History

Major year course. 3 credits. Form III.

This survey course introduces students to the main historical forces that emerged during the post-classical age, the early modern age, and the long nineteenth century that indelibly changed human history. Beginning with an examination of the major cultures and civilizations in the Eastern Hemisphere during the post-classical period, the course then focuses on trade connections, the relationship between state and religion, and political, intellectual, and technological innovations. The course explores why the nexus of global political and economic power shifts from the Eastern Hemisphere to the Western in the early modern period. Throughout this course, students will learn about the key cultures and civilizations in East and South Asia, West and East Africa, Europe, and the Americas. Students will explore the role of geography in affecting the development of modern human societies, the question of who makes history and why, and how people have made sense of their world since the year 1000 CE. The course emphasizes critical thinking and facilitates the development of reading comprehension, note-taking, and writing skills. Students are introduced to the analysis of primary sources, including literary texts, artifacts, and visual art.

Major year course. 3 credits. Form IV.

This course focuses on major developments around the world during the last century, starting with an exploration of the causes of the First World War and ending with an examination of the events of 9/11. The course will cover a number of political, social, cultural, and intellectual developments including but not limited to: the Russian Revolution and establishment of the USSR, the rise of fascism and totalitarianism around the globe, the Communist Revolution in China, the Second World War, the Cold War and its cultural effects, decolonization in Africa and Asia, the rise of various rights movements such as environmentalism, and the consequences of globalization. Students will undertake a major research paper project in semester 2.

Major year course. 3 credits. Form V.

How has the concept of freedom, and the battles to define its meaning, been central to the American experience?  How has the heritage and culture of this “nation of immigrants” been distinctly shaped by incoming communities? How does the notion of a shared American identity transcend our individual differences?  Are our distinct perspectives a source of friction, or at the core of America’s great strength? Beginning with the settlement of pre-colonial indigenous peoples and concluding with the end of the Cold War, this survey course of United States history focuses on trends and changes in American society and culture.  The course will look to explain commonalities and differences in the American experience, and examine where fundamental ideas converge and diverge. Students will be exposed to a wide array of stories and examples that underscore the variety of perspectives throughout American history. By comparing and contrasting those perspectives, students will learn to appreciate a variety of viewpoints, recognize continuities, and identify significant changes in American society.  Students will attempt to answer complex questions about how our society operates and what factors have contributed to its current form. We will examine the roles of different groups within American society and their contributions to American culture. The development of critical thinking, questioning, and reflection play prominent roles in each class. The course will promote creativity and further writing skills through various projects, and by producing analytical and persuasive essays grounded in evidence. American Society & Culture will encourage students to think more critically, not only about the nation’s history, but the contemporary community in which they are a part.  In addition to tests and quizzes, assessments include projects, oral presentations, and research assignments.

Note: This course satisfies the U.S. History graduation requirement.

Major year course. 3 credits. Form V. Prerequisite: B or higher in World History 10.

This course surveys the history of the United States from the colonial period to the present using the lens of environmental history as its organizing principle. Environmental history can be generally defined as a branch of historical analysis that focuses on the relationship between humans and their non-human environment. It is an approach that lends itself well to interdisciplinary work and thinking, particularly bringing in concepts and assumptions from the sciences and literature. This course is, however, a survey of U.S. history and as such moves in a chronological fashion, with major essential and historical questions that look at the human/non-human relationship within the context of American political, intellectual, and social history. Students read a range of materials, from primary sources to excerpts of historical monographs. As this is an honors course, students write a number of essays, including a historiographical paper and a major research paper.

Note: This course satisfies the U.S. History graduation requirement.

Major year course. (3 credits.) Form V. Prerequisite: A- or higher in World History 10.

This is a rigorous survey course designed to explore United States history from the fifteenth century through the twentieth century. It is intended not only to give students the background required for the Advanced Placement exam, but also to provide perspectives and skills needed to be an informed citizen. It covers many of the major events and developments of United States history. In the process, students learn to evaluate causes, analyze the interrelationships among events, and recognize the roots of present-day problems and issues. The analysis of primary and secondary source materials will serve as the basis of reasoned discussion.

Note: This course satisfies the U.S. History graduation requirement.

Semester 1 course (1.5 credits). Forms V-VI. Honors.

The contours of contemporary American life first took shape in the two decades immediately after the end of World War II (1945-65). This period, sometimes known as the “Long Fifties,” is typically seen as a time of complacency and consensus, an oasis of stability and prosperity separating the strife and upheaval of the Depression and World War II from the tumult of the “Sixties.” In nostalgic television shows and films such as Happy Days and Grease, the Fifties are presented as a golden age of innocence, a time that is recognizably “modern” but somehow bereft of the complications and ambiguities of modern life. The primary objective of this course is to dispel these myths and to provide a more nuanced picture of this fascinating, critical period.

Rather than follow the usual chronological divisions of the traditional postwar survey course, we will focus intensively on a series of key topics: the atomic bomb and its cultural and ethical implications; the cultural impact of McCarthyism; suburbia and its discontents; changing conceptions of sexuality and the role of women; avant-garde movements in the visual arts and music; the Beat Generation’s challenge to “conformity”; and the civil rights revolution. The course will make extensive use of fiction, film, music, and contemporary social criticism, as well as more conventional historical sources.

Semester 2 course (1.5 credits). Forms V-VI. Honors.

Suddenly, and unexpectedly, the Seventies have become “cool.” The gaze of contemporary American popular culture has rediscovered a decade that, until recently, most New Yorkers—and many other Americans—were all too ready to consign to oblivion. To most observers at the time, the city of New York in the 1970s appeared to be in a state of economic free-fall, and much the same could be said for the nation-at-large. Social critics claimed that Americans seemed to be in the grip of unprecedented narcissism and personal excess—a characteristic famously captured in novelist Tom Wolfe’s memorable phrase, the “Me-Decade.” Indeed, the recent fascination with the 1970s has a lot to do with the decade’s reputation for chaos, violence, self-absorption, superficial glamour, and economic hardship.

In fact, the 1970s were a lot more complicated and multifaceted than this negative image would have us believe. Our working hypothesis is that both in New York and in the nation-at-large, the Seventies were a period of creative ferment and cultural transformation, and that our world today is very much a product of these developments. This course will focus on what some historians have termed the “Long Seventies,” starting with the tumultuous events of 1968 and ending with Ronald Reagan’s re-election in 1984. Although our analysis will be framed by key national political events, our primary focus will be on important social, cultural, and intellectual developments—particularly on developments that occurred in New York City—rather than on national politics or foreign policy. The course will make extensive use of literature, film, television, and the visual arts, as well as more conventional historical sources, including speeches, manifestos, and works of social criticism. Using New York City as our laboratory, we will incorporate elements of place-based education and experiential learning, with the goal of providing students with a truly authentic learning experience.

Semester 1 course (1.5 credits). Forms V-VI. Honors. 

Public History takes many different forms: museum exhibits, historic sites, monuments, oral history interviews, documentary films, among others. Recent controversy over the removal of Confederate monuments across the Deep South has sparked a fiery debate on how to confront our shared history. This semester course introduces students to the ways in which American history is presented and explored outside of the classroom. Over the course of the semester, we will focus on several essential questions: Why do communities erect public sites? How are people and events memorialized? Who owns history? Do museums have an obligation to raise controversial issues? How can public historians change people’s minds about what they think they already know? Through creative projects and field trips, we will uncover the ways in which we remember, celebrate, and erase the past.

Major year course. 3 credits. Form VI only. Prerequisites: Any of the three Form V U.S. History courses.

The first part of the course is designed to provide students with a college-level introduction to American government. Building upon skills and information gained in the U.S. History course, the course centers upon the governmental institutions and recent (post-1960) political developments of the United States. Among the topics covered are the constitutional underpinnings of U.S. government; the political beliefs and behaviors of individuals, political parties, and interest groups; the roles of the formal and informal institutions of government; civil liberties; and current affairs. The emphasis is upon the analysis of the processes involved in the making of public policy. Readings will include American Government (Wilson and DiIulio), source documents, and the current press. Students must sit for the A.P. exam in United States Government and Politics.

The second part of the course is a college-level study of various topics in comparative government. It acquaints students with the governmental institutions and political life of other nations and examines some of the problems in contemporary world affairs. Among the nations that may be studied are Great Britain, France, China, Russia, and Mexico. Readings include Comparative Politics at the Crossroads (Kesselman, Krieger, and Joseph), source readings, and the current press.

Major year course (3 credits). Forms V-VI.

This challenging AP curriculum surveys the course of modern European history from the late Middle Ages to the fall of the Soviet Union. Students will explore the major political, social, intellectual, cultural, and economic trends of this history and emerge with knowledge equivalent to that gained in a college-level introduction to Western Civilization. Some classes will be lecture-based, covering content required by the AP Exam, but many will rely on discussion informed by readings in primary sources, historiography, and literature. Students will read major works of the modern European literary canon, including Machiavelli’s The Prince (1513), Voltaire’s Candide (1759), and George Orwell’s Animal Farm (1945). This course also uses visual resources in film and art history to provide cultural context for the significant themes and events of modern Europe. Writing assignments will focus on developing skills of critical thinking, synthesis, interpretation, and primary source analysis. Students will emerge with a thorough understanding of European history and the development of Western civilization, as well as with concrete skills in written and oral communication.

Major year course (3 credits). Forms V-VI.

This course introduces students to the study of psychology as a social science by focusing on the behavioral and mental development of humans and other animals. To that end, students learn the basic skills of psychological research, including elementary statistics; each semester they design and conduct research projects and report their results, following the guidelines of the American Psychological Association. Through lectures, group projects, films, class exercises, and assigned readings in the text and professional journals, the course covers the following topics in the depth: the history of the discipline of psychology; the biological and physiological bases of behavior, including a detailed study of the brain, sensation, perception, and memory; states of consciousness; learning theory; motivation and emotion; developmental theory; language, thought, and intelligence; personality development; psychological disorders and psychotherapy; and social psychology. Assessments include a research project and a final test.

Major year course (3 credits). Forms V-VI. Honors.  

While the East Asian region has always been of major significance, in recent years China in particular has vaulted to the forefront of the American consciousness. In this course we will examine the development of East Asian history and culture from the early nineteenth century to the present day, with a particular emphasis on China and Japan. 

Some of the questions we will consider include:  How did China and Japan evolve in the face of Western power in the nineteenth century? What was the social impact of modernization? What were the consequences of Japanese imperialism on China and the region? How did Mao Zedong's leadership change China, and how is his legacy still felt today? Why and how have East Asian nations become economic powerhouses in recent decades? Ultimately we will ask: how is China evolving under the leadership of Xi Jinping, and what will its relationship with the United States, its neighbors, and the world be in the coming decade?

In addition to historical sources, we will make use of modern fiction and film, including Chinese authors such as Lu Xun and Yu Hua. We will also integrate study of contemporary politics and current issues as events warrant.

Major year course (3 credits). Forms V-VI. 

“One nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” There is an important promise in this phrase from the Pledge of Allegiance that is woven into the fabric of the nation. Variations of it can be found in the Constitution, Bill of Rights, and other founding documents, yet in each iteration, the message remains the same: all people are created equal and all people have access to the same rights and freedoms in the United States. Few people, however,  have been willing to analyze the truth of that promise and critically think about the extent to which individual Americans and the United States government as a whole have lived up to the promise of providing equality and justice for all. In what ways and at what moments has this promise been fulfilled? How does this promise remain unfulfilled?  These are the fundamental questions that will drive this course. Through a heavy dose of case law and legal history, students will understand the people, places, and events that have shaped the rights and freedoms of United States citizens in the twentieth century. This course is open to both form V and form VI students interested in supplementing their knowledge of United States History gained in other departmental offerings. 

Major year course (3 credits). Forms V-VI. 

This course is designed for students who would like to distinguish themselves as history/humanities scholars by undertaking a major research project that culminates in a substantial scholarly paper. Students are introduced to basic research skills and write a short research paper in World History 10; this course is designed to build on that experience, expose students to more sophisticated readings and sources, and support students as they pursue a research question of their own. This RWS is intended for students who might wish to pursue the study of humanities in college; in taking this course, they will indicate their preparation and readiness for sophisticated, college-level reading and writing. This RWS is also intended to challenge students to investigate topics they have studied in Forms III-V and which piqued their interest. The course consists of several units introducing students to different models of historical writing and research, research methodology, and the ways in which historical research has been used in feature films and translated to public historical sites. Students will be encouraged to submit their research papers to The Concord Review, present their work at the April Research Exhibit, and (if seniors) may opt to translate their research project into an ISP proposal, subject to approval by the ISP committee.