Paul Monod

The Civilization of Early Modern Europe
In this course we will gain a broad understanding of early modern European history, focusing on the period from c. 1350 to 1800. Through lectures and discussions, we will examine how modern European society’s foundations were established. We will critically engage with primary and secondary sources to explore significant changes and key continuities in Europe’s political, social, economic, intellectual, religious, and cultural spheres. Topics include the revival of classical ideals and their impact on art, education, politics, law, science, and gender relations. We will also investigate how new ideas sparked knowledge production, fueled conflicts, and shaped the modern state and therefore gain insight into the forces that continue to influence contemporary European identity. There are no prerequisites. Pre-1800 3 hr lect/disc.

Spring 2022

HIS

British History: 1603-1815
The medieval pattern of English and Scottish society began to implode in the seventeenth century. The unity of the Church, the relationship between Crown and Parliament, even the social hierarchy, were shaken to their foundations. After generations of civil war, revolution, and party strife, the eighteenth century saw the establishment of a flexible, oligarchic order, able to fight off the challenges of radicalism and the American and French revolutions. By 1815 Britain, at the peak of its power in Europe, was already beginning to experience the tensions incumbent on becoming the first industrial nation. Pre-1800 2 hrs. lect., 1 hr. disc.

Fall 2021, Fall 2022

EUR, HIS

British History 1815-Present
The spectacular rise and dramatic decline of Britain’s imperial and industrial power is the central theme of this course. The century after 1815 brought political and social reform and the apogee of middle class culture, but in 1914 the crucial problems of women's rights, labor against capital, and Irish nationalism remained unsolved. War, economic depression and the loss of empire followed. The Labour Party envisaged a welfare state and social contract for post-war Britain; the conservative response was free-market Thatcherism. Today, Britain continues to exemplify the promise and perils of what can be called modernity. 3 hrs. lect/disc.

Spring 2021, Spring 2023

EUR, HIS

Race in the British Empire, 1580-1960
Race was a significant factor in the formation of Britain’s global empire. Within the British Isles, the Irish and Highland Scots were racialized as “Celts.” In the Americas, race shaped relations with indigenous peoples and defined systems of Black enslavement. Later, it informed British expansionism in South Asia, the Pacific and Africa, as well as eugenics policies and responses to independence movements. This course examines shifting interpretations of racial categories within Britain itself and the British empire overseas, from the Tudor period down to the beginning of large-scale immigration into Britain from South Asia and the Caribbean. 3 hr. sem.

Spring 2023

CMP, HIS, SOC

Special research projects may only be taken during the Junior or Senior year, preferable after taking HIST 0600. Approval of department chair and project advisor is required.

Fall 2021, Fall 2022, Fall 2023, Fall 2024

Writing History
In this course students discuss historical methods and writing strategies to create convincing historical narratives. With the approval and guidance of the professor, students complete a 20-25-page research paper based on primary and secondary sources. Students take this course in the fall of their junior year or with permission in the spring. If students are away for the entire junior year, they can take the course in the fall of their senior year. 3 hr. sem. Restricted to HIST, ESHI, HSMT majors and HIST minors.

Spring 2021, Fall 2022

Senior Independent Study I
The optional History Senior Thesis is written over two terms, with the final grade applying to both terms. Approval is required. Students submit thesis proposals in the spring before the year that they choose to write their thesis. Students generally begin their thesis in the fall and complete it during winter or spring. Approval is required to begin the thesis in winter or spring. All students must attend the Thesis Writer's Workshops in fall and winter semesters and work with a faculty advisor to complete a 55-70 page paper. Please see detailed guidelines under history requirements.

Spring 2021, Fall 2021, Winter 2022, Spring 2022, Fall 2022, Winter 2023, Spring 2023, Fall 2023, Fall 2024

Senior Independent Study II
With departmental approval, senior history majors may write a two-term thesis under an advisor in the area of their choosing. The final grade is applied to both terms. Students must submit thesis proposals in the spring before the academic year that they choose to write their thesis. They must attend the Thesis Writers' Workshops held in the fall and winter of the academic year in which they begin the thesis. The department encourages students to write theses during the fall (0700) and winter terms (0701), but with the permission of the chair, fall/spring and winter/spring theses are also acceptable. Under exceptional circumstances, the department may approve a thesis initiated in the spring of an academic year and finished in the fall of the following year. Further information about the thesis is available from the department.

Spring 2021, Winter 2022, Spring 2022, Winter 2023, Spring 2023

Magic and the Occult in Early Modern Europe
Magical and occult thinking have played central roles in Western European culture, a point often overlooked or downplayed by historians who have concentrated on the development of rational thought and the decline of “superstition.” Belief in the ability of human beings to interpret or manipulate supernatural powers shaped popular practices aimed at dealing with everyday problems as well as intellectual theories designed to explain the world. We will examine both the popular and intellectual sides of magic, and how they came together with brutal force in the witch hunts of the 16th and 17th centuries. Pre-1800 (Counts for HSMT credit)

Winter 2022

EUR, HIS, WTR