IN CELEBRATION OF
All Things Historical

doctor Myrup proudly presents his SEMI-ANNUAL LIST OF

HISTORY COURSES
(SPRING 2020 EDITION)

 

PLEASE come JOIN IN the QUEST----
TO seek the perfect COURSE
History is home to some of the most exciting and innovative teachers at UK. Whether you simply need to fulfill a core or are a die-hard history buff, we have something for everyone!
For questions, please contact Dr. Erik Myrup.

UK Core Courses

HIS 100 - Introduction to African Studies (Dr. Stephen Davis)

MWF 1:00-1:50

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 watch a short video on student internship opportunities in South Africa that Dr. Davis coordinates each year.)

UK CORE: Global Dynamics

HIS 104 - History of Europe through Mid-17th Century (Dr. Bruce Holle)

Lecture: MW 12:00-12:50

Recitation Options: M 1:00-1:50, W 1:00-1:50, F 11:00-11:50, F 12:00-12:50
An award winning teacher with a special interest in undergraduate education leads a dynamic course on the history of western civilization. From the Greeks to Louis XIV, this course critically examines the roots of the modern world. (Click here to hear Dr. Holle speak about his own experiences in college.)

UK CORE: Humanities/Global Dynamics

HIS 105 - History of Europe, 1648 to the Present (Dr. Tammy Whitlock)

Lecture: MW 10:00-10:50
Recitation Options: W 11:00-11:50, 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 (Amy Taylor)

Lecture: MW 9:00-9:50

Recitation Options: M 10:00-10:50, W 10:00-10:50, W 11:00-11:50, W 12:00-12:50, F 9:00-9:50, F 10:00-10:50

This class surveys American 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 to watch Dr. Taylor talk about teaching at UK; and click here to watch her speak on C-SPAN.)

UK CORE: U.S. Citizenship/Humanities

HIS 109 - History of U.S. since 1877 (Dr. Mark Summers)

Lecture: TR 12:30-1:20

Recitation Options: M 10:00-10:50, T 9:00-9:50, T 11:00-11:50, W 10:00-10:50, R 9:00-9:50, R 10:00-10:50, R 11:00-11:50

A celebrated undergraduate teacher introduces students to U.S. history from 1877 to the present.  Includes the Gilded Age, the Progressive Era, the New Deal, the Age of Affluence, the Great Society, and two Great Wars. 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, and click here to see Dr. Summers speak about his research on the Civil War and Reconstruction.)

UK CORE: U.S. Citizenship/Humanities

HIS 112 - Making of Modern Kentucky (Dr. Melanie Goan)

Lecture: MW 2:00-2:50

Recitation Options: M 10:00-10:50, M 12:00-12:50, W 10:00-10:50, W 12:00-12:50

This course will allow you to do hands-on history and learn more about the state you call home. We will examine the political, social, economic, environmental, and cultural dynamics that have shaped modern Kentucky from 1900 to present.
(Click here to hear Dr. Goan talk about teaching.)

UK CORE: U.S. Citizenship/Humanities

HIS 121 - War and Society, 1914-1945 (Dr. Phil Harling)

Recitation Options: TR 8:00-9:15, TR 9:30-10:45, TR 11:00-12:15, TR 12:30-1:45, TR 2:00-3:15

A "flipped" class in which students listen to online lectures and attend bi-weekly recitations, this course examines the social impact of the two Great Wars from a transnational perspective.  Topics include 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 to listen to an interview with Dr. Harling.)

UK CORE: Humanities/Global Dynamics

HIS 203 - History of British People Since the Restoration (Dr. Tammy Whitlock)

MWF 1:00-1:50

What happens when you take a textbook written by a German used in a class taught by an American on the British since the 1600s?  You get a very different view of what British history means—includes Winston Churchill!  (Click here for an interview with Dr. Whitlock on the history of crime in Victorian England.)

UK CORE: Humanities/Global Dynamics

HIS 207 - History of Modern Latin America (Dr. Francie Chassen-López)

TR 2:00-3:15

Beginning with a short introduction on the legacies of three hundred years of Spanish and Portuguese colonial rule, this course examines the main currents and events in modern Latin American history from 1810 to the present, including the independence movements of the nineteenth century, nation building, the struggle for modernization, dependency and the phenomenon of revolution in the twentieth century. (Click here for an interview that includes Dr. Chassen-López.)

UK CORE: Humanities/Global Dynamics

HIS 208 - A History of the Atlantic World (Dr. Erik Myrup)

MWF 10:00-10:50

An award winning teacher weaves together five hundred years of Atlantic world history through the eyes of those who lived it: pious pirates, apostate priests, runaway slaves, bumbling bureaucrats, filibusters, freebooters, dictators, gun-runners, and absent-minded presidents—together with a guest appearance by Doctor Who.  Includes Nicaragua, Haiti, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Brazil, and the British West Indies. (Click here for sample lecture; click here for an interview with Dr. Myrup; and click here to see Dr. Myrup talk about teaching.)

UK CORE: Global Dynamics

HIS 230 - Hellenistic World and Rome to Death of Constantine (Dr. Bruce Holle)

MWF 10:00-10:50

An award-winning teacher with a special interest in undergraduate teaching opens the ancient world inside out.  The Hellenistic world, Rome, the death of Alexander, the death of the Roman Empire.  A lot of death . . . and life . . . and a teacher who will know your name.  (Click here to hear Dr. Holle speak about his own experiences in college.)

UK CORE: Humanities

HIS 261 - African American History, 1865 to present (Dr. Nikki Brown)

TR 11:00-12:15

This course focuses on African American history from the end of slavery to Obama, exploring the rise of segregation, the politics of resistance, the Civil Rights movement, and cultural inventions and expressions. (Click here to hear Dr. Brown speak about her research on African American history in Louisiana.)

UK CORE: U.S. Citizenship

HIS 296 - East Asia since 1600 (Dr. Emily Mokros)

TR 9:30-10:45

In modern times and in becoming nations, China, Japan, and Korea each sought their own identity. The reforms and revolutions that Asia has experienced since 1600 can be viewed both in the context of the region and through the experience of each nation. This is an introductory course in the cultural, social, and political history of East Asia. (Click here to read a blog post by Dr. Mokros on the Peking Gazette.)

UK CORE: Humanities/Global Dynamics

Other 200-Level Courses


HIS 240: History of Kentucky (Dr. Joanna Lile)

MWF 1:00-1:50

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! (Click here to read about Dr. Lile's background and historical interests.)

Upper-Level Courses

HIS 320: Advance Studies in American Military History (Dr. James Bartek)

T 5:30-8:00

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!

 

HIS 323: The Holocaust (Dr. Ryan Voogt)

TR 9:30-10:45

Examines the events that resulted in the virtual destruction of Europe’s Jews during the Second World War, including a history of anti-antisemitism, the ways in which Nazi policies against Jews were implemented, Jewish resistance, and the responses of non-Jews and other governments to the Holocaust. (Click here to read about Dr. Voogt's background and historical interests.)


HIS 351-001: Topics in U.S. History - Life and Legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. (Dr. Gerald Smith)

W 3:30-6:00

Using a diverse set of sources, this course will examine King’s religious and political thought, culminating in his rise to national leadership. (Click here to see Dr. Smith talk about using the early papers of Martin Luther King, Jr., in his own research.)

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

TR 11:00-12:15

Examines the relationships between Americans and their environments in the five hundred years since European-American contact, emphasizing how environments have shaped human history and vice versa. (Click here to see a sample lecture by Dr. Newfont.)

HIS 351-003: Topics in U.S. History - People's Histories: Social Movements and the American Past (Dr. Eladio Bobadilla)

TR 12:30-1:45
 This course provides an introduction to the history of major American social movements from the Revolution to the present. It explores the impact of various historical actors—industrialists and workers, men and women, political leaders and political dissidents, capitalists and socialists, civil rights leaders and their opponents—whose actions, interactions, and struggles shaped our collective national past. We will cover a broad range of themes, confront and ask difficult questions, and attempt to make sense of how ordinary people helped to make the U.S. what it is today. (Click here to hear Dr. Bobadilla discuss his own pathway to college.)

 

HIS 351-004: Topics in U.S. History - Hip Hop Generation (Dr. Derrick White)

TR 9:30-10:45

The Hip Hop Generation, refers to the population that emerged from or born in wake of the violence of 1968. As Jay-Z said, "I arrived on the day Fred Hampton died." This generation was born after the civil rights movement, experienced deindustrialization, endured a War on Drugs, witnessed the election of a Black president, and created a global cultural movement: Hip Hop. This class analyzes the political, socio-economic, and cultural dynamics of African American history in the four decades after 1968. (Click here to hear Dr. White discuss his research on the history of Black political activism in the 1970s.)


HIS 351-005: Topics in U.S. History - Misinformation (Dr. Tracy Campbell)

TR 2:00-3:15

A new research-intensive course that examines case studies of misinformation in U.S. history since World War II. In essence, we will be examining things that did not happen, but have shaped who we are. (Click here for an interview with Dr. Campbell. [Dr. Campbell's part begins at 2:00.])


HIS 351-006: Topics in U.S. History - Global Black Freedom Struggle (Dr. George Wright)

W 3:00-5:30

The last decades of the 1800s witnessed the end of slavery and the determination by whites, in the United States, Brazil, and Africa, to create a new racial order with “people of color”  remaining at the bottom of society. Racial discrimination, in virtually every area of society, became a reality.  Yet, significantly, by the early 1900s, in various places in the world, the struggle for racial equality and justice had started.  The seminar will examine a number of key leaders—courageous women and men who fought for racial equality—and conclude by examining what significant changes have occurred  as well as what aspects of the racist past still remain firmly entrenched. (Click here to read about Dr. Wright's connections to the University of Kentucky.)

HIS 352-001: Topics in European History - Greek and Roman Religion (Dr. Dan Gargola)

MWF 11:00-11:50

A course on the history of religion in the ancient world taught by a specialist who wrote the book on ancient Rome.  Zeus, Aphrodite, Poisedon, and Artemis like you've never known them before!

HIS 353: Topics in European History - War and Memory in World War I on the Eastern and Western Fronts (Dr. Karen Petrone and Dr. Terri Crocker)

Section 001: TR 12:30-1:45 (Eastern Front)

Section 002: TR 12:30-1:45 (Western Front)

This course will examine how the memory of World War I formed, and the implications of that memory today, using official war documents, battalion diaries, fiction, movies, and poetry to bring World War I to life and to provide a window into what front line battles looked like to the soldiers themselves. Taught in conjunction with an optional study abroad opportunity in France and Belgium during Spring break, enabling students to travel to the front lines of the War (A&S 500, 2 credit hour). (Click here to see Dr. Petrone speak about the memory of World War I in contemporary Russia.)


HIS 355-001: Topics in Non Western History - Women in Modern Japan (Dr. Akiko Takenaka)

TR 11:00-12:15

This course covers the history of women's activism in Japan from the beginning of the twentieth century to the present. We will read the writings of activists, oral history interviews, and analytical and secondary sources. Topics covered include suffrage and citizenship, gender equality, welfare for mothers and children, women's liberation movement, activist against U.S. military bases, and anti-nuclear activism. The latter half of the course will place an emphasis on the impact of the U.S. Cold War on peace activism and gender relations in Japan. (Click here to watch Dr. Takenaka speak on Japanese history.)


HIS 355-002: Topics in Non Western History - Slavery, Piracy, and Rebellion in the Caribbean (Dr. Joe Clark)

TR 2:00-3:15

Over the last five centuries, the Caribbean has witnessed conquests, migrations, and revolutions that have changed the course of world history. In readings on slavery and resistance, piracy and smuggling, and rebellion and revolution, this course examines Caribbean history from Columbus's first voyage through the climate crisis of the 21st century. In addition to being exposed to major events and figures--including Toussaint L'Ouverture, Fidel Castro, and Bob Marley—students will study both the qualities that make the Caribbean dynamic and distinctive and the many ways its history, politics, and culture affect life throughout the world. (Click here and scroll down to p. 3 to read about Dr. Clark's background and historical interests.)


HIS 355-003: Topics in Non Western History - Late Imperial China (Dr. Emily Mokros)

TR 12:30-1:45
Have you ever wondered what it's like to be the emperor? In this course, you will be immersed in a role-playing game that pits the Wanli emperor against court scholars in a fight for the future of the Ming empire. From there, we will discover the scandals, coups, assassinations, and other shenanigans that consumed the imperial palace in the Ming and Qing dynasties. (Click here to read a blog post by Dr. Mokros on the Peking Gazette.)

HIS 360: Race and Sports in America (Dr. Gerald Smith)

T 3:30-6:00

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 see Dr. Smith talk about teaching.)


HIS 379: Reformation Europe (Dr. Scott Taylor)

TR 11:00-12:15

"Reformation Europe" is an overview the religious, political, and social changes that we call the Protestant and Catholic Reformations. We will examine the late medieval religious scene and the theological breakthrough of Martin Luther. We will see how Luther developed his ideas, and how his ideas spread into European society, meeting both welcome and resistance. The interplay between ideas, rituals, and community, and how these worked together to create religious and social change, will be examined. We will also study alternative strains of Protestantism and the Catholic responses. (Click here to read about Dr. Taylor's research on the history of drugs and alcohol in western civilization.)

HIS 391-001: Christians in the Roman Empire (Dr. Bruce Holle)

W 4:00-6:30

Covers the changing status of Christians in the Roman Empire between 100 and 500 CE. Topics include heresies, persecution, definitions of doctrines and practices, the relationship to the Roman Empire, and more.  Taught by an award-winning teacher with a special interest in undergraduate education. (Click here to hear Dr. Holle speak about his own experiences in college.)


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 503: History of the Roman Empire (Dr. Dan Gargola)
MWF 9:00-9:50
A study of the foundations of the Roman Empire, the development of imperial institutions, and the social and intellectual developments of the Greco-Roman world, culminating in the decline of Rome and the barbarian invasions of the fourth century. All roads lead here.


HIS 510: Medieval Law (Dr. Abigail Firey)

TR 2:00-3:15

A history of the various legal systems of western Europe between the fourth and the fourteenth century.  Includes the shift from oral to written law, jurisdictional disputes, the ways in which Judaeo-Christian values and beliefs affected the orientation of medieval law, ordeals and inquisitions, and the evolution of ideas about natural rights. (Click here to hear Dr. Firey discuss her work on the Carolingian Canon Law Project.)

HIS 554: British History, 1815-1901 (Dr. Tammy Whitlock)

TR 12:30-1:45

This course examines the social, political, and industrial development of Great Britain during the nineteenth century. Includes Benjamin Disraeli, the Brontë sisters, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, the London Underground, cricket, croquet, and of course Queen Victoria! (Click here for an interview with Dr. Whitlock on the history of crime in Victorian England.)

 

HIS 564: History of Brazil (Dr. Erik Myrup)

MWF 12:00-12:50

Introduces students to the historical roots of modern Brazilian society and culture, interweaving stories of slavery, gender, race, and nation building into a broader history of the modern world.  Taught by an award-winning teacher who can’t sit still. Includes pictures, music, stories, and . . . cashew juice! (Click here for sample lecture; click here for an interview with Dr. Myrup; and click here to see Dr. Myrup talk about the use of technology in the history classroom.)

 

HIS 577: Frontier America, 1869-Present (Dr. Mark Summers)

MWF 11:00-11:50

A survey of the many Westerners, women as well as men, Native Americans, Chinese, and Hispanics as well as whites, sodbusters as well as six-shooters, and of the many Wests, wild and not-so-wild, from the prairie homesteaders to the Sagebrush Rebellion, and how they made, inherited, and were imprisoned by the frontier heritage. Lots of music, movie clips, and pictures . . . with occasional hopping and jumping (on tables) for good measure! (Click here for an interview with Dr. Summers, and click here to see Dr. Summers speak about his research on the Civil War and Reconstruction.)

HIS 584: Health and Disease in the United States (Dr. Eric Christianson)

TR 3:30-4:45

Examines the emergence of modern medicine and the allied health professions, from colonial times to the present, emphasizing the social, institutional, and scientific contexts of medical thought, education, and practice. (Click here for an interview with Dr. Christianson.)

HIS 595: Topics in U.S. History - Global Black Freedom Struggle (Dr. George Wright)

W 3:00-5:30

The last decades of the 1800s witnessed the end of slavery and the determination by whites, in the United States, Brazil, and Africa, to create a new racial order with “people of color”  remaining at the bottom of society. Racial discrimination, in virtually every area of society, became a reality.  Yet, significantly, by the early 1900s, in various places in the world, the struggle for racial equality and justice had started.  The seminar will examine a number of key leaders—courageous women and men who fought for racial equality—and conclude by examining what significant changes have occurred  as well as what aspects of the racist past still remain firmly entrenched. (Click here to read about Dr. Wright's connections to the University of Kentucky.)



Methods and Capstone Courses (for majors)


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

TR 12:30-1:45

An introduction to the skills of historical research and writing taught by a specialist on the history of sports and Black activism. (Click here to hear Dr. White discuss his research on the history of Black political activism in the 1970s.)


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

TR 11:00-12:15

An introduction to the skills of historical research and writing taught by a specialist on the Byzantine empire.

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

TR 9:30-10:45

An introduction to the skills of historical research and writing taught by a specialist on Latinx history. (Click here to hear Dr. Bobadilla discuss his own pathway to college.)

 

HIS 499-001: Senior Seminar: Men and Women during Wartime (Dr. Francie Chassen-Lopez)

T 5:00-7:30

Description forthcoming. (Click here for an interview that includes Dr. Chassen-López.)


HIS 499-002: Senior Seminar: Pandemic Historical Studies (Dr. Eric Christianson)

TR 11:00-12:15

Come sing and dance to the tunes of Tom Lehrer: “I got it from Agnes / She got it from Jim / We all agree it must have been Louise who gave it to him!” In this seminar students will draw upon primary source material to produce a substantive research paper that focuses upon the effects of disease and epidemics on human society. (Click here for an interview with Dr. Christianson.)

 

HIS 499-003: Senior Seminar: Kentucky Slavery, Kentucky Freedom (Dr. Vanessa Holden)

W 3:00-5:30

In this course, students will draw upon 18th and 19th century primary sources to produce a substantive research paper that speaks to the histories of enslaved and free African Americans in Kentucky.  In doing so, students will treat a variety of topics related to the history of slavery in the United States as a whole, including the institution's economic importance, and issues relating to slave resistance and rebellion. Students will also practice evaluating each other's academic writing. This rigorous course will provide students with the skills to delve into archives, write well, and share their knowledge with others. (Click here for background on Dr. Holden.)