Department of History

NOTE: This page contains all of the regular course descriptions for this discipline or program. Academic credit for each course is noted in parenthesis after the course title. Prerequisites (if any) and the general education requirements, both Core and All-College Requirements (ACRs), which each course fulfills (if any) are noted following each course description. Not all courses are offered every year. Check Merlin, our searchable course schedule, to see which courses are being offered in upcoming terms.

HIST 101 Western Civilization I (4.00)
The survey examines the origins of Western Civilization, beginning with its birth in Mesopotamia (ca. 6000 BCE) to the collapse of the Western Roman Empire (ca. 450 CE). Greece and Rome receive particular attention with their respective urban, colonial and cultural challenges, crises and accomplishments.

Cardinal Directions Designation(s): Humanities.

HIST 102 Western Civilization II (4.00)
This survey course examines Western civilization from late antiquity to the French Revolution (ca. 450-1792). With various emphases, (e.g. violence, the conflicts between the church and state, the conflicts between authority and the dispossessed) the course addresses the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, the Reformation, the revolutions of the seventeenth century and the ushering of modernity with the French Revolution.

Cardinal Directions Designation(s): Humanities and Global Understanding.

HIST 112 African American History (4.00)
A survey of African American experiences from colonial times to the present using primary source readings. Early topics include the African slave trade, different forms of slavery, resistance, and emancipation. Later topics include the short-lived gains of Reconstruction, Jim Crow segregation, migration from the rural South to the urban North, the Civil Rights movement, and ongoing struggles for racial equality.  

Cardinal Directions Designation(s): Humanities, Ethical Dimensions, and US Power Structures. 
iCon(s): Engaging Civic Life and Challenging Inequity.

HIST 114 History of the American West (4.00)
A survey of the American West as a place, a process, and an idea. Most of the readings are primary sources. Key topics include the ongoing story of Native American history, US territorial acquisition, westward expansion, military conflict, economic development, Mexican American history, and social movements in today’s West.

Cardinal Directions Designation(s): Humanities, Global Understanding, and US Power Structures.
iCon(s): Challenging Inequity, Experiencing Place, and Thinking Globally.                                                                                                                                                         

HIST 116 Lincoln and the Civil War Era (4.00)
An opportunity to explore the life of Abraham Lincoln within the broader context of American society before, during, and after the Civil War. Students will explore the writings of Lincoln and his contemporaries, as well as the work of scholars in evaluating Lincoln and his era.

Cardinal Directions Designation(s): Social Science, Ethical Dimensions, and US Power Structures.
iCon(s): Challenging Inequity and Engaging Civic Life.

HIST 118 United States in the 1960s (4.00)
A survey of the dramatic political and social upheavals in the United States during the 1960s. Key topics include the Civil Rights movement, Vietnam and the anti-war movement, the modern women’s movement, and the youth counterculture. Studying a single decade using autobiographies by participants permits a deeper examination of issues that continue to shape the nation.

Cardinal Directions Designation(s): Humanities, Ethical Dimensions, US Power Structures.
iCon(s): Challenging Inequity and  Engaging Civic Life.

HIST 120 Chicago History (4.00)
This introduction to Chicago history explores the major events, people, and transformations of the metropolitan area from Indian Country to twenty-first century metropolis through historical texts, films, literature, visual art, and media related to Chicago’s development. Particular attention will be paid to the following themes: politics and government; industrialization and technological change; reform and social change; labor; and racial and ethnic identities.

Cardinal Directions Designation(s): Social Science, Global Understanding, and US Power Structures.
iCon(s): Challenging Inequity, Experiencing Place, and Innovating the World.

HIST 140 Modern Ireland (4.00)
An overview of the major political, economic, social, and cultural developments in Irish history from 1600 to the present. Topics include the rise of violent nationalism, the Great Famine, the war for independence/civil war and the “Troubles” in Northern Ireland.

Cardinal Directions Designation(s): Social Science and Global Understanding.
iCon(s): Experiencing Place, Engaging Civic Life, Challenging Inequity and Thinking Globally. 

HIST 150 Global History and Geography (4.00)
An exploration of themes in World History and Geography through the study of maps and their evolution through the premodern and modern eras. Topics include the role of maps in representing religious, political, and ethnic identities, patterns of pilgrimage and trade, and the increasing power of science in reshaping forms of knowledge and global political and cultural relations.

Cardinal Directions Designation(s): Social Science, Global Understanding, and US Power Structures.
iCon(s): Experiencing Place and  Thinking Globally.
 

HIST 155 Going Global: World History (4.00)
An exploration of the making of the modern world through commerce, empire, and war, considering in particular the rise and impact of capitalism, nationalism, and industrialization as global forces. 

HIST 165 Introduction to East Asia (4.00)
(Same as EAST 165.) A broad survey of East Asian civilization that highlights important cultural developments during representative eras of Chinese, Japanese, and Korean history. These snapshots will provide a basic foundation for understanding contemporary East Asia and serve as an ideal gateway to the East Asian Studies majors and minors. 

Cardinal Directions Designation(s): Humanities and Global Understanding.
iCon(s): Thinking Globally.

HIST 175 Latin American History (4.00)
A survey of Latin American history from pre-Columbian times to the present. Attention is given to the heritage of native cultures, the legacy of colonialism, the impact of modernization and urbanization and relations with the United States.

HIST 180 Modern Middle East (4.00)
A survey of Middle East from the rise of Islam in the sixth century to the present, with special attention to European imperialism, nationalist movements, Pan-Islam, gender/sexuality, and the Arab-Israeli conflict.

Cardinal Directions Designation(s): Social Science, Ethical Dimensions, and  Global Understanding.
iCon(s): Challenging Inequity, Engaging Civic Life, and Thinking Globally.

HIST 185 African History  (4.00)
This survey of the history of Africa introduces students to the cultural diversity and complexity of African societies. Both sub-Saharan Africa and North Africa are examined. Attention is given to the long period of independent development of traditional societies, to the impact of the trans-Atlantic slave trade, to the era of European colonial domination, and to post-1945 struggles to regain independence and create new national identities.

HIST 200 Historical Methods (4.00)
The methods course introduces students to how historians think about the past and do history. Students will learn the basics of historical research, the process of writing history, and the historical profession. Upon completion of the course, students are prepared to complete research in 300-level history seminars and the HIST 470 capstone seminar as well as compete successfully for internships in archives, historical societies and museums.

Prerequisite(s): One history course.
Cardinal Directions Designation(s): Social Science, Ethical Dimensions, and Community Engaged Learning.

HIST 202 Introduction to Public History (2.00)
An investigation of the many ways that history is presented to and consumed by the general public, examining the work of public historians who create these interpretations. Students will visit museums, archives, and other public history sites on group and solo field trips. Topics could include material culture, historic preservation, documentary films, history websites, and oral history. Recommended for students investigating a career in public history.

Prerequisite(s): One history course.

HIST 204 Historical Research Team (1.00-2.00)
A group historical research project guided by a professor. The research topic and research method varies by instructor. Research could involve archival visits, oral history, or work with published or on-line primary sources. Research could be done locally or involve group travel. Recommended for students interested in graduate school or for students investigating a career in public history.

Prerequisite(s): One history course.

HIST 206 History and Documentary Films  (2.00)
An exploration of the ways that documentary films construct narratives about the past and communicate historical knowledge to the public. Students will examine documentary film as a method of historical production, interpret the relationship between documentary and written histories, and investigate questions of identity, representation, and historical memory. Recommended for students considering public history careers.

HIST 208 History and Hollywood Films  (2.00)
An exploration of the ways that Hollywood and other commercial films have presented the past to their viewers and shaped popular understanding of history. Since Hollywood’s early days, filmmakers have depicted actual historical events and placed fictional characters into historical contexts with varying levels of accuracy. Topics include the changing meanings of these films and the insights they offer into the construction of historical narratives.

Cardinal Directions Designation(s): Humanities, Ethical Dimensions, and US Power Structures.
iCon(s): Experiencing Place and Challenging Inequity.

HIST 222 US & Illinois to 1865  (4.00)
An examination of the development of American society from the colonial era to the end of the Civil War. Attention to the political, social, cultural and intellectual life during the colonial period, the revolutionary era, the Early Republic, and the Civil War. Special attention is given to linking the broader current of American history to Illinois.

Cardinal Directions Designation(s): Social Science, Global Understanding, and US Power Structures.
iCon(s): Challenging Inequity, Engaging Civic Life, and Experiencing Place.

HIST 224 US & Illinois From 1865-1945 (4.00)
This course examines the major political, economic, and social developments in the United States from the end of the Civil War to the end of World War II in order to understand the creation of modern America. During this critical period, the United States was transformed from a rural nation into an urban and industrial nation. In the late nineteenth century, America had little involvement in world affairs, but by the end of World War II, it was the most powerful military and economic force in the world. Core: Humanities or Social Science.

Cardinal Directions Designation(s): Humanities, Global Understanding, and US Power Structures.
iCon(s): Challenging Inequity, Engaging Civic Life, and Innovating the World.

HIST 226 US & Illinois Since 1945 (4.00)
An examination of major political, social, and economic developments in the United States since the end of World War II to understand today’s America. Early topics include the Cold War and American prosperity, Civil Rights movements by African Americans and others, and the Vietnam War. Later topics include the collapse of the New Deal coalition, conservative responses to social upheaval, the shift from an industrial economy to a service economy, and America’s role in the world since the Cold War’s end. Special attention is given to linking the broader current of American history to Illinois.

Cardinal Directions Designation(s): Humanities, Ethical Dimensions, and US Power Structures.
iCon(s): Challenging Inequity, Engaging Civic Life, and Innovating the World.

HIST 242 US Women's History (4.00)
(Same as: GSST 242.) An examination of American women’s history from colonial times to the present. Exploration of women’s legal and political status, educational and occupational opportunities, family relations and health with special attention on how and why lives and experiences of women have changed over time. Analysis of the history that women share as a group as well as differences among specific groups of women.

HIST 248 American Environmental History (4.00)
(Same as ENVI 248.) This broad exploration of American history from an environmental perspective examines the ways that different groups of Americans adapted to and altered the landscape, and analyzes their changing ideas about nature. The course begins in the colonial era and examines nineteenth-century economic growth and twentieth-century environmental awareness. Key themes include the new perspective of environmental history, the role of region in America, and reading the landscape.

Cardinal Directions Designation(s): Humanities, Ethical Dimensions, and US Power Structures.
iCon(s): Experiencing Place, Innovating the World, and Sustaining Our World.

HIST 255 Greek and Roman History (4.00)
Survey of major developments in Greek and Roman history from roughly 800 BCE-400 CE. In addition to understanding how societies in ancient Greece and Rome built, defended and lost their empires, the course also studies the social, cultural and environmental experiences of these complex civilizations. Students will read modern historical interpretations as well as translated ancient historical sources of the period.

Cardinal Directions Designation(s): Humanities and Global Understanding.
iCon(s): Thinking Globally.

HIST 256 Renaissance and Reformation Europe (4.00)
This course begins with the revival of Western civilization in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries in the aftermath of the Black Death, focusing particularly on Italy and Germany. Topics include but are not limited to the invention of the secular state and the cultural accomplishments of the Renaissance, the ramifications of humanism, the rise of religious dissent and the ensuing Protestant Reformation.

Cardinal Directions Designation(s): Humanities.
iCon(s): Experiencing Place, Thinking Globally.

HIST 258 Early Modern Europe (4.00)
An examination of the cultural and social changes in the aftermath of the Reformation up to and including the advent of modernity with the French Revolution (ca. 1550-1792). Particular attention is paid to the tensions of a religiously divided West (which laid the ground for the witch craze) in the regions that experienced the greatest growth, expansion and influence during the period: the Netherlands, England and France.

Cardinal Directions Designation(s): Humanities.
iCon(s): Experiencing Place.

HIST 260 Chinese History (4.00)
An examination of China's transformation from the “traditional” society of the dynastic period (c. 2000 BCE to 1911) into the “modern” nation that has emerged in the twenty-first century.

Cardinal Directions Designation(s): Humanities, and Global Understanding.
iCon(s): Thinking Globally.

HIST 265 Japanese History (4.00)
An examination of the political and cultural evolution of Japanese civilization from prehistory to the present. Topics explored include the emergence of Japanese traditions within an East Asian context, the rise of samurai power, and Japan’s development as a modern industrial power.

Cardinal Directions Designation(s): Humanities, and Global Understanding.
iCon(s): Experiencing Place, Thinking Globally.

HIST 267 Twentieth Century East Asia: Industry, Empire & War (4.00)
This course explores how the forces of industry, empire and war have shaped modern East Asia, and how Cold War politics realigned diplomatic, economic and cultural relations in late 20th century Japan, Korea and China.

iCon(s): Challenging Inequity and Thinking Globally.

HIST 270 India Since 1750 (4.00)
An examination of the history of India from 1750 to the present. Topics include British rule in India, the nationalist movement, issues of race and gender and India-Pakistan since independence.

Cardinal Directions Designation(s): Social Sciences, Ethical Dimensions, and Global Understanding.
iCon(s): Engaging Civic Life, Challenging Inequity, and Thinking Globally. 

HIST 280 Nineteenth-Century Europe: Sex & Mass Hysteria (4.00)
An examination of Europe from the French Revolution to the First World War, with special attention to issues of gender and sexuality. Major topics include the relationship between French terror and patriarchy, psycho-social consequences of the industrial revolution, Victorian socio-cultural norms, British imperial ideologies and the impact of the First World War on gender roles.

Cardinal Directions Designation(s): Social Science.
iCon(s): Challenging Inequity, Engaging Civic Life.

HIST 285 Twentieth-Century Europe: Hitler Versus Stalin  (4.00)
An examination of Europe since 1918 with special emphasis on the rise and fall of Hitler’s and Stalin’s regimes. This course suggests that Europe’s interaction with the world in the twentieth history was defined by the experience and consequences of the Second World War. Major topics include the Holocaust, Decolonization, and the Cold War.

Cardinal Directions Designation(s): Social Science and Ethical Dimensions. 
iCon(s): Experiencing Place and Challenging Inequity. 

HIST 310 Immigration and US Ethnic Identity (4.00)
This research seminar examines US immigration history from colonial times to the present. Exploration of the world conditions that led to the major waves of American immigration. Comparison of immigrant experiences to those of African Americans and Native Americans opens to wider focus on the concept of ethnic identity in US history. Each student designs, researches and writes a historical essay related to major course themes.

Prerequisite(s): Junior standing.
Cardinal Directions Designation(s): Social Science, Global Understanding, and US Power Structures.
iCon(s): Challenging Inequity, Experiencing Place, and Thinking Globally.

HIST 315 Public History and Local History (4.00)
Seminar examines the field of public history with a focus on local history. Local field trips with behind-the-scenes tours of museums, archives, and area historical sites will offer insight into public history careers. Will study Illinois communities outside Chicago over the course of their history, examining how local communities are part of the wider sweep of regional and national patterns, and also analyzing how they present their histories to the public. Each student designs, researches, and writes a historical essay on a local history topic using primary sources.

Prerequisite(s): Junior standing.
Cardinal Directions Designation(s): Humanities and Ethical Dimensions. 
iCon(s): Engaging Civic Life and Experiencing Place.

HIST 320 US Social Movements (4.00)
This research seminar examines the major social movements in the modern United States. Emphasis on the African American civil rights movement, the women’s movement, and the labor movement. Each student designs, researches and writes a historical essay related to major course themes.

Prerequisite(s): Junior standing.

HIST 325 American Cities and Suburbs (4.00)
This research seminar explores the development of American cities and suburbs, focusing on the forces that have stimulated their growth and transformation. Topics include the influence of immigrants and migrants, technological and industrial revolutions, population mobility and suburbanization, private and public responses to change, race and ethnic issues as well as class and gender matters. Each student designs, researches and writes a historical essay related to major course themes.

Prerequisite(s): Junior standing

Cardinal Directions Designation(s):  Social Science, Global Understanding, and US Power Structures.  
iCon(s): Engaging Civic Life and Experiencing Place.

HIST 330 East Asian Thought (4.00)
This research seminar examines the East Asian intellectual tradition based on the reading of primary sources in translation and focusing on the cross-pollination of ideas between the three major intellectual traditions of Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism. Each student designs, researches and writes a historical essay related to major course themes.

Prerequisite(s): Junior standing.

Cardinal Directions Designation(s): Humanities and Ethical Dimensions.
iCon(s): Being Human  and Thinking Globally.

HIST 345 European Intellectual History: History of the Book (4.00)
This research seminar focuses on the influence of reading and the book beginning with the invention of the printing press (ca. 1450) to the eighteenth century. The course focuses particularly on the significance of literacy, the printing industry, and the political stakes, responsibilities and risks inherent in the transmission and dissemination of knowledge. Each student designs, researches and writes a historical essay related to major course themes.

Prerequisite(s): Junior standing.

Cardinal Directions Designation(s): Humanities.
iCon(s): Innovating the World.

HIST 350 Science, Religion, and Magic in Early Modern Europe (4.00)
This research seminar focuses on the confluence of three seemingly distinct traditions in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries when their confluence transformed Western civilization. The rise of science occurred at the same moment when Christendom splintered into permanent, bitter divisions. At the same time, occult beliefs (e.g. magic, alchemy and astrology) flourished. The witch craze and the threat of heresy were the price of dissent and defying authorities of church and state. Each student designs, researches and writes a historical essay related to major course themes.

Prerequisite(s): Junior standing.

Cardinal Directions Designation(s): Humanities.
iCon(s): Innovating the World.

HIST 370 Asia's Rapid Industrialization (4.00)
This research seminar examines the phenomenon of rapid industrialization as it has been experienced by East Asian societies, with a special focus on Japan, Korea and China. The course considers the roots and consequences of Japan’s modern economic growth in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and the ways in which both Korea and China have more recently emerged as important global economic powers in their own right. Each student designs, researches and writes a historical essay related to major course themes.

Prerequisite(s): Junior standing.

Cardinal Directions Designation(s): Social Science, Ethical Dimensions, and Writing Intensive.
iCon(s): Innovating the World and Sustaining Our World.

HIST 380 Holocaust Seminar (4.00)
This research seminar analyzes historiographical debates surrounding genocide during and after the Second World War. Major topics include the experience of Jews and other marginalized groups in Nazi-occupied Europe, as well as genocide in Europe’s empires and post-colonial societies throughout the “long” 20th century. Each student designs, researches and writes a historical essay related to major course themes.

Prerequisite(s): Junior standing.

HIST 385 The World Wars of the Twentieth Century (4.00)
This research seminar analyzes historiographical debates over the causes of both World War I and World War II, and the consequences of mass destruction since 1945. Major topics include how each war was experienced globally through European imperialism, genocide, Nazi-occupied Europe and the Cold War. Each student designs, researches and writes a historical essay related to major course themes.

Prerequisite(s): Junior standing.

Cardinal Directions Designation(s): Social Science and  Writing Intensive.
iCon(s): Thinking Globally.

HIST 397 Internship (0.00-12.00)

Prerequisite(s): Junior standing and HIST 200.

HIST 399 - Independent Study

1.00-12.00 credit hoursPrerequisite(s): HIST 200.

HIST 470 Capstone Seminar (3.00) 
This capstone research seminar provides advanced investigation of the ways in which historians have approached their materials and craft. Each student designs, researches and writes a historical essay to answer a research question developed in consultation with a member of the History faculty.

Prerequisite(s): 300-level history course.
Cardinal Directions Designation(s): Ethical Dimensions and  Writing Intensive.

Faculty Emeriti

B. Pierre Lebeau
Professor of History Emeritus
B.A., 1955, M.A., 1975, The Ohio State University
blebeau@noctrl.edu

Barbara C. Sciacchitano
Professor of History Emerita
1975, B.A., Vassar College, 1956; M.A., 1971, Ph.D., 1979, University of Illinois at Chicago
bcsciacchitano@noctrl.edu

Extra-curricular and professional activities that will enrich your history or social science education.

• Take advantage of internship opportunities at local historical institutions, such as Naper Settlement, DuPage County Historical Museum, Downers Grove Historical Society and the Newberry Library.
• Spend a term (or more) in England, China/Japan, Costa Rica, or virtually any other country that you’re interested in.
• Enroll in the Washington Semester Program at American University in Washington, D.C.
• Apply for a Richter Independent Study Fellowship, which provides many North Central College students with grants of up to $5000 to fund individualized research projects, including the cost of overseas travel and living expenses.

Top graduates in the program will be awarded lifetime memberships in Phi Alpha Theta, the national history honor society.

Whatever your goals, we’ll help you find a way to reach them!