HISTORY 308B      America: 1945-Present: Our Times
This course examines United States social, intellectual, economic, political, and diplomatic history from the end of World War II to the present. Given our focus on the recent past, special emphasis is placed upon the importance of the historical perspective to an understanding of contemporary affairs. Major themes include: America's rise to the world power, the development of the Keynesian welfare state, the concentration of corporate wealth and power, the persistence of poverty amidst plenty, and the changing status of American minority groups.
Credits: 3 hours
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HISTORY 330PW      The Works Of Western Man
In the period 1750-1987, the nations bordering the Atlantic Ocean, largely relying on their technological advances, became world powers. This course, relying on analysis of films plus required readings, will survey the energy sources employed, the tools developed, and the regimes of the workplace which led to this dominance. Grades will be assigned to three types of exercises: frequent quizzes, a mini-project in historical research and a book critique of a piece of fiction.
Credits: 4 hours
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HISTORY 331P      America In The Machine Age
The United States has experienced repeated waves of technological advancements. This course will largely focus on industrialization in the 19th century as well as consumer society of our own era. How Americans produced goods and what were the dynamics of the market place are two central themes. Required readings will be complemented by films and presentations from resource persons throughout Kansas City. A research project and three tests are required.
Credits: 4 hours
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HISTORY 332P      The City: Past And Present
This course treats the built environment, especially the urban infrastructure. Both systems and structures of the cityscape are examined from a historical perspective, with three metropolises (Rome, Paris, New York) and Kansas City serving as case studies. the technical areas include shelter, public buildings, transportation, water supply, power, waste management, communications, and the like. Projects are included. Offered: Every 2 years.
Credits: 4 hours
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HISTORY 333      Introduction to African American Studies
This course provides an introduction to the contexts, theories, and methodologies that undergird African American studies. In addition to substantial time spent covering particular research skills and resources, students will also be introduced to African American culture and the issues related to African American studies from several perspectives:history, literature, sociology, communication studies, and the like. Influences and perspectives from Africa, the Caribbean and South America will also be covered. The course will thus provide a broad background in African American culture and history, an introduction to the methodologies of several disciplines, and discussion of particular contemporary and historical issues such as slavery, segregation and integration, the Civil Rights Movement, Pan-Africansism, Afrocentrism, and current political debates.
Credits: 3 hours
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HISTORY 352      Latin American History Through the Movies
This course explores the national cinemas and film industries of various regions in Latin America. Students analyze films both as artistic endeavors an as sociological documents that provide a window into the socio-historical context of the nation in question. this course will also examine the history of Latin American cinema from the beginnings of sound to the present.
Credits: 3 hours
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HISTORY 354R      Women In Modern America
This course traces the part women have played in the processes of industrialization and urbanization. It looks at the general demographic, economic and social changes affecting women of all classes, as well as the role of middle-class women in the progressive, prohibition and suffrage movements. The course will also study the impact of the two world wars and the Depression upon the roles of women. Also offered as HISTORY 554.
Credits: 3 hours
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HISTORY 356      Rise Of The City In The U.S.
This course treats the background and major developments of the urbanization of the United States. Includes the American urban tradition, the scope of urbanization, colonial beginnings, urban rivalries, promotion, case studies of cities, the growth of urban services, the slum, problems of government, population trends, urban planning, and suburban growth. Consideration is also given to the methods and techniques of urban research and history of the development of this field. Also offered as HISTORY 556.
Credits: 3 hours
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HISTORY 356R      Kansas City: History Of A Regional Metropolis
This course uses Kansas City as an urban laboratory to help students better understand the dynamics of the urbanization process in America. It features lectures and discussions on such subjects as early settlement patterns, the battle for the first bridge over the Missouri River, the development of an economy based on agricultural pursuits, the City Beautiful Movement, the social fabric, the Pendergast Machine, and the impact of World War II and after. The course fits Kansas City into the larger framework of the American urban mosaic. Also offered as HISTORY 556R.
Credits: 3 hours
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HISTORY 357      The American West
This course deals with the relationship of the American West to the social and economic development of the United States. Major emphasis is placed on the role of the trans-Mississippi West in the economic growth of the national economy. Related cultural and political events are evaluated in the terms of the many Western frontiers. Emphasis will be placed on the Turner thesis, the Indian heritage, frontier violence, and the cow town experience. Also offered as HISTORY 557.
Credits: 3 hours
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HISTORY 358      History Of The American South I
A study of the political, intellectual, cultural, economic, and social development of the American South up to and including the Civil War. Special topics discussed will be the plantation system, slavery, abolition, secession, the Confederacy, and the interaction of the region with the nation. On demand.* Also offered as History 5558.
Credits: 3 hours
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HISTORY 360R      Constitutional History Of The United States
The general question covered is: how does American society govern itself? Topics include the fusion of Anglo traditions and American environment, creation of the American republic under the Constitution of 1787, the struggle for sovereignty during the Marshall-Taney era, and the Supreme Court's utilization of the 14th Amendment to adapt the Constitution to modernity. Also offered as HISTORY 560R.
Credits: 3 hours
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HISTORY 361      American Foreign Relations
Following a rapid survey of major principles and actions in American diplomatic affairs before 1900, this course analyzes developing principles, problems, methods and factors in American foreign relations since that date. Attention is given to the interrelationships of domestic factors and foreign relations with an attempt to discover principal influences that have shaped this area of American development. Also offered as HISTORY 561R.
Credits: 3 hours
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HISTORY 364R      Nature, Culture And The Human Experience
This course is an introduction to various interpretations of nature with a focus on American culture and society. We will consider ideas about nature from diverse perspectivesincluding history, literature, philosophy and religion-in order to understand how human perceptions and uses shape relations with the natural world. Specific themes include such diverse topics as the aesthetic tradition, environmental thought, and environmental justice.
Credits: 3 hours
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HISTORY 365A      American Environmental History
This course examines the changing relationships between human beings and the natural world through time. The main argument of this course will be that American History looks very different through an environmental lens. Nature is an important category of historical analysis-as well as a topic worthy of historical study itself-and this course will examine themes as diverse as Native American ecology to the modern environment crusade.
Credits: 3 hours
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HISTORY 366RR      American Labor History
This course examines the history of work and the working class in the U.S. from 1750 to the present. We will focus on the transformation of the workplace, the rise of the union movement, the nature of cultural and political organizations, workers' relationships with other social groups, and the role played by gender, race, and ethnicity in uniting or dividing the working class. Also offered as HISTORY 566RR.
Credits: 3 hours
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HISTORY 368      Children and Youth in American History
This course-which brings a gendered perspective to the history of childhood and the study of youth-focuses on the changing construction of girlhood and boyhood from precontact to the present. We will examine the variety of forces that have scripted the lives of children and adolescents and explore the active role they have played in shaping their lives and American culture. We will make use of the scholarly literature on childhood and youth as well as examine such primary sources as childbearing manuals, laws, literature, cartoons, and toys as material culture. Semester offered: On demand
Credits: 3 hours
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HISTORY 369      Women And Work In Early America
Drawing upon more than two decades of outstanding scholarship that places women and gender at the center of investigation and interpretation, this course focuses on the ways in which gender, race, region and class have shaped the historical experiences of women in north America. We will trace the lives of American women from precontact to 1865 through an examination of a wide variety of social, cultural, economic, and political forces and factors including work and leisure, family life, political activities and organizations, and education Semester offered: On demand
Credits: 3 hours
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HISTORY 370      Introduction To Material Culture
This course will consider the ways in which material culture contributes to our understanding of history. Scholars have increasingly recognized the significance of ""the things they left behind,"" particularly as they provide insights to the lives of those who did not leave extensive written records. Students will consider all aspects of material culture, drawing largely on examples from American history: architecture , domestic utensils and furnishings, clothing, tools, and good agricultural practices. The courses will emphasize the process of handicraft technology as well as the product, and will consider the impact of modernization upon both process and product. Also offered as HISTORY 570.
Credits: 3 hours
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HISTORY 391      Archival Methods
This combined discussion and research course will examine the research potential of primary-source materials in the custody of archival depositories and the methodology employed to utilize effectively these resources. An analysis of archival method, specifically in the areas of arrangement, description and preservation, will be emphasized during the discussion portion of the course. Most of the course will be devoted to independent research in various collections of the Regional Archives of the Kansas City Federal Records Center. The course will meet at such places as the Federal Records Center, 2306 Bannister Road, or the Truman Library for both the discussion and research segments. Also offered as HISTORY 591. Summer.
Credits: 3 hours
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