History 450 - JYW Seminar in History

This seminar trains students in historical research techniques and the writing of history, and fulfills the University's Junior Writing requirement. See the History Department course description guide for various sectional sub-titles and descriptions.

Open to Seniors and Juniors in History, Middle East and Judaic majors only. Experiences of the Civil War: This junior seminar will examine how various groups of people experienced the Civil War differently, including Union and Confederate soldiers, women and children on the battlefield and the home front, fugitive slaves and newly freed people in contraband camps, the Union army, and in Confederate territory. Students are required to write weekly in different genres, such as book review for a popular audience, an academic book review, historical fiction, a blog entry, and an opinion piece. Students will complete a 15-25-page research paper based on original research using primary sources from local or online archives and published collections. We will also engage in peer review, with students commenting on drafts of each other's work as well as giving a conference-style presentation.