Current Courses

This course explores how food was made, consumed, and understood in the past. What did food and eating mean to different people at different times, in different places? How did everyday foods, like sugar or potatoes, travel around the world? What impacts did human-made and natural disasters have on eating habits and food supplies, and how did the presence and absence of food influence people's behaviour? In this course, students learn to connect local and global interactions, past events, and the present through food. (formerly HIST 2123). Students who have taken HIST 2123 cannot take this course for credit.

Modern Africa surveys the history of Africa from the nineteenth century to the present. The course focuses on three major topics: the scramble for Africa and the partition, European colonial rule, and the assessment of the post-independence era. Subtopics include missionaries and explorers, occupation and forms of resistance, settler colonies versus non-settler colonies, nationalism and wars of independence, post-independence successes and challenges, the Cold War and the War on Terror, and globalization and the fading significance of the nation state. The objectives for this course are to challenge stereotypic notions about contemporary Africa, to contribute to students' understanding of Africa's place in the modern world, and to introduce students to some of the major historiographical debates on modern African history. (formerly HIST 2143). Students who have taken HIST 2143 cannot take this course for credit.

Cars have shaped our world more than any other technology over the past century. Mass motorization created new opportunities for travel and consumption, changed the way people worked, transformed cities, and contributed to rising pollution and climate change. In this course we will explore the car's social, cultural, and environmental impacts on a global scale. (formerly HIST 3173). Students who took HIST 3173 cannot take this course for credit.

This course will explore the history of citizenship on a global scale since about 1800. How have ideas and practices related to citizenship changed over time? How did new nation-states try to define citizenship? How did people try to secure recognition, rights, and human rights? How do themes of age, gender, race, class, and ethnicity relate to the question of citizenship in the modern era? These are a few of the questions and themes that the class will investigate by looking at some interesting case studies. (formerly HIST 3413) Students who have taken HIST 3413 cannot take this course for credit.

This discussion-based course explores the global impact of modern sport from c. 1850 to the present. It focuses upon the global spread of sports such as track and field, soccer, cricket, hockey, and baseball and the manner in which such sports were resisted or appropriated by communities throughout the world. Course content examines the political, social, and cultural significance of modern sport rather than the intricate details of individual athletes or teams. (formerly HIST 3763). Students who have taken HIST 3763 cannot take this course for credit.

This mandatory course for History Majors and Honours students provides an introduction to the discipline of History. The course examines a variety of historiographical and method- ological approaches to History, as well as the history of History. It encourages students to re-examine their assumptions about History, but it will also help students develop their basic historical research and writing skills. Exploring History provides a foundation for upper-year History courses and students are strongly encouraged to take it before their third year. Prerequisite: At least 6 credit hours in History courses at St. Thomas University.

This 3-credit course is half of the world history survey. It gives an overview of world history events, issues, themes, and approaches until about 1400 of the Common Era (CE). It covers topics such as the origins of the universe (the Big Bang & Cosmic History), Paleolithic societies, the transition to agricultural societies, the rise of major states, empires and cultural traditions, the Silk Roads, and networks of cross-cultural interaction. NOTE: Students who have taken HIST 1013 or HIST 1006 cannot take this course for credit.

This course provides an overview of the history of the Middle East in the modern period, from c. 1800 to the present day, though with references to earlier eras too.

This course surveys the history of Latin America from ca. 1450 to 1825, when most of the Americas came under Spanish and Portuguese control. It examines the myths and realities of conquest, ecological and disease impacts, the origins of the African slave trade, and social and cultural exchanges among indigenous, European, and African peoples. It also touches on colonial legacies such as structural racism, global economic inequalities, and environmental degradation that remain relevant today.

This course examines the historical roots of many of the key issues in contemporary Canadian society. In addition to providing students with a narrative framework of Canadian history, the course explores the historical dimensions of many of the most important issues facing Canada today, such as Truth and Reconciliation, anti-Black racism, Quebec nationalism, climate change, Western Alienation, and Canada-US relations.

Public History examines some efforts to tell about the past that is produced outside of conventional academic study. Our understanding of the past is often shaped by histories that are portrayed in film and TV, as presented by museums and tourism enterprises, shared as folk tales or community stories, and told through trade books on historical topics and in historical novels. This course will systematically explore some of the ways history is used in the public realm, and how the use of the past is put to work for entertainment, profit, shaping identity, and diverse political purposes. Prerequisites: 3 ch in History (HIST 2003 preferred)

Widows, orphans, veterans and prostitutes were among the first groups to be recognized as needing help from their fellow citizens. This course traces how individuals and states began to develop social policies to help people in need. Focusing on Europe and North America since the late 19th century, it examines growing government involvement not only in assuring citizens' defense and freedom, but also their overall well-being through programs such as maternity and child benefits, unemployment insurance and old-age pensions.

The Workshop provides students with the opportunity to enhance their skills of historical analysis, writing and oral communication through close engagement with an important historical event or issue. The Workshop is recommended for students planning to take 4000-level seminars, as well as students considering an application to graduate programs or professional schools. Please consult the History Department Handbook, Chair or web page for upcoming Workshop topics. Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor.

Focusing primarily upon Disney's theme parks and films, this course explores issues of representation, selectivity, and appropriation, and a wide range of topics including colonialism, gender, race, class, urban utopias, educational initiatives, and Orientalism. The course examines one of the world's most powerful entertainment companies and - more generally - the complex, controversial, and contested relationship between history and entertainment.

Differences in skin color and physical characteristics took on a new significance in modern times. The newly invented concept of race classified human beings into several distinct categories with corresponding intellectual and behavioral traits. Race and Racism in Modern History studies the evolution of race thinking during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, as well as the extent to which such thoughts have since shaped the trajectory of world history.

This course explores some of the paradoxes of recent American history using such themes as power, race, gender, and identity. Sometimes we are presented with current events in the United States that baffle media and audiences alike. Yet with some careful historical contextualization we will begin to make sense of Contemporary US History. You will develop your own analyses of American history based on course materials and some guided research work.

This course considers the diverse ways in which modern global audiences have come to understand histories of religious violence. Our focus will be on academic and popular interpretations of socalled jihad or crusade conflicts from the Middle Ages to the present. Print, electronic, artistic, and film sources will be examined, reflecting a wide range of often conflicting viewpoints as they have evolved over time.

Food keeps us alive, serves as a marker of social status, a stimulator of exploration and trade, and a cause of conflict and war. This seminar is about the history of food production, consumption and culture world-wide. Participants explore the roles food plays in human soci- eties, the social and cultural meanings of food and the ways foods travel from place to place. Equally, we consider food's presence, its absence and the impact of man-made and natural disasters on eating habits and food supplies.

This seminar proposes an in-depth study of the modern history of Korea from the perspective of its least acknowledged, yet determinant, agent: the people. It examines major social movements which shaped Korean history and democratisation, e.g. the college student and labour movements. It also addresses Korea's geopolitical predicament from the viewpoint of some of its victims, such as the Korean sex slaves under Japanese colonial rule and Korea's political and economic prisoners of the Cold War. Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor.

This course explores how food was made, consumed, and understood in the past. What did food and eating mean to different people at different times, in different places? How did everyday foods, like sugar or potatoes, travel around the world? What impacts did human-made and natural disasters have on eating habits and food supplies, and how did the presence and absence of food influence people's behaviour? In this course, students learn to connect local and global interactions, past events, and the present through food. (formerly HIST 2123). Students who have taken HIST 2123 cannot take this course for credit.

What is magic? What are demons? How have constantly evolving beliefs about the supernatural impacted the course of human history (and vice versa)? This introductory survey explores how various cultures have sought to understand their world through appeal to supernatural forces-around the globe and throughout the ages.

This mandatory course for History Majors and Honours students provides an introduction to the discipline of History. The course examines a variety of historiographical and method- ological approaches to History, as well as the history of History. It encourages students to re-examine their assumptions about History, but it will also help students develop their basic historical research and writing skills. Exploring History provides a foundation for upper-year History courses and students are strongly encouraged to take it before their third year. Prerequisite: At least 6 credit hours in History courses at St. Thomas University.

This 3-credit course is part of the world history survey. It offers an overview of world history events, issues, themes, and approaches from roughly 1400 of the Common Era (CE) to the present. It covers topics such as the emergence of long-distance exploration, cross-cultural interaction, the early modern and modern worlds, the Columbian Exchange, industrialization, modern imperialism, world wars, networks, and globalization from circa 1400 onward. (formerly HIST 1023) This course counts toward the World History survey requirement for students pursuing a Major or Honours in History. NOTE: Students who have taken HIST 1023 or HIST 1006 cannot take this course for credit.

This 3-credit course is part of the world history survey. It offers an overview of world history events, issues, themes, and approaches from roughly 1400 of the Common Era (CE) to the present. It covers topics such as the emergence of long-distance exploration, cross-cultural interaction, the early modern and modern worlds, the Columbian Exchange, industrialization, modern imperialism, world wars, networks, and globalization from circa 1400 onward. (formerly HIST 1023) This course counts toward the World History survey requirement for students pursuing a Major or Honours in History. NOTE: Students who have taken HIST 1023 or HIST 1006 cannot take this course for credit.

The course explores the history of the Indian subcontinent from c. 1500 onward. It considers the Mughals, the 18th-century successor states, British colonialism, Indian nationalism and postcolonial India to the present day.

This course provides a basic introduction to Islamic societies in their formative centuries. We will explore how the Muslim umma first emerged, developed and ultimately established itself as a unifying yet far from monolithic ideal, linking different peoples across the globe. Our focus will be on comprehension of historical experiences and relations between peoples rather than on detailed analysis of religious beliefs.

This course will examine the political, social, and economic developments that have shaped Latin America since 1945. While paying attention to the continent's diversity, it will examine common themes such as the Cold War, revolutionary movements, military dictatorships, and U.S. foreign policy in the region. It will consider Latin America's relationship to the global economy, efforts to promote industrialization, and the underlying causes of poverty and inequality. Social themes will include mass migration, the drug trade, human rights, social movements, and the impacts of climate change.

This course deals with the history of the Church from the time of Gregory the Great in the sixth century to the end of the fifteenth century. For the most part we will deal with the Western Church, although there will be some treatment of the relations that existed with the East. The theme that will run throughout the course is that of the interaction between the Church and the society of this period. Among the topics that will be covered will be the Merovingian and Carolingian Church and the role of such leaders as Charlemagne, the Gregorian Reform Movement and the clash with the Emperor, the development and contribution to medieval society, the emergence of the pilgrimage and the crusade, the religious unrest of the later Middle Ages, and the growth of the medieval papacy.

In ruins and divided after the Second World War, Europe was a central theatre of Cold War conflict until 1989/90. This course traces social, political, cultural, and other developments during the Cold War and subsequent decades. Students use sources from the past to explore how Europeans saw themselves and others, and how these perceptions changed over time. They study conflict and stability, diversity and nationalism, imperialism and regional convergence, as well as Europeans' attempts to answer challenging questions about who they are and what role they should play in the world today.

Hockey. The beaver. The canoe. Poutine. This discussion-based course examines some of Canada's most recognizable and influential symbols. The course proceeds thematically and focuses on specific symbols to explore key themes such as national identity, appropriation of Indigenous culture, political conflict, and commodification. Questions addressed in the course include: Where do symbols come from? How have their meanings changed over time? How does their popularity prioritize some interests over others? How have such symbols been appropriated, resisted, and reclaimed? And, perhaps most importantly, how are Canadians shaped by this symbolic landscape?

This course explores the global impact of modern tourism by focusing on a number of key questions: How, when, and why did tourism emerge? What motivates tourists to travel? Why do local communities embrace tourism? And how are the benefits and costs of this industry distributed? Planned case studies include: Beaches, Zoos, Theme Parks, Museums, Ecotourism, Shopping, Gambling, and Sex Tourism.

Food keeps us alive, serves as a marker of social status, a stimulator of exploration and trade, and a cause of conflict and war. This seminar is about the history of food production, consumption and culture world-wide. Participants explore the roles food plays in human soci- eties, the social and cultural meanings of food and the ways foods travel from place to place. Equally, we consider food's presence, its absence and the impact of man-made and natural disasters on eating habits and food supplies.

This seminar proposes an in-depth study of the modern history of Korea from the perspective of its least acknowledged, yet determinant, agent: the people. It examines major social movements which shaped Korean history and democratisation, e.g. the college student and labour movements. It also addresses Korea's geopolitical predicament from the viewpoint of some of its victims, such as the Korean sex slaves under Japanese colonial rule and Korea's political and economic prisoners of the Cold War. Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor.