The course concentrates on political developments and institutions as well as on the growth and evolution of Islam and Islamic cultures. A treatment of the Civil War and its aftermath in the context of a broader Western move away from bonded servitude toward free labor and democracy. The course examines the legacy of racial division that was not eradicated by the war, and the causes of sectional conflict and military, political, social, and economic conditions within the North and South during Reconstruction. A course which teaches students to make full use of electronic resources in researching and writing on topics in history. Students learn sophisticated search procedures, use of basic computer applications, and critical evaluation of materials found on the World Wide Web.
Students produce their own web pages.
Recently groups have studied in Egypt and Vietnam. Please contact Professor Barlow for more information on the Vietnam course. Pacific has an active student-run History Club which sponsors a series of social, intellectual, and cultural activities during the year. These activities give students and professors a chance to know each other better and to share, outside the classroom, their love of history.