Liberal Arts Minor

Students will examine a range of classical and medieval myths, legends, and folklore that explore the relationship between individual identity and the wider society. Students will learn about the historical and cultural context in which these texts were composed, and how literature both reflects and challenges ideology. Students will be expected to analyze literature's relevance and contributions in not only its own time period, but also to our culture today.

Not much is known about Gentle Will Shakespeare's life, which is ironic in the sense that he defined, in many ways, what it means to be a human being. This class will take a peek into how the period of time known as The Renaissance created our ideas about human life today. We will focus on the dramas of Shakespeare, plays that shape what it means to be human, plays that continue to pose questions to us: Is feeling more important than thinking? What happens to a person who attains great power? Does knowledge keep us from doing? Should we be loyal at all costs? We will look at a few of the great movies that have been made from these plays. We will read selected works from The Renaissance and the 17th century.

This course looks at literature from before 1870 that focuses on a particular theme. Each semester will be different, but some themes could include the search for identity, good and evil, love and sex, crime, and more.

Starting before the United States existed; this course looks at the written and oral literature that defined America, from the time only Native Americans lived here through the middle of the Nineteenth Century. We will read the stories of slaves and settlers, Native Americans and newcomers, revolutionaries and artists. Included will be such authors as Edgar Allan Poe, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, and Walt Whitman.

This course is offered on an occasional basis and addresses topics and themes of special interest not covered in the standard course offerings in English.

Designed to introduce students to the practice of historical study, this course is a survey of the origins of the United States - from Europeans' arrival in North America to the founding of the republic. It is designed to offer students a broader understanding about how and why the United States developed into a nation-state, including the political, economic, social, and cultural factors that led to U.S. independence. The course is organized chronologically and will emphasize the theme of identity. Much as it is today, what became the United States of America was a tremendously diverse place in terms of race, class, gender, religion, and place of origin. These differences bred both conflict and accommodation among peoples who became "Americans," the results of which greatly shaped the early republic.

This survey course primarily focuses on the United States in the nineteenth century, an era in which the country emerged into the modern state that we recognize today. The course is organized chronologically and emphasizes the theme of expansion. During the nineteenth century, the United States grew territorially at an astounding rate, reaching the shores of the Pacific Ocean and beyond. Meanwhile, the country enjoyed rapid growth in its economy as it transitioned from an agriculturally based system (highly dependent on slavery) to an industrially centered one. This period also marked broadening popular participation in the body politic, albeit with significant limitations based on race and gender. This expansion in its various forms was marked by both conflict and accommodation among the nation's diverse population. We will examine the effects of expansion on these various peoples.

This survey course will examine the emergence of the earliest human civilizations, from pre-historic beginnings through the 6th century. We will explore how these societies began and developed over time; examine their political institutions, religious beliefs, and social structures; and investigate how economic and technological development, as well as evolving religious and intellectual ideas, helped promote new commercial and cultural ties among these civilizations. This course will focus on the earliest societies in the ancient Near East and the Nile Valley, India, East Asia, the Mediterranean world, and early Europe.

This survey course will examine the evolution of civilizations from 600 until 1600. We will explore the development of the Islamic world, the African kingdoms, and the Americas in the age of the Incas, the Maya, and the Aztecs. We will examine the impact that trade, religious and intellectual ideas, war, and disease played in promoting remarkable changes in Indian, East Asian, and European societies during this time period. The worldwide impact, both positive and negative, made by the European Renaissance and Age of Discovery will be analyzed.

This course is intended to expose students to a variety of topics in the history of medicine and public health. Although most of the topics covered fall under the heading of "social history," students will examine how health and disease often impact political and economic history. The United States will be the focus of the course; however, events in Europe will also be discussed since many medical breakthroughs occurred outside of America. Topics to be discussed include epidemics, the development of anesthesia, mental health reform, the birth of urban sanitation, the impact of the Civil War on medicine, and the federal government's role in ensuring the safety of food and medicines.

Everyone loves a good ghost story. Millions of American believe in the paranormal - and even skeptics have heard a bump in the night and suspected it might be something supernatural. The course will start in 1848 upstate New York, where the spiritualist craze first began. Students will learn about the development of spiritualism in the United States, its popularity during the Civil War and its downfall in the early-20th century. We will also discuss hoaxes, tricksters, and the psychology behind the belief in ghosts. The course will conclude with an examination of the current popularity of ghost hunting shows. Students will conduct a group research project on a haunted site in New England and present their research at the end of the semester.

This course examines the Civil War and the process of rebuilding the nation at the end of America's bloodiest war. It will cover the causes for the war, the principal battles, the political and military personalities involved, the war's consequences, and explore why the Union emerged victorious.