IN CELEBRATION OF
All Things Historical

doctor Myrup proudly presents his SEMI-ANNUAL LIST OF

HISTORY COURSES
(SPRING 2021 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. Vieux Touré)

MWF 9:00-9:50 (Hybrid)

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.

UK CORE: Global Dynamics

HIS 104: History of Europe through Mid-17th Century (Dr. Erik Myrup)

Lecture: MW 10:00-10:50 (In-Person and Fully Online Options)

Recitation Options: W 11:00-11:50, R 11:00-11:50, F 10:00-10:50, F 11:00-11:50 (In-Person and Fully Online Options)
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 Europe like you never knew before, taught by an award winning teacher who sometimes masquerades as Doctor Who. (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. Karen Petrone)

Lecture: TR 11:00-11:50 (Fully Online)
Recitation Options: M 9:00-9:50, M 11:00-11:50, T 9:30-10:20, R 12:30-1:20,
R 2:00-2:50 (In-Person, Hybrid, and Fully Online Options)

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 to see Dr. Petrone speak about the memory of World War I in contemporary Russia.)

UK CORE: Humanities/Global Dynamics

HIS 108: History of the United States through 1876 (Dr. Nikki Brown)

Lecture: MW 11:00-11:50 (Hybrid)

Recitation Options: W 12:00-12:50, W 1:00-1:50, R 11:00-11:50, F 11:00-11:50, F 12:00-12:50 (Fully Online)

A specialist on African American history surveys 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 to hear Dr. Brown speak about her research on African American history in Louisiana.)

UK CORE: U.S. Citizenship/Humanities

HIS 109: History of the United States since 1877 (Dr. Mark Summers)

Lecture: MW 9:00-9:50 (In-Person and Fully Online Options)

Recitation Options: F 9:00-9:50, F 10:00-10:50, R 10:00-10:50, W 10:00-10:50, W 11:00-11:50, R 9:00-9:50 (In-Person, Hybrid, and Fully Online Options)

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.)

UK CORE: U.S. Citizenship/Humanities

HIS 112, Sections 001-009: Modern Kentucky (Dr. Tracy Campbell)

Lecture: MW 12:00-12:50 (Fully Online)

Recitation Options: W 1:00-1:50, W 2:00-2:50, F 10:00-10:50, F 11:00-11:50, F 12:00-12:50 (Hybrid and Fully Online Options)

An examination of the political, social, economical, environmental and cultural dynamics that have shaped modern Kentucky from 1900 to the present.
(Click here to hear Dr. Campbell speak of his own experiences as a student at the University of Kentucky. [Dr. Campbell's part begins at 2:00.])

UK CORE: U.S. Citizenship/Humanities

HIS 112, Section 010: Modern Kentucky (Dr. Melanie Goan)

Lecture: TR 2:00-3:15 (Hybrid)

Controlled Enrollment: Freshman Discovery Seminar

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 122: War and Society Since 1945 (Dr. Francis Musoni)
Lectures: TR 9:30-10:45 (Fully Online)

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 listen to an interview with Dr. Musoni in which he shares his background and interests.)

UK CORE: Global Dynamics

HIS 230: Hellenistic World and Rome to Death of Constantine (Dr. Dan Gargola)

MWF 11:00-11:50 (In-Person)

A specialist on ancient Roman history, examines the conquests of Alexander the Great, the rise of a Hellenistic World, and the intertwining histories of the Roman Republic, the birth of Christianity, and the Roman Empire through the early 4th century. 

UK CORE: Humanities

HIS 253: History of Pre-Colonial Africa (Dr. Stephen Davis)

TR 9:30-10:45 (Fully Online)

A course that examines the early history of Africa, from human evolution to colonization by European powers in the late 19th century. Epic poetry, medieval empire-building, kinship and the state, the transatlantic slave trade, partitioning invaders, Islam, Christianity, and much more. (Click here to watch a short video on student internship opportunities in South Africa that Dr. Davis coordinates each year, and click here to read about Dr. Davis's innovative teaching.)

UK CORE: Humanities/Global Dynamics

HIS 315: The U.S. in the Cold War, 1945-1991 (Dr. Mark Summers)

MWF 11:00-11:50 (In-Person)

The Iron Curtain, a nuclear arms race, the making of NATO, a wall in Berlin, Coca-Colonialism, isolationism, Asialationism, the Common Market, and uncommon sense. People get shot, lawful governments get overthrown, public officials lie like statistics, and we never learn to stop worrying and love the Bomb. Lots of music and pictures . . . 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.)

UK CORE: U.S. Citizenship

Other 200-Level Courses


HIS 240: History of Kentucky (Dr. Jonathan Coleman)

TR 5:00-6:15 (Hybrid)

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. Coleman's historical interests in Lexington.)

Upper-Level Courses


HIS 315: The U.S. in the Cold War, 1945-1991 (Dr. Mark Summers)

MWF 11:00-11:50 (In-Person)

The Iron Curtain, a nuclear arms race, the making of NATO, a wall in Berlin, Coca-Colonialism, isolationism, Asialationism, the Common Market, and uncommon sense. People get shot, lawful governments get overthrown, public officials lie like statistics, and we never learn to stop worrying and love the Bomb. 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.)


HIS 320: Advance Studies in American Military History (Travis Fugate)

TR 2:00-3:15 (In-Person)

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 (In-Person)

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 - A History of White Supremacy in the U.S. (Dr. Nikki Brown)

MWF 1:00-1:50 (Hybrid)

Description forthcoming. (Click here to hear Dr. Brown speak about her research on African American history in Louisiana.)

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

TR 12:30-1:45 (Fully Online)

Description forthcoming. (Click here to see a sample lecture by Dr. Newfont.)

HIS 351-003: Topics in U.S. History - Asians in America (Dr. Akiko Takenaka)

TR 11:00-12:15 (Fully Online)
 Description forthcoming. (Click here to watch Dr. Takenaka speak on Japanese history, and click here for an interview with Dr. Takenaka.)

 

HIS 351-004: Topics in U.S. History - Global Black Freedom Struggle (Dr. George Wright)

R 3:00-5:30 (Fully Online)

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 351-005: Topics in U.S. History - Slavery in American Memory (Dr. Dan Vivian)

TR 1:00-2:15 (Hybrid)

Controlled Enrollment: Please contact the instructor (Dr. Daniel Vivian) for permission to enroll.

Examines the remembrance of slavery since the Civil War, focusing on the combination of remembering and forgetting that has shaped public views of slavery and the perspectives of particular social groups. Readings and assignments will investigate narratives of the Civil War and emancipation, and field trips will consider how slavery is presented at historic sites and museums in central Kentucky. Students will also examine recent controversies over Confederate memorials and plantation tourism and conduct original research to assist in developing more accurate portrayals of slavery at nearby sites. (Click here to read an interview with Dr. Vivian.)


HIS 351-006: Topics in U.S. History - Appalachian Spirits: A History of Moonshine (Carson Benn)

TR 11:00-12:15 (Hybrid)

The image of moonshine remains indelibly linked to the people of the Appalachian region, and Americans have maintained this cultural fascination with illicit spirits and Appalachian people ever since white settlers first inhabited the mountains. Various types of moonshine are produced and enjoyed all over the world, but in this course we will ask: Why is moonshine such an Appalachian thing? In Appalachian Spirits we will span the region's history, observing how moonshine production has ebbed and flowed over time veering between our ideas of virtue and vice across generations.

HIS 352-001: Topics in European History - The Christian Roman Empire (Dr. David Olster)

TR 12:30-1:45 (In-Person)

This course will trace the development of late Roman history from the crisis of the third century which nearly overwhelmed the Empire, through the conversion of Constantine to Christianity and the social and religious challenges of the fourth century, the barbarian invasions of the fifth century, the eastern Empire's recovery in the sixth century and the final collapse of the classical Roman Empire under the weight of rising Islam in the seventh century. We will consider the social, political, economic, military, and cultural factors that sustained imperial stability and ultimately let to its collapse.

HIS 355-001: Topics in Non Western History - Slavery, Piracy, and Rebellion in the Caribbean (Dr. Joe Clark)

MWF 10:00-10:50 (Hybrid)

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 355-002: Topics in Non Western History - Africa's Borderlands (Dr. Francis Musoni)

TR 12:30-1:45 (Hybrid)

This course examines the evolution of Africa's geopolitical borders and borderland communities from the 1880s to the present. In addition to studying how colonial boundary-making processes distorted preexisting notions of borders in the continent and how measures of border control have changed since the nineteenth century, the course will also look at border conflicts, border economies (including prostitution, human trafficking, and smuggling), as well as questions of identity and citizenship in Africa. (Click here to listen to an interview with Dr. Musoni in which he shares his background and interests.)
 

HIS 355-003: Topics in Non Western History - Women in Modern Japan (Dr. Akiko Takenaka)

TR 2:00-3:15 (Fully Online)

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, and click here for an interview with Dr. Takenaka.)


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

TR 12:30-1:45 (Fully Online)

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 391: Christians in the Roman Empire (Dr. David Olster)

TR 2:00-3:15 (In-Person)

From Christ to Constantine, this class will trace the development of Christianity during its "illegal" years from a disparate set of communities to a unified hierarchical church focusing on the development of identity, authority, orthodoxy and cultural accommodation.  The class will be based on original documents from the New Testament to imperial decrees that shed light on Christianity's rise and evolution.

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

T 3:30-6:00 (Fully Online)

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 teaching.)

HIS 470: The Life and Legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. (Dr. Gerald Smith)

W 3:30-6:00 (Fully Online)

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.)


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 501: Fourth Century Greece and the Hellenistic World (Dr. Dan Gargola)
MWF 9:00-9:50 (In-Person)
A history of the ancient world from the death of Alexander to the Roman conquest of Egypt taught by a specialist on ancient Rome.


HIS 557: British Empire and Commonwealth, 1869-2016 (Dr. Mark Summers)

MWF 1:00-1:50 (In-Person)

Dr. Mark Summers presents . . . The Greatest Empire on Earth [the British Empire, that is]. Bigger than Lord Curzon's ego! More advanced the Wallace's Techno-trousers! With a supporting cast of . . . Zulus, Asante, Sepoys, Ghurkas, Memsahibs, Bureaucrats, upper class twits, Tommies, and Maxim guns. Subject peoples, object lessons, failures galore, and buckets of blood, along with a weekly assortment of music, movies, pictures, and 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 564: History of Brazil (Dr. Erik Myrup)

MWF 12:00-12:50 (In-Person)

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

TR 3:30-4:45 (Fully Online)

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 595-001: Topics in U.S. History - Global Black Freedom Struggle (Dr. George Wright)

R 3:00-5:30 (Fully Online)

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 595-002: Topics in U.S. History - Decolonization in Africa (Dr. Stephen Davis)

W 2:00-4:30 (Fully Online)

The decolonization of European empires was one of the most important turning points in the history of the postwar world. In a process that spanned three decades, over two-thirds of humanity emerged from colonial rule and established nation-states.  In the case of Africa, decolonization brought fifty-four new nation-states to the world stage, signalling a sea change in how the West related to Africa and creating new possibilities to shape how Africans thought about themselves and their future.  In this course students will address the conceptual problem of defining "decolonization" and examine decolonization in several regions of Africa.
(Click here to watch a short video on student internship opportunities in South Africa that Dr. Davis coordinates each year, and click here to read about Dr. Davis's innovative teaching.)

HIS 595-003: Topics in U.S. History - Reconstructing America (Dr. Amy Taylor)

R 2:00-4:30 (Hybrid)

Description forthcoming. (Click here to watch Dr. Taylor speak about using primary sources in the classroom, and click here to watch her talk about teaching at UK.)

HIS 595-004: Topics in U.S. History - Bourbon Oral History (Dr. Janice Fernheimer)

TR 11:00-12:15 (Fully Online)

Controlled Enrollment: All students must be a minimum of 21 years of age prior to the start of the semester.

Have you ever wanted to make history? In this class we will do just that! We will build the historical bourbon record by interviewing industry experts, leaders, and insiders. Students will learn about oral history as a method, bourbon as an industry, and the art of interviewing itself. By semester's end students will know ow to craft a strong set of questions, conduct an oral history interview, reflect on their process, and create persuasive materials aimed at public audiences. Interviews will be archived in the Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History.  This course fulfills part of the requirements for the Certificate in Distillation, Beer, and Winemaking.



Methods and Capstone Courses (for majors)


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

MWF 1:00-1:50 (Hybrid)

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

TR 11:00-12:15 (In-Person)

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: Disease and Pandemics in History (Dr. Eric Christianson)

TR 11:00-12:15 (Fully Online)

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 499-002: Senior Seminar: Drugs, Alcohol, and Addiction in History (Dr. Scott Taylor)

TR 12:30-1:45 (Hybrid)

Description forthcoming. (Click here to listen to Dr. Taylor speak about his research on the history of drugs and alcohol in western civilization.)

 

HIS 499-003: Senior Seminar: Unexpected Empires (Dr. Abigail Firey)

R 3:00-5:30 (Hybrid)

In this course we shall explore a range of approaches to the idea of "empire." Are there features that are common to most empires? Are some empires unnoticed, such as the domain of night? What has become of our knowledge of the indigenous empires of North America? Has anyone figured out why empires rise and fall? We shall read several works to help us think about the ways we identify empires, and each student will select an empire—possibly an unexpected one, to study for the research paper produced for this course. (Click here to hear Dr. Firey discuss her work on the Carolingian Canon Law Project.)