HIST 101-001
Western Civilization: Ancient World to 1500
Instructor: Martha Carlin (carlin@uwm.edu)
Meets: TR 1pm-2:15pm
This course surveys the extraordinary arc of early Western civilization over 4,500 years, from about 3000 BCE to 1500 CE. We will trace such landmarks as the birth of governments, massive building projects, and writing in the ancient Near East and Egypt, the soaring intellectual and cultural achievements of the classical world, and the dramatic political, religious, technological, and artistic developments of the European Middle Ages and the early Renaissance.
HIST 132-001
World History Since 1500
Instructor: Marcus B Filippello (filippem@uwm.edu)
Meets: MW 10am-11:15am
In reading the news, watching television, perusing social media, or simply looking out of the proverbial contemporary window, do you ever ask: How do we explain or account for all of this? This class will encourage students to seek answers to this question by investigating the nature of human interactions and examining cross-cultural exchanges that have taken place across the globe for more than five centuries. In forming some possible conclusions, we will focus on patterns of migration, processes of imperial formation, and how people have made and reimagined our “modern” world. Although we will examine some of these themes by highlighting Europeans’ relationship with peoples in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and the Americas, we will also devote considerable attention to emphasizing the roles non-Europeans played in enacting a sense of agency and altering the course of global history.
HIST 151-201
American History: 1607 to 1877
Instructor: Brian Scott Mueller (bsm@uwm.edu)
Meets: No Meeting Pattern
The preservation of “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness” required the creation of a national government, Thomas Jefferson proclaimed in the Declaration of Independence in 1776. Earlier in the same document, he declared it “self-evident” that “all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights,” and if denied, the “People” have the right to create a new government. Jefferson’s words inspired Britain’s North American subjects to revolt against the Crown and seek independence. For more than a century before, and for another century after, however, the inhabitants of North America fought, with both words and blood, over whom to identify as the “People,” and thus deserving of “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness,” and what sort of government could most likely guarantee such rights.
Beginning with the arrival of the first European settlers at Jamestown in 1607, this course will chronicle the rise of representative government in the United States, looking at its myriad forms and debates over what it should look like and what powers it should possess. Living among one another on the same lands, however, did not mean that all were accepted under the umbrella of “We the People,” as the preamble to the U.S. Constitution puts it. With each movement West, from the earliest migration to the New World until the westward expansion of the mid-nineteenth century, conflict emerged between whites, ethnic groups, Native Americans, and African slaves. This course will explore the interactions among these various groups, looking at how they viewed one another and how disputes between them came to change the role and functions of the national government.
HIST 151-201
American History: 1607 to 1877
Instructor: Brian Scott Mueller (bsm@uwm.edu)
Meets: No Meeting Pattern
The preservation of “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness” required the creation of a national government, Thomas Jefferson proclaimed in the Declaration of Independence in 1776. Earlier in the same document, he declared it “self-evident” that “all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights,” and if denied, the “People” have the right to create a new government. Jefferson’s words inspired Britain’s North American subjects to revolt against the Crown and seek independence. For more than a century before, and for another century after, however, the inhabitants of North America fought, with both words and blood, over whom to identify as the “People,” and thus deserving of “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness,” and what sort of government could most likely guarantee such rights.
Beginning with the arrival of the first European settlers at Jamestown in 1607, this course will chronicle the rise of representative government in the United States, looking at its myriad forms and debates over what it should look like and what powers it should possess. Living among one another on the same lands, however, did not mean that all were accepted under the umbrella of “We the People,” as the preamble to the U.S. Constitution puts it. With each movement West, from the earliest migration to the New World until the westward expansion of the mid-nineteenth century, conflict emerged between whites, ethnic groups, Native Americans, and African slaves. This course will explore the interactions among these various groups, looking at how they viewed one another and how disputes between them came to change the role and functions of the national government.
HIST 203-001
The History of Medieval Europe: The Early Middle Ages
Instructor: Martha Carlin (carlin@uwm.edu)
Meets: TR 10am-11:15am
This course will survey the history of Europe in the early Middle Ages, c. 500-1000 CE. This period was packed with dramatic events and major developments that shaped later Western history and cultures, including the collapse of the Roman empire in the West and its survival in the East, the spread of Christianity and Islam, the impact of the Germanic peoples in Western Europe (including the Anglo-Saxons, the Franks, and the Vikings), and the rise and fall of the Carolingian empire.
HIST 268-201
History of the American West
Instructor: Jessica L Nelson (nelso878@uwm.edu)
Meets: No Meeting Pattern
The story of the American West is a history of people wrestling to surviving in a harsh landscape. Or is it the history of cowboys, pioneers, and destiny? Or is it a history of dispossession, an expanding empire, and resource extraction? Is it a pop culture phenomenon that has shaped movies, plays, and books? Is it a unique history, unrepeated anywhere else in the world? Or is "the west" as much a process as it is a place?
This course takes a wide-ranging view of the American West and explores the history of peoples in western landscapes across the Americas, with a particular focus on the United States, Mexico, Argentina, and Canada. While there is no definitive answer to the questions listed above, understanding the history of the American West helps us better understand our world today. This is an asynchronous online course that will require watching pre-recorded lectures and selected movies, completing assigned readings, and taking brief quizzes on both; regular short analysis papers; and analysis and discussion of primary sources through Canvas tools.
The provided syllabus is from when this course was taught in-person in fall 2023; it will be revised in summer 2025 to be an asynchronous online course.
HIST 294-201
Seminar on Historical Method: Research Techniques
Instructor: Brian Scott Mueller (bsm@uwm.edu)
Meets: No Meeting Pattern
What is it that historians do? Can anyone be a historian? Does it require a special skillset? Based on the bestseller lists for works of non-fiction, it would seem as though anyone can do history. The names atop these lists include television hosts like Bill O’Reilly and journalists such as Cokie Roberts, neither of whom are trained historians. Technology, moreover, makes it easy for everyone to access genealogical records and other digital archives with the click of a button. In reality, history is no different than medicine, engineering, or quantum physics. Doing the work of a historian requires learning the crucial skills that allow for a true understanding of the past, as opposed to just skimming the surface. This course will help you understand how historians read and conduct research by doing so yourself. Over the course of the semester, you’ll be carrying out tasks designed to help you understand historiography, methodology, research methods, and writing. This includes the use of Chicago Style citations, locating reference materials, carrying out bibliographic research using traditional and electronic resources, and the critical evaluation of primary and secondary sources. Throughout the course, you’ll be completing the steps that make up the preliminary stages undertaken before the major research and writing undertaken for a major project, as you might complete in the capstone course, History 600.
HIST 294-201
Seminar on Historical Method: Research Techniques
Instructor: Brian Scott Mueller (bsm@uwm.edu)
Meets: No Meeting Pattern
What is it that historians do? Can anyone be a historian? Does it require a special skillset? Based on the bestseller lists for works of non-fiction, it would seem as though anyone can do history. The names atop these lists include television hosts like Bill O’Reilly and journalists such as Cokie Roberts, neither of whom are trained historians. Technology, moreover, makes it easy for everyone to access genealogical records and other digital archives with the click of a button. In reality, history is no different than medicine, engineering, or quantum physics. Doing the work of a historian requires learning the crucial skills that allow for a true understanding of the past, as opposed to just skimming the surface. This course will help you understand how historians read and conduct research by doing so yourself. Over the course of the semester, you’ll be carrying out tasks designed to help you understand historiography, methodology, research methods, and writing. This includes the use of Chicago Style citations, locating reference materials, carrying out bibliographic research using traditional and electronic resources, and the critical evaluation of primary and secondary sources. Throughout the course, you’ll be completing the steps that make up the preliminary stages undertaken before the major research and writing undertaken for a major project, as you might complete in the capstone course, History 600.
HIST 379-201
Introduction to Jewish History
Instructor: Lisa D Silverman (silverld@uwm.edu)
Meets: No Meeting Pattern
Have you ever wondered about Jewish life? Or wanted to know what the big fuss is about Kabbalah? And where did Yiddish words like “schlemiel” and “schlimmazel” come from? This online course covers the historical foundations of Jewish civilization from antiquity to the present day. Through a combination of lectures, readings, class discussions, and films, you will learn about Jews and the variety of their responses to political, socioeconomic, and cultural challenges in history. We will examine this broad span of Jewish history using traditional sources as well as alternative perspectives, including books, essays, memoirs, tracts, letters, and other documents.
HIST 393-001
History of Mexico
Instructor: Jessica L Nelson (nelso878@uwm.edu)
Meets: MW 11:30am-12:45pm
Mexican culture and history has often been mythologized, stereotyped, or misunderstood -- but an accurate knowledge of the development of Mexico is essential for understanding its current role in the world. This course broadly surveys Mexican history from the pre-Colombian period through modern times, including a particular focus on the current Mexican-American border as well as regions that historically bordered Mexico (such as modern-day Florida, Central America, and even Spanish territories in the Pacific). We will explore Mexican history through lectures, readings, and discussion -- as well as through a thrilling role-playing game called "Mexico in Revolution" (part of the Reacting to the Past curriculum) and through hands-on research at the AGSL.
This course will be revised in summer 2025 to add the hands-on research component, thanks to funding from CLACS. Interested sophomores are invited to contact the professor for permission to register in the course.
HIST 399-001
Honors Seminar: Seeing Race in Modern America
Instructor: Gregory T Carter (cartergt@uwm.edu)
Meets: MW 11:30am-12:45pm
Discussing the genre of his recently Golden Globe-nominated movie, Get Out (2017), writer-director Jordan Peele quipped, “I submitted it as a documentary… Here’s the thing, the movie is truth. The thing that resonated with people was truth, so for me it’s more of a historical biopic.” His movie quickly became a horror classic, mainly because of how it compels viewers to consider matters of racism and representation in the United States. However, Get Out was not the first horror movie to do so. From The Birth of a Nation (1915), to King Kong (1931), to Night of the Living Dead (1968), to Candyman (1992), horror movies have reflected everyday anxieties, even as they purvey images of the supernatural. They often use visual symbolism to communicate messages about race and racism, and audience reception (viewing habits, criticism, social networking) brings the real world to bear upon their fantastic realms.
Still, the questions we use to analyze the more distant past remain useful for this brand of popular culture: How do we train our eyes to see race accurately? What historical precursors inform this process? Can detecting stereotypes lead to broader, anti-racist practice? This Honors seminar will focus on these questions in discussions and by reading and analyzing a range of interdisciplinary sources.
Note: Expertise in horror films is not a prerequisite of this course. Also, my aim is to avoid materials that may be triggering to any of you.
HIST 405-201
The Age of the American Revolution, 1750-1789
Instructor: Brian Scott Mueller (bsm@uwm.edu)
Meets: No Meeting Pattern
In the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson proclaimed that “all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights,” and if denied, the “People” had the right to create a new government. Long before Jefferson’s words inspired the colonists to rebel, imperial clashes for control of the vast North American continent planted the seed of revolution. This course will explore how what started as a demand for political representation quickly turned into a battle for emancipation. Yet solidarity among the colonists was far from assured as social, economic, and political divisions threatened to rip the young nation apart before it was even established. The colonists united long enough to drive out the British, but these fissures remained and had an indelible effect on the shape of America’s new government. In addition to examining these aspects of the revolutionary era, this course will look at how the ideals of liberty and freedom espoused by the Founders were experienced by slaves, American Indians, and women.
HIST 600-202
Seminar in History: Race Relations in America
Instructor: Gregory T Carter (cartergt@uwm.edu)
Meets: MW 2:30pm-3:45pm
Based on my experience participating in the 2022 National Endowment for the Humanities and Japanese American Citizens League workshop, Civil Liberties in Times of Crisis, this seminar will make explicit the lessons of the WWII Japanese American experience through content that emphasizes the universal issues of identity, community, patriotism, civil rights, and justice that continue to be relevant especially in recent social justice events.
As the capstone seminar for History majors, this course provides students with an opportunity to devote a semester to writing a piece of history. This course will explore the history and implications of Japanese incarceration, providing students a set of subtopics to research and write about on their own. In the first few weeks of class, each student will choose a paper topic and prepare a plan of work. In the seminar classes, we will do some background reading to get started, and review methods of research. As the semester progresses, students will work on their projects, and we will discuss issues of historical writing. At the end of the semester, students will present their papers orally before submitting it.
Students must have completed a methods prerequisite and most requirements for the major before they enroll in this course. Success will require a large amount of reading and writing, and participants should expect to devote a considerable amount of time. The amount of work is reasonable, but proactive time management is key.
HIST 600-001
Seminar in History: Milwaukee: The Making of a Metropolis
Instructor: Amanda I Seligman (seligman@uwm.edu)
Meets: TR 1pm-2:15pm
Capstone for history major
HIST 600-001
Seminar in History: Milwaukee: The Making of a Metropolis
Instructor: Amanda I Seligman (seligman@uwm.edu)
Meets: TR 1pm-2:15pm
Capstone for history major
HIST 600-203
Seminar in History: Race Relations in America
Instructor: Gregory T Carter (cartergt@uwm.edu)
Meets: No Meeting Pattern
Based on my participation in the 2022 National Endowment for the Humanities and Japanese American Citizens League workshop, Civil Liberties in Times of Crisis, this seminar will make explicit the lessons of the WWII Japanese American experience through content that emphasizes the universal issues of identity, community, patriotism, civil rights, and justice that continue to be relevant especially in recent social justice events.
As the capstone seminar for History majors, this course provides students with an opportunity to devote a semester to writing a piece of history. This course will explore the history and implications of Japanese incarceration, providing students a set of subtopics to research and write about on their own. In the first few weeks of class, each student will choose a paper topic and prepare a plan of work. In the seminar classes, we will do some background reading to get started, and review methods of research. As the semester progresses, students will work on their projects, and we will discuss issues of historical writing.
Students must have completed a methods prerequisite and most requirements for the major before they enroll in this course. Success will require a large amount of reading and writing, and participants should expect to devote a considerable amount of time. The amount of work is reasonable, but proactive time management is key.