LSU Department of History

Hist 3071: Louisiana (T Th 12:00 - 1:30)
A general survey of Louisiana’s history from the earliest days of European colonization to the present. Although the primary focus is on events that took place within the boundaries of the colony, territory, and state, we will also cover material intended to help students understand Louisiana’s past and present in terms of relevant regional, national, and international events and contexts. Within those broad parameters, students will be required to develop an accurate mental timeline of important events, eras, and developments in the state’s history. Drawing on reading assignments and lecture materials, students will also be asked to develop and express historically informed opinions about the significance of the state’s history in two exams and one short essay. Prof. Alecia Long.

Hist 3117, section 1: Undergraduate Proseminar: Orientalism and Occidentalism in Music(T Th 9:00-10:30)
This course will focus on portrayals of the 'Orient' (mainly Asian lands) as well as the 'Occident' (the Western fringes of Europe and North America) in classical music and musical drama (especially opera) from the seventeenth century through the early twentieth. We will begin with Edward Said's CULTURE AND IMPERIALISM and possibly Ian Baruma's OCCIDENTALISM. The composers represented in the course include Mozart, Beethoven, Rossini, Verdi, Mussorgsky, Wagner, J. Strauss, Puccini, and Weill. Course requirements include a midterm, a final, short quizes, a term paper, and class discussion. Prof. John Henderson.

Hist 3117, section 2: Rebellion in Twentieth-Century China (M W 3:00-4:30)
The goal of the course is to understand the relationship between state and society in the People's Republic of China, the foundation of the present authoritarian regime, and the nature of Chinese pro-democracy movement. The course will focus on major political uprisings and intellectual protests (from the Boxer Rebellion to the Tian'anmen demonstration and Falun Gong) as well as other forms of popular protest and resistance expressed in daily social activities, the arts, and the media. This is a discussion seminar. Students are expected to attend all classes, do all the readings, and take active part in class discussion.
Requirements: Weekly papers of 2 pages, of which you have to complete 8 (5% each, a total of 30%). Students are also required to actively participate in class discussion (class participation: 30%), and write a research paper (10 pages, 40%).
Textbooks: Elizabeth Perry, ed. Challenging the Mandate of Heaven (M.E. Sharpe 2001);
Elizabeth Perry, ed. Chinese Society: Change, Conflict and Resistance (Routledge 2nd edition);
Class package compiled by the instructor. Prof. Margherita Zanasi.

Hist 3118: Women in Early Modern Europe (W 2:30-5:30)
Undergraduate seminar focused on reading and discussion of works by and about women in Europe during the period 1400-1800. Prof. Christine Kooi.

Hist 3119, section 1: Popular Music and American Culture (M 2:30-5:30)
This seminar will focus on the development of popular music in the United States from the late 19th century to the present covering such musical genres as Tin Pan Alley songs, jazz, rock and roll, and rap. Themes to be covered include: popular music as an industry, music and technology, race, class, and gender in popular music, and the role of music in American society. Students will read about, as well as listen to, music, and be expected to write a research paper related to the seminar. Participation is mandatory and enrollment is by permission of instructor only and limited to 18 students. Prof. Charles Shindo.

Hist 3119, section 2: History of Sex in the United States (Tuesdays 2:30 - 5:30)

Students in this course will be introduced to the burgeoning scholarship on the history of sexuality in the United States. Although there are many subfields within this history, we will focus on books that explore the connections between sexual reproduction and social equality (or its lack) in different periods of U.S. History. Students will be required to read five books, take two exams, and write one book review with an oral presentation component. In order to help students make the link between historical and contemporary issues surrounding sexual reproduction and social equality we will engage in a service-learning activity that will help us explore how the relative availability of insurance coverage for contraceptives impacts women. In order to do this, students will collect, reflect on, transcribe, and submit oral history interviews related to the course topic. Prof. Alecia Long.

Hist 4008: The Later Middle Ages (M W F 2:30 - 3:30)
The course seeks to introduce the student to the history of the Later Middle Ages, 1000-1500 AD, through a focus on primary source readings. The student will learn how to analyze these and other sources, and how to use them in the study of history. The geographic focus of the course is the Mediterranean basin and Northern Europe. Prof. Maribel Dietz.

Hist 4009: The Renaissance (M W F 10:30 - 11:30)
Lectures and readings on Italian Renaissance politics, art and culture from Dante to Machiavelli, and on the Northern Renaissance, with emphasis on Christian humanism. Prof. Christine Kooi.

Hist 4026: Twentieth-Century Germany (M W F 9:30-10:30)
The course will cover the five German states that have existed in the century from 1890 to 1990: the Second Empire, the Weimar Republic, the Third Reich, the Communist German Democratic Republic, and the present-day Federal Republic of Germany. We will trace the upheavals experienced by the German people during these tumultuous years. The course will focus on political, economic, diplomatic, cultural, and gender history. Requirements: five books, a film, midterm, a 10-12 page research paper, and a final. Prof. David Lindenfeld.

Hist 4031/REL 4010: History of the Balkans to 1878 (M W F 11:30-12:30)
Actually this will be a team-taught course with Professor Reem Meshal of the Department of Religious Studies on the Ottoman Empire from its origins in the fourteenth century to its demise at the end of the First World War. We will include material after the War because the current Middle East mess is largely a result of the collapse of the Ottoman Empire. The total number in the class will be fifty, with HIST 4031 limited to 25 and REL 4010 limited to 25. Assignments will include two papers, a mid-term and a final based on the lectures and six or seven books. Prof. Karl Roider.

Hist 4046: Nineteenth-Century Britain (M W F 9:30-10:30)
This course surveys the history of Britain during the century when it dominated world affairs. We look at not only the impact of industrialization and the acquisition of empire, but also the emergence of a class society, the far-reaching effects of the evangelical revolution, shifts in gender roles, and the development of modern party politics. Readings include both secondary sources--books written by historians-- and primary sources ranging from plays, novels, and children's books to parliamentary reports and diary excerpts. We also examine material culture, such as art and architecture, clothing styles, advertisements, and home furnishings. The final course grade is based on three analytical essays, participation in class discussion, and the final exam. Prof. Meredith Veldman.

Hist 4051: Colonial America (T Th 3:00-4:30)
This course explores the intertwined worlds that Indians, Europeans, and Africans created in North America from the 1500s to the 1760s. At the start we will tour the wonders of ancient America, trace the perambulations of the continent’s early explorers, and dissect the doomed colonies of the 1500s. We will reflect on the seventeenth century’s successful models for settlement and chart how regions developed from the Caribbean to Canada. The push-and-pull of European and native relations will be a big part of our story, as will racial slavery, a marginal institution during the seventeenth century that became central in the eighteenth. The Seven Years’ War marks the end of our journey, at which point we will consider the fates of the winners and losers of this worldwide conflict that sent the Acadians to Louisiana and set off the American Revolution. We will hone our skills in analyzing these people, places, themes, and events through readings from documents and scholarly texts, short writing assignments, group debates, a midterm essay, a research paper, and a final exam. Regular attendance is required from the first week of the semester to the last; a sense of humor is optional but encouraged. Prof. Mark L. Thompson.

Hist 4055: The Civil War (T Th 10:30-12:00)
The history of the American Civil War (1861-1865), in the context of the era of North/South sectional conflict (1830-1877). Discussion of political, economic, cultural, and racial issues as ell as military campaigns. Essay examinations include both lectures and assigned readings. Prof. Charles Royster.

Hist 4059: America in the Teens and Twenties (M W F 10:30-11:30)
This course will look at the United States from the Great War to the start of the Great Depression. The class will focus on such issues central to this period as prohibition, immigration, women's suffrage, isolationism, and the economy. Students will be required to write short essays as well as participate in class discussions. Prof. Charles Shindo.

Hist 4060: The Age of Roosevelt (W 3:00-6:00)
This course will examine the United States during the Great Depression and Second World War, paying close attention to the role of President Franklin D. Roosevelt in forging policy decisions during the nation’s greatest domestic crisis and most intensive international war effort. We will discuss the roots of the Depression, Roosevelt’s attempts to combat it through his New Deal programs, opposition to his vision, and, ultimately, the relative success or failure of the “broker” state that emerged in the 1930s and after. In addition, we will explore the origins of American involvement in the Second World War and the prosecution of the war effort at home and abroad, dealing with such issues as propaganda, war culture, race, and the morality of modern warfare. There are 5 assigned books, two essays, and mid-term and final exams. Required readings include Gerald Nash, The Crucial Era: The Great Depression and World War II, 1929-45, 2^nd ed.; Howard Kester, Revolt Among the Sharecroppers; Alan Brinkley, Voices of Protest: Huey Long, Father Coughlin, and the Great Depression; Paul Fussell, Wartime: Understanding and Behavior in the Second World War; Katherine Archibald, Wartime Shipyard: A Study in Social Disunity. Instructor Matthew Reonas.

Hist 4075: American Economic History to 1860 (T Th 10:30-12:00)
This course will explore the historical record of economic growth and development of the United States from its colonial beginnings until the Civil War. Topics to be covered include: the colonial period, the Revolution, the economic background and impact of the adoption and ratification of the Constitution, slavery, population and territorial growth, technological change, the role of government in the economy, and successive episodes of boom and bust. The course is cross-listed with ECON 4075, but no expertise in either economic theory or mathematics is presumed or required. The course syllabus will list the required reading. Grades in the course will be determined by grades on a midterm examination, a final examination, and a paper of 12 to 15 pages in length. Cross-listed as ECON 4075. Prof. Paul Paskoff.

Hist 4079: Women in American History (M W F 1:30 - 2:30)
This course explores the history of women in America from the colonial period to the present day. We will read primary sources, scholarly articles, and monographs that examine how women have experienced, shaped, and understood life in the American colonies and the United States. In doing so, we will do more than identify women’s contributions to the political, economic, social, cultural, intellectual, and military history of this country. Rather, we will look at this history through women’s eyes, interrogating how gender, sex, and sexuality, as well as such factors as race, ethnicity, class, or region, shaped the lives and experiences of women living in the American colonies and the United States. Students enrolled in this course will write several short essays, as well as a midterm and final exam. Prof. Carolyn Lewis.

History 4084: West Africa to 1800 (M W F 12:30-1:30)
This course looks at the history of West African societies from the pre-historic period to the dawn of the nineteenth century. Among the themes to be covered will be the rise of early urban life, commerce and state-formation, including the early kingdoms and empires of West Africa. Attention will also be paid to such issues as the development of the arts, religion, social stratification, and the advent of external influences through the trans-Saharan and Atlantic slave trade systems. In addition to weekly reading and writing assignments, as well as midterm and final examinations, students will also be required to write an original research paper. Prof. Gibril Cole.

Hist 4092: Modern China (M W F 12:30 - 1:30)
This course is a survey of Chinese history from 1800 to the present. We will start with an examination of Chinese society and civilization under the last imperial dynasty, the Qing. We will then examine China's attempt to transform itself into a republic in 1911 spurred by deep internal social and cultural changes and by pressure from Western imperialism. The 1911 revolution, however, did not end China's search for a new political and cultural identity. China, in fact, emerged from a bloody war with Japan (1937-1945) and a devastating civil war (1945-1949), in a new Communist mode. In October 1949, Mao Zedong, leader of the Chinese Communist Party, announced the establishment of the People's Republic of China, addressing the crowd from the front balcony of the old imperial palace. Today, after the failure of the Maoist experiment, China is once again attempting a new transformation. The post-Mao era has been characterized by extensive economic liberalization and rapid economic development. However, among the new Shanghai billionaires, the mushrooming private enterprises, color TV, flashy Karaoke and discos, there remain many who languish in jail for having openly criticized the Communist leadership. The June 1989 Tian'anmen demonstration and its bloody repression by the central authorities have exposed the contradictions and problems that still afflict China under its current Communist regime.
Requirements: Four quizzes: 10% each (total of 40%); Midterm: 30%; Final: 30%.
Textbooks: Harold Tanner, China: A History (Hackett Pub Co.); Tsao Hsueh-Chin, Dream of the Red Chamber (Anchor: Abridged edition); Pa Chin (or Ba Jin), Family (Waveland Press); Liang Heng, Son of the Revolution (Vintage Books). Prof. Margherita Zanasi.

Hist 4094: Modern Japan (M W F 9:30 - 10:30)
This course presents a survey of the last four and a half centuries of Japanese history, from the time of the first contact with Westerners in the middle of the sixteenth century to the post-World War II era. We will attempt to achieve a balance between political, social, economic, and cultural history in this survey. About two-thirds of the course will be devoted to the period before the twentieth century. There is no specific course prerequisite for enrolling in this class. Prof. John Henderson.

Hist 4097: History of South Asia (T Th 1:30-3:00)
A consideration of the features of South Asian history most pertinent to the creation of the region's modern contours. Historiography and readings in cultural history feature prominently. Prof. Reza Pirbhai.

Hist 4079: Women in American History (M W F 10:30 - 11:30)
This course explores the history of women in America from the colonial period to the present day. We will read primary sources, scholarly articles, and monographs that examine how women have experienced, shaped, and understood life in the American colonies and the United States. In doing so, we will do more than identify women’s contributions to the political, economic, social, cultural, intellectual, and military history of this country. Rather, we will look at this history through women’s eyes, interrogating how gender, sex, and sexuality, as well as such factors as race, ethnicity, class, or region, shaped the lives and experiences of women living in the American colonies and the United States. Students enrolled in this course will write several short essays, as well as a midterm and final exam. Prof. Carolyn Lewis.

Hist 4085: Modern West Africa (M W F 12:30-1:30)
History 4085 is a survey course on the historical evolution of West African societies from the nineteeenth century to the present. It examines the broad outlines of the historical developments of the subregion during that period and will look at such major themes as the rise of Islamic orthodoxy and the resultant jihads of the nineteenth century, the trans-Saharan and South Atlantic trade systems and the evolving relations between the peoples of West Africa and the imperial nations of Europe. Other issues, such as urbanization, environment and disease, class structures and socioeconomic inequities, inter alia, will be covered as well. Prof. Gibril Cole.

Hist 4125: History of Ancient Israel (M W 3:00-4:30)
Surveys Israelite history from its beginning to the Persian period. The main goal is to become skillful at historical reconstruction, which includes the critical evaluation of ancient sources, especially the Hebrew Bible. The format of the course balances short lectures with class discussion and student reports. Requirements include short writing exercises; a critical review and oral presentation about a scholarly essay on an aspect of Israelite history; a take-home midterm; a take-home final. Crosslisted as REL 4125. Prof. Stuart Irvine.

Hist 4130: Second World War (T Th 12:00-1:30)
Global crisis of the 1930s; Axis and Allied strategies; major military campaigns; great power diplomacy; homefront mobilization; the Holocaust; espionage and resistance; relationship between American Strategic Culture and war-fighting; reasons for Germany's defeat; global consequences. Cross-listed as MILS 4130. Prof. Stan Hilton.

Hist 4161: American Religious History (M W F 10:30-11:30)
This course is a survey of American religious history, with special consideration given to the diversity of religion in the United States and the impact of religious ideologies in the shaping of American culture. Students will be required to read several monographs and dozens of primary sources over the semester, all of which will be used for in-class essay tests, take-home essay assignments, and multimedia projects. Crosslisted as REL 4161. Prof. Michael Pasquier.

Hist 4195: Special Studies in World History: Atlantic History, An Introduction. (T Th 10:30 - 12:00)
The course will consider: What is “Atlantic History?” and What does an “Atlantic” perspective teach us about the histories of Africa, the Americas, and Europe? There will be extensive readings in a course packet, selected books, and a textbook, several short papers, and a final exam. Prof. Paul Hoffman.