Consciously or not, all of us operate as historians. We make judgments and decisions based on our knowledge, however inadequate, of what has gone before. Formal study of history -- the critical examination of human accomplishments and failures -- greatly enhances our ability to judge and decide about private matters as well as public issues. In the study of history we seek the origins of modern institutions, attitudes, and problems. We may not discover solutions to our problems, but at least we find out what has not worked in the past Studying civilizations more remote in time and space, we also gain perspective on our society and ourselves.
At Lawrence, history comes vibrantly alive. From the very first course in our introductory sequence to the most advanced work in seminars and independent studies, Lawrence students and faculty can be found "doing history." That is, we examine and assess original documents and other artifacts of the past, and from such materials we build a picture of earlier times and places.
To draw meaning from an ancient law code, or from a map of medieval Muscovy, or from a photograph taken during the Great Depression is an exercise in discovery, an exercise that hones our ability to ask probing questions, to make associations among evidence from a variety of sources, to organize our findings logically, and to express them clearly. Working in this fashion to a reasoned interpretation of the past is an active, exciting, and personally satisfying undertaking. And it is a far cry from the mere memorizing of dates and facts!
The fruits of historical study, however, reach beyond the intrinsic enjoyment we derive from it and the skills it develops. At Lawrence, we strongly believe that our knowledge of the past also deepens our understanding of the present and even points us toward the future.
For that reason, we have shaped a curriculum that, in addition to providing solid coverage in American and European history, reaches out to embrace other areas of the world. Our introductory courses explore the historical interactions of societies on a truly global scale; and our intermediate-level offerings include courses on Asia, Latin America, and Russia, as well as courses that compare different societies at given times. Opportunities abound in Lawrence's history curriculum to think globally, and in so doing to decipher the messages and warnings the past has left for the present and the future.
Curriculum -- The History Major
The history curriculum provides a flexible framework whereby students can broaden and deepen their substantive knowledge of history and develop the kinds of skills that will serve them both in their studies and in their lives after graduation.
Though all courses in the curriculum pay careful attention to close reading, careful analysis, and cogent expression, some courses direct their attention even more pointedly at these objectives. All majors take Clionautics, an introduction to the way historians "do history," and Historiography, a course in the philosophy of history and current approaches to historical research and writing that is rarely taught at the undergraduate level. And all students take an advanced seminar or complete an independent study project that culminates in a major research paper. Particularly ambitious students use their work in advanced research-oriented courses as the basis for a senior honors project.
Other honors projects completed by history majors in recent years include:
After Lawrence
Graduate and professional schools and people in the world of business and government highly value the Lawrence history major's sound organizational skills, research abilities, effective oral and written communication skills, and the ability to analyze complex events.
In the past few years, Lawrentians have continued the study of history at such distinguished universities as Berkeley, Brown, Chicago, Johns Hopkins, Northwestern, Stanford, the University of Massachusetts, the University of Michigan, and the University of Wisconsin.
History graduates also have earned advanced degrees in fields including business administration, journalism, law, library science, medicine, social work, and theology. Many have gone directly from Lawrence to careers in government, education, and the private sector.
Faculty
Peter Blitstein, associate professor; Johns Hopkins University, B.A.; University of California, Berkeley, M.A., Ph.D.; Interests: modern Russia, eastern Europe, the Soviet and Nazi regimes
Paul M. Cohen, Patricia Hamar Boldt Professor of Liberal Studies; Clark University, B.A.; University of Chicago, M.A., Ph.D.; Interests: modern European intellectual history
Jake Frederick, assistant professor; University of Massachusetts-Amhurst, BA; Pennsylvania State University, Ph.D.; Interests: Mexican history, Afro-Lation history, environmental history
Edmund M. Kern, associate professor; Marquette University, B.A.; University of Minnesota, M.A., Ph.D.; Interests: early modern Europe, religious culture, Habsburg Monarchy, Austria
Jerald E. Podair, Robert S. French Professor of American Studies; New York University, B.A.; Columbia University School of Law, J.D.; Princeton University, M.A., Ph.D.; Interests: 20th-century American history, urban history, American race relations
Monica Rico, assistant professor, University of California-Berkeley, B.A., M.A., Ph.D.; Interests: British and American history, landscape history
Yudru Tsomu, assistant professor; Central University for Nationalities, A.A.; Beijing College of Education, B.A.; Harvard University, Ph.D. Interests: Chinese and Tibetan history and culture, Sino-Tibetan relations