Course Descriptions - Spring 2007

History & Government, Liberal Arts, Open/Free, Reading Content, Social Science

This course is a survey of American history from 1607-1865. It will trace the political, social, cultural and economic development of the United States from colonial times through the Civil War. Special attention will be given to political theory, the role of leadership, America's expansion across the continent and the rising tide of sectionalism that results in the Civil War.

History & Government, Liberal Arts, Open/Free, Reading Content, Social Science

This course is a survey of American history from 1865 to the present. It will examine the continuing political, social, cultural and economic development of the United States from reconstruction through the Second World War and the postwar years. Emphasis will be placed on the increasing power of the Presidency, the role of America as a world leader, industrial and technological growth and its impact on the environment.

History & Government, Liberal Arts, Open/Free, Reading Content, Social Science

This course is a survey of major historical developments and trends in Western Civilization from their origins to 1715 with emphasis on the formation and evolution of the social, political, economic, religious and cultural institutions of ancient, medieval and early modern Europe.

History & Government, Liberal Arts, Open/Free, Reading Content, Social Science

This course is a survey of major historical developments and trends in Western Civilization from 1715 to the present with emphasis on the evolution of social, political, economic, religious and cultural institutions in modern Europe.

History & Government, Liberal Arts, Open/Free, Reading Content, Social Science

This course examines the constitutional role and historical development of the American Presidency over the past 200 years, with particular emphasis on the expansion of presidential administrative powers over the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. This course also surveys the presidential election cycle, the role of social forces and institutions in presidential elections, the system of retiring or removing presidents, and will include a great deal of interactive dialogue and discussion on the major events surrounding the Presidential Elections.

History & Government, Liberal Arts, Open/Free, Reading Content, Social Science

This course is a survey of major world civilizations from their origins to 1500 stressing and interpreting social, cultural, intellectual, religious, economic and political developments of European, African, Asian and Amerindian societies and their contributions to humankind.

History & Government, Liberal Arts, Open/Free, Reading Content, Social Science

This course is a survey of major world civilizations from 1500 to the present, stressing social, cultural, intellectual, religious, economic and political developments of European, African, Asian, and American societies, their interaction, and their contributions to humankind.

History & Government, Liberal Arts, Open/Free, Reading Content, Social Science

This course is a seminar on American history from 1945 to the present. It will examine the challenges facing the United States after World War Two. Attention will be directed to America's activities during the Cold War, the Federal government's response to social and economic issues, the rising challenge of minority groups, and the impact of industrial and technological growth on the economy and the environment. Independent projects examining contemporary America will be assigned.

History & Government, Liberal Arts, Open/Free, Reading Content, Social Science

This course presents an in-depth study of the American Civil War. It centers on the war's military activity: strategies, campaigns, leadership and the lives of black and white soldiers. Both northern and southern perspectives of the causes and meaning of the war are covered. Significant attention is paid to the roles played by women and men on the home front, the political struggle within the central government and the response to the war by artists.

History & Government, Liberal Arts, Open/Free, Reading Content, Social Science

This course is a survey of major historical developments and trends in the rise of the West from their origins in the ancient Near East through Classical Greece and Rome to the decline and fall of the Roman Empire and the rise and triumph of Christianity. Attention is given to the formation and evolution of social, political, and economic institutions as well as intellectual, religious and cultural achievements.

History & Government, Liberal Arts, Open/Free, Reading Content, Social Science

This course will examine society, economy, culture and politics in New England from the arrival of Europeans until today. It will emphasize colonization, its role in the American Revolution and the subsequent development of political institutions. The course will give primary attention to Massachusetts and its influence on social and cultural movements, the Industrial Revolution and the evolution of global economy. Students will have opportunities to utilize regional historical resources and literary works.

History & Government, Liberal Arts, Open/Free, Reading Content, Social Science

This course is a survey of important political, social, economic and cultural developments in the world since 1945. Emphasis will be placed on the nuclear arms race, the Cold War, upheaval and transformation in the Third World and the continual realignment of the world balance of political and economic power since the end of the Second World War.

History & Government, Liberal Arts, Open/Free, Reading Content, Social Science

This course is a survey of Chinese and Japanese history from 1800 to the present. It will explore the nature of traditional China and Japan as they confronted the West, their contrasting responses to the Western presence in East Asia, and their struggles to reconcile traditional and modern ideas and institutions. It will also examine the emergence of nationalism in China and Japan, and the challenges they face in adjusting to a rapidly changing world order.

History & Government, Liberal Arts, Open/Free, Reading Content, Social Science

This course is a survey of the social, political, intellectual, religious and economic forces that have shaped the contemporary Middle East. It will explore the nature of the traditional, pre-modern Arab, Islamic, Jewish, Persian, and Turkish civilizations as they confronted modern external forces. Special attention will be given to the problems and conflicts arising from this confrontation, and each of the principal countries in this region will be examined separately.

History & Government, Liberal Arts, Open/Free, Reading Content, Social Science

This course is a survey of the war in Indo-China (1945-1975) which starts with the Viet Minh in World War II and concludes with the Paris Peace talks and the aftermath in the 1970s. It will focus on interpretations of the war itself and its resounding impact on the United States. The Vietnam War tore at the fabric of American society, and the course will examine the transformation of its sociocultural identity.

History & Government, Liberal Arts, Open/Free, Reading Content, Social Science

This course provides an analysis of World War II, including military, political, economic, social, technological, and cultural developments during the 1930s and 1940s. The course will focus on the major leaders, battles, strategies, and conduct of the war and on the lives of ordinary participants on and off the battlefields. The course will also emphasize life on the home front and the impact of the war on the postwar world.

History & Government, Liberal Arts, Open/Free, Reading Content, Social Science

This course is a seminar that will examine the cultural assumptions by which society measures the significance of men's and women's lives. It will trace the many roles of women in the past and discuss whether traditional expectations about individual values and gender roles are realistic or biased and whether double standards exist for men and women. Students will complete independent projects examining women's lives. The instructor will determine the particular emphasis in period and culture.

History & Government, Liberal Arts, Open/Free, Reading Content, Social Science

This course provides a study of history through film and media. This course will study the depiction of historical events on film and how they have shaped modern perceptions of history. Attention will be given to how films can depict the era in which they were made through an interpretation of historical events. Some of the key elements studied will be the portrayal of historical eras, world cultural groups, political and economic systems, social mores and a western interpretation of history through film. The last point of interest will be how certain films changed the nature of film-making and its interpretation of history.

History & Government, Liberal Arts, Open/Free, Reading Content, Social Science

This course examines the process of running for president from the announcement of candidacy through the general election. Emphasis will be placed on the '08 U.S. presidential campaign and election. Actual candidates and issues will form the basis for discussions and readings.

Northern Essex Community College

HIS101

US History I

HIS102

US History II

HIS111

Western Civilization I

HIS112

Western Civilization II

HIS113

The American Presidency

HIS121

World Civilization I

HIS122

World Civilization II

HIS201

Recent US History

HIS204

The US Civil War: America's Irrepressible Conflict

HIS211

Early Civilization in the West

HIS215

History of Massachusetts, New England and the World

HIS221

The Contemporary World

HIS222

Modern China & Japan

HIS223

The Modern Middle East

HIS224

Vietnam War

HIS250

World War II

HIS251

Women's History: Giving the Majority Its Past

HIS253

History and Film

HIS255

Quest for the Presidency