Academics

History

 

Seth Harter (see Asian Studies)
Dana Howell (see Cultural History)
Tim Little (European History)
Anne Monahan (see Art History)
Kate Ratcliff (see American Studies)
Felicity Ratté (see Art History )
Laura Stevenson (Medieval & Renaissance History; see Writing )

The study of history involves engaging original sources in the context of their own time and in the context of our time. Students studying history at Marlboro will be encouraged to study broadly, to acquire language skills appropriate to their interests, to explore theoretical approaches which can deepen their comprehension of the past and the present, and to develop research skills and bibliographical competence.

Strongly Recommended (See also Asian Studies, American Studies, and Cultural History)

Timothy F. Little

My research areas are the British Isles in the modern era (c.1688-present) and the history of Europe (including the British Isles) in the 19th and 20th centuries.

I have many other interests which enlarge the areas noted above. I have a lively interest in Europeans abroad as travelers, colonists and merchants. I am engaged in an ongoing study of Historiography (History Writing) and in Military and Naval history.

The discipline of History is devoted to the study of the past through an exploration of the records of matters past, of later explorations of the same matters and of the contemporary world within which historical practitioners must draw up the results of their own explorations.

Students of History need to strengthen their skills in both reading and writing. History is an information-rich discipline and critical reading and clear writing constitute an on-going challenge to students throughout their engagement with it. All courses in History carry substantial reading lists and require the regular written assignments. The reading and writing assignments are designed both to enlarge the store of information at the command of each student and to help each student to continue to develop the capacity to make reasoned interpretations and judgments on the material.

Starting Points (Basic and Introductory Courses)

Thinking Historically (HUM7)
An exploration of the concepts and methods of historians in several fields, to learn the skill of thinking historically. A variety of topics and eras will be examined through materials ranging from visual arts to diaries, memoirs, novels, and folklore, to monographs and biographies. Students will write several short papers interpreting the materials as expressions of historical experience, to discover the value of placing texts in the context of their time and place. A foundation course, open to all students, whether planning further study in history or not.(Introductory)

Pursuing Interests (Intermediate and Thematic Courses)

Medieval Horseman: Knights and Samurai (HUM1228)
A comparative study of Norman and Japanese mounted warriors c 900-1300 which focuses on the origins and development of military elites in western Europe and Japan.

The Spanish Armada and the Wars of Religion (HUM1228)
The Spanish Armada or the "Enterprise of England" in 1588 marked a critical moment in the wars of religion which convulsed Europe and the broader world from the 1540’s to the 1640’s. Working outwards from 1588 we will touch on the origins of the Netherlands, the French Wars of Religion, the exploration of the New World and the origins of English settlement in North America.

The Atlantic World of the Eighteenth Century (HUM1073)
The course will examine the variety of natives, travelers, merchants, settlers, and military persons who moved along the Atlantic rim and through the Atlantic Ocean between Europe and Africa and North and South America to the end of the American Revolution.

The British Empire in the Nineteenth Century (HUM1136)
The course explores the British Empire during the long nineteenth century, c. 1785-1914. While students will have the opportunity to focus on areas of their particular interests, the reading will emphasize the metropolis, South and Central Asia and Southern Africa.

The German Twentieth Century (HUM1164)
The course will examine the history of the twentieth century by focusing on Germany and the Germans. Topics to be covered include nationalism, war and peace, high and low cultures, dictatorship and democracy, and the origins and history of the European union.

Good Foundation For Plan

Current Approaches to History –every other spring semester
A weekly seminar for juniors on Plan and sophomores anticipating a Plan in history or historical anthropology. A selection of recent works representing new approaches to historical writing and research will be discussed. Students will also do research and writing exercise designed to develop skills for further work in history.

Areas Of Interest For Plan-Level Work

Tim Little

Dana Howell

Laura Stevenson

Sample Tutorial Topics

Tim Little