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. Open to Seniors and Juniors in History, Middle East and Judaic majors only.
"Biography"
This course teaches students how to write biography using primary-source texts. Some students will use personal papers?letters, diaries, protocols, etc.?from archives held in the Special Collections Department at UMass and the Five Colleges. Others may use obituaries, newspaper articles, and various secondary sources. Students will write a substantial biography or a paper that places biographies in their historiographical contexts. Students will also create or update biographies on Wikipedia.