Member of the Division of Social Studies

Victoria Brown, Chair, Andrew Hsieh, Daniel Kaiser, Russell K. Osgood, Thomas Pegelow Kaplan, Elizabeth Prevost, Sarah Purcell, Jose Pablo Silva, D.A. Smith, Marci Sortor*, Jesse Spohnholz

The study of history leads to a knowledge of the past, to ways of knowing that past, and to an understanding of how such knowledge has been applied. Historical study has traditionally been associated with such academic disciplines and vocations as law, public service, and teaching, as well as advanced work in history itself, but majors have successfully entered at least 75 different occupations over the past decade.

Introductory courses are designed to teach the methods and materials of historical study and to create an appreciation for the elements of continuity and change in human experience. 100-level courses require no special preparation. (Advanced Placement students should know that the College will not permit credit for both History 101 and AP European History, nor for History 111-112 and AP American History.) Some 200-level courses require no prerequisites and are open as well, but anyone who is in doubt about the level of preparation expected for an advanced course should consult the instructor before registering.

Because history has traditionally drawn many of its methods and theories from other disciplines, one quickly learns that abilities developed in studying other disciplines can be applied to history as well. Indeed, breadth of learning is a great asset. The nature of modern historical methods requires the ability to read languages other than English and to use mathematics for statistical analysis. Humanities 140 also is recommended for history majors. The course dovetails nicely with History 101 to provide an interdisciplinary introduction to Western culture and may be applied as related credit (see below) for the major.

A minimum of 32 credits, 20 of which must be taken in the history department at Grinnell College, including the required eight credits at the 300 level. Of the required eight credits at the 300 level, no more than four credits may be taken in any single area of study. Note: History 304 or 305 may be used toward the 32 credits required for the major, but does not satisfy the 300-level requirements for the major. No more than 12 credits of the 32 required for the major may be taken at the 100 level, AP credit, or equivalent. With permission, four of the 32 credits may be taken in related studies. The department strongly recommends that students complete a history curriculum that embraces geographic and chronological diversity. The department also recommends that students take the equivalent of at least three semesters of a foreign language and at least one course in quantitative analysis; knowledge of foreign languages and mathematics is essential for serious study of history.

To be considered for honors in history, graduating seniors, in addition to meeting the College's general requirements for honors, must have completed both recommended and required work listed above, and must also submit a substantial piece of historical writing by the first Wednesday after spring break for evaluation by a faculty panel appointed by the department chair. These papers should be the result of work that began in a 300-level history seminar, MAP, or some other form of advanced independent research. The faculty panel will decide by majority vote which papers qualify for honors.


101 Basic Issues in European History: 1650 to the Present (Fall and Spring) 4 credits

Examines the institutions of the Old Regime, the economic and political revolutions of the late 18th and 19th centuries, and the social and ideological conflicts of the 20th. Introduces students to a variety of historical problems. Humanities/Social Studies 140 provides a useful preparation but is not a prerequisite. Prerequisites: none. STAFF.

105 Cultural Encounters in History (Fall and Spring) 4 credits

Investigates the problems and opportunities that arise when people from very different cultures come into contact as a result of conquest, migration, or the emergence of pluralist societies. Cases will be drawn from the Americas, Africa, Asia, and Europe since the Middle Ages and will examine the impact of the conquest on the conquered, the spread of voluntary and involuntary migration, various forms of religious and racial prejudice and campaigns against prejudice, the extent to which the emergence of a global economy has transformed cultural encounters, and the evolution of concepts of "human rights." Prerequisites: none. STAFF.

111-112 American History I and II (Fall and Spring) 4 credits

A thematic survey of American history from colonial beginnings to the present, emphasizing the use of primary source materials and introducing students to the methods of historical inquiry. First semester: from the colonial period to 1877; second semester: from 1877 to the present. May be taken separately, but students planning further work in American history should take both semesters. Prerequisites: none. STAFF.

201 Colonial Latin America (Spring)* 4 credits+

A general survey of Latin American history from the Columbian encounter through Independence. The course will focus on the patterns of European conquest and colonization, the complexity of race relations in the region, and the problems of colonial administration. Prerequisites: none. SILVA.

202 Modern Latin America (Fall) 4 credits+

A general survey of Latin American history from independence to the present day. The course will focus on problems of political instability, economic development and the role of the United States in the region. Prerequisites: none. SILVA.

204 Radical Movements in 20th-Century Latin America* 4 credits+

During the 20th century, Latin America has witnessed both peaceful leftist mobilizations and violent revolutions. All of these movements have been aimed at redressing inequalities and creating more just societies. This course will consider several of these movements in comparative perspective. Prerequisites: none. SILVA.

211 Colonial and Revolutionary America, 1450-1788* (Spring) 4 credits+

Examines selected topics in the colonization of the New World with emphasis on the interactions between Native Americans, Africans, and Europeans in the French, Spanish, and English colonies. The course then focuses on the American Revolution with special attention to transformations in ideology and politics. Students investigate how social, gender, and racial hierarchies were defined and rearranged in colonial and post-colonial America. Prerequisite: History 105, or 111, or permission of instructor. PURCELL.

212 Democracy in America, 1789-1848 (Fall) 4 credits+

Examines the tensions caused by the simultaneous development of political democracy in the United States and the demands for rights by those who continued to be excluded from various forms of power. Topics include: the creation of party politics, reform movements, economic growth, class conflict, expansionism, race, slavery, gender, and material culture. Prerequisite: History 111 or permission of instructor. PURCELL.

214 The American Civil War and Reconstruction (Spring) 4 credits+

Surveys the causes, progress, and consequences of the Civil War and Reconstruction. Examines American history from the mid-1840s through the late 1870s with a focus on race, politics, economics, gender, and military conflict to uncover how and why the United States tore itself apart, whether the fundamental conflicts of the war were solved by Reconstruction, and why the Civil War has occupied such an important place in American history and imagination. Prerequisites: none. PURCELL.

221 The American West, 1803-1912 (Fall) 4 credits+

Examines two basic themes of the trans-Mississippi-West frontier: the actual experiences of men and women pioneers (explorers, cowboys, miners, farmers, soldiers, entrepreneurs, lawmen, and outlaws) and popular myths and misconceptions about the "wild West." Sources for the course include historical accounts, novels, primary sources (diaries and oral histories), films, and slides. Prerequisites: none. STAFF.

222 The History of Women in the United States (Spring) 4 credits

Examines basic themes and issues that have dominated the lives of women in the United States since the colonial period. Focuses on the interaction of economics and ideology, relationships between production, reproduction, and sexuality in defining women's status, development of female culture and feminism, and the role of race, class, and ethnicity in shaping women's experience. Prerequisites: second-year standing, and History 111, or 112, or Gender and Women's Studies 111; or permission of instructor. BROWN.

227 African American History (Spring) 4 credits+

A survey of the African-American experience in slavery and freedom, with a primary emphasis on the struggle for racial justice and equality since the Civil War. Assignments stress primary sources as well as scholarly studies, films, and recordings. Prerequisite: second-year standing or permission of instructor. STAFF.

228 The Promised Land: U.S. Immigration History* (Fall) 4 credits+

This course examines variations and commonalities in the experiences of those who have voluntarily emigrated to the United States since the mid19th century. The focus of the course is on the lives of immigrants themselves, but it also examines U.S. immigration from the standpoint of those already settled in the United States and from the standpoint of popular culture and public policy. Prerequisite: History 105, or 112, or permission of instructor. BROWN.

229 American Economic History* 4 credits+

See Economics 229.

231 History of London (Fall) 2 credits

(Grinnell-in-London ONLY) This course explores the history of London from its Roman origins to the present day and examines how royalty, trade, religion, and transport have shaped the city's pattern of growth over 2,000 years. Coursework consists of weekly lectures, guided walks, and discussions of readings from contemporary sources. Students are given an opportunity to investigate an aspect of London history of particular interest to them. Prerequisites: none. BOWERS ISSACSON.


233 Medieval Europe, 800-1350 (Fall) 4 credits+

Explores the interplay between institutions (such as the church, monarchy, and lordship), economic trends, and society in Western Europe between 800 AD and 1450 AD. While providing a general survey of the Middle Ages, this course will focus particular attention on village life and rural society, migration and military expansion, how members of ethnically and religiously mixed communities lived with each other, and whether women experienced a "golden age." Prerequisites: none. Option of doing some reading in French, Latin, and Spanish. SPOHNHOLZ.

234 Europe in Renaissance and Reformation, 1350-1650 (Spring) 4 credits+

Examines the powerful and often unpredictable influence of ideas and the role of economic developments in shaping institutions and people's experiences in early modern Europe. Special attention is given to the interplay of popular and high culture; the effect of commercial capitalism on women and on society as a whole; the emergence of powerful monarchies; and the tensions between reason and folly, and between dreams of a godly society and fears of demonic forces. Prerequisites: none. Option of doing some reading in French, Latin, or German. SPOHNHOLZ.

235-236 British History I and II (Spring) 4 credits+

While surveying the main outlines of British history, these courses emphasize the development of political institutions within the context of economic, religious, and intellectual movements, and with regard to Britain's relations with the rest of the world. History 235: Anglo-Saxon settlements to 1660. History 236: 1660 to the present century. May be taken separately. Prerequisites: none. DRAKE, PREVOST.

238 Germany from Unification to Reunification (Fall) 4 credits+

Employs theories of Marx, Max Weber, and Freud to analyze the tension between nationalist ideology and the realities of social conflict in Bismarck's Empire, the Weimar Republic, and the Third Reich; the success of democratic institutions in the Federal Republic; and the failure of the German Democratic Republic. Students who took History 238, Modern European Cultural History, may enroll in this course. Prerequisite: History 101 or permission of instructor. PEGELOW.

239 The Collapse of the Eurocentric World Order (Spring)* 4 credits+

Studies the "New Imperialism" of the 1880s; causes of the First World War; the impact on international relations of communism, fascism, and the Great Depression; appeasement and the outbreak of the Second World War; the emergence of the United States and the U.S.S.R. as "superpowers;" and the dissolution of the colonial empires. Prerequisite: History 101, or 105, or permission of instructor. PEGELOW.

241 Origins of Modern Russia (Fall) 4 credits+

Focusing upon the medieval origins of early East Slavic societies and the formation of the Muscovite state and Russian Empire, this course examines the political, economic, and social components of pre-revolutionary Russia from the 10th through the 19th centuries. The dynamics of ethnicity, the multiple forms of state-building, and the role of gender, class, and ideology receive special attention. Prerequisites: none. Option of doing some work in Russian. KAISER.

242 Revolutionary Russia (Spring) 4 credits+

Examines 20th-century Russia, focusing upon the causes, course, and consequences of the 1917 Revolution, and the development and dissolution of the Soviet Union. Allots special attention to urbanization, industrialization, Marxist-Leninist ideology, new definitions of gender, national, and class identity. Prerequisites: none. Option of doing some work in Russian. KAISER.

255 History of Ancient Greece (Fall)* 4 credits+

Also listed as Classics 255. The political, military, social, economic, and intellectual history of the Greeks in the Archaic and Classical periods and their relationship with other peoples of Europe, Africa, and Asia. Focus on the evolution of the Athenian and Spartan constitutions, the Persian War, Athenian imperialism and the Peloponnesian War, the rise of Macedon, and Alexander's conquest of Egypt and the Near East. Prerequisites: none. M. CUMMINS (Classics).

256 History of Rome (Fall)* 4 credits+

Also listed as Classics 256. Rome's rise, maturity, and decline; emphasis on the republican constitution, organization of Italy, Rome's relationship with other peoples of Europe, Africa, and Asia during the republic and the empire. Focus on the Roman Revolution, the Augustan Age, the "Pax Romana," the spread of Christianity, and the transition to the Middle Ages. Prerequisites: none. M. CUMMINS (Classics).

261 Southern Africa (Fall) 4 credits+

An introduction to the 10-country region, with an emphasis on the Republic of South Africa. Regional geography along with culture and politics are principal themes, including the rise and fall of the South African apartheid state. Prerequisites: none. DRAKE.

275-276 Chinese History I and II (Fall and Spring) 4 credits+

An introduction to the political, cultural, and economic life of China. First semester: from the Shang dynasty (1766 B.C.?-1122 B.C.?) to the end of the Ming dynasty (1368-1644). Second semester: from the establishment of the Ch'ing dynasty to modern times. May be taken separately. Prerequisites: none. HSIEH.

277-278 Japanese History I and II (Spring) 4 credits+

An introduction to the political, cultural, and economic life of Japan. History 277: from prehistory to the end of the Tokugawa period (1867). History 278: from the end of the Tokugawa period to the present. Prerequisites: none. HSIEH.

304 History of Economic Thought II* 4 credits

See Economics 304.

305 Transnational Legal Institutions (Spring) 4 credits

See Political Science 305.

3xx Advanced Studies in History (Fall and Spring) 4 credits

In any academic year, students may choose from among six to eight 300-level seminar courses in the following categories. For course descriptions, prerequisites, and instructors, see the current Schedule of Courses. All courses are 4-credit, without the "Plus-2" option.

• 31x Advanced Studies in American History
• 32x Advanced Studies in Latin America and the United States
• 33x Advanced Studies in Western European and British History
• 34x Advanced Studies in Russian History
• 35x Advanced Studies in Historiography and Ancient History
• 36x Advanced Studies in African History
• 37x Advanced Studies in Asian History

397 Advanced Independent Study (Fall or Spring) 2 or 4 credits

With approval from a member of the history department (by the end of the semester preceding study), students may engage in advanced research on a topic of significant debate among historians. May be taken to satisfy the 300-level requirement for the major, if results are presented satisfactorily to a colloquium of students and faculty. Prerequisite: a relevant 200-level history course or permission of instructor. STAFF.

411 Senior Essay (Fall or Spring) 4 credits

The preparation and writing of an original piece of historical work, not to exceed 7,500 words in length, based upon primary sources or secondary sources that afford an opportunity for bibliographical or historiographical treatment. Seniors must obtain approval of a department member as adviser for the essay and the department chair before the end of the semester preceding that during which the essay will be written. Prerequisite: senior standing or permission of instructor. STAFF.


499 Mentored Advanced Project (Fall or Spring) 2 - 4 credits

A history MAP normally follows work begun in a 300-level history seminar, so that the student can undertake exhaustive research on a precisely defined topic to produce a paper as close as possible in quality to the articles published in history journals. MAP proposals unrelated to a seminar will be considered, but in that case students must demonstrate that they are already familiar with the most important scholarly works published in their proposed field of inquiry. MAP proposals, which must be submitted to the history department chair at least one week before they are due at the Office of the Registrar, should include an essay of 1,200-1,500 words to explain the historical problem to be investigated and the questions left open by existing research in the field, and a bibliography detailed enough to demonstrate that the project is feasible. A faculty committee appointed by the department chair will review all proposals, which will only be accepted if they reflect careful preparation and close consultation with the chosen mentor. STAFF.


*Not offered every year.