History Courses - Fall 2023

IN CELEBRATION OF All Things Historical doctor Myrup proudly presents his SEMI-ANNUAL LIST OF HISTORY COURSES (FALL 2023 EDITION) History is home to some of the most riveting storytellers who ever donned a bow tie . . . Whether you simply need to fulfill a core or are a die-hard history buff, please come join in the quest to seek the perfect course. For questions, please contact Dr. Erik Myrup.
UK Core Courses
	HIS 100: Introduction to African Studies (Dr. Francis Musoni) TR 11:00-12:15 This course provides a basic overview of African history, examining the major social, political, and economic transformations that have shaped the continent from the colonial era to the present. The course will equip students with the knowledge and skills to critically evaluate the relationship between contemporary Africa and its recent past. (Click here to listen to Dr. Musoni describe his early years in Zimbabwe.) Cross-listed with AAS 100. UK CORE: Global Dynamics
	HIS 104: History of Europe through Mid-17th Century (Dr. Erik Myrup) Lecture: MW 12:00-12:50 Recitation Options: W 1:00-1:50, R 9:30-10:20, R 11:00-11:50, F 11:00-11:50, F 12:00-12:50 Greeks, Romans, Saxons, and Monty Python—they're all in there along with an assortment of two dozen villains and heroes for your historical enjoyment. A history of western civilization like you never knew before, taught by an award winning teacher who can't sit still. (Click here for a sample lecture, click here for an interview with Dr. Myrup, and click here to see Dr. Myrup talk about teaching.) UK CORE: Humanities/Global Dynamics
	HIS 105 - History of Europe, 1648 to the Present (Dr. Tammy Whitlock) Lecture: MW 2:00-2:50 Recitation Options: T 9:30-10:20, T 11:00-11:50, W 1:00-1:50, R 9:30-10:20, R 11:00-11:50, R 12:30-1:20, F 10:00-10:50, F 11:00-11:50 Europe, the universe and everything starting with the colonization of the Americas and ending with the recent birth of Prince George. Answers burning questions like “Why don't we have a monarch?” and “Was empire a really bad idea?” (Click here for an interview with Dr. Whitlock on the history of crime.) UK CORE: Humanities/Global Dynamics
	HIS 108 - History of U.S. through 1876 (Dr. Vanessa Holden) Lecture: MW 1:00-1:50 Recitation Options: W 2:00-2:50, R 9:30-10:20, R 11:00-11:50, R 12:30-1:20, F 12:00-12:50, F 1:00-1:50 A survey of U.S. history from the first European settlements in the late 16th century to the end of reconstruction in 1876, exploring the most important events, ideas, and people that created the foundations of the American nation. (Click here for background on Dr. Holden.) UK CORE: Humanities / Community, Culture, and Citizenship in U.S.
	HIS 109: History of the United States since 1877 (Dr. Mark Summers) Lecture: MW 9:00-9:50 Recitation Options: M 1:00-1:50, T 9:30-10:20, W 10:00-10:50, W 12:00-12:50, F 9:00-9:50 A celebrated undergraduate teacher introduces students to U.S. history from 1877 to the present. You will find out how much and how little America has lived up to its ideals, how it grew from a nation of farms and cotton mills to an industrial giant, and how it became a world power. Lots of music and pictures! (Click here for an interview with Dr. Summers, click here to see Dr. Summers speak about politics in the Gilded Age, and click here to watch Dr. Summers speak about Charles Dickens and history.) Note: this course is supported by Supplemental Instruction, a series of weekly, peer-led group study sessions. UK CORE: U.S. Citizenship/Humanities
	HIS 119 - War and Society, 1350-1914 (Dr. Scott Taylor) Lectures: MW 12:00-12:50 Recitation Options: W 1:00-1:50, R 12:30-1:20, F 12:00-12:50 From the advent of gunpowder in the middle ages to the horrors of chlorine gas during World War I, this course examines the history of warfare over a period of nearly 600 years. From the eras of Henry V and Philip II to the times of Von Clausewitz, Napoleon, and the Kaiser, we will journey to times and places that are today the stuff of legend: "Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more; Or close the wall up with our English dead!" (Click here to read about Dr. Taylor's research on the history of drugs and alcohol in western civilization.) UK CORE: Humanities, 3.0 credits.
	HIS 121 - War and Society, 1914-1945 (Dr. Francie Chassen-López) Lectures: TR 11:00-12:15 (Online Synchronous) Examines the social impact of the two Great Wars of the twentieth century from a transnational perspective, exploring the impact of warfare in such areas as gender relations, technology, ethics, the demonization of the enemy, propaganda, the welfare state, and postwar efforts to come to terms with the atrocities of war. (Click here for an interview with Dr. Chassen-López.) UK CORE: Humanities/Global Dynamics
	HIS 122: War and Society Since 1945 (Dr. Steve Davis) Lectures: TR 11:00-11:50 Recitation Options: T 9:30-10:20, T 12:30-1:20, W 11:00-11:50, R 12:30-1:20, F 10:00-10:50, F 11:00-11:50 Examines the social impact of warfare from a transnational perspective following the end of World War II, focusing on such areas as gender relations, technology, ethics, propaganda, the welfare state, and postwar efforts to come to terms with the atrocities of war. (Click here to watch a short video on student internship opportunities in South Africa that Dr. Davis coordinates each year.) UK CORE: Global Dynamics
	HIS 191-001 - History of World Religions: Christianity, Culture, and Society (Dr. James Brusuelas ) TR 12:30-1:45 This course covers topics such as the rise of Christianity within the period of Second Temple Judaism; Christianity's spread into the Greco-Roman world; the emergence of the Christian church as a powerful force in Europe; and the development of the various forms of Protestant Christianity. It provides students with a means to contextualize the Christian church of the present day within its larger historical narrative. (Click here to see Dr. Brusuelas discuss his work with UK's Digital Restoration Initiative.) Cross-listed with CLA 191-001. UK CORE: Humanities/Global Dynamics
	HIS 191-002 - History of World Religions: The New Testament (Dr. David Olster) TR 11:00-12:15 An historical introduction to the origins of Christianity through the lens of canonical and apocryphal writings found in the Christian New Testament. UK CORE: Humanities/Global Dynamics
	HIS 191-003 - History of World Religions: Eastern Religions (Dr. Sinu Rose) TR 12:30-1:45 An introduction to the basic concepts and practices of the major Eastern religious traditions such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism, Zoroastrianism, Taoism, Confucianism, and Shinto. UK CORE: Humanities/Global Dynamics
	HIS 202 - History of British People through the Restoration (Dr. Tammy Whitlock) MWF 12:00-12:50 Invading Romans, Epic Battles, Angry Celts, Legos, bad poetry, Vikings, Anglo-Saxons, Normans, and Henry VIII. (Click here for an interview with Dr. Whitlock.) UK CORE: Humanities/Global Dynamics
	HIS 206 - History of Colonial Latin America (Dr. Erik Myrup) MWF 10:00-10:50 Columbus, Cortés, Montezuma, and Maria the Mad—they're all in there along with an assortment of two dozen other villains and heroes for your historical enjoyment. Latin America and the Iberian world like you never knew before, taught by an award winning teacher who sometimes masquerades as Doctor Who. (Click here for a sample lecture; and click here for an interview with Dr. Myrup.) UK CORE: Global Dynamics
	HIS 208 - History of the Atlantic World (Dr. Devyn Spence Benson) TR 12:30-1:45 This course examines the connections between Europe, Africa, and the Americas from 1492 to the present day, focusing especially on the legacies of slavery, race, and imperialism in Central America and the Caribbean. (Click here to watch Dr. Benson discuss her research on Africana studies.) Taught in conjunction with AAS 400-007. UK CORE: Global Dynamics
	HIS 253 - History of Pre-Colonial Africa (Dr. Hilary Jones) TR 3:30-4:45 The 2018 blockbuster Black Panther introduced audiences to Wakanda, a fictional country on the African continent that had never experienced colonization or westernization. In this course we will treat this same premise, examining historical evidence of African state building, advanced and profitable African economies, and illustrations of traditional African dress and cultural practices that speak to the historical roots of the fictional Wakanda as a bridge between continental Africa and the African Diaspora. Cross-listed with AAS 253. UK CORE: Humanities/Global Dynamics
	HIS 260 - African American History to 1865 (Dr. Nikki Brown) MWF 11:00-11:50 This course examines the development of race as an ideology in early American history and its intersection with other social categories, including class and gender. This class will challenge each student's critical thinking skills while enriching his or her understanding of African American history before and during the American Civil War. (Click here to hear Dr. Brown speak about her research on African American history in Louisiana.) Cross-listed with AAS 260. UK Core: Community, Culture and Citizenship in U.S.
	HIS 295 - East Asia to 1600 (Dr. Emily Mokros) TR 9:30-10:45 An introduction to the histories of China, Japan, and their East Asian neighbors from earliest times to the sixteenth century. From sages and monks to merchants and samurai, this course focuses on the cultural, religious, political, and economic interactions that shaped pre-modern Asia. (Click here to watch Dr. Mokros speak about her research on the Peking Gazette.) UK CORE: Global Dynamics
	HIS 357-001: Japan at War, 1850 to present (Dr. Akiko Takenaka) TR 11:00-12:15 A course that examines the history of military conflicts in modern Japan with a particular focus on Japan's imperialist quest in China and Southeast Asia during the 1930s that ultimately expanded into the Pacific Theater of World War II. (Click here to watch Dr. Takenaka speak on Japanese history.) UK CORE: Global Dynamics

Other 200-Level Courses

HIS 240: History of Kentucky (Dr. Melanie Goan)

TR 9:30-10:45

Covers more than two hundred years of history, including the early challenges and possibilities of the frontier, the terrible divisions rent by the Civil War, Kentucky's unique position as a border state, and the stereotypes that emerged in the late nineteenth century and still persist today. Includes Bluegrass music and Kentucky cuisine! (Click here to read an interview with Dr. Goan about her research on the suffrage movement in the history of Kentucky, and click here to see Dr. Goan speak of her love of teaching.)

Upper-Level Courses

HIS 302: Careers in History (Dr. Melanie Goan)

TR 12:30-1:45

You dread the questions from your parents and others: A history major? What are you going to do with that? This course enables students to articulate a response, going beyond law and teaching to consider all the possibilities a history degree offers. We will strategize about how to best position yourself to make your dreams reality, emphasizing the importance of networking, study abroad, internships, and other experiences outside the classroom. By the end of the course, students will be prepared to sell their skills to future employers in a variety of settings. (Click here to read an interview with Dr. Goan about her research on the suffrage movement in the history of Kentucky, and click here to see Dr. Goan speak of her love of teaching.)

HIS 320: Advance Studies in American Military History (Mr. Allan Back)

TR 2:00-3:15

Examines American military campaigns and leaders in the broader context of U.S. history. If you’re in ROTC, this is the course for you! Cross-listed with AMS 320.

HIS 328: Representing the Holocaust (Dr. Sheila Elana Jelen)

TR 11:00-12:15

An examination of representations of the Holocaust taught by a specialist in modern Jewish history and literature. (Click here to read an article on Dr. Jelen's life and her interest in Jewish history.) Cross-listed with HJS 328 and MCL 328.

HIS 332: Crime in History (Dr. Tammy Whitlock)

TR 12:30-1:45

Need to know how to beat the rap for witchcraft? How far back to set your time machine so that dueling is perfectly legal? (RIP Hamilton) Is it true that women are more murderous than men? Explore these questions and more in our new history of crime course. Note: No legal counsel provided. Enroll at your own risk. (Click here for an interview with Dr. Whitlock about her research on the history of crime.)

HIS 349-003: Topics in History - History of Death (Dr. Sinu Rose)

TR 9:30-10:45

Death has a history! Different cultures and epochs have responded to the "phenomenon of death" with a range of beliefs and practices. This course explores diverse views of death as an ending, a beginning, or as something in between, and the social and political dimensions of those largely religious views. Topics include ghosts, relations between the living and the death, celebration and lament, memory and transformation, the power of the dead, helping the dead, taboos and permissions, and other psychological and social functions of mourning practices and rituals in various historical contexts.

HIS 350-001: Topics in U.S. History - Introduction to Colonial U.S. (Dr. Jane Calvert)

TR 2:00-3:15

This introduction to colonial American history covers the first English settlements through the end of the French and Indian War. Through a mixture of lecture and discussion of primary source documents, students will learn about the major events, people, and ideas in the thirteen British-American colonies. (Click here to see Dr. Calvert speak about her research on John Dickinson.)

HIS 350-002: Topics in U.S. History - U.S. Founders (Dr. Jane Calvert)

TR 11:00-12:15

This course will explore the lives of the leading men and women of the Founding era, including John and Abigail Adams, John Dickinson, Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, George Washington, and Mercy Otis Warren. Through biographies and the writings of each figure, we will learn how they contributed to the Founding era, what their public and personal lives were like, and what they envisioned for the new country they helped found. (Click here to see Dr. Calvert speak about her research on John Dickinson.)

HIS 351-001: Topics in U.S. History - Slavery and the British Crown (Dr. George Wright and William Thro)

W 3:00-5:30

This seminar will explore the relationship between the institution of slavery and the British Crown and United States Constitution during the period from 1619 to 1865. Although both the British Crown and the United States Constitution reinforced the institution of slavery, both also undermined slavery and paved the way for its abolition. (Click here to read about Dr. Wright's connections to the University of Kentucky.) Taught in conjunction with HIS 595-002 and AAS 400-009.

HIS 351-002: Topics in U.S. History - Slavery Records (Dr. Kathy Newfont)

TR 9:30-10:45

In this hands-on course students will work with primary documents from Fayette County public records and make professional contributions to the Fayette County Deeds Project, a major research and digital history initiative of the Commonwealth Institute for Black Studies at UK. To do so we will study enslavement history in the U.S. and the Commonwealth, learn from scholars and community partners engaged with the Deeds Project, and work collaboratively to read and transcribe digitized nineteenth-century public records. This course offers students the opportunity to “make history” through undergraduate research and professional collaboration. (Click here to see a sample lecture by Dr. Newfont.) Taught in conjunction with AAS 400-010.

HIS 351-003: Topics in U.S. History - White Supremacy (Dr. Nikki Brown)

MWF 1:00-1:50

The Charlottesville March of 2017, which was organized for the purpose of “protecting” the Robert E. Lee statue, attracted Confederate sympathizers, neo-Nazis, white nationalists, and other groups. But, these groups were less interested in protecting the statues than they were in seeking to defend “white history.” Though Confederate statues continue to attract protests and counter-protests, the march in Charlottesville appeared to be much more than a demonstration to preserve of “whiteness.” It was about making white supremacy visible, and, for some members of the population, relatable. This course will explore the evolution of white supremacy in the United States since the end of the Civil War, examining the rise of white supremacy as an ideology and a practice beginning with the year 1880 and continuing to the present. (Click here to hear Dr. Brown speak about her research on African American history in Louisiana.) Taught in conjunction with AAS 400-011.

HIS 352-001: Topics in European History - Early Modern English History (Dr. Scott Taylor)

TR 12:30-1:45

This course will trace English history from a weak polity torn by civil war in the late 1400s to a global power able to face down Napoleon by 1815. Social, economic, and gender history will also be examined. No prerequisites. (Click here to read about Dr. Taylor's research on the history of drugs and alcohol in western civilization.)

HIS 353-001: Topics in European History - Jewish Civilization since 1492 (Dr. Jeremy Popkin)
TR 3:30-4:45
A survey of Jewish intellectual and material civilization from the expulsion from Spain in 1492 to the destruction of European Jewry in the Holocaust and the reestablishment of Israel in the years after World War II. (Click here to hear to Dr. Popkin discuss UK's Jewish Studies program.) Taught in conjunction with HJS 325-001.

HIS 355-001: Topics in Non Western History - Atlantic World Supernatural Histories (Dr. Joe Clark)

MWF 1:00-1:50

This course considers the relationship between natural and supernatural change in the early modern Atlantic, examining topics like the evolution of African diasporic religion (Vodun, Obeah, and Santería), the Protestant and Catholic Reformations, Indigenous religious survivals, anti-Semitism, and folk mythology (including witchcraft and zombies) through the lens of environmental history. (Click here and scroll down to p. 3 to read about Dr. Clark's background and historical interests.) Taught in conjunction with AAS 400-012.

HIS 360: Race and Sports in America (Dr. Derrick White)

TR 2:00-3:15

This course examines the history of race and sports in America since the nineteenth century from an African American perspective, addressing cultural, historical, political, and ideological issues and debates. (Click here to hear Dr. White discuss his research on the history of Black political activism in the 1970s.)

HIS 363: Sports, Politics, and Business in the United States (Dr. Gerald Smith)

Fully Online (Asynchronous). Part-of-term course: August 21 - October 13
This course draws upon sports to chronicle social, cultural, and political issues in American history. Students will explore colonial America, slavery, progressive reform, urbanization, world wars, women's rights, and the black freedom struggle, examining how athletes and others have contributed to the construction of American business and politics. (Click here to see Dr. Smith talk about teaching.)

HIS 370: Early Middle Ages (Dr. Abigail Firey)

TR 11:00-12:15

This course examines Europe following the end of the Roman Empire, including the formation of new ethnic identities and the rise of new imperial powers, including the Carolingians and the Vikings. Read primary sources with a professor who actually works with manuscripts over a thousand years old. There will be dragons!

HIS 380: Europe since 1989 (Dr. Jeremy Popkin)
TR 2:00-3:15
This course examines the major events that transformed Europe and redefined its place in the world over the past quarter-century, starting with the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. Taught by a professor who first visited Europe at the age of 3 and has since witnessed the continent change from devastated postwar ruins to unprecedented prosperity. (Click here to see Dr. Popkin discuss the legacies of the French Revolution in contemporary Europe.) Taught in conjunction with INT 350-001.

HIS 460: Colonial America to 1763 (Dr. Mark Summers)

MWF 1:00-1:50

A dynamic story-teller introduces students to the early history of the Americas, including the founding of the first European colonies in North America, the role of religion in colonial New England, and the consequences of Indian-white encounters, along with a weekly assortment of music, pictures, and occasional hopping and jumping (on tables) for good measure! (Click here for an interview with Dr. Summers.)

HIS 464-001: Civil War and Reconstruction, 1860-1877 (Dr. Amy Taylor)

MWF 11:00-11:50

A survey of the era of the Civil War, 1840s-1870s. The course will set the war in its larger context, beginning with an in-depth look at the short and long-term causes of the war before moving through the secession crisis, the war itself, and finally the war's aftermath in Reconstruction. Readings will be drawn from both primary and secondary sources and will introduce students to the wartime lives of men and women across race, class, and regional lines. (Click here to watch Dr. Taylor on C-SPAN; and click here to watch her talk about teaching at UK.)

HIS 469: The Kentucky African American Experience (Dr. Gerald Smith)

T 3:30-6:00

Come explore the African American experience in the context of the history of the Commonwealth. Taught by a professor who has written a general history of the African American experience in Kentucky. (Click here to see Dr. Smith talk about using the early papers of Martin Luther King, Jr., in his own research.) Cross-listed with AAS 469.

Please note that the History Department does not distinguish between 300, 400, and 500-level courses; each is weighted equally in our undergraduate curriculum. So please don't hesitate to enroll in a 500-level course if it looks of interest—some of our finest courses are offered at the 500-level!

HIS 509: Roman Law (Dr. Leni Ribeiro Leite)
TR 2:00-3:15
An historical introduction to the development of Roman law, from the Twelve Tables through the Codex Justinianus. (Click here to watch Dr. Ribeiro Leite discuss her research on the 17th century Brazilian poet and classicist Manuel Botelho de Oliveira.) Cross-listed with CLA 509.

HIS 512: Carolingian Empire (Dr. Abigail Firey)

TR 2:00-3:15

A rigorous course taught in seminar format that examines the reconstitution of much of the former Roman empire in the western provinces under the hegemony of the Carolingian rulers of the eighth ninth centuries. Topics include the relations between Carolingian, Byzantine, and Islamic polities; the military activities that consolidated the empire; the roles of literary and artistic activities during this era; and the fragility of the imperial enterprise itself.

HIS 563: History of Women in Latin America (Dr. Francie Chassen-López)
T 5:00-7:30
Did you know that Latin America, famous for its machismo, has had ten women presidents? That mothers have taken to the streets and toppled military dictatorships? Come explore the history of women, gender relations, and masculinity south of the border from Independence to the present day. (Click here for an interview with Dr. Chassen-López.)

HIS 576: Frontier America (Dr. Mark Summers)

MWF 11:00-11:50

Frontier America . . . from Leif Erikson's Atlantic to the Union Pacific, with an all-star cast, including Hernán Cortés, Solomon Stoddard, Daniel Boone, Davy Crockett, and an assortment of other heroes and villains. The settlement and unsettlement of a continent, in the days when the East was West, with courage and criminal conduct for all. Lots of music, pictures, and movie clips . . . with occasional hopping and jumping (on tables) for good measure! (Click here for an interview with Dr. Summers, click here to see Dr. Summers speak about politics in the Gilded Age, and click here to watch Dr. Summers speak about Charles Dickens and history.)

HIS 595-002: Studies in History - Slavery and the British Crown (Dr. George Wright and William Thro)

W 3:00-5:30

HIS 595-003: Studies in History - Latin America (Dr. Francie Chassen López)

R 5:00-7:30

This course is a topical seminar which engages a series of fundamental issues and problems of importance for scholars of Latin America, addressing these issues from multiple perspectives and examining the philosophy and methods of interdisciplinary research on Latin America. (Click here for an interview with Dr. Chassen-López.) Taught in conjunction with LAS 601-001.

Methods and Capstone Courses

(History and Secondary Education majors)

HIS 301-001: History Workshop: Introduction to the Study of History (Dr. Tracy Campbell)

TR 11:00-12:15

An introduction to the skills of historical research and writing taught by a specialist on the history of the United States in the 20th century. (Click here to see Dr. Campbell speak about his research on the Gateway Arch.)

HIS 301-002: History Workshop: Introduction to the Study of History (Dr. Joseph Clark)

MWF 10:00-10:50

An introduction to the skills of historical research and writing taught by a specialist on the history of colonial Mexico and the Caribbean. (Click here and scroll down to p. 3 to read about Dr. Clark's background and historical interests.)

HIS 301-003: History Workshop: Introduction to the Study of History (Dr. David Olster)

TR 12:30-1:45

This class introduces students to the 3 R's (sort of) necessary to become a historian: reading, writing, and research. It is a preparatory class that focuses on skills that will prove useful not only for completing the history capstone paper, but which will stand students in good stead in any career field that requires analytical thinking and the ability to express yourself in a clear and articulate fashion.

HIS 499-001: Senior Seminar: Oral History (Dr. Stephen Davis)

TR 12:30-1:45

Come explore the recent past through the lens of oral history. In this seminar students will explore the creation and preservation of oral histories, drawing upon the personal experiences and reflections of living sources to produce a substantive research paper. Taught by a specialist on South African history who has drawn extensively upon oral histories in his own research. (Click here to watch a short video on student internship opportunities in South Africa that Dr. Davis coordinates each year.)

HIS 499-002: Senior Seminar: Appalachian History (Dr. Kathryn Newfont)

TR 2:00-3:15

This course guides advanced history students through the process of producing an independent work of historical research by focusing on the history of Appalachia. (Click here to see a sample lecture by Dr. Newfont.)

HIS 499-003: Senior Seminar: Global 1930s and the Road to War (Dr. David Hamilton)

MWF 12:00-12:50

Prohibition, Black Tuesday, the Great Depression, foreign interventionism, the Good Neighbor policy, isolationism, and Pearl Harbor—each represent different aspects of the United States and the World during the period between the two World Wars. Come complete your history degree by writing a substantive research paper on the global 1930s.

UK Core Courses

Other 200-Level Courses

Upper-Level Courses

Methods and Capstone Courses

(History and Secondary Education majors)