Eight History Concentration Tracks

• American History
• European History
• History of Women and Gender
• History and the Law
• African and African American History
• Public History
• Asian History
• Latin American History

American History

Students of American History explore the broad sweep of the history of the United States, looking at the delicate balance between individual freedom and a cohesive national government.

How did the United States reconcile an institution of slavery against a belief in human liberty, or the virtues of agricultural society against a rapidly emerging industrial strength? How did the United States go from the concepts of colonialists to the most powerful nation in the world in just one hundred and sixty years?

American History courses survey U.S. history and delve deeply into specific topics.

European History

In studying Europe, we examine the long trajectory of its history and civilization, from ancient Greece and Rome to contemporary questions, such as the role the European Union plays in world affairs, or the continued importance of national identity within Europe in the twenty-first century.

In the European History concentration, students explore the diversity that exists within Europe, focusing in on specific topics in politics, culture, religion and religious conflict, social class and class mobility, art, and architecture.  Students also learn about Europe’s profound influence on the world--European "exports" in the last 500 years have included Christianity, industrialization, nationalism, liberalism, Marxism, Freudian psychology, and European technologies of war.

In studying European history, students examine the implications of colonialism for the world and for Europe itself.  In addition to reading scholarly works by historians, students will learn to evaluate, analyze, and develop their own historical arguments about primary sources such as parliamentary papers, police reports, journalism, memoirs, letters and diaries, drama, novels and poetry, as well as film, photography and other works of art.

History of Women and Gender

In studying the history of women and gender, students examine the different roles women and men play in society and how these roles change over time.

How are men’s and women’s life experiences different in a given historical period?  How are society’s prescriptions for women and men different?  In the History of Women and Gender concentration, students focus in on themes that help us to understand the role of gender in history, including evolving ideas about what constitutes femininity and masculinity, women’s negotiation of family and work, and feminist ideas and activism.

This concentration offers students the opportunity to examine history from the perspective of women and to understand how ideas about gender have shaped men’s and women’s lives.  In addition to reading scholarly works, students learn to analyze and develop their own historical arguments about a wide variety of primary sources.

History and the Law

The History and the Law program examines how the law has shaped social standards.  Students examine the creation of constitutions, the rule of law and the impact of legal codes on society.

African and African American History

The African and African American track explores the history of people of African descent in Africa, the United States and the greater Americas.  Students examine American and world history from the social, cultural, political, and intellectual perspective of the African American.

Public History

Historians in cyberspace, on TV, and in the classroom... Public historians make films, design Web sites, produce radio programs, stage plays, teach, and much more.  Wherever they work - for media outlets, museums, archives, local historical societies, consulting firms, government and non-profit agencies, schools, or historic sites, to name just a few—they present history to the public.

Asian History

The Asian history track introduces students to the historical dynamics that have shaped Asian societies, and which will continue to shape Asia and the world. 

Japan is the second largest economy in the world: By the time our freshmen graduate, China will be the world’s third largest. Courses focus on Chinese and Japanese civilization, as well as the cultures, philosophy, cinema, and history of Korea, Southeast Asia, and India, all major economic and political forces in an age of globalization.

Latin American History

The Latin American History concentration offers a wide variety of courses that explore the economic, political, social and environmental histories of our neighbors to the south.

Topics we examine include ancient American civilizations, the Spanish conquest, the African slave trade, the rise of nineteenth century nation-states, twentieth century social revolutions, and US-Latin American relations. In our quest to understand Latin America’s diverse population, we read scholarly works, journalistic accounts, diaries and fiction; view art, photographs and film; and listen to music.

The Latin American History concentration not only enriches students’ knowledge of our American neighbors, but also offers hands-on experience conducting research, analyzing sources, and developing arguments through written assignments and oral presentations.