This course analyzes the complex histories, shifting geographies, and unequal relationships of power denoted by the term “Global South,” a designation that maps unevenly onto the formerly colonized regions of Africa, Asia and Latin America. As we shall see, the term is also used to describe marginalized populations and places within the “Global North,” a convenient though not entirely accurate label for today’s relatively rich and developed world regions. A basic concern of the course will be to analyze the origins, relevance, and strengths and limitations of the concept of the “Global South.” To do so we must assess how centuries of colonialism and its legacies have influenced our contemporary world. Our collective goal will be to develop new ways of thinking about our pasts, presents and futures, while respectfully engaging, discussing and debating a range of at times controversial topics.
- Teacher: James Krippner
This course explores the intellectual ferment that fueled political upheaval during the Age of Revolutions (1770s-1840s), focusing on key thinkers and ideas across Europe and the Americas. Starting in nearby Philadelphia, where Thomas Paine published his inflammatory pamphlet, Common Sense, in 1776, we will conclude in an increasingly industrialized London, where Karl Marx and his intellectual partner, Friedrich Engels, released their Communist Manifesto in 1848. Along the way, we will traverse the Atlantic multiple times, touching Paris and Mexico City, Italy and Haiti, Germany and Spain. Through a combination of primary and secondary sources, we will trace the emergence of modern concepts of liberty, equality, human rights, and revolution, alongside the darker forces of terror, total war, populism, and authoritarianism. We will also examine the birth of ideological movements—liberalism, conservatism, nationalism, and socialism—that continue to shape today’s political landscape.
- Teacher: Glauco Schettini
- Teacher: Marlen Rosas
Conspiracies have always existed; conspiracy theories as we know them today are a creation of the early modern era. Between the fifteenth and the eighteenth centuries, a set of interconnected transformations reshaped European societies: the printing revolution made the circulation of information (including fake news) faster and easier; colonists sailed through the Atlantic to establish the first global empires; the Protestant Reformation opened a new season of religious hostility between neighboring countries; and kings consolidated their power, only to see it challenged by the rise of public opinion and representative systems. In this class, we will observe how conspiracy theories emerged as a response to these transformations, and how they were used to understand, reinforce, or resist them. Across the centuries of the early modern era, we will witness the emergence of world conspiracy theories––all-encompassing systems that supposedly explain the trajectory of world history at large, usually as the result of the plot of a small group of people aiming for world domination.
- Teacher: Glauco Schettini
History 400a thesis seminar is the senior research lab for thesis work. Students will continue on to History 400b in the spring where they will work with their assigned faculty advisor to complete the writing and revision of the thesis.
Over the course of this year, you will research and write an original piece of historical writing. In the fall semester, you will complete a series of writing assignments that will help you conceptualize, research, and draft/write your thesis. Remember that the thesis is a process as much as it is a product. Your initial ideas will evolve in response to the evidence and the problems it poses.
Over the course of this year, you will research and write an original piece of historical writing. In the fall semester, you will complete a series of writing assignments that will help you conceptualize, research, and draft/write your thesis. Remember that the thesis is a process as much as it is a product. Your initial ideas will evolve in response to the evidence and the problems it poses.
- Teacher: Darin Hayton
- Teacher: James Krippner
- Teacher: Bethel Saler