HIST 229 - Topics in European History

FDR: HU
Credits: 3 credit in fall or winter; 4 in spring

Spring 2016, HIST 229-01: The History of Ghosts (4). This course explores the history of ghosts within their wider historical, social, and cultural contexts and asks why the belief in ghosts continues to be vibrant, socially relevant, and historically illuminating. Through our readings, discussions, and collaborative projects, we consider how ghost beliefs and ensuing legends serve as vehicles for exploring and expressing historical memory, and the ways in which our continued fascination with ghosts shapes history in the public imagination. We begin with a survey of the history of ghosts from medieval Europe to modern America, and the course culminates with student-led oral history projects about the ghost legends and lore right here in Rockbridge County. (HU) Brock.

Winter 2016, HIST 229-01: England in the Age of Shakespeare (3). William Shakespeare (1564-1616) lived during a fascinating time of political turmoil, religious change, artistic expression, and global expansion. This class explores the history of England in these years, which span the important reigns of Elizabeth I and James VI and I. Together, we examine the era of personal monarchy and the growing resistance of parliament, the mechanisms of national consolidation and imperial growth, the discoveries and encounters with “others” beyond England’s shores, the spread of religious convictions and contradictions, and the great literary and artistic figures of the day. We also investigate what life was like for the average men and women who lived and died during England’s “golden age.” (HU) Brock.

Fall 2015, HIST 229A-01: Medieval Spain to 1609 (3). Corequisite: DH 190. The idea of coexistence (convivencia) in medieval Iberia has captivated scholars for centuries. This course examines the interactions between Muslims, Christians, and Jews living in the Iberian Peninsula from approximately 711 to 1609 C.E. Themes include: the rise of the Islamic west, religious tolerance, social diversity, crusading ideology, medieval Christian kingdoms, early inquisitions, Iberian expansion, and the contribution of Iberian history to the modern world. In the corequisite, students learn a variety of digital methodologies, including spatial history, networks analysis, and text mining. No prior experience required. (HU) Stillo. Fall 2015

Fall 2015, HIST 229B-01: The Making of Modern Scotland from Braveheart to the Referendum (3).  Evoking images of kilts and bagpipes, castles and kings, whisky and haggis, the history of Scotland has long captured the attention of scholarly and popular audiences alike.  This course surveys the history of the Scottish people from the late medieval period up to the current debates surrounding the possibility of Scottish Independence and the future of Great Britain. Along the way, we examine the Wars of Independence (the age of William Wallace and Robert Bruce), the Renaissance and Reformation, the Scottish Enlightenment, the tragedy of the Highland clearances, emigration to North America, involvement in the British Empire, and development of Scottish Nationalism in recent decades. Above all, this course asks two interrelated questions: how was Scotland made, manipulated, imagined, and romanticized over the last seven centuries, and why do we remain fascinated by this small and beautiful country across the Atlantic? (HU) Brock.