Course Descriptions
HIST - History
LA 836, (406) 657-2119
* HIST 104 The West and the World to 1648 3 cr. Examines the development of western civilization from its origins through the Middle Ages, and the mutual influence western civilization and world civilizations had on each other. Particular attention is paid to the social, economic, political, religious, and cultural issues which shape the world today.
* HIST 105 The West and the World since 1648 3 cr. Examines the development of western civilization since the early modern era, and the mutual influence western civilization and world civilizations had on each other. Particular attention is paid to the social, economic, political, religious, and cultural issues which shape the world today.
* HIST 106 Honors: History of Western Civilization to 1500 3 cr. Prerequisite: Consent of instructor. Covers the development of Western Civilization from its origins through the Middle Ages. Particular attention is paid to the social, economic, political, and cultural issues which shape the western world today.
* HIST 107 Honors: History of Western Civilization Since 1500 3 cr. Prerequisite: Consent of instructor. Covers the development of Western Civilization from the Italian Renaissance to the present. Particular attention is paid to the social, economic, political, and cultural issues which shape the western world today.
HIST 109 Current World Problems 3 cr. Stresses the historical origins, backgrounds, and significance of current world problems, movements, and trends. Special emphasis is placed on the inter-relation between the diverse cultures of the world as they join the world community in the twentieth century.
* HIST 204 United States History to 1877 3 cr. Surveys American history from the establishment of the colonies to the end of the Reconstruction period after the Civil War. Includes such topics as the English political and cultural heritage, independence, creation of the Constitution, early national period, increasing democracy, economic problems, manifest destiny, slavery, sectionalism, disunion, war, and reunion.
* HIST 205 United States History Since 1877 3 cr. Surveys the political, economic, and social development of the U.S. since Reconstruction. Deals with industrialization and the agrarian reaction, Progressive Era, U.S. reaction to World War I, 1920s, Depression and New Deal, background to involvement in World War II, Cold War leadership (inc. Korea and Vietnam), and domestic changes since WWII.
HIST 296 Cooperative Education/Internship V 1-9 cr. Provides university credit for a sophomore work experience in the area of History supervised by faculty. Learning agreement must be completed prior to registration (restricted).
HIST 309 Creating Empire and Identity in the Atlantic World 1492-1763 3 cr. Prerequisite: HIST 204 or HIST 105. Explores the nature of the encounters between people and cultures from the Americas, Europe, and Africa from Columbus to the end of the French and Indian War. Emphasis will be on how global trade patterns and technological developments gave rise to different kinds of relationships; the formation of new economic, demographic, political, and cultural configurations; and how the identities of people fundamentally changed during the time period, particularly in a colonial context. The class will study the Atlantic world’s various geographic segments (i.e. Europe, Africa, North America, Latin America) in a comparative and/or integrated way.
HIST 312 The American Colonial and Revolutionary Era to 1787 3 cr. Prerequisite: HIST 204 suggested or permission of instructor. Examines the origins and evolution of colonial America, the development of a distinct American identity, the birth of the United States, the struggle for independence from Great Britain, and the problems and challenges of a new nation.
HIST 314 The New and Expanding Nation, 1789-1846 3 cr. Examines the early Constitutional era, the political, social, and diplomatic issues of Jeffersonian and Jacksonian America, the emergence of the two party political system, the evolution of social reform movements, and the growing complexities of territorial conquest and expansion.
HIST 316 The American Civil War Era, 1846-1877 3 cr. Considers the social, political, and economic background of events culminating in the sectional and constitutional crises of the 1850s, the American Civil War of the 1860s, and the subsequent reconstruction of the United States in the 1870s.
HIST 317 The Birth of Modern United States, 1877-1929 3 cr. Covers the period 1877-1929 with special emphasis on those events which were crucial to America’s emergence as a great power. Particular attention will be given to the rise of industrialism and the city, the decline of American agriculture, the rise of the United States’ worldwide empire, the Progressive Era, United States involvement in the First World War, and the 1920’s.
HIST 318 The United States from Depression to Prosperity, 1929-1960 3 cr. Covers the period 1929-1960 in an effort to focus on America’s response to world turmoil characteristic of that era. The Depression of the 1930’s, the Second World War, the beginning of the Cold War, and increasing economic disparity represent the principle upheavals in which the United States found itself involved.
HIST 319 The United States since the New Frontier, 1960-Present 3 cr. Considers the problems of the United States since the beginning of the Kennedy administration including such topics as the Cold War, Vietnam, domestic politics, the radical left and the radical right, and the end of the Cold War. The social, cultural, and economic problems created by such forces in American life as Far- and Middle Eastern affairs, presidential politics, and the global electronic economy will be examined in detail.
HIST 331 The Ancient Near East 3 cr. Examines the course of human development in the fertile crescent and Egypt from the furthest horizon of history to the Hellenistic period of the fourth century BCE. Analyzes the political, military, economic, social, and artistic evolution of Mesopotamia, Ancient Israel, and Egypt in the intercultural milieu that compromised the “trade basin” of the ancient Near East. Considerable attention will be given to primary sources and archaeological contributions.
HIST 332 Ancient Greece 3 cr. Examines the civilization of Ancient Greece from the Minoan Crete period (c. 2600-1400 B.C.) to the fall of the Corinth in 146 B.C. with emphasis on the contributions of politics, art, literature, and philosophy to the western tradition.
HIST 333 Ancient Rome 3 cr. Covers the history of ancient Rome from its earliest point through the years of the Republic and Empire.
HIST 335 Middle Ages: Creation and Climax of Medieval Europe 3 cr. Considers the collapse of ancient civilization and the emergence of a new distinctive European civilization in the millennium between 300 and 1300 A.D. Emphasis is placed on the decline and fall of Rome; the integration of Greco-Roman, Christian, and German elements in a new culture; and the creation of European political, economic, social, and intellectual institutions.
HIST 336 Renaissance and Reformation Europe 3 cr. Prerequisite: HIST 104 or equivalent. Explores the events and ideas from the waning of the Middle Ages through conclusion of the Thirty Years War. Examines the impact of the Hundred Years War, the bubonic plague, the roots of the modern nation state, civic and northern humanism as well as the social, political, cultural, and religious issues from the beginning of Luther’s protest to the end of the religious wars in Europe.
HIST 338 Enlightenment and Revolution, 1648-1815 3 cr. Explores social, political, cultural, and intellectual issues in Europe from the end of the religious wars to Napoleon’s downfall. Central themes are the nature of baroque culture and its use by absolute monarchies in continental Europe and the character of the Enlightenment and its role as a precursor to the French Revolution. The French Revolution and the rule of Napoleon will be examined in detail. Moreover, this course examines many diverse aspects of seventeenth- and eighteenth-century European history.
HIST 340 19th Century Europe: 1815-1918 3 cr. Explores social, political, cultural, and intellectual developments from Napoleon’s downfall to the end of the Great War. Central themes are the phenomenon of the industrial revolution and the frustration and fulfillment of modern nationalistic and liberal agendas in Europe, all culminating in World War I. Moreover, this course examines many diverse aspects of the history of the “long nineteenth century.”
HIST 342 Twentieth-Century Europe, 1918-2001 3 cr. Explores social, political, cultural, and intellectual developments since World War I. Central themes are the Great Depression and the rise of totalitarian regimes in Europe, World War II, the postwar recovery of Europe, the Cold War, and European unification. Moreover, this course examines many diverse aspects of the history of the “short twentieth century.”
HIST 357 Pre-Columbian and Colonial Latin America 3 cr. Covers the history of Latin America before the arrival of the Europeans, conquest and colonialism, paying particular attention to the interchange between native and European cultures, the place of the Church in the colonial period, and pre-independence political and economic development.
HIST 358 Modern Latin America 3 cr. Deals with selective topics such as the independence movement, the social/cultural/political/economic development of Latin American countries, with special emphasis on U.S.-Latin American relations in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
HIST/HON 420 Archaeology of the Classical World 3 cr. Examines the material culture (i.e. art, architecture, and artifacts) of Greece and Rome beginning with the Minoans and Myceneans (c. 2000 B.C.E.) and ending with Constantine in the early fourth century C.E. The course explores the following: defining classical archaeology, dating systems, archaeological methods, the material culture of the Mediterranean basin, the formation and perpetuation of the “classical tradition” in art and architecture, understanding of chronology and dating, urban planning and construction techniques, architectural orders, artistic styles, and the process of archaeological reconstruction.
HIST 421 The American West 3 cr. Examines various cultures that have historically resided in and interacted with the unique western natural environment. Special emphasis on the West’s role in the larger history of the United States, the 20th Century West, “the new western history,” Hollywood’s image of the West, and the region’s ongoing relationship with the federal government.
HIST/POLS 423 Constitutional Law: Civil Liberties 3 cr. Prerequisite: HIST 204 or POLS 212. Examines major Supreme Court decisions in the field of individual rights. Provides an overview of civil liberties decisions with emphasis on the recent past, or may consider specific constitutional issues (i.e., church and state, freedom of speech and press, the death penalty) over the course of American history.
HIST 424 Montana History 3 cr. Traces the political, social, economic, and cultural development of Montana from pre-contact period through the present. Special emphasis on Montanan’s changing historical relationship with natural environment, the contest of cultures, and twentieth century issues. Course includes occasional field trips to historic sites.
HIST 425 Historical Archeology in the Americas 3 cr. Explores how archaeological research contributes to the understanding of American history. The class examines the development of historical cultures and sub-cultures in the New World from 1500 to the recent past. Focus will be on the importance of material culture; the intimate relationship between archaeology and primary documents; and a review of current models, theories, and paradigms used in archaeological interpretation. A secondary focus will be the use of technology in the process of archaeological analysis.
HIST/POLS 427 Constitutional Law: Powers and Structures 3 cr. Prerequisite: HIST 204 or POLS 212. Introduces the evolution and structure of the United States constitutional system, focusing on the federal relationship, the separation of powers, and the judicial review, relying primarily upon the case method of analysis.
HIST 430 History of European Thought and Culture: From the Enlightenment to the Present 3 cr. Explores the history of thought and culture from the age of Enlightenment to the present day through an examination of the importance of ideas, as well as their authors, to social change in the modern world. Special emphasis will be placed on the age of reason and reaction against its conclusions as well as on the public debate and sociability that sustained intellectual inquiry. Special topics may include: the Enlightenment, salon culture, the importance of printing to revolutions, the exchange of ideas across national borders, and the role of ideas in creating social change.
HIST 447 The Holocaust in Nazi Occupied Europe 3 cr. Prerequisite: HIST 105 or consent of instructor. Examines the Holocaust in Nazi occupied Europe from 1933 to 1945. Covers the origins, causes, motivations, and effects of the discrimination, internment, and genocidal actions of the Nazi regime. The Holocaust is put into its larger historical perspective prior to and after the actual event.
HIST 448 War and Diplomacy in Europe, 1648-1945 3 cr. Traces the changing patterns of warfare and the shifting relations of power among the major European states from the aftermath of the religious wars, through the upheavals of the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars, to the First and Second World Wars.
HIST 451 History of Islamic Civilization 3 cr. Develops the social, political, cultural, and economic history of the Middle East from the rise of Muhammed and the Caliphate to the Umayyad and Abbasid Empires and the establishment of the Ottoman Empire. Emphasizes Islamic religious thought and philosophy and the flowering of Medieval Islam.
HIST 453 The Middle East in the Twentieth Century 3 cr. Considers the Arab Awakening and examines the Middle East in its contemporary setting with emphasis on the Arab-Israel conflict and the rise of nationalism in Turkey, Iran, Israel, and the Arab states. It explores the recent revolutionary changes in the Arab World and Iran as well as the impact of Islamic fundamentalism on contemporary Middle East.
HIST 459 History of Mexico 3 cr. Surveys the Mexican colonial background, War for Independence, and political, social, and economic development to the present. Emphasis on Santa Anna, Juarez, the Diaz dictatorship, the Revolution of 1910, and recent political and economic developments.
HIST/HON 460 The 1960s 3 cr. Prerequisite: HIST 205 or HIST 319 recommended. Immerses students intensively into the most tumultuous decade of the 20th century through analysis of the social, political, and cultural upheavals that shaped the period and continue to shape post-modern America.
HIST 462 Topics in Modern European History 3 cr. Explores the political, social, cultural, and intellectual history of a particular European country or region in the modern era. The course focuses on turning points in a given country’s (or region’s) history as well as various issues related to identity, social life, and government. The course seeks to provide a specialized knowledge of an individual European country’s (or region’s) history in more depth than the general European survey. Topics under this title may include France since 1789, Germany since 1517, England since 1688, or Eastern Europe since 1918. This course shall be repeatable for up to 6 credits with instructor approval.
HIST 463 History of Southern Asia Since 1750 3 cr. Surveys the political, economic, social, and cultural development of southern Asia, from the decline of the Mughal Empire to the rise of post-colonial nations, with particular emphasis placed on religious and philosophical development of the Asian subcontinent.
HIST 465 Topics in Modern Asian History 3 cr. Explores the development of modern Asia. Topics, which will vary by semester, include Japan, Korea, and China. Students will study these states from their early foundations to their emergence as modern states. Special emphasis is placed on cultural development, particularly religion, literature, and music. The course focuses on turning points in a given country’s (or region’s) history as well as various issues related to identity, social life, and government. This course shall be repeatable for up to 6 credits with instructor approval.
HIST 470 American Environmental History 3 cr. Focuses on human interaction with and within the variety of North American environments. Compares Native American, European, and American philosophies and mythologies surrounding nature. Special emphasis on technology and nature, the American West, and the historical roots of recent ecological movements and controversies in Montana, the region, and the nation.
HIST 471 Colonial and Independent Africa, 1884-present. 3 cr. Examines the political, economic, social, and cultural development of Africa from the Congress of Vienna to the present, emphasizing the results of European conquest and the legacy of colonialism in independent Africa.
HIST 490 Internship: Public History V 1-6 cr. Provides public history opportunities for students in local organizations which utilize public historians.
HIST 491 Independent Study V 1-5 cr. Prerequisites: consent of instructor and chairperson of the department. Provides outstanding students an individual opportunity to explore material not covered by regular History courses. The student’s proposal for independent study must be approved before registering and the student’s GPA in previous History courses must be at least 3.00.
HIST 492 Seminar 3 cr. Provides advanced students an opportunity to investigate intensively topics pertinent to the field of History.
HIST 493 Workshop 1-8 cr. Provides an opportunity for experimental study in an area of History.
HIST 496 Cooperative Education/Internship V 1-9 cr. Provides university credit for a work experience in the area of History supervised by faculty. Learning agreement must be completed prior to registration (restricted).
HIST 499 Historical Methodology (WR) 3 cr. Prerequisite: 12 semester hours of history or consent of instructor. Analyzes how historians ask methodological and interpretive questions and how they answer those questioned intellectually and technically. Aids the student in developing an understanding of the historical profession and the tasks of the historian through research and writing exercises, the investigation and evaluation of primary and secondary materials, and study of various methodologies employed by historians.
Graduate Level Courses
The following are graduate level courses. Please refer to the Graduate Catalog for the course descriptions.
HIST 591 Independent Study V 1-5 cr.
HIST 592 Seminar V 1-6 cr.
NEXT: HON (Honors) Course Descriptions |
