In-depth exploration of a particular historical question or topic: for example, the French Revolution, Chaucer's England, or the New Deal. Students should consult with the Department of History for a list of topics and instructors. Course meets the History major requirements for Group I, II, or III, depending on the topic.
Section Comments: Course Title: Epidemics in American History
Repeat Rule: May be repeated for a maximum of 8 credits.
Equivalent(s): HIST 497H, HIST 497W
Attributes: Historical Perspectives(Disc)
Additional Course Details:
In this course, students will explore the American past through the careful examination of 8 outbreaks and epidemics between the colonial era and the present: smallpox, yellow fever, polio, typhoid fever, influenza, tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Students will use these case studies to uncover the impact of these diseases on American medicine, politics, economy, demographics, and the daily lives of affected individuals. Students will gain research skills through extensive use of primary sources including newspapers, diaries, archaeological findings, and oral traditions of illness as well as modern sources like photographs, blogs, news, and digital media, and representations of disease on television and film. We will seek to explore the ways that past Americans reacted differently to outbreaks of disease, as well as the ways that our modern experience mirrors the past.