History

Degrees and Certificates

Classes

HST 111 : The West and the World I

This course is a comparative study of societies and cultures from prehistory through the Renaissance. It emphasizes the interaction between the West and the world in order to understand the current world. Prerequisite: A passing score on the college's reading and writing placement tests or, a C or better or concurrent enrollment in ENG 091 or ENG 092. Three lecture hours per week. Competencies met: Critical Thinking, Ethical Dimensions, Global and Historic Awareness, Multicultural and Social Perspectives. 3 credits Fall, Spring, Summer

Credits

3

Prerequisites

A passing score on the College's reading and English placement tests or a C or better or concurrent enrollment in ENG 091 or ENG 092. 

Students who successfully complete this course will: 1. Analyze a variety of primary and secondary historical sources and their varying perspectives. 2. Identify the origins, development, and spread of the world’s major cultural traditions. 3. Evaluate the relationship between the causes and effects of important historical events and trends. 4. Explain how certain diverse human societies evolved. 5. Appraise how the human historical experience of the past affects the present and future.

HST 112 : The West and the World II

This course is a comparative study of societies and cultures from the Renaissance to the present. It emphasizes the interaction between the West and the world in order to understand the current world. Prerequisite: A passing score on the college's writing and reading placement tests or, C or better or concurrent enrollment ENG 091 or ENG 092. Three lecture class hours per week. Competencies met: Critical Thinking, Ethical Dimensions, Global and Historic Awareness, Multicultural and Social Perspectives. 3 credits Fall, Spring, Summer.

Credits

3

Prerequisites

A passing score on the College's reading and English placement tests or C or better or concurrent enrollment ENG 091 or ENG 092. 

Students who successfully complete this course will: 1. Analyze a variety of primary and secondary historical sources and their varying perspectives. 2. Assess the origins, development and impact of revolution including the resulting political, economic, intellectual, and cultural changes. 3. Assess the origins, interrelationships, development and impact of nationalism, industrialization, imperialism and globalization. 4. Compare and contrast the differences between traditional and modern societies. 5. Explain the evolution and connections of world events on diverse human societies from the Renaissance to the present. 6. Analyze different political systems, including democracies and authoritarian governments around the world.

HST 113 : United States History to 1877

This course is a survey of the American past from the Age of Exploration to the end of Reconstruction. It examines the major forces, personalities, events, and institutions that shaped the American experience through 1877. Topics include the development of colonial society, the American Revolution, the Constitution (Federal and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts), the growth of the new nation, westward expansion, the rise of sectionalism, and the Civil War and Reconstruction era. Students develop the ability to think, read, and write critically and analytically and to understand the various forms of human interaction through a study of the creation and growth of the United States through 1877. The course aids students in their efforts to understand the principles of group behavior and social organizations and how power is wielded in society. Prerequisite: A passing score on the college's reading and writing placement tests or, C or better or concurrent enrollment in ENG 091 or ENG 092. Three lecture hours per week. Competencies met: Critical Thinking, Ethical Dimensions, Global and Historic Awareness, Multicultural and Social Perspectives. 3 credits Fall, Spring, Summer

Credits

3

Prerequisites

A passing score on the College's reading and English placement tests or C or better or concurrent enrollment in ENG 091 or ENG 092. 

Students who successfully complete this course will be able to: 1. Analyze the cultural conflicts from the pre-Columbian period through 1877. 2. Analyze the evolution of the American identity. 3. Examine the evolution of governmental institutions, policies and elections from colonial beginnings through the Reconstruction Era. 4. Explain the development and transformation of the American economy. 5. Evaluate the impact of social, religious and intellectual movements in the US to 1877.

HST 114 : United States History from 1877

This course is a survey of the American past from 1877 to the present. It examines the major forces, personalities, events, and institutions that have shaped the American experience to the present. Topics include westward expansion, industrialization, urbanization, mass immigration, race relations, and the global role of the United States in the 20th and 21st centuries. Students develop the ability to think, read, and write critically and analytically and to understand the various forms of human interaction through a study of the growth of the United States since 1877. The course aids students in their efforts to understand the principles of group behavior and how power is wielded in society. Prerequisite: A passing score on the college's reading and writing placement tests or, C or better or concurrent enrollment in ENG 091 or ENG 092. Three lecture hours per week. Competencies met: Critical Thinking, Ethical Dimensions, Global and Historic Awareness, Multicultural and Social Perspectives. 3 credits Fall, Spring, Summer

Credits

3

Prerequisites

A passing score on the College's reading and English placement tests or C or better or concurrent enrollment in ENG 091 or ENG 092. 

Students who successfully complete this course will be able to: 1. Assess the growth of American power from the Reconstruction Era to the present. 2. Analyze the continuing evolution of the American identity at home and abroad. 3. Examine the continuing evolution of American governmental institutions and policies from the Reconstruction Era to the present. 4. Explain the continuing development and transformation of the American economy. 5. Evaluate the impact of social, religious, intellectual, and cultural movements in the United States from the Reconstruction Era to the present.

HST 115 : Twentieth Century Social History-1919 to the Present

This course consists of a critical analysis of the major American domestic values, beliefs, and institutions as they changed over the 20th century and to the present time, with a special emphasis on the post-1945 era. Students develop the ability to use historical information to understand the current state of the U.S. and to explain the social and historical circumstances that led to major initiatives and events of the twentieth century. Students identify the forms of human interaction as they evolved in the increased demands for justice and fairness and the varied responses to the restructuring of the U.S. economy in the post-industrial age. Prerequisite: A passing score on the college's reading and writing placement tests or, C or better or concurrent enrollment in ENG 091 or ENG 092. Three lecture hours per week. Competencies met: Critical Thinking, Ethical Dimensions, Global and Historic Awareness, Multicultural and Social Perspectives. 3 credits Fall, Spring, Summer

Credits

3

Prerequisites

A passing score on the College's reading and English placement tests or C or better or concurrent enrollment in ENG 091 or ENG 092. 

1. Describe the development of American institutions as they evolved over the 20th century. 2. Explain the social and historical circumstances that led to major initiatives and events of the twentieth century. 3. Assess the forms of human interaction as they evolved in the increased demands for social justice and fairness. 4. Evaluate the varied responses to the restructuring of the U.S. economy in the post-industrial age. 5. Analyze the changing American domestic values and beliefs across the 20th century.

HST 116 : American Foreign Policy-1898 to the Present

This course provides a critical analysis of the major United States foreign policy trends of the 20th century and to the present time, with an emphasis on the historical roots of the nation's foreign policy and its diplomatic, political, economic, and military engagements with foreign nations. The issues are discussed in a global perspective and connections between historical and recent events are emphasized. This course aids students in their efforts to understand the principles of group behavior and how power is wielded among nations and how key groups in the U.S. weigh in on foreign policy decisions. Pre-requisite: A passing score on the college's reading and writing placement tests or concurrent enrollment in ENG 091 or ENG 092. Three lecture hours per week. Competencies Met: Critical Thinking, Ethical Dimensions, Global and Historic Awareness, Multicultural and Social Perspectives. 3 credits Fall, Spring, Summer

Credits

3

Prerequisites

A passing score on the College's reading and English placement tests or concurrent enrollment in ENG 091 or ENG 092. 

1. Identify the key elements and events of US foreign policy. 2. Assess the historical roots of the nation's foreign policy. 3. Evaluate US foreign policy relations with developing nations from World War II to the present. 4. Evaluate U.S. diplomatic, political, economic, and military engagements with foreign nations. 5. Analyze the major United States foreign policy trends of the 20th century to the present time.

HST 164 : The History of Southern New England

This course offers a general overview of the history of Southeastern New England from pre-contact to the present and concentrates on Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut with an emphasis on public history (history that is visible to people in their daily lives). Major topics include a consideration of the indigenous peoples of the area, the colonial development of Southeastern New England, the ethnicity of the region, and the importance of the Southeastern New England area to the social, cultural, political, and economic development of the United States. Students develop the abilities to think, to write, and to read critically and analytically and to understand the various forms of human interaction through a study of the unique history of the southeastern regions of New England. This course also aids students in their efforts to understand the principles of group behavior and social organizations and how power is wielded in society. One lecture hour per week. Competency met: Humanities (6.0) 1 credit Fall, Spring

Credits

1
1. Explain the major historical trends in the history of the United States as related to the Southern New England region. 2. Demonstrate an understanding of the importance of geography to the history of New England. 3. Relate and discuss historical events to persons and places visible in everyday life. 4. Analyze and appraise the importance of historical sites to the economic life of the Southern New England region. 5. Define and demonstrate an understanding of the major historical developments of Southern New England history from the period of precontact to the late Twentieth Century. 6. Demonstrate the relation of the sites of historical importance in the region to major historical themes in American history.

HST 220 : Roots of Human Societies

This course is an introduction to the origins and development of human culture from prehistory to the decline of the dominant European and Asian empires in the 4th century. Students learn the spiritual, political, philosophical, technological, and economic systems that laid the foundations for many contemporary global patterns. Three lecture hours per week. Competency met: Social Phenomenon (5.4), Humanities (6.0) 3 credits Fall, Spring, Summer

Credits

3
1. Explain how humans were able to adapt to almost every environment on earth and the resulting diversity of world cultures. 2. Identify the origins, development, and spread of several of the world’s major spiritual traditions. 3. Describe the development of systems of authority, order, and control that extended across time and space to create territorial systems. 4. Read, interpret, and evaluate a variety of historical materials (text, primary sources, varying pictorial and graphic materials) to answer questions and understand varying perspectives. 5. Recognize and describe patterns of change and continuity over time.

HST 221 : Who Fought, Who Worked, Who Prayed: The Middle Ages

This course examines civilization in Europe and the Middle East, emphasizing the spiritual, intellectual, political, social, and economic forces that shaped these societies. The course begins with the decline and breakup of the Roman Empire in the 4th and 5th centuries and continues to the time of the Renaissance in the 13th and 14th centuries at the beginning of the early modern period. The course uses brief biographical sketches of the peoples of the Middle Ages across the broad social, political, intellectual, and economic spectrum of the period from 476 to 1500 to illustrate this fascinating, challenging, and transitional time in the West and the world. Three lecture hours per week. Competency met: Social Phenomenon (5.4), Humanities (6.0) 3 credits Fall, Spring, Summer

Credits

3
1. Discover a better concept of themselves within the human experience in relationship to time – past, present, and future. 2. Develop a clearer and more comprehensive understanding of Western civilization and the historical forces, which produced it from the end of the Roman Empire to the beginning of the modern world. 3. Recognize that events and forces of the contemporary world did not develop out of a vacuum, but had their origins in the past. 4. Describe the basis of the feudal system and its economic, social, and political impact. 5. Identify the local nature of the economic, social, and political system known as feudalism and explain the difference between it and our modern democratic institutions. 6. Discuss the diversity, richness, and uniqueness of the lives of medieval people and compare them to the lives of other people from diverse cultures and time periods.

HST 222 : The Age of the Revolutions

This course examines the growth and development of early modern Europe from the Renaissance to 1815 and its relationship to the world. Topics include the Reformation, the world system prior to European hegemony, the results of European exploration and conquest, the settlement of the Americas and its impact on Native Americans, the emergence of slavery, the rise of a European middle class and its conflict with feudalism, the Enlightenment movement and the development of science, and the French Revolution. Students develop the ability to think, read, and write critically and analytically and to understand the various forms of human interaction during this key transitional period in human history. The course aids students in their efforts to understand the principles of group behavior and social organizations and how power is wielded in society. Prerequisite: A passing score on the College's writing and reading placement tests or, C or better or concurrent enrollment in ENG 091 or ENG 092. Three lecture hours per week. Competencies met: Critical Thinking, Ethical Dimensions, Global and Historic Awareness, Human Expression, Multicultural and Social Perspectives. 3 credits Fall, Spring, Summer

Credits

3

Prerequisites

A passing score on the College's writing and reading placement tests or, C or better or concurrent enrollment in ENG 091 or ENG 092.

Students who successfully complete this course will: 1. Analyze a variety of primary and secondary historical sources and their varying perspectives. 2. Recognize patterns of change and continuity with emphasis on risk taking and innovation. 3. Assess how world geography shapes personal and cultural values and the collective identity of people around the world. 4. Compare various political and economic systems that co-existed during this time period. 5. Explain the changes in religious beliefs and practices. 6. Evaluate the effect of nation states and empires on contemporary world issues and challenges.

HST 226 : Food in History

Everything we eat is the result of the collective human experience: that story is called history. This course begins with the first human groups and continues to the food practices and challenges of the present day. The development of distinctive cuisines in Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Western Hemisphere (including regional North American cuisine) are embedded in the larger story of human experience. What, when, where, and how we eat reflect the geography, climate, religion, social status, and the interaction of cultures through trade, migration, and conflict. Prerequisite: A passing score on the College's writing and reading placement tests or, C or better or concurrent enrollment in ENG 091 or ENG 092. Three lecture hours per week. Competencies met: Critical Thinking, Global and Historic Awareness, Human Expression, Multicultural and Social Perspectives. This course is offered as an elective for students in the Culinary Arts program and for any student who needs to fulfill a humanities distribution requirement. 3 credits Fall, Spring.

Credits

3

Prerequisites

A passing score on the College's writing and reading placement tests or, C or better or concurrent enrollment in ENG 091 or ENG 092.

Students who successfully complete this course will be able to: 1. Identify the essential human activities that define culture and how they apply to the development of the diversity of global foodways. 2. Examine how spiritual and social beliefs and practices shaped the development of foodways in different places over time. 3. Apply knowledge of essential historical events and experiences to the changes in foodways. 4. Identify the patterns of major population shifts and their connection to the creation of distinctive cuisines. 5. Assess the patterns of change and continuity in foodways both within and across cultures.

HST 251 : The Social History of American Women

A survey of women's lives in America from the beginning of the English settlement to the present. The course considers marriage, family, childrearing, work, religion and politics. Readings, lectures, and discussions emphasize the diversity of women's lives according to age, race, ethnicity, social class, and place of residence. Prerequisite: A passing score on the College's writing and reading placement tests or, C or better or concurrent enrollment in ENG 091 or ENG 092. Three lecture hours per week. Competency met: Critical Thinking, Global and Historic Awareness, Multicultural and Social Perspectives, Written Communication. 3 credits Fall

Credits

3

Prerequisites

A passing score on the College's writing and reading placement tests or, C or better or concurrent enrollment inENG 091 orENG 092. 

Students who successfully complete this course will be able to: 1. Explain the political, social, and cultural history of a diverse population of American women from the Pre-Columbian period to the present day. 2. Assess the ways that women have altered and shaped the social, cultural, and political face of the United States. 3. Appraise the transformation and evolution of gender relations throughout American history and across various cultural, ethnic, and socio-economic groups. 4. Analyze both primary and scholarly sources on women's history including art, literature, and speeches. 5. Analyze issues affecting women in American history in their greater historical context, and how they impact women today. 6. Write analytically about issues affecting women in American history and their greater historical context.

HST 252 : African-American History

This course examines the history, traditions, and culture of African Americans, beginning with African civilizations before slavery, the slave trade, slavery in the United States, and the various stages in the development of African American history. Students use the historical information to understand the current world, to appreciate the richness of beliefs, values, and traditions of people from diverse groups, and to heighten awareness of how power is wielded in society. Prerequisite(s): A passing score on the college's reading and writing placement tests, or a c or better or concurrent enrollment in ENG 091 or ENG 092. Three lecture hours per week. Competencies met: Critical Thinking, Global and Historic Awareness, Human Expression. 3 credits Spring

Credits

3
Students who successfully complete this course will be able to: 1. Evaluate a variety of primary and secondary historical sources. 2. Analyze the impact of religious, intellectual, and cultural movements in Russia and the Soviet Union in the 20th Century. 3. Analyze the influence of complex and diverse cultures within Russia and the Soviet Union. 4. Explain how geography shapes personal and cultural values and the collective identity of the Russian people. 5. Explain the development and transformation of the Soviet economy to a post-Soviet economy, as it relates to contemporary issues and challenges.

HST 254 : Twentieth Century Russian and Soviet History

This course is a survey of Russian, Soviet and post-Soviet political, social, economic and intellectual history from 1890 to the present. Emphasis is placed on the legacy and traditions of the Czarist Empire, on the development of Russian Marxism, on the origins, course and affect of the Bolshevik (communist) Revolution and on the major changes within the former Soviet Union since 1991. Prerequisite(s): A passing score on the college's reading and writing placement tests, or a C or better or concurrent enrollment in ENG 091 or ENG 092. Three lecture hours per week. Competencies met: Critical Thinking, Global and Historic Awareness, Human Expression. 3 credits Fall

Credits

3
Students who successfully complete this course will be able to: 1. Evaluate a variety of primary and secondary historical sources. 2. Analyze the impact of religious, intellectual, and cultural movements in Russia and the Soviet Union in the 20th Century. 3. Analyze the influence of complex and diverse cultures within Russia and the Soviet Union. 4. Explain how geography shapes personal and cultural values and the collective identity of the Russian people. 5. Explain the development and transformation of the Soviet economy to a post-Soviet economy, as it relates to contemporary issues and challenges.

HST 256 : History of World War II

A one-semester study of the origins, causes, events, and consequences of World War Two (1939-1945). The course will consider the war from a variety of perspectives and will examine the political, diplomatic, military, economic, technological, and intellectual developments related to the war. Three lecture hours per week. Competency met: Humanities (6.0) 3 credits Spring

Credits

3
1. Evaluate the origins and causes of WWII within the global context of post-WWI conditions, which set the stage for the rise of Totalitarianism and the growing global crises of the 1920’s and 1930’s. 2. Describe the impact of scientific and technological developments on the weapons technology by 1939 and its impact on the course of WWII. 3. Explain the immediate events leading up to the outbreak of war in Europe in Sept. 1939. 4. Assess how Germany conquered most of Europe by 1942 and the Allied reaction to German military expansion. 5. Describe the events in East Asia and the western Pacific, which led to Japanese military conquest and expansion from 1931 to 1942. 6. Identify how the Allied powers (U.S., Great Britain and the U.S.S.R.) eventually stopped, and then finally defeated, the Axis powers. 7. Evaluate the impact of the Allied victory on the post-1945 world.

HST 257 : History of Modern East Asia (China and Japan)

This course is a survey of 19th and 20th century Asian history with a special emphasis on China and Japan. The course focuses on the political, social, economic, and cultural development of China since the Qing dynasty with an emphasis on the development of modern Chinese nationalism and the theory and practice of Maoism; the background and significance of the Meiji Restoration and Japanese modernization, the fall of the Japanese empire, and the emergence of Japan as an economic superpower. Students develop the ability to think, read, and write critically and analytically and to understand the various forms of human interaction through a study of the unique culture of East Asia during the modern period. The course aids students in their efforts to understand the principles of group behavior and social organizations and how power is wielded in society. Three lecture hours per week. Competency met: Global Awareness (5.2), Social Phenomenon (5.4), Humanities (6.0) 3 credits Spring

Credits

3
1. Analyze the scope of human experience as perceived through the study of history, particularly the history of non-Western societies. 2. Recognize and analyze that the study of Asian history (China and Japan) yields an awareness of the forces that shaped the world today. 3. Write critically and analytically about East Asian culture, society, economics, and government. 4. Read both primary and secondary sources and explain and synthesize college level materials on East Asian history. 5. Recognize and explain the cultural context of Asia and utilize that understanding within the framework of American cultural diversity.

HST 259 : History of North American Indian Peoples

This course examines the history of the indigenous people of North America from archaic times to the present. Students study the unique culture and civilizations of the Amerindian peoples north of the Rio Grande River before and after contact with other cultures and societies. Students develop the ability to think, read, and write critically and analytically and to understand the various forms of human interaction through a study of the unique cultures of native nations of North America. The course aids students in their efforts to understand the principles of group behavior and social organizations and how power is wielded in society. Prerequisite: A passing score on the college's reading and writing placement tests or, C or better or concurrent enrollment in ENG 091 or ENG 092. Competencies met: Critical Thinking, Ethical Dimensions, Global and Historic Awareness, Human Expression, Multicultural and Social Perspectives. Three lecture hours per week. 3 credits Fall

Credits

3

Prerequisites

 A passing score on the College's writing and reading placement tests or, C or better or concurrent enrollment in ENG 091 or ENG 092.

Students who successfully complete this course will: 1. Demonstrate a general knowledge of the complex and diverse cultures and societies of the indigenous nations of North America. 2. Appraise the multicultural nature of modern life within the context of Native American Indian history. 3. Describe the interplay of economics, politics, culture, diplomacy, and technology in the conduct of the United States government towards its native peoples. 4. Apply the tools gained from the study of the past to an analysis of the present and prediction for the future. 5. Explain how an understanding of the history of North American Indian Peoples makes students better citizens in an increasingly complex world.

HST 260 : Topics in History

A one-semester course on a specified topic or period of history. Topic to be announced each semester. Prerequisite(s): A passing score on the college's reading and writing placement tests, or C or better or concurrent enrollment in ENG 091 or ENG 092. Competencies met: Critical Thinking, Ethical Dimensions, Global and Historic Awareness, Human Expression. Three lecture hours per week. 3 credits Not offered every year

Credits

3
Students who successfully complete this course will: 1. Explain how an understanding of history makes students better citizens in an increasingly complex world. 2. Analyze a variety of primary and secondary historical sources and their varying perspectives. 3. Apply the tools gained from the study of the past to an analysis of the present and predictions for the future.

HST 265 : Immigration and Ethnicity in American History

This course examines the cultural, economic, and political significance of immigration in American history. Students study those forces that have fostered immigration to the United States and how mass immigration has created a multi-ethnic, multi-racial, and culturally diverse society. Students develop the ability to think, read, and write critically and analytically and to understand the various forms of human interaction through a study of the creation and growth of the United States. The course aids students in their efforts to understand the principles of group behavior and how power is wielded in society. Three lecture hours per week. Competency met: Multicultural Perspective (5.3), Social Phenomenon (5.4), Humanities (6.0) 3 credits Spring

Credits

3
1. Recognize that the United States, from its earliest beginnings, has been a racially, ethnically, and culturally diverse nation. 2. Explain how and why mass immigration has been, and still is, a potent force in shaping the American nation. 3. Describe the numerous and varied contributions made to American culture by the peoples who have settled in the United States. 4. Read and write analytically about immigration to the United States.