Survey of the history of the Appalachian region with attention given to Native American societies, European settlement, social change and stagnation, periods of emigration, as well as the role of the federal government through New Deal and the War on Poverty initiatives in the region. Fall/Spring as needed.

Examines the history of Modern South Asia from 1715 to the present. Course will begin with a brief overview of Ancient, Medieval, and early Mughal South Asia, with special attention to the developing religions traditions in the subcontinent. We will investigate the decline of the Mughal Empire, the largest Muslim kingdom in South Asia. The course will then trace the rising European interest in South Asia, discussing the British and French proxy struggles for economic and political power. The course will then follow the growth of East India Company rule, the Indian Mutiny, and the subsequent crown rule. Rising Indian nationalism and the struggle for independence will be examined. The course will end with a look at India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh as modern independent nations. Must have six credit hours of history or permission of instructor. As needed.

This course explores various themes, problems, and opportunities associated with the field of public history primarily through examination of relevant literature in the scholarly field combined with practical application of theory. Specific topics to be chosen by the instructor. Must have six credit hours of history or permission of instructor. Fall/Spring as needed.

This course examines the history and current state of the museum profession as well as the function of the museum. The course also examines the components of museum and historic site operations and the spectrum of general and specialized museums. Must have six credit hours of history or permission of instructor.  Fall/Spring as needed.

Surveys the military history of the United States from the Colonial period through the present. The emphasis is on why and how wars were fought, the creation of an American military establishment, the nature of combat and its impact on soldiers, the technological transformation of warfare, and the relationship between military affairs and constitutional, social, and cultural issues. Must have six credit hours of history or permission of instructor. Fall/Spring as needed. 

This course examines the development of a new kind of Holy War which emerged at the end of the eleventh century and transformed political, economic, social, and intellectual relations between Christians, Muslims, and Jews. Although the course concentrates on the period from 1095 through 1300, it will also address how the idea of crusading has changed over time, influencing modern rhetoric on Christian-Muslim relationships. Topics will include the articulation of Christian and Muslim theories of Holy War, the foundation of the crusader kingdoms, and the economic and social effects of the Crusades in Europe and the Levant. The course materials will draw upon a wide range of primary source materials, including chronicles, travelogues, sermons, religious disputations, and legal contracts. Prerequisite: Must have six credit hours of history or permission of instructor. Spring every third year.

This course will provide a basic understanding of the role of the frontier in American history and the impact of the frontier experience on Americans. The course will include a study of the significant trends and events that are associated with American westward expansion during the 400 year period that followed initial European exploration in the mid-sixteenth century. Topics and themes will include: motives for and consequences of exploration, the nature and impact of interaction with Native Americans, settlement patterns, economic development and exploitation, the adaptation and growth of social institutions, and the folklore and romanticism that has developed around the frontier experience. Fall/Spring as needed.

Specialized study of issues, periods, areas, and trends in World History. Satisfies non-western history requirement for the History major. May be repeated for additional credit with a different topical heading. Must have six credit hours of history or permission of instructor. Fall/Spring as needed.

This course examines the development of the western legal tradition from its foundation in Roman law to the end of the Middle Ages. Students will be introduced to earlier law codes pre-dating Roman law and the different medieval European legal systems, such as customary law, canon law, feudal law, common law, and royal law, all of which influenced the later development of law in the West. This course will also examine the pre-modern origins and development of the legal profession. Must have six credit hours of history or permission of instructor. Spring as needed.

Specialized study of pivotal topics, periods, and movements in European history, such as the Renaissance and Reformation, the Enlightenment, the French Revolution, the Italian Risorgimento, nationalism, and socialism. May be repeated for additional credit with a different topical heading. Must have six credit hours of history or permission of instructor. As needed.

This course will focus on the history of the United States Constitution, particularly the process by which the document was written, ratified, and subsequently interpreted. Among the issues that will be addressed in the course are the various factors that served to encourage the Constitutional convention, the ideas and issues that influenced the development of the Constitution, and the ways in which the Constitution has impacted the lives of Americans. Particular emphasis will be given to significant decisions by the United States Supreme Court and ways in which the powers of the Constitution have been expanded or restricted in the two centuries since it was adopted.

This course is a specialized study of issues, themes, periods, areas, and trends in American History. It satisfies one of two required, upper-level American history courses for History majors. It may be repeated for additional credit with a different topical heading. Specific topics will be chosen by the instructor. Prerequisite: six credit hours of history or permission of instructor. As needed.

Examines America’s relationship with Europe in the century of American world power. Emphasis on social, cultural, and economic developments in the United States and how they played a role in shaping American foreign relations with the European nations. Major topics covered include World War I, the Depression, World War II, the Cold War, and economic and cultural ties. Must have six credit hours of history or permission of instructor. As needed.

Studies Abraham Lincoln as a person and as a major political figure in American history. Includes discussions of his role in American government, in the abolition of slavery, as commander in chief during the Civil War, and as a symbol of American values. Uses Lincoln’s writings and biographical and historical studies to evaluate Lincoln’s impact on American history. Must have six credit hours of history or permission of instructor. As needed.

Examines the origin, conduct, and legacy of the Civil War, including the history of slavery in America and its impact on sectional unity and division in the mid-nineteenth century. Heavy emphasis on political issues and the military history of the war. Must have six credit hours of history or permission of instructor. As needed.

Explores the methods and values associated with historical research and writing. Includes discussions on the nature of history, the ethics and public obligations of professional historians, the role of the historian in educational institutions, and the varied theoretical approaches used by historians when approaching their subjects. Results in the research, writing, and classroom discussion of a major paper. Prerequisite: HIST 300 and Senior standing or permission of the instructor. Senior SEWS course. Spring.

Students develop, research, write, and present a major research paper in conjunction with instructor of record. The topic, length, and format are to be determined by both student and instructor. Emphasis on primary as well as secondary sources and formulation of theme or thesis are important components of the course. Thesis to be evaluated by committee of the whole among full-time History faculty, and students are required to present their findings in a public forum as well as to defend their thesis before the committee. As needed. Approval of instructor and Program Director required. If repeated for credit, must be taken in consecutive terms.

Staff/apprentice work experience at an approved business/agency directly related to museums. Each credit hour earned requires 60 hours of logged, on-duty work. The student must submit a written report or journal at the conclusion of the internship. The internship is monitored and evaluated by a faculty sponsor, in verification and close consultation with the supervising representative of the business/agency. Maximum 3 credit hours of HIST 498 applicable to the major program in History. Up to three (3) additional credit hours are applicable as electives to the baccalaureate degree. LMU retains ultimate control and supervision of the internship. Prerequisites: at least six credit hours of history, at least Junior classification, and approval of the director of the History Program. As needed.

This course focuses on the decades between the end of the Civil War and World War One and explores key social, economic, cultural, and political forces active from 1865 to 1917.  During these years, the United States left its rural past behind to become a technologically sophisticated, urban, ethnically diverse nation.  Must have six hours of history or permission of the instructor.  Offered every two years as needed.  3 cr. hrs.

This course focuses on the Cold War that stretched from 1945 to 1991.  Topics include nuclear diplomacy, the political ideology of communism, the social and cultural impact of near-constant military and proxy conflicts such as those in Guatemala, Korea, Vietnam, Nicaragua, and Chile, and the impact of domestic economic programs such as the War on Poverty and the Great Society.  Must have six credits of history or permission of the instructor.  Offered as needed or every two years.  3 credit hours.