History Graduate Course Descriptions

HIS 416/516: World War II 
T/TH 11:00 – 12:15 
Dr. Andrew Wiest  

 

World War II raged across the planet from the Far East to Africa, laying waste to an entire generation and redefining the nature of the modern world.  This course will take an in-depth look at the series of interlocking events that made up the most pivotal event of the twentieth-century.  Students will learn about the origins of the conflict, its prosecution, and its troubled aftermath.  From the flawed Treaty of Versailles, to the failure of Appeasement, to the German onslaught in France, to Britain standing alone, to the horrors of the Eastern Front, to the miasma of the Holocaust, to the strike at Pearl Harbor, to Midway and island-hopping, to D Day and the bomb – this course has it all from the home front to the battlefront.  Students will read and report on four books (one of their own choosing from the vast historiography of World War II) and take a mid term and a final exam. 
 
 
 
HIS 423/523: Gay & Lesbian History 
M/W 11:00 – 12:15  
Dr. Andrew Haley  

 

Out: A Queer History of America  
History 423/523 (9460/9461) or WGS 423 (9621) 

Out: A Queer History of America is a reading and discussion course that examines how LGBTQ+ Americans have constructed identities and communities and how attitudes toward queer lives have changed since the nineteenth century. 
The course is divided into five segments.  In the first section, we look at same-sex relationships in the nineteenth century before society labeled these bonds. In the second period, we look at how science helped defined gay and lesbian relationships at the turn of the century, the ambiguity of popular ideas of sexuality, and the earliest American gay communities.  In the third segment, we will examine the development of gay, lesbian, and trans subcultures in the United States in the post-World War II period, the Cold War-era repression of LGBTQ+ Americans, and the portrayal of queer lives in mass culture.  In the fourth section, the class will examine gay and lesbian activism, focusing special attention on the Stonewall riots. Finally, at the close of the semester, we look at the backlash that followed Stonewall, public and government responses to the AIDS epidemic, and more recent debates about same-sex marriage and trans rights. 
By the end of the class, you should have a better understanding of how sexual and gender minority groups have shaped American culture and law, how attitudes towards sexuality and gender have changed (and not changed) over the course of the past hundred and fifty years, and how efforts to exclude LGBTQ+ Americans from public life have played a decisive role in shaping the history of the United States. Throughout the course, we will also discuss the challenges of documenting the history of queer America. Students in the course will have the opportunity to explore historical (primary source) documents and do hands-on research.  

 

 
HIS 605: Presenting Heritage 
W 2:30 – 5:15 
Dr. Kevin McQueeney 
 
 
 
HIS 722: War Historiography  
M 6:00 – 9:00 
Dr. Kyle Zelner 
 
This course will explore the various fields and themes of War and Society historiography.  The field of War & Society (or what used to be called “New Military History”) has grown tremendously since its inception in the 1980s.  Less concerned with strategy, tactics, and weapons than traditional military historians, War & Society scholars study the historic effect of conflict on various aspects of society, as well as the way societal values and culture influenced how wars were fought.   
  
In this class, we will examine representative works on themes such as war and race, ethnicity, gender, and culture, as well as issues such as the cultural turn in military history, soldier recruitment and motivation, unit histories, communities at war, home fronts, and the Military Revolution debate.  In addition to the course being a good introduction to the diversity of the field, many of the books/articles for the class are on the War & Society Graduate Reading List, which will allow students the opportunity to read these vital works and then discuss them in class–an excellent preparation for comprehensive exams. 
 
Assignments will tentatively include several book reviews of assigned readings, class discussion, a historiographical paper, and a take-home final exam question which will prepare students for their comprehensive exams. 
 
 
 
HIS 726: American Historiography II 
W 6:00 – 9:00  
Dr. Heather Stur 

This graduate seminar examines the historiographical debates over major issues in U.S. history since Reconstruction. It is a reading-intensive, discussion-based course in which students will read at least one book a week. The course offers valuable comprehensive exam preparation for anyone taking U.S. History as a major or minor field. Grades will be based on a variety of assignments and measures including but not limited to class participation, presentations, book reviews, and a mock comprehensive exam essay.  
 
 
 
HIS 736: Modern War and Society  
T 2:30 – 5:15  
Dr. Katya Maslakowski 
 
 
 
HIS 773: African American History  
TH 2:30 – 3:45  
Dr. Laura Mammina  

This course will examine slavery in Britain’s North American colonies, from its origins in West Africa, through the Transatlantic Slave Trade and the Middle Passage, into the colonies themselves, and through revolutions, wars, aggressive expansion, and culminating in slavery’s destruction during the U.S. Civil War. We will zero in on the experience of the enslaved during the colonial period, during slavery’s expansion after the revolution, on the experience of enslaved women in the domestic slave trade, and on white women enslavers in the antebellum South.  
Given the enormity of the subject, it will be impossible to cover every topic. Thus our emphasis will be twofold: on the ways in which slavery changed over time, and the ways in which historical interpretations of slavery have changed over time.  
For a draft syllabus and tentative list of books, please contact Dr. Mammina at: Laura.Mammina@usm.edu. 
 
 
 
HUM 402/502: Digital Humanities Practicum 
T/TH 2:30 – 3:45 
Dr. Jennifer Andrella 

 

In this course, students will work collaboratively on a Digital Humanities project while learning digital methods, community-engaged best practices, and archival research. We will engage in the entire process of constructing a digital project, from idea to public launch. Through this course, students will gain valuable skills in web authoring, team-based learning, and project management. By working closely with local archives, special collections, and/or community partners, students will explore how the digital humanities can connect scholarship with public audiences in meaningful ways. 

 

HIS 416/516: World War II 
T/Th 1:00 – 2:15  
Dr. Douglas Bristol 
 
 

HIS 477/577: Women in American Society 
T/Th 11:00 – 12:15  
Dr. Deanne Stephens