Master of Arts Programs for History Teachers
Summer 2024 - Online
Session 1 – May 6 to May 30
| HIST 503 O1B / POLSC 503 O1B: Sectionalism and Civil War (2) A study of the sectional conflict beginning with the nullification crisis. The course will not only examine the political, social and economic developments in the period leading to the civil war, but will emphasize the political thought of Abraham Lincoln, Stephen Douglas, and John C. Calhoun. Instructor: Andrew Lang (Mississippi State University) Schedule: Mondays & Wednesdays, 7:15 pm to 10:30 pm ET Course Materials: Syllabus and Course Packet |
| HIST 510 O1B / POLSC 510 O1B: Great American Texts – Memoirs of The Civil Rights Movement: Coming of Age in Mississippi and Walking with the Wind (2) The narrative of the civil rights movement is a familiar one. However, to gain a fuller and more accurate understanding of the movement, it is necessary to become familiar with the memoirs and recollections of those who participated in the movement. It is through such accounts that one becomes more cognizant of the struggles, sacrifices, joys, disappointments, issues, personalities, and countless other aspects of the movement and those who participated in it. It is also through such accounts that we are allowed to glimpse behind the scenes of the well-known episodes of the movement commonly found in textbooks, and see that there was much more to the story of those events than the textbook accounts typically indicate. In addition, memoirs of civil rights activists such as John Lewis and Anne Moody reveal not only their experiences, but also those of a whole host of men and women whose names are not commonly known or appear in the textbooks, but whose sacrifices and efforts contributed significantly to the success of the civil rights movement. Instructor: Brent Aucoin (The College at Southeastern) Schedule: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 8:15 pm to 11:30 pm ET Course Materials: Syllabus |
Session 2 – June 3 to June 27
| HIST 507 O2B / POLSC 507 O2B: Lincoln (2) This course provides an in-depth study of Abraham Lincoln’s political thought and action. Students will study Lincoln’s most important speeches, as well as study various aspects of his political leadership, including his role as the leader of the Republican party and as commander in chief. The course will also provide opportunities for students to analyze Lincoln’s rhetoric and political argumentation. Instructor: Peter C. Myers (University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire) Schedule: Mondays & Wednesdays, 6:15 pm to 9:30 pm ET Course Materials: Syllabus and Course Packet |
| HIST 633 O2A / POLSC 633 O2A: The American Presidency II – Johnson to the Present (2) This course is an examination of the political and constitutional development of the office of president from Reconstruction to the present. It focuses on how changing conceptions of the presidency have shaped American political life in the 19th and 20th centuries, especially as America has become a global power. Instructor: Adam Carrington (Hillsdale College) Schedule: Tuesdays & Thursdays, 8:15 pm to 11:30 pm ET Course Materials: Syllabus and Course Packet |
Session 3 – June 3 to June 13
| HIST 501 O3B / POLSC 501 O3B: The American Revolution (2) This course focuses on three topics: political developments in North America and the British empire and the arguments for and against independence, culminating in the Declaration of Independence; the Revolutionary War as a military, social and cultural event in the development of the American nation and state; and the United States under the Articles of Confederation. Instructor: Eric C. Sands (Berry College) Schedule: Monday through Thursday, 7:15 pm to 10:30 pm ET Course Materials: Syllabus and Course Packet |
Session 4 – June 17 to June 27
| HIST 506 O4B / POLSC 506 O4B: The Rise of Modern America, 1914-1945 (2) With the exception of the Civil War era, it is difficult to find another thirty-year period in U.S. history during which the nation underwent such dramatic change. In 1914 the United States was no more than a regional power, with a primarily rural demography and a relatively unobtrusive federal government. Thanks to the experience of two world wars, a major cultural conflict (the 1920s), and a disastrous economic crisis the country was transformed into the global economic and military power that it remains to this day. This course will examine the cultural, economic, military, and diplomatic events and trends of the period 1914-1945. Instructor: David F. Krugler (University of Wisconsin-Platteville) Schedule: Monday through Thursday, 6:15 pm to 9:30 pm ET Course Materials: Syllabus & Course Packet |
Session 5 – June 30 to July 11
| HIST 643 O5C / POLSC 643 O5C: Presidential War Powers (2) – WAITLIST How much power does the Constitution give a president during wartime? Problematically, the text does not provide clear answers to this question. Instead, it creates created as Edward Corwin wrote “an invitation to struggle” over the direction of US foreign policy. As a consequence, members of the executive, legislative, and judicial branch have different answers to the question and the answers change based on the nature of the war. The battleground has even shifted. The executive used to ask the legislature for approval and the legislature used to restrain executive war making. Over time, however, executives have increasingly claimed their Article II powers allow for unilateral action. In turn, members of Congress appeal to the judiciary rather than challenging the president directly. This course will use the study of key documents, first principles, enduring practices, critical military events, and current controversies to understand the changing balance of war powers over US history. It will focus on how the president has moved from deliberating with Congress to claiming they have the formal power to initiate hostilities large and small. What explains the new relationship among the branches? Why do presidents enjoy a comparatively free hand when it comes to exercising their formal constitutional powers in war? Instructor: Sarah M. Burns (Rochester Institute of Technology) Schedule: Week 1 (June 30 to July 3) – Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, 6:15 pm to 9:30 pm ET Week 2 (July 8-11: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, 6:15 pm to 9:30 pm ET Course Materials: Draft Syllabus |
Session 6 – July 15 to July 25
| HIST 505 O6B / POLSC 505 O6B: The Progressive Era (2) The transition to an industrial economy posed many problems for the United States. This course examines those problems and the responses to them that came to be known as progressivism. The course includes the study of World War I as a manifestation of progressive principles. The course emphasizes the political thought of Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, and their political expression of progressive principles. Instructor: William Atto (University of Dallas) Schedule: Monday through Thursday, 7:15 pm to 10:30 pm ET Course Materials: Syllabus and Course Packet |
| HIST 608 O6A / POLSC 608 O6A: Civil War and Reconstruction (2) This course will examine military aspects of the war, as well as political developments during it, including the political history of the Emancipation Proclamation, the Gettysburg Address and the Second Inaugural. The course also examines the post-war Amendments and the Reconstruction era. Instructor: Matthew Norman (University of Cincinnati-Blue Ash) Schedule: Monday through Thursday, 8:15 pm to 11:30 pm ET Course Materials: |
Session 7 – July 29 to August 8
| HIST 502 O7B / POLSC 502 O7B: The American Founding (2) This course is an intensive study of the constitutional convention, the struggle over ratification of the Constitution, and the creation of the Bill of Rights. It will include a close examination of Federalist and Antifederalist writings. Instructor: Jason W. Stevens (Ashland University) Schedule: Monday through Thursday, 6:15 pm to 9:30 pm ET Course Materials: |
| HIST 623 O7A / POLSC 623 O7A: Women in American History and Politics (2) – WAITLIST This course explores the history of women in America from the early 19th century to the present, especially the political struggle to gain increased civil and political rights. Using primary source material from leading female intellectuals and activists, this course will consider the myriad ways that women have helped to shape the course of United States history and politics. Instructors: Cara Rogers Stevens (Ashland University) & Donna Devlin (Sterling College) Schedule: Monday through Thursday, 7:15 pm to 10:30 pm ET Course Materials: |
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