'This course introduces students to the major themes of U.S. women's history from the 1890s to the present. We will look both at the experiences of a diverse group of women in the U.S. as well as the ideological meaning of gender as it evolved and changed over the twentieth century. We will chart the various meanings of womanhood (for example, in relation to motherhood, work, the domestic sphere, and sexuality) along racial, ethnic, and class lines and in different regions, and will trace the impact multiple identities have had on women's activism.'

'The Bolshevik Revolution of 1917 marked the coming of totalitarianism to Russia. Led first by Lenin and then by Stalin, the country went through the most brutal civil war, purges, World War II, and the first stages of cold war. This period also saw immense social change and sweeping economic transformation. What were the causes of totalitarianism in Russia? How did the regime function? What were the major landmarks of Russian history in the period 1917-1953?'

'This course explores the complex, often comic, and ultimately tragic history of Bohemia, a territory located today in the Czech Republic, but previously a part of the Habsburg Monarchy, then of Czechoslovakia, and then of Hitler's Third Reich. Students will complement historical studies with autobiographical material and contemporary fiction, beginning with the Revolution of 1848, progressing through the achievements and worrisome trends of Emperor Francis Joseph's 68-year reign, and concluding with the world wars.

'An introduction to interdisciplinary research methods in history, social science, and the digital humanities, using conceptions of nature, environmental change, and public health as themes for investigation. Topics include the collection, organization, and analysis of information from databases, printed materials, and research notes as well as bibliographic management.

'An attempt at understanding the Nazi-led assault on Europe's Jews. Course units include an exploration of origins, both German and European; an analysis of the evolving mechanics of genocide (mobile killing squads, death camps, etc.); comparisons (Germany proper vs. Poland, the Holocaust vs. other instances of state-sponsored mass murder); legal dimensions; and an introduction to the politics of Holocaust remembrance since 1945.'

'This course surveys Native American history from ancient times through the U.S. Civil War, tracing the ways that tribal communities have shaped North America. Beginning with the diverse indigenous societies that inhabited the Americas millennia before Columbus's arrival, it discusses the cultural complexity of Native peoples, nations, and worldviews rooted in particular ecosystems and homelands.

'This course narrates Japan's transformation from a chaotic set of warring states (mid-16th century) into a highly urbanized, literate, cultured but nonetheless feudal state--the Tokugawa enfiefed over 200 feudal lords (daimyo). From this un-modern foundation, 19th century samurai and their allies created a 'Japan' capable of leaping into the modern world after 1868.

'This course focuses on the Italian peninsula and urban life in Florence, Naples, Rome, Milan, and Venice from the fourteenth through the early seventeenth centuries; it follows the little people (popolo minuto), artisans, and elites in their challenges to government, law, church, and society.

'Why are some nations so much richer and more powerful than others? This course demonstrates that global inequality is not natural; it has a history. Exploring patterns of exchange that developed among regions of the world over the past 600 years, we will ask about the role of power in the establishment of practices of production and exchange. We will explore how cross-regional productive systems benefited some participants at the expense of others.

'African cities demonstrate the failure of models of development with the aim and ideal of industrialization. This course examines the empty promises of modernity through the lens of African urban history using fiction, film, and city archives. Beginning with Timbuctu and Cairo, the course explores the emergence and decline of trade entrepots, the rise of colonial cities, and the dilemmas of postcolonial economies and polities. Dar es Salaam, Nairobi, Kampala, Kinshasa, Harare, Johannesburg, Lagos, Accra, and Dakar are among the cities studied.