History

W10 Vietnam and Cambodia: Legacy of Empire and War. This is an on-site course on the history and culture of Vietnam and Cambodia as it was affected by French colonialism and the ensuing war with the United States. Students prepare by reading a text on Vietnamese history, and then travel to the main cities and sites where French colonialism and the war with the United States made their deepest impact. Places of focus include Hanoi, Hue, Hoi An, My Son, Ho Chi Minh City, the Mekong Delta, and finally Cambodia, including the magnificent site of Ankor Wat. Students tour the main historical sites and talk with students, former soldiers, and government officials in order to understand the history and culture of Vietnam from the Vietnamese point of view. Students record their thoughts in a journal and then write a paper based on that journal, their readings, and class discussions. Fee: $3600. W. Van Vugt. Off campus.

W11 The Civil War and Reconstruction. For more than a century, the era of the Civil War and Reconstruction has been the most extensively written about period in American history and it continues to inspire passionate debate. This course shows why. Topics covered include slavery and the secession crisis, rival explanations of the war’s outcome, and the controversial history of Reconstruction. Classroom activities include lectures, discussions, student presentations, films, and a simulation game. Students are evaluated on the basis of a book review (oral or written), three primary source reports, a journal of class readings, and participation in class activities. D. Miller.

CANCELED W12 Museums: A Place to Work? This course explores the dynamic world of today’s museum. From art to zoo, every museum is unique. From exhibits to educational programming, artifact care and collecting to administration, this course explores how museums function, mount exhibits, and educate the public. The course also examines the many types of professional positions in the field. Students are required to create a prototype museum in which they select staff, develop interpretation for archival and three-dimensional historical collections, and produce marketing materials for that interpretation. In addition development of a specific historical exhibit proposal is required. Evaluation is based on class participation, field trip attendance, projects, and a final exam. Field trips to area museums occur during class time. Fee: approximately $50 to cover admission costs and transportation. D. Postema-George.

W13 The History of California. This course will study the history of America’s most populous state. It will emphasize two focal points: the course will locate California history in the larger picture of American history; it will also examine California’s particular history. Today, the later point-California’s history- is highly contested, and this course will examine various aspects of that contest. Topics to be covered include: native peoples before Euro-American contact; the Spanish-Mexican period of California and its legacy; the American ‘conquest’ and its legacy; the gold rush and the growth of an ‘American’ California; the rapid development of California in the second half of the twentieth century; California as the leading edge of a ‘multicultural’ society. Students will write two short essays and an essay final exam. R. Wells.

W80 The American Revolution. This course examines the coming, course, and consequences of the American Revolution. At the heart of this process was the War for Independence, but at that time and ever since people have disagreed about the relationship between the two. Were the War and the Revolution the same? If not, which one came first? Did the War (or the Revolution) produce a more radical or more conservative outcome than the participants intended? From considering such questions, students take from this course a sound and fairly sophisticated understanding of the origins of the United States as an independent nation. The Revolution involved a great variety of actors, motives, and interests, not just among the Patriots but also among the Loyalists, Indians, and African-Americans. Special attention is given to the various interpretations that historians have made of the Revolution, including popular film and fictional depictions. Student evaluation is based on a class presentation, a paper, and a take-home exam. Prerequisite: one course in history. J. Bratt.

W81 Russia: In Search of a New Identity. This course provides an in-depth review of key developments in Russia from the eve of Perestroyka (mid-1980s) until the present. As background, it presents a brief survey of Russian history, with special emphasis on the Communist period from Lenin, Stalin, et al. until the beginning of Perestroyka. The course then proceeds to focus on a variety of topics, including, among others, the New Russian Revolution of 1991 (Gorbachev and Yeltsin), the search for democracy, the pursuit of a market economy, Russian foreign policy, developments in religion, the freedom of the media, and the presidency of Vladimir Putin. Students gain an understanding of contemporary Russia and its recent past. The course includes lectures, videos, and movies, as well as assigned readings. Evaluation is based on an eight to ten page paper and journaling on the videos and movies. V. Marinov, F. Roberts.

294 Research Methods in History (two semester hours). This course is an introduction to historical sources, bibliography, and research techniques, by giving particular attention to the different genres of history writing, the mechanics of professional notation, critical use of print and electronic research databases, and the development of critical reading skills with respect to historical exposition and argumentation. In this letter-graded course, evaluation is based on several reports, essays, and a final exam. Prerequisite: one course in history or permission of the instructor. NOTE: This is a required two-semester hour course in the history major. B. Berglund.

IDIS W21 Tibet: The Elusive Land of Snows. K. Selles.

IDIS W24 Apocalypse and Utopia: Imagining the Future in Fiction and Film. S. Goi, W. Katerberg.

IDIS W35 The Army and the American West. J. Holberg.