Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis

Undergraduate Courses

H105-H106 American History I-II (3-3cr.)
I. Colonial period, Revolution, Confederation and Constitution, national period to 1865. II. 1865 to present. Political history forms framework, with economic, social, cultural, and intellectual history interwoven. Introduction to historical literature, source material and criticism.

H108 Perspectives on the World to 1800 (3cr.)
Emergence of civilizations in the Near East, Sub-Saharan Africa, pre-Columbian America. Role of revolutions, i.e., geographic, scientific, industrial, social, and political (American and French) in establishment of European hegemony in Asia and the Western Hemisphere.

H109 Perspectives on the World since 1800 (3cr.)
Rise and fall of European imperial rule in Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. Special focus on impact of World War I, Chinese, Mexican, Russian revolutions. Independence movement in India, World War II, cold war, new nations in Asia and Africa, struggle for solidarity in Latin America.

H113-H114 History of Western Civilization I-II (3-3cr.)
I. Rise and fall of ancient civilizations; barbarian invasions; rise, flowering, and disruption of medieval Church; feudalism, national monarchies. II. Rise of middle class; parliamentary institutions, liberalism, political democracy; industrial revolution, capitalism, and socialist movements; nationalism, imperialism, international rivalries, world wars.

H217 The Nature of History (3cr.)
An introductory examination of (1) what history is, (2) types of historical interpretation, (3) common problems in history, and (4) the uses of history.

H221 Studies in African, Asian, or Latin American History (3cr.)
Study and analysis of selected themes, topics, or problems in the history of Africa, Asia, or Latin America. The course will emphasize general and/or broad themes or topics; the themes or topics will vary from one semester to another. A student may register for only two courses with this number.

A301-A302 Colonial and Revolutionary America I-II (3-3cr.)
European background of American history; discovery and exploration of New World by Spain, France, and England. Colonization: motives, causes, types. Social and intellectual developments in English colonies in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Birth of Republic, 1763-89.

A303-A304 United States History, 1789-1865 I-II (3-3cr.)
Political, economic, and social development of United States from Washington’s presidency through civil War. Growth of political, religious, educational, and other social institutions, and contributions of Hamilton, Jefferson, Jackson, Webster, Marshall, Lincoln. Agriculture, manufacturing, commerce, labor.

A312 The North and South at Peace and War (3 cr.)
Examines the social, economic, and political landscapes of two communities—one in the North and one in the South—before, during, and after the American Civil War.

A313 Origins of Modern America, 1865 - 1917 (3cr.)
Social, economic, cultural, and political ways in which Americans accommodated and resisted changes introduced by large-scale industrialization. Populism and progressivism receive special attention.

A314 United States History, 1917-1945 (3cr.)
Political, demographic, economic, and intellectual transformations of 1917-1945; World War I, the twenties, the Great Depression, New Deal, World War II.

A315 United States History since World War II (3cr.)
Political, demographic, economic, and intellectual transformations of 1945-present: Cold War, problems of contemporary America.

A317 American Social History, 1865 to Present (3cr.)
Development of modern American intellectual and social patterns since 1880. Social thought, literature, science, the arts, religion, morals, education.

A325-A326 American Constitutional History I-II (3-3cr.)
I: 1607-1865; II: 1865-present. Changing constitutional system from seventeenth-century colonies to contemporary nations. Structure of government: federalism, division of powers, political institutions. Relationship of government to society and economy. Civil liberties and democracy. Constitutional law and politics.

A327 American Legal History I (3 cr.)
Examines the development of United States law from English antecedents through the American Civil War. Course imparts substantial knowledge of American legal history and understanding of methods and legal inquiry.

A328 History of Work in America (3cr.)
Examines the major transformations in the lives of American working people from the colonial era to modern times. The course explores shifting patterns of work, working class life and community, organized labor movements, and the relationship of workers and unions to the state.

HIST-A 329   American Dissent (3 cr.)  This course will examine popular movements for social, economic, and political change in U.S. history. Emphasis will be on: evaluating different approaches to the study of collective action; understanding the social, political, and cultural contexts from which protest developed; and uncovering what protest movements reveal about the nature of American society and politics. 

HIST-A 332 The American Ethnic Experience (3 cr.)  This course is designed to introduce students to the central issues and methods of inquiry in the historical study of ethnic communities in the United States. The focus of the course’s lectures, discussions, readings, and assignments will be on the similarities and contrasts in the experiences of America’s various "ethnic" groups. 

A337-A338 American Frontier I-II (3-3cr.)
I. Spanish penetration into Greater Southwest; developments in Louisiana Territory and Oregon Country prior to 1850. II. Economic, political, and social developments in trans-Mississippi West, 1850 to present.

A341-A342 United States Women’s History I-II (3-3 cr.)
The social, economic, cultural, intellectual, political, and demographic history of women in the United States from the period before European settlement to the present. Topics include the variety in women’s experiences; the worlds in which women lived; the relationship between the private and public realms; and changes and continuities over time.

A345-A346 American Diplomatic History I-II (3-3cr.)
I. American diplomacy from 1775 to 1823; diplomacy of American continental expansion to 1898. II. America as a world power. Involvement in Far Eastern affairs after 1898, diplomacy of World Wars I and II, developments to present.

A347 American Urban History (3cr.)
Evolution of cities and urban life in the United States from colonial times to the present. Rise of cities (New York, Chicago, Indianapolis, Los Angeles, Miami, and others). Creation of modern urban districts (ghettoes, suburbia), city planning, political and economic power structures, ethnic and race relations, law and order (crime, police, prisons).

A348 Civil War and Reconstruction (3cr.)
The era of the Civil War and its aftermath. Military, political, economic, and social aspects of the coming of the war, the war years, and the "reconstruction" era following the conflict.

A352 History of Latinos in the United States (3 cr.)
Course on immigration and ethnic studies introduces history of Latin Americans and their descendants in the United States.  Compares and contrasts causes of immigration, impact on their home countries, and development of transnational communities of Mexicans, Puerto Ricans, Cubans, and Central Americans in the United States. 

A355 African-American History I (3 cr.)

A356 African-American History II (3 cr.)

A363 Survey of Indiana History (3 cr.)

A364 History of Black Americans (3cr.)
A survey of black life in America: the Atlantic slave trade, slavery, Afro-American culture, racism, Civil War and Reconstruction, peonage, segregation, northern migration, urban ghettoes, discrimination, Harlem Renaissance, black nationalism, civil rights, black revolt, contemporary setting.

A371 History of Indiana I (3 cr.)

A372 Histoy of Indiana II (3 cr.)

A390 Representative Americans (3cr.)
Explorations of the lives and works of selected American men and women for the purpose of better understanding the ideological and social forces at work in American history. The course will serve as both an introduction to the biographical literature of American history and as an exercise in the relevance of biography to history.

A402 Readings in American Environmental History (3cr.)
The roots of modern attitudes and actions toward the environment, focusing on major works in American environmental history and its European antecedents.

A410 American Environmental History (3cr.)
An examination of the environmental context for American history by analyzing the diverse and changing interaction between Americans and the environment in which they have lived.

A421 Topics in United States History (3cr.)
Intensive study and analysis of selected historical issues and/or problems in United States history. Topics will vary from semester to semester.

B309-B310 Britain I-II (3-3cr.)
I: Britain before 1688. Development of Britain and its institution from Roman times to the Glorious Revolution, with special emphasis on political and constitutional change. II: Britain since 1688. Examines important modern political, economic, social, and cultural developments including industrialization and imperialism and the emergence of ideologies like liberalism and socialism.

B351 Barbarian Europe 200-1000 (3cr.)
The collapse of Roman authority in the West; the Germanic monarchies; the growth of the Western Church and the development of German, Greek, and Moslem empires; the Viking invasions; feudalism and manorialism.

B352 The Age of Chivalry 1000-1500 (3cr.)
The revival of urban life in the West; the Crusading movement and the development of feudal states; the struggle between church and state and the decay of feudal institutions.

B353 The Renaissance (3cr.)
Italian Renaissance as a political and cultural phase in the history of Western Civilization. Its roots in antiquity and the Middle Ages; its characteristic expression in literature, art, learning, social transformation, manners and customs. Expansion of Renaissance into France, Germany, and England.

B354 The Reformation (3cr.)
Economic, political, social, and religious background of Protestant Reformation; Lutheran, Reformed, Anglican, and Anabaptist movements, with reference to their political and theological trends; Catholic Reformation.

B355 Europe: Louis XIV to French Revolution (3cr.)
Absolutism to enlightened despotism; the European state and its authority in fiscal, judicial, and military affairs; sources, content, diffusion of the Enlightenment; agriculture, commerce, and industry in preindustrial economies; Old Regime France.

B356 French Revolution and Napoleon (3cr.)
P: H114 or consent of instructor. Crisis of Old Regime; middle-class and popular revolt; from constitutional monarchy to Jacobin commonwealth; the terror and revolutionary government; expansion of revolution in Europe; rise and fall of Napoleonic Empire.

B357 Modern France (3cr.)
A social, political, and cultural survey of France in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

B359-B360 Europe-Napoleon to First World War I-II (3-3cr.)
I: Post-Napoleonic reaction; revitalized revolutionary forces, 1848; reform in England and Russia; bourgeois monarchy and Second Empire in France; unification movements in Italy and Germany; middle-class nationalism, romanticism, and realism. II: Bismarckian and Wilhelmian Germany; Gladstone, Disraeli, and modern Britain; the French Third Republic and the last days of Tsarist Russia; disintegration of Ottoman Empire; the Austro-Hungarian Empire in decline; European society and culture on the eve of World War I.

B361-B362 Europe in the Twentieth Century I-II (3-3cr.)
Diplomatic, economic, intellectual, military, political, and social developments within Europe from World War I to present; changing relationships between Europe and other parts of the world.

B383-B384 European Intellectual History I-II (3-3cr.)
Critical examination and analysis of the historical, psychological, social, and scientific roots of the thought of leading European thinkers from the sixteenth to the twentieth centuries. Thematic developments, as well as individual thinkers and particular problems, are emphasized. I: Sixteenth through eighteenth centuries. II: Nineteenth through twentieth centuries.

B393 German History: From Bismarck to Hitler (3cr.)
This course seeks to acquaint the student with the social, political, and cultural developments in Germany from the middle nineteenth through the middle twentieth century. Its basic theme is the tragic efforts made by liberalism and democracy to assert themselves against the opposing forces of militarism and nationalism. Not open for students who have had B377-B378.

B421 Topics in European History (3cr.)
Intensive study and analysis of selected historical themes and/or problems in European history. Topics will vary from semester to semester.

B425 The Second World War (3cr.)
Beginning with its origins int he peace settlement of 1919, this course examines the social, cultural, and economic impact of the Second World War, as well as thewar aims and strategies of the major combatants.

B426 Genocide and Its Origins (3cr.)
Beginning with the sixteenth-century discovery of the "New World" and ending with the "ethnic cleansing" in the twenty-first century, this course will examine the intellectual, political, economic, social, and ideological dynamics driving the rise of mass murder as an instrument of state policy.

C386 Greek History (3cr.)
Political, social, and economic developments in the Greek world from the age of Mycenae and Troy until the Roman conquest (167 B.C.). Greek colonial world, Athens and Sparta, career and legend of Alexander the Great, the Hellenistic age. Archaeology as a source for political and social history.

C388 Roman History (3cr.)
The creation, organization, and government of the Roman Republic and Empire; literature and manners; the careers of Hannibal, Cato the Censor, Augustus, Seneca, Nero, and others; the growth of Christianity to the reign of Constantine.

D313 Russian Social and Cultural History, 1801-1917 (3cr.)
A topical examination of different social groups within Russia and their alteration over time as a result of industrialization, emancipation, and the urbanization of Russia. Among the groups covered will be the peasantry, the bureaucracy, the intelligentsia, the nobility, and the military. Changes in culture will also be reviewed.

D314 Soviet Social and Cultural History (3cr.)
Study of the history and dynamics of Soviet society and culture, their interaction, and their influence on Soviet politics. Among the specific topics covered will be the Party, women, dissidents, the Jews and other minorities, literature, and art.

D428 Eastern Europe: 1914 to Present (3cr.)
World War I; the peace settlements in Poland, Czechoslovakia, Austria, Hungary, Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, Albania, Greece, Romania, and Turkey. Parliamentary democracy vs. military dictatorship; irredentism; economic transformation; Nazi domination; Munich; Soviet seizure of power. National communism of Tito, Gromulka, Kadar, Ceausescu, Dubcek, and Hoxha. Soviet and Western rivalry in Eastern Europe.

HIST-E 340 African Popular Culture (3 cr.)  African popular culture (music, sports, fashion) is the lens used to explore how Africans responded to and shaped life under colonial rule and after independence. We consider questions like: What is the relationship between popular culture and politics? How does popular culture change how we think about colonialism and independence? 

E432 History of Africa II (3cr.)
1750 to present. Slave trade, European imperialism, impact of Islam and Christianity, new state formation, reassertion of African culture and identity.

F341 Latin America: Conquest and Empire (3cr.)
The colonial period: Spanish, Portugese, Indian, and African backgrounds; the discovery, conquest, and settlement; the economic, social, political, religious, and cultural life; the movement toward independence.

F342 Latin America: Evolution and Revolution since Independence (3cr.)
National period: the struggle for independence; the nineteenth-century attempts to achieve political stability and economic progress; the efforts to attain social justice in the twentieth century, with emphasis on common problems.

F346 Modern Mexico (3 cr.)
Surveys history of republic from 1810 independence through 20th century.  Focuses on nation building and social, cultural, and economic legacies of colonialism; Mexican-American War; causes and consequences of 1910 revolution; immigration and US-Mexican relations; role of workers, peasants, and women in 20th century struggles for social justice and democracy. 

F347 History of United States-Latin American Relations (3 cr.)
This course examines the history of diplomatic, economic, and cultural relations between the United States and Latin America from the late 1700s to the present.

G451 Traditional Asia (3cr.)

Traditional Asia offers a brief survey of the early civilization of Asia, which includes China, Japan, Vietnam, Korea, and India, in the traditional period.

G452 Modern Asia (3cr.)
Modern Asia offers a brief survey of the civilization of Asia that includes selected topics related to China, Japan, Vietnam, Korea, and/or India in modern times.

HIST-G 461 Imperial China (3 cr.)  This course offers a brief survey of the civilization of traditional China. The emphasis of the lectures is on the development of the social structure, the political system, and Confucian culture. 

G467-G468 History of Japan I-II (3-3cr.)
From prehistoric times to present. Land and people, principal classes; Shintoism and divine emperor; feudalism; Tokugawa Shogunate; modern state and military expansion; population, agrarian, and industrialization problems; occupation and treaty.

G485 Modern China (3cr.)
China from the Ch’ing period to the present. Social, political, and economic change in a largely agrarian society. International and intercultural relations as well as rebellion, war, and revolution during the unstable nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

H306 Sex Roles and Society in American History (3cr.)
What has it meant to be female or male in America? Examination of sex/gender roles, stereotypes, housewifery, family life, sexual mores, work patterns, popular culture, demographic change, politics, and violence. Special emphasis on utopias, frontiers, and wars. Readings in original sources and scholarly interpretations.

H373-H374 History of Science and Technology I-II (3-3cr.)
I: Study of the development of pure and applied science from prehistoric times to the Scientific Revolution, with emphasis on principles, technical aspects, relationships between the sciences; the evolution of major scientific disciplines and the effects on other institutions and world views. II: An in-depth study of scientific and technological developments from the Scientific Revolution to the present. Special emphasis on transportation, communication, military and medical technology, physics, biology, and astronomy and on the figures involved in key breakthroughs. Consideration of governmental involvement in science.

H375 Machines and the Age of Invention (3cr.)
The history of invention and the industrialization of Britain during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, with the economic, social, demographic, and intellectual changes that resulted.

H409 Women in History (3cr.)
P: junior or senior standing. Women in their historical and contemporary situation in Western culture; survey of prehistoric and historic myths about women; status of women during the major eras of Western civilization; exceptional women and their influence; demands for the achievement of women’s rights in modern times.

H410 Introduction to Archival Practice (3cr.)
Introduction to the history, theory, and practice of archival work, with intensive study and analysis of the principal issues in the preservation and use of historical records. Particular focus is on the issues relating to the historical records of organizations and individuals engaged in philanthropic work.

H411 Historical Editing (3cr.)
Introduction to the history, theory, and practice of historical editing, with emphasis on the processes of editing historical documents and the publications of history-related organizations. Attention give to technical skills (copyediting, proofreading) as well as broader professional issues (ethics, the editor-author relationship, evolution or editorial standards).

H412 Historic Preservation (3cr.)
Introduction to the history, theory, and legal and ethical bases for preservation of the built environment. Attention will be give to architectural history, methodology (site-specific research, contextual research) as well as professional issues such as who preserves, what should be preserved, and the role of the historian in making choices.

H415 Philanthropy in the West (3cr.)
The history of the social act of philanthropy from the beginnings of the Christian era to modern times. "Philanthropy" is construed broadly to include ethical injunctions to benevolence, charitable acts of individuals and corporate bodies, high art patronage, urban planning, and state action to improve living conditions through schooling, health care, prisons, and police.

H421 Topics in African, Asian, or Latin American History (3cr.)
Intensive study and analysis of selected historical issues and/or problems in African, Asian, or Latin American history. Topics will vary from semester to semester.

H425 Topics in History (3cr.)
Intensive study and analysis of selected historical issues and problems of limited scope. Topics will vary but will ordinarily cut across fields, regions, and periods. May be repeated once for credit.

H477 British Imperialism, 1485-Present (3 cr.)
Comparative course focusing on the various geographical regions absorbed into the British empire between 1485 and the present. It explores the experience of empire in the Americas, the Pacific, India, Africa, and the Middle East through a variety of primary and secondary materials.

J495 Proseminar for History Majors (3cr.)
Selected topics in history. Closed to freshmen and sophomores. Non-majors should check with the departmental chairperson or the instructor prior to registration.