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.
History Writing and Political Activism

This seminar will challenge the notion that good historical writing must be politically neutral. We will read different types of historical writing that pursue explicit political agendas or advocate for specific causes, and we will discuss how the authors manage (or fail) to take a stand while upholding rigorous standards of evidence and argument. Students will write several papers (including a short opinion piece, a historiographical essay, and a longer argument paper with primary sources) on topics political interest to themselves in a historical context they have previously studied or are currently studying. Success in the class will depend on the student's willingness to complete weekly assignments in a timely manner, recognition of the need for both political passion and scholarly responsibility, and ability to identify a promising topic and pursue it on a semi-independent basis (with guidance from the professor).