Introductory Level Courses

HIST1001Past into Present (O)3 ch (3C) (W)

History starts here, with the news and public debates of today. This general interest course examines how our understanding of the world we live in is shaped by our knowledge of history. The course is divided into two or three modules (depending on available instructors), which will vary from year to year, and will range in focus from world crises to popular culture.

HIST1002The World Since 1945 (A)3 ch (3C) (W)

This general interest course examines major themes in global history since the end of the Second World War. Topics to be examined include the origins, evolution, and end of the Cold War; the emergence of new nations in Africa and Asia; comparative social change; cultural revolutions and the status of women; and recent responses to globalization and armed conflict. 

HIST1004War in the Modern World (A)3 ch (3C) (W)

This general interest course analyzes the history of a current conflict by exploring the domestic and international contexts and options for ending the conflict. Combines lectures, discussion and simulations, to examine the role of allies, armies, paramilitaries, agents provocateurs, multinational corporations, non-government organizations and the United Nations.

HIST1007History of the Body (O)3 ch (3C) (W)

This general interest course examines how the body has been imagined, experienced, controlled, and understood, both historically and today, by art, medicine, technology, religion, science and popular culture. Considers the sexualized and pregnant body, the sinful and diseased body, the aesthetic and the medicalized body, and the body as machine from Galen and Descartes to the age of the computer, the cyborg and the gene.

HIST1008Belief Systems in Medieval Europe (O)3 ch (3C) (W)

Surveys the 'mental worlds' of Europeans between the fall of the Roman Empire (c. 400 A.D.) and the beginning of the early modern period (c. 1500). What were the beliefs and worldviews of medieval people? What did they value? What did they fear? What were they willing to do to stay safe, to feel their lives mattered, to be happy? And how did this change over time? While the Christian faith was the lodestone of most Europeans' lives, some took paths that were feared or condemned by the Church and society. The focus is on the ways in which such heterodox ideas and practices laid the groundwork for the formation of a more modern mindset.

HIST1009Epidemic Disease from the Middle Ages to the Present (O)3 ch (3C) (W)

Explores the changing perceptions of epidemic disease from the 14th Century to the present day. By focusing on infectious illnesses such as plague, smallpox, cholera, influenza, and COVID-19, our examination considers various socio-cultural, medical, and governmental responses to epidemics (and pandemics). Particular attention is given to both change and continuity over time, posing (and seeking answers to) questions such as: how have explanations of and responses to epidemic disease changed over time; how have they remained the same; to what extent, and why?

HIST1133Rome: The Eternal City II (O)3 ch (3C) (W) (EL)

This general interest course provides an introduction to the history of Rome from the Baroque period to the modern age. Normally taught on location. May not be taken by students who have taken HIST 2133 or HIST 3133.

HIST1135Italy Today (O)3 ch (3S) (W) (EL)
An introduction to the politics, society, and culture of Italy since 1945. Normally taught on location. May not be taken by students who have taken HIST 3135.
HIST1305Prohibition and Rum-running in Canada, 1827-1948 (O)3 ch (3C) (W)

This general interest course introduces the historical method while exploring the controversial theme of prohibition. Examines both protagonists in the struggle: prohibitionists, whose ideology was rooted in evangelical religion and an early strain of feminism, and the "Rummies" who fought to preserve a recreational drinking culture and the economic opportunities that it made possible.

HIST1315Canadian History on Film (O)3 ch (3C) (W)

This general interest course introduces the challenges of studying history on film by examining selected themes in Canadian history and their representation in documentary and dramatic films.

HIST1325Canada since 1945 (O)3 ch (3C) (W)

This general interest course addresses the major issues of contemporary Canadian history, including post-war reconstruction, the emergence of the welfare state, the Quiet Revolution in Quebec, Canadian external relations, immigration policy, regional disparity, political leadership, and national identity. Restriction: Not available for credit to students who have taken HIST 2325 . 

HIST1415"Cowboys and Indians?" A History of Native People in Canadian and American Popular Culture (O)3 ch (3C) (W)
This general interest course examines the conflict between Native people and the Canadian and US settler societies by focusing on how Native people have been and are still being portrayed within the popular culture of those settler societies through film, television, literature, music, material culture, sports, etc This course will examine the underlying beliefs and values of these portrayals and how they have changed over time as well as the various responses by Native people. The course also explores the concept of "popular culture", the relationship between stereotypes and racism, the romanticization of Native Cultures, and the extent to which the "Cowboys and Indians" ideology continues to manifest itself in the rhetoric of resource development. Normally taught online.
HIST1451The American Presidential Election in Historial Context (O)3 ch (3C) (W)

This political history course introduces students to some of the key issues surrounding each U.S. presidential campaign. Offered every four years to correspond with the American Presidential election cycle, it will normally be co-taught with Political Science. Students who take this course cannot take POLS 1451.

HIST1615 Resist, Rebel, Revolt: A Global History of Uprisings (O) 3 ch (W)
This course explores the forms, causes, and outcomes of resistance, rebellion, and revolution in a variety of different historical contexts. Beginning with pre-modern forms of insurrection and extending to present day-day revolutionary activity, we will examine how historical actors mobilized or confronted categories of race, ethnicity, gender, and class. We set out to answer the following questions: How do people overthrow their rulers? Do radical upheavals require violence and terror? Do the outcomes of resistance ever match initial expectations? What does the act of revolt or rebellion tell us about power in a given historical moment? With a particular focus on histories of uprisings in Global south countries, we will examine how resistance, rebellion, and revolution not only mark transitions in world history, but also show continuities in histories, ideas and national mythologies through their legacies and impact.
HIST1625The Spy in History (O)3 ch (3C)
This general interest course considers history of spying. It traces the evolution of espionage from the Middle Ages to contemporary times. In this class we will focus on some of the world's most infamous spies, and we will chronicle the role that these men and women played in our histories.
HIST1715Looking at the Past: Art, Culture, and Activism (O)3 ch (3C) (W)

Examines the history of art, artists, and culture in resisting colonialism, heterosexism, and capitalism. Considers a variety of artists across historical periods who use traditional artforms such as painting and drawing; contemporary forms such as performance art, video, film, television, and internet art; installation art in museums and public exhibitions; site-specific and environmental art; and radical activist art to challenge the status quo in a variety of historical and geographic contexts. Restriction: Not available for credit to students who have taken HIST 2715 . 

HIST1825"Nothing Civil About It" : Civil Wars Since 1900 (O)3 ch (3C) (W)
This general interest course considers the phenomenon of civil war with a particular focus on the 20th and 21st century. We will consider multiple perspectives on individual conflicts in an attempt to understand the complexities and consequences of civil war. How do such wars begin, evolve, and end? What is their impact on individuals, organizations, societies, nations, and the world?