Department of History

Jennifer Keene, Ph.D., Chair

Professors: Harran, Keene, Slayton;

Associate Professors: Cumiford, Estes;

Assistant Professors: Bay, Vieira-Martinez;

Bachelor of Arts in History

"I believe in memory," a great historian wrote. History is our collective memory, an understanding of our heritage, of who we are and how we came to be. The history major not only provides students with the knowledge and tools of history, but also provides a sense of roots, as well as a broader perspective on the diverse regions and peoples of the world. Training in history teaches students how to think, how to analyze different kinds of problems, and is solid training for such careers as teaching, law, business, historic preservation, or archival management.

Extracurricular Opportunities

In addition to an outstanding curriculum, the major in history at Chapman offers students opportunities to work on projects associated with the Rodgers Center for Holocaust Education. The department also offers some very special study abroad experiences in London and other cities. Internships at area archives and museums are available. Membership in Phi Alpha Theta, the national history honors society, is offered to students with a GPA of 3.100 in 12 credits of history courses and an overall GPA of 3.000. Phi Alpha Theta sponsors graduate school workshops, lectures, films and trips that are open to all members of the Chapman community. Members of Phi Alpha Theta enjoy opportunities to travel to regional and national student conferences to deliver papers and can enter competitions for scholarships and prizes offered by the national Phi Alpha Theta headquarters.

Bachelor of Arts in History

The history department strongly encourages majors to consider studying abroad and advises students to consult with their advisors to create a study abroad program that fulfills requirements for the major, including the possibility of undertaking research for the senior thesis while overseas. History majors are especially encouraged to make use of the history department's sponsored travel courses.

All courses in the major must be taken for a letter grade. A minimum of 21 credits in history must be upper–division.

core requirements (15 credits)

Emphasis in United States History

The history of the United States, though brief by world historical standards, has a richness that goes beyond its years. This is a story filled with transforming events, charismatic personalities, as well as the everyday actions of ordinary people who shape our nation's past.

senior seminars (6 credits)

Emphasis in European History

The study of European civilization ranges from the emergence of urban culture in the river valleys of the ancient Near East to the modern era of Western European unions and the collapse of communism. European history majors are encouraged to make use of the various study–abroad programs available at Chapman University, especially the history department's travel courses.

senior seminars (6 credits)

Minors in the Department of History

Minor in History

A minor in history requires a total of 21 credits in history with at least 12 upper–division credits. Students who wish to design a minor in a particular emphasis should speak with an advisor in the history department.

Minor in History and Media

The minor in history and media is devoted specifically to examining the impact of film, photography, and other forms of mass media on the interpretation of historical events. In this minor, students will consider the value of these materials as historical documents, as agents of historical change and as appropriate media for presenting history.

The minor in history and media requires a total of 21 credits, at least 9 credits must be upper-division. There is a six–credit, two–course core. Students must also take five additional courses selected from the list below.

requirements (6 credits)

five of the following (15 credits)

Minor in Holocaust History

The minor includes study of the origins and history of the Holocaust within the context of European history and an exploration of the central themes and topics in current Holocaust research. In support of their classroom learning, students may participate in extracurricular opportunities through the Rodgers Center for Holocaust Education lecture series. The series allows students to learn first–hand from extraordinary survivors, such as Schindler's "List" survivor Leon Leyson, and from world–renowned scholars, such as Sir Martin Gilbert. A minimum of 9 credits must be upper-division.

requirements (15 credits)

one of the following (3 credits)

one of the following (3 credits)

Course Descriptions – History

HIST 101 United States History Survey I

A look at all the major themes from 1607 through the Civil War, including the founding of a new nation. American literature is given special consideration. Slavery, states' rights, religion, and the beginning of the Westward movement are emphasized. (Offered every year.) 3 credits.

HIST 103 United States History Survey II

Students study the basic issues of American life, culture, society, and economics from 1865 to the present, while considering such questions as who is an American and how we have evolved. (Offered every year.) 3 credits.

HIST 110 Western Civilization: From Mesopotamia to the Renaissance

A survey of Western civilization from its beginnings in the river valleys of the Tigris, the Euphrates, and the Nile to the intellectual and artistic glories of the Italian Renaissance. Particular attention is paid to the sweeping transformation in thought effected by the Greeks. (Offered fall semester.) 3 credits.

HIST 112 Western Civilization: From the Reformation to Modern Times

A survey of Western civilization from the Reformation to the political, social, and intellectual upheavals of the 20th century. Attention is focused on the rise and development of the ideas and attitudes that uniquely shaped the character of the West. (Offered spring semester.) 3 credits.

HIST 160 African Voices: African History to 1800

This course explores the history of African civilizations from 16,000 BC through the transformations of the Atlantic slave trade. Our focus will be on how Africans exploited their environments, organized their societies, and built their communities in the face of shifting historical circumstance. (Offered every year.) 3 credits.

HIST 170 Why Africa Matters: African History 1800 - Present

This course surveys how Africans defined their needs during the 19th century, the subsequent economic, political and social innovations, and African responses to occupation in the 20th century. We seek to understand how Africans reconstructed their societies as independent, post–colonial nation-states, and the contemporary priorities. (Offered every year.) 3 credits.

HIST 180 Modern Latin American History

Students examine the development of political institutions, social changes, and interactions throughout the Americas, Latin American–United States relations, racial and cultural issues, and the question of economic development. (Offered every year.) 3 credits.

HIST 190 Modern Asian History

Students learn about the region with a third of the world's population, through examining the emergence of modern nation states as well as their relationship to the West and involvement in 19th and 20th century movements and conflicts. (Offered every year.) 3 credits.

HIST 199 Independent Study

(Offered as needed.) 1–3 credits.

HIST 201 The Rise of World Civilizations

This course covers world history from pre–historic times through the Middle Ages, emphasizing discoveries in paleontology, paleoanthropology, archaeology, the earliest centers of civilizations, the origins of civic culture in Asia and the Mediterranean world, the impact of the great world religions, and the intellectual achievements of the Middle Ages. Cultural and physical geography will be stressed in this course. (Offered alternate years.) 3 credits.

HIST 202 Modern World Civilizations

This course covers world cultures from the European Renaissance through the twentieth century, with special emphasis on the Reformation, scientific revolution, African kingdoms, India and the Ottoman Empire, the Far East, Western imperialism, and war and conflict in the twentieth century. Cultural and physical geography will be stressed in this course. (Offered every year.) 3 credits.

HIST 220 The Vietnam Wars

A study of Vietnam from the earliest times to early 21st century from five broad approaches: the origins of the Vietnamese people and their civilization, the era of Chinese political and cultural ascendancy, French colonization and Vietnamese nationalism, post–World War II military conflicts with France and the United States, and post–1975 attempts to chart a course to modernization. (Offered every year.) 3 credits.

HIST 223 The Sixties

This course covers the 1960s era through the early Nixon Administration (1970) with special emphasis on the Civil Rights movement. Topics addressed in the course include: The Cold War, resurgence of the cult of domesticity, the Great Society, the Vietnam War, the evolution of the counter-culture movement, and the Women's Rights movement. (Offered as needed.) 3 credits.

HIST 224 United States Women's History

This course explores the roles that women have played in American history from colonial times until the present. Particular emphasis will be placed on the impediments to their full participation in American society and to the ways that these impediments have been overcome or removed. (Offered every year.) 3 credits.

HIST 225 Introduction to Chicano/a History and Culture

This course surveys the historical experience of people of Mexican descent in the "American Southwest," and the formation of Chicano/a identity and culture. The emphasis of the course will be on the period after 1848, internal dynamics of the community, external struggles and contemporary concerns. (Offered as needed.) 3 credits.

HIST 226 Modern European Women's History

This course is an exploration Modern European History through the lens of women's lives and writings. From the French Revolution through World War II, we will study women's changing social, economic, cultural and political roles as revealed in primary sources such as diaries, letters, treaties, contemporary media, and secondary sources of memoir and film. (Offered as needed.) 3 credits.

HIST 229 Experimental Course

(Offered as needed.) 1-6 credits.

HIST 252 History and Film

This course presents major themes in world history through the interpretation of films based on historical events. After viewing dramatic and documentary films on topics ranging from war, imperialism, and revolution to politics, culture, and technology, students will critically examine the impact of motion pictures on the interpretation of history. (Offered every year.) 3 credits.

HIST 254 British History Through Films and Documentaries

This course explores the nature and impact of the cinematic arts on historical interpretations of British Isles countries over the past thousand years. Through the critical analysis of feature films and documentaries on historical topics, students will scrutinize the effectiveness of films as a source of historical interpretation and knowledge. (Offered every year.) 3 credits.

HIST 256 Film and American History

This course examines the role of motion pictures and the motion picture industry in American history. Students explore the ways that motion pictures have influenced and transformed American culture, politics, and society in the twentieth century. Particular attention will be paid to Hollywood's 1910–1950 "golden era." (Offered as needed.) 3 credits.

HIST 258 Latin American History Through Film

Students examine major themes in Latin American history through documentary and dramatic films. Important topics presented through films and readings include the European–Native American encounter, the Iberian colonial legacy, independence and revolution, United States–Latin American relations, and the military's role in twentieth-century politics. (Offered every year.) 3 credits.

HIST 260 Asian History and Film

A study of Asian history from the earliest times to early twenty–first century through motion pictures and documentaries. Emphasis will be placed on Asian–made films which deal with modern themes, although non–Asian productions will be used on occasion to introduce and examine the topic of "orientalism." (Offered as needed.) 3 credits.

HIST 262 History of the Samurai

This course explores the evolution of a military society in Japan between 1000–1870. Topics include the evolution of armor, tactics, the military and social organization of the samurai, the status of women, and the political economy across eight centuries. (Offered as needed.) 3 credits.

HIST 263 Modern Japan

From 1868, Japan was set on a crash course with modernity that eventually led to empire, World War II, atomic destruction, the Allied Occupation, and a postwar resurgence as an economic poser in Asia and the world. (Offered as needed.) 3 credits.

HIST 270 Creating Leadership in African History

This course surveys varied expressions of community leadership and authority evident in African history. The emphasis of the course will be on established sources of authority, innovations in the practice of power, and the sources that historians have used to trace the transformations in each. (Offered as needed.) 3 credits.

HIST 271 Language, Space and Power in African History

This course examines language use in African history as an active expression of power used to shape community space. Our emphasis will be on examining Sub-Saharan language changes as the cumulative consequence of numerous personal choices precipitated by specific historical circumstances. (Offered as needed) 3 credits.

HIST 299 Individual Study

(Offered as needed.) 1–6 credits.

HIST 304 The Ancient Mediterranean World

(Same as REL 304.) This course covers the ancient Mediterranean world with emphasis on pre–history and the cultures of Mesopotamia, Egypt, the Aegean Sea, Greece, and Rome. Special attention is given to the national development of Greece and Rome, with emphasis on the development of democratic and republican institutions, political theory, literature, economics, art and architecture, diplomacy, and war. (Offered every year.) 3 credits.

HIST 306 The Middle Ages

(Same as REL 306.) This course examines the history of Europe from 500–1500 C.E. through the themes and events that shaped this period. Students survey such topics as feudalism, the development of scholastic theology, and the launching of the Crusades. (Offered every year.) 3 credits.

HIST 307 Germany and the Holocaust: From Anti–Semitism to Final Solution

(Same as REL 307.) The Holocaust within the context of the history of World War II. The origins of the Holocaust, the implementation of the Final Solution, resistance to the Nazis, survivor experiences, and the legacy of the Holocaust will be studied. (Offered every year.) 3 credits.

HIST 308 Early Modern Europe

Humanism, religious fragmentation, state building, imperialism, secularization, and Enlightenment–no period has been more important in the formation of the European character. In the age between the Italian Renaissance and the French Revolution, Europe emerged from the relative obscurity of the Middle Ages to become the world's dominant civilization. (Offered alternate years.) 3 credits.

HIST 310 Modern Europe

This course traces the tumultuous history of Europe from the Congress of Vienna to the collapse of the Soviet Empire and the rise and fall of European hegemony. (Offered every year.) 3 credits.

HIST 311 Russian History

Students learn the history of Russia and the Soviet Union from the fall of the Romanov Dynasty through the demise of the Soviet government and the creation of the Commonwealth of Independent States. Ideas and ideologies, politics, economics and foreign affairs are emphasized. (Offered alternate years.) 3 credits.

HIST 312 History of Spain and Portugal

Students examine the history of the Iberian peninsula from pre–historic times through the modern era. Topics include Roman Iberia, Islamic and Catholic Spain in the Middle Ages, the Iberian Empires, Spain's decline as a great power, and contemporary Spanish and Portuguese society. (Offered alternate years.) 3 credits.

HIST 313 Modern British History

This course traces the rise and development of British civilization from the Glorious Revolution of 1688 to the present. Students will examine such topics as the British Empire, the Industrial Revolution, the development of parliamentary institutions, the changing role of the monarch, Britain in the World Wars, the special relationship with the United States, and Britain in the European Union. (Offered alternate years.) 3 credits.

HIST 314 United States Economic and Entrepreneurial History

(Same as ECON 314.)

HIST 320 The History of Judaism: From Biblical Origins to the Rabbinic Period

(Same as REL 320.)

HIST 321 The History of Judaism: From the Medieval Period to Modernity

(Same as REL 321.)

HIST 326 The African-American Historical Experience

Students trace the history of the African–American experience from the earliest days of slavery through emancipation, the rise of Jim Crow, the civil rights movement, and the modern era. (Offered alternate years.) 3 credits.

HIST 329 Experimental Course

(Offered as needed.) 3 credits.

HIST 330 America and Its Revolution: The Bonfires of Change

Students examine one of the most tumultuous times in American history and analyze and interpret the events that form the foundation of, not only our system of democracy, but of much of our identity as Americans. (Offered as needed.) 3 credits.

HIST 332 Slavery, Civil War and Reconstruction

This course examines the institution and experience of slavery, the causes of the Civil War, the roles that generals, politicians, and ordinary citizens played in the conflict, key battles, why the South lost the war, the eradication of slavery, and the incorporation of freedmen into civic life in the postwar period. (Offered every year.) 3 credits.

HIST 333 Images of American History

A picture tells a thousand words, but does it tell the truth? This course investigates the rich and complex catalog of historical images created by documentary photographers over the last 160 years by using historical photography to examine American history from the 1840s to the present. (Offered every year.) 3 credits.

HIST 335 World War I

World War I is a defining event of the twentieth century that shaped much of the Western world and propelled the United States into a position of world leadership in economic, diplomatic, and cultural affairs. Students will explore how ideology, economics, geography, culture, leadership, and technology combined to create an unanticipated total war that re–shaped Modern Europe and the role of the United States in the world. (Offered as needed.) 3 credits.

HIST 336 Conflict and Change in America: 1920–1945

Covering the prosperity and cynicism of the Roaring Twenties, the poverty of the Great Depression and the New Deal response to it, and the violence of the Second World War, this course examines and interprets the culture and politics that shaped this era. (Offered alternate years.) 3 credits.

HIST 337 World War II

A comprehensive review of the great mid–twentieth century catastrophe that consumed the world and forever altered history. Major topics include the diplomatic and economic background and the roles of propaganda, non–combatants, and the home fronts, as well as a wide-ranging review of the military aspects. (Offered as needed.) 3 credits.

HIST 338 America After the War, 1945–1960

Students examine this critical period in American history, which featured the rise of the Cold War and rock and roll, and they interpret its economy, politics, culture, and social structure. (Offered alternate years.) 3 credits.

HIST 340 American Diplomatic History and Foreign Policy

Students focus on the origin and development of United States foreign policy. Important areas of study include the role of ideology in foreign policy, economics and foreign affairs, isolationism, American dominance of the Western Hemisphere, and the consequences of increasing international interdependence. (Offered as needed.) 3 credits.

HIST 342 The History of Everyday Life in America: Cooking, Cleaning, Life and Death

History is not just something presidents and Supreme Court justices do; rather, it is something that our ancestors lived in the past. This course takes an interpretive look at how and why many of our most basic rituals and activities have changed over the years. Includes such topics as childbirth and children's games. (Offered alternate years.) 3 credits.

HIST 346 Topics in Historical Tours

An extended tour of another country or countries or a part of the United States, with a concentrated study of the history and culture of that country or countries, or U.S. region. (Offered as needed.) 3 credits.

HIST 346a Historical London: A History of Britain as Seen Through Its Capital.

(Same as HON 351f.) To those who know it well, London is an interesting and exciting city. It is also a city with a long and fascinating history. In the three weeks allotted to us, we will explore that history of the country of which it is the capital. (Offered as needed.) 3 credits.

HIST 346b Britain at War: The Experience of the First and Second World Wars

(Same as HON 351g.) Through hands–on encounters with dramatic recreations, students experience the crisis of the 20th century's great wars and get up close with the equipment used by both sides. Field trips include visits to the Imperial War Museum and Churchill's wartime bunker. (Offered as needed.) 3 credits.

HIST 346c London, The Great City

This course is a cross between history and urban studies. Focusing on the nineteenth through the twenty–first centuries, it will examine a variety of topics, from immigration to infrastructure, from architecture to amusements. Students will analyze how the city functions and remains preeminent despite vast changes in politics, society, and technology. (Offered as needed.) 3 credits.

HIST 346d Roman Britain: A History of Ancient Rome Through British Sites

Ancient Rome was the first ancient nation to extend its domain from the Continent to Britain. In this course, in class and in field excursions, Rome's presence in Britain from the time of Julius Caesar will be studied through research and examining archaeological remains. (Offered as needed.) 3 credits.

HIST 346e The Grand Tour

This course introduces students to the Grand Tour, an educational journey undertaken by young English aristocrats in the 17th, 18th and early 19th centuries. The history, culture and politics of London, Paris and Rome in this period will be examined in depth. (Offered every summer.) 3 credits.

HIST 346f The Great Cities of Europe

We live in an urbanized world, which is fitting, as cities are the greatest creations of the human race. The metropolis stands in contrast to nature as something artificial and brilliant, something that only our minds and our passion can construct. Marked by high density, great cities bring together millions of people, creating wonders of art and diversity, but also deep problems of poverty, crime and other human failings. It is our best shot at what the human race can accomplish, or what depths it can sink to. This course will focus on urban development in the 19th and 20th centuries in three of the most important cities in the world, London, Paris, and Rome. (Offered as needed.) 3 credits.

HIST 346g The Roman Imperium

This course introduces students to the study of ancient Roman history through field excursions to sites and structures and the study of museum and cultural artifacts in Southern England, London, Paris and Rome. (Offered every summer.) 3 credits.

HIST 346h Paris, A Literary History

(Same as FREN 353.)

HIST 348 Topics in European Cultural and Intellectual History

Students explore key themes in the cultural and intellectual history of Europe. Courses that treat different themes may be repeated for credit. (Offered as needed.) 3 credits.

HIST 348b Makers of Modern Culture

The cultural and intellectual character of the modern world can be traced to a series of related conceptual innovations and artistic transformations between the late nineteenth century and the eve of World War II. Students explore the contributions of such seminal figures as Nietzsche, Freud, Kafka, Keynes, Einstein, and Joyce. (Offered as needed.) 3 credits.

HIST 351 Fire in the Rainforest: Central African History

This course explores the experiences of Central Africans from the belief systems of rainforest communities, through the diverse cultures, states, and economic networks of the last millennium. Special consideration will be given to innovations of the Atlantic age, opposition to colonialism, and modern socioeconomics. (Offered every year.) 3 credits.

HIST 352 Chinese Civilization

A study of China from earliest times to the mid–1990s from five broad perspectives: the composition of the Chinese people, elite thought and behavior, family life, popular culture, and the economy. (Offered every year.) 3 credits.

HIST 353 Slavery and Slave Trade in an Atlantic World

This course examines four centuries of Atlantic relationships from the dialogue between African and European kings, through political economics and communications that created a new Atlantic Ocean world, ending with diverse interests that pushed for abolition of the exportation of enslaved Africans. (Offered fall semester.) 3 credits.

HIST 354 From Samurai to Pokemon: A Social History of Modern Japan

What did modernity mean for the Japanese people? Topics include the way of the warrior, the fall of feudalism, Westernization, gender, male–male sexuality, epidemics and modern medicine, war, empire, occupation, economic recovery and the decadent 1980s. (Offered as needed.) 3 credits.

HIST 355 Disease, Power and Sex: Medicine and the Body in East Asia

This course focuses on the effects of disease, medical limitations, and popular practices in East Asia. Cholera, the plague, western medicine, the medicalization of sex, and the relation between science, war and imperialism are examined to uncover the history of medicine and the body. (Offered as needed.) 3 credits.

HIST 356 Modern Germany: From Sarajevo to Stalingrad

This course examines the political, social, and intellectual history of Germany from World War I to the end of World War II. Special attention is given to the Holocaust and to roles of individuals in taking Germany down the path to two world wars. (Offered as needed.) 3 credits.

HIST 365 Topics in the Holocaust

(Same as REL 365.) Students examine selected topics within the study of Holocaust history, such as the roles of doctors, theologians and religion under Hitler, the persecution of non–Jewish groups (including homosexuals and gypsies), and the experiences and choices of perpetrators, victims, and bystanders. (Offered every year.) 3 credits.

HIST 365a Perpetrators, Witnesses, and Rescuers

Within the context of Nazi Germany, World War II and the Holocaust, students examine the choices that individuals faced and the decisions that defined them as perpetrators or rescuers. Includes the stories of those who survived the Holocaust to become witnesses to the truth. (Offered every year.) 3 credits.

HIST 365b The Holocaust: Memoirs and Histories

This course explores the complex history of the Holocaust from the perspective of selected memoirs written by survivors and examines the contributions and limitations of memoirs in shaping the historical record. (Offered spring semester, alternate years.) 3 credits.

HIST 372 California History

In this in–depth study of California from its discovery in 1542 to the present, students will examine how the Golden State has changed. The roles of mining, Indians, agriculture, high technology, Japanese–American relations, and the mission system are considered. (Offered every year.) 3 credits.

HIST 388 Technology and the Media in the United States

Beginning with the Industrial Revolution, this course considers the impact of technological change, especially the mass media on the United States to the Computer Age. This course stresses the role of the media and mass communications in economic and political change, social and aesthetic values, education, the shaping of utopian visions, gender relations, and the West's relationship with the non–Western world. (Offered every year.) 3 credits.

HIST 392 Pre-Columbian and Colonial Latin America

This course covers the Native American-European encounter of the early 16th century and colonial control and establishment of European institutions in Latin America. Politics, the economy, diplomatic and military affairs, and the intellectual life of the colonies are stressed in this course. (Offered as needed.) 3 credits.

HIST 396 Mexican History

Students examine the history of greater Mexico (including the northern borderlands) from the ancient Aztec and Mayan empires through the most recent economic and political upheavals. (Offered every year.) 3 credits.

HIST 398 The Historian's Craft

Prerequisite, junior standing for History majors and minors, or consent of instructor. This course introduces students to the philosophy of history and historical thought, historical methodology, and the craft of doing history. Majors apply historical methodology and theories of history to develop their senior thesis topic, while minors complete a capstone experience. (Offered spring semester.) 3 credits.

HIST 399 Individual Study and Research

(Offered as needed.) 1-6 credits.

HIST 490 Independent Internship

Prerequisite, consent of instructor. P/NP. (Offered as needed.) ½–6 credits.

HIST 496 Integrated Senior Seminar I

Prerequisite, HIST 398, or consent of instructor. The first half of the required capstone experience. (Offered fall semester.) 3 credits.

HIST 496a United States History

The first half of the capstone experience for history majors with an emphasis in United States history. In this course, students begin primary source research for their senior thesis.

HIST 496b European History

The first half of the capstone experience for history majors with an emphasis in European history. In this course, students begin primary source research for their senior thesis.

HIST 498 Integrated Senior Seminar II

The second half of the required capstone experience for history majors. (Offered spring semester.) 3 credits.

HIST 498a United State History

Prerequisite, HIST 496a. The second half of the capstone experience for history majors with an emphasis in United States history. In this course, students complete writing their senior thesis.

HIST 498b European History

Prerequisite, HIST 496b. The second half of the capstone experience for history majors with an emphasis in European history. In this course, students complete writing their senior thesis.

HIST 499 Individual Study

Prerequisite, consent of instructor. (Offered as needed.) ½–6 credits.