UNIVERSITY OF IDAHO*HISTORY DEPARTMENT*2021 SPRING
THE PRIMARY SOURCE
EDITOR GABRIELLE GOODWIN
EDITOR MAXWELL MCPHERSON
MAY 2021 - SPRING EDITION
THE PRIMARY SOURCE University of Idaho History Department Newsletter
DIRECTORY Directory..................................................2 ~ Letter from the Chair...........................3 ~ Classes Offered.......................................4 ~ Phi Alpha Theta President's Letter...5 ~ Interview with Alumni, History: Then and Now........................................6 ~ Interview: Editorial Opinions, History Is Now......................................12 ~ Interview: Friendly Departments, History Will Be.....................................14 ~ Editor's Letter........................................15
Photographs on the cover, back, and page 4 taken by Editor Gabrielle Goodwin
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LETTER FROM THE CHAIR Welcome to the Spring 2021 issue of The Primary Source, the newsletter of the U of I’s Department of History. It chronicles the experiences of our History community as we proceed towards the light at the end of the pandemic tunnel. This issue represents the work of our editor, Gabrielle Goodwin, and of Max McPherson, the president of our chapter of Phi Alpha Theta, the national History Honor Society. I think you will find their work informative, amusing, and inspiring. The issue opens with a salute to both the past and the future: the list of courses offered this past Spring side-byside to the list of the courses slated for the future, specifically, this Fall Semester. Many alumni and others will remember some of these. The rotation of courses remind us of the quote from William Faulkner, that adorns the door to the Department of History: “The past is never dead. It is not even past.” Max McPherson President’s Letter commends the faculty of the University of Idaho, but particularly of the College of Letters, Arts and Social Sciences for their flexibility, patience, and determination to provide the quality of education the University of Idaho is known for.
From the faculty to the alumni and current students. The editors have cleverly set before the alumni, themselves, and current students, a set of four questions. First to answer are four alumni, followed by the editors’ own answers and finally, finishing up with the responses of a variety of other students. You will have to read the issue to find out what questions were asked and how everybody answered. This issue opened with a note from the President of Phi Alpha Theta. It ends with a heartfelt letter from our gallant editor, Gabrielle Goodwin. She has been an inspiration for us and for her fellow students and we thank her for leaping into the breach to bring this issue to fruition. If you haven’t already, please check us out on Facebook and Linkedin. Again, thank you for all your support for our program. Please send us all your updates; we love hearing from you all. We’re deeply proud of all our students — past, present and future! Most sincerely yours, Ellen Kittell Interim Chair, History Department
MAY 2021*SPRING SEMESTER EDITION*PG.4
CLASSES OFFERED SPRING 2021
TO BE OFFERED FALL 2021
World History 101
World History 101
World History 112
World History 102
Intro to East Asian History 180
World History 111
US Military History 204
Ancient World Myth 204
Sex and Gender 212
Intro to Greek & Roman Civilization 270
The Historian's Craft 290
The Historian's Craft 290
Civil War and Reconstruction 310
19th Century: Expanding America 319
American Indian History 316
The Age of African Empires 331
Colonial America: Collision 318
Hellenistic World 342
The Roman Republic 343
Age of Enlightenment 350
History of Fascism 404
Modern Brazil 404
History and Film 414
American Environmental History 424
Social Revolution in Latin America 440
Slavery and Freedom in the Americas 441
The Medieval State 443
Medieval Church 442
The Reformation 448
History of the American West 462
Europe in the Age of Revolution 452
Chinese Social & Cultural History 485
History Senior Seminar 495
History Senior Seminar 495
European Culture 504 Colloquium in European History 522
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P.A.T PRESIDENT'S LETTER Covid-19 has greatly complicated the past three semesters for the University of Idaho and for everyone who in involved on campus. No one really expected a pandemic to breakout last year, and as such the changes to daily life have been stark for all. The University has overall done a fairly good job responding to the situation, but as a student soon to graduate from the I wanted to commend the staff of the College of Letters, Arts, and Social Sciences in particular for their ability to adapt to the present state of affairs. The professors have been highly flexible under current conditions as they were forced to modify courses at incredibly short notice at the outset of quarantine. More than a year has passed since this began and things are not yet back to normal, although thanks to the diligence of the faculty, education has continued. Transitioning lectures to Zoom or running hybrid courses has not been easy for anyone, but the challenge has been more than met by the efforts of the professors. Several have made their dislike for the inherent impersonality of online classes and social distancing clear; yet nonetheless, they rose to the occasion to continue sharing their knowledge in spite of the circumstances. There have been many concerns and crises associated with the past year of COVD-19, but thanks to the efforts of instructors the quality of education available has not been a source of consternation. Since I am graduating I will not be able to see the resumption of more regular in-person classes in the Fall, and yet I still feel that this part year I continued to receive the quality education I have come to expect from the excellent people at the CLASS. Thank you all for all you’ve done. Maxwell McPherson History/Political Science Major Phi Alpha Theta President
MAY 2021*SPRING SEMESTER EDITION*PG.6
INTERVIEW WITH ALUMNI HISTORY: THEN AND NOW Alumni from the University of Idaho History Department graciously provided answers to the following questions!
How do you use history in your career or life? ~ What was your favorite history class when you attended the University of Idaho? Why? ~ If you could make an adaption -- whether film, drama, book, or some other type of adaption -- of a historical event, which historical event would you choose? Why? ~ How do you think history will view what has happened in 2021 so far? What would the textbook section on 2021 [so far] be like? What conspiracy theories surround this time in the future? Please feel free to be creative with your answer.
~ 1st question..........................................................................................................Pg.7 2nd question......................................................................................................Pg.8 3rd question.......................................................................................................Pg.9 4th question......................................................................................................Pg.11
MAY 2021*SPRING SEMESTER EDITION*PG.7
INTERVIEW WITH ALUMNI HISTORY: THEN AND NOW Question 1: How do you use history in your career or life?
August Brereton
"After graduating with my BA in History from University of Idaho, I decided to pursue my Masters degree at University of Oregon. As I deepen my study of history to incorporate more original research, I find myself often returning to the skills I learned at U of I. This summer, I am hoping to start the interview process for oral history project about 1990s Russian and Ukrainian internet brides. I also teach sections of lower division classes here at U of O. History informs every aspect of my career and life now."
Susanna Markert
"I am currently finishing my doctoral dissertation in medieval history at the University of Oxford and doing a little bit of undergraduate history teaching as well. So history is a pretty big part of my life! Outside of professional matters, I find that my historical training affects more practical aspects of life. Historical research fundamentally relies on source criticism and, in this age of misinformation, these skills can be effectively used to deal with the constant influx of information and to evaluate its source, audience, potential biases, and general reliability."
John Williams
"I think a training in history is the most important part of my education. Its all about gathering points, analyzing them, and presenting them simply and convincingly so I think that can be appreciated in any profession. That being said, once you dip your toes into history its too cool to do anything else."
Chloe O'Neill
"My education in history provided me with essential basics for research, critical thinking, and contextual application. My personal and professional love of history has shaped my career and entire way I interact with the world around me."
MAY 2021*SPRING SEMESTER EDITION*PG.8
INTERVIEW WITH ALUMNI HISTORY: THEN AND NOW Question 2: What was your favorite history class when you attended the University of Idaho? Why?
August Brereton
"That's a tossup between Dr. Kittell's Reformation and Dr. Spence's History of the Occult. Although I wound up pursuing a different field of history, both classes taught me so much and really extended the way I thought about religion and the occult. I still find myself referencing Keith Thomas's Religion and the Decline of Magic. I remember seeing that book for the Reformation class and thinking "how am I going to find the time to read this?" because it was so big. It ended up being one of my favorite things I read in undergrad, but more importantly that class taught me how to read for argument, which I use in grad school all the time."
Susanna Markert
"My favorite history class was definitely Dr. Kittell's Constitutional and Legal History in Medieval England. This class explores the development of English Common Law in its earliest forms. It was the foundation of my interest in legal history and the vital role which administrative practices, and personal convenience, played in the formation of institutions. It was also my first introduction to the rewarding, if difficult, use of legal sources in historical research. The class was challenging in all the best ways and has certainly stayed with me."
John Williams
"I was taking engineering courses as a freshman when I took Rick Spence’s Conspiracy class. So being just off of reading the DaVinci Code, it was the class that hooked me."
Chloe O'Neill
"I could provide a list of about twenty, but I will say the Reformation course with Dr. Kittell and Contemporary American History with Dr. Scofield. Or frankly, anything taught by either of them, I was most likely registered for at least one of each of their courses every semester. Although the content they each cover is so different, their individual enthusiasm and expert knowledge left my mind blown from discussions and readings almost every class."
MAY 2021*SPRING SEMESTER EDITION*PG.9
INTERVIEW WITH ALUMNI HISTORY: THEN AND NOW Question 3: If you could make an adaption, whether film, drama, book, or some other type of adaption, of a historical event, which historical event would you choose? Why?
August Brereton
Susanna
"Perhaps because I am so involved in it right now, I would love to see an adaptation about the Wild 1990s in Russia. I recently read Women and the Birth of Russian Capitalism by Irina Mukhina which is about the shuttle trade, where independent people (mostly women) would import huge amounts of otherwise not available consumer goods and sell them at a markedup price in the newly capitalist Russia. I think a general Western audience might see the 1990s as a time of prosperity, the internet boom, etc. and seeing the struggles of people in the former Soviet Union would complicate that perspective."
"Interesting question. No particular event springs to mind, but I suppose I can think of the type of thing I would like to see. Often, I find that media adaptations focus on perceived 'big' historical narratives - battles, wars, 'important' people or events. I am much more interested in stories that illustrate the ordinary or everyday, such as the microhistory approach of the book and subsequent movie The Return of Martin Geurre. I think micro-historical approaches and their media adaptations have the potential to illustrate both the common humanity in the past as well as confronting ways in which historical periods are fundamentally different from our current frames of reference. An example from my own research might be the story of the two Kettlethorpe sisters in Yorkshire in the early fourteenth century. The sisters were involved in a long-running legal battle against their older (male) cousin who had stolen land which they ought to have inherited from their deceased Markert father. It is an interesting story with lots of twists and turns as the court battle continued across several years with multiple reversals, complete with lots of underhanded scheming by the cousin and at least one very dramatic courtroom outburst (which are always entertaining!). Despite being at a distinct disadvantage due to their gender and relatively poor economic position, the two sisters were ultimately able to leverage the authority of the local court system in order to regain their inheritance. A happy ending! This story has intrinsic dramatic interest and provides a glimpse into the reality of ‘normal’ life in medieval England. It shows that, although women were certainly marginalized in medieval culture, they did not entirely lack agency or the resources with which to defend their rights. Small stories like these can have big impacts."
MAY 2021*SPRING SEMESTER EDITION*PG.10
INTERVIEW WITH ALUMNI HISTORY: THEN AND NOW Question 3: If you could make an adaption, whether film, drama, book, or some other type of adaption, of a historical event, which historical event would you choose? Why?
John Williams
"I think we need more WW2 Movies… but really, I’d like to see an early Egyptian Movie but without fantasy. Think like a mix between Apocalypto and Troy."
Chloe O'Neill
"I would definitely choose a podcast or docu-series. My world right now connects politics, education, and history so I would do some sort of mash up of the history of media and politics and its influence on civilian knowledge and political identity."
The Great Pyramids at Giza
Kettlethorpe Hall
Buldakov Oleg / Photo chronicle TASS
MAY 2021*SPRING SEMESTER EDITION*PG.11
INTERVIEW WITH ALUMNI HISTORY: THEN AND NOW Question 4: How do you think history will view what has happened in 2021 so far?
August Brereton
"I hope that this point in history will be viewed as the challenging times that precede a major reform - in healthcare, higher education, and employment. I can see an oral history project about the quarantine, remote work experiences, and COVID-related sacrifices. I hope that narrative ends with a transition into sunnier times, but I guess we will see. As for conspiracy theories, I know a popular one will be the Trump-Putin connection."
John Williams
"I really think the consequences of the last year are going to be felt for the next twenty years or so in terms of the fallout. So while I’d hope that we could avoid the natural consequences of a pandemic, wealth, gender, and racial inequality, we are probably going to see 2021 as some sort of tipping point."
Chloe O'Neill
"I think about this often. This has felt like one of the craziest periods of history in a long time, or at least during my lifetime, and I wonder if that perception is actually true or is it just me growing up and seeing more of the world? Actually, I would love to discuss that question with my history cohort and faculty at U of I to hear perspectives on that. 2021 has used the word “unprecedented” routinely so regardless of the true amount, this year definitely has several notable historical moments that will be discussed for decades."
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INTERVIEW: EDITORIAL OPINIONS HISTORY IS NOW (1) If you could make an adaption -whether film, drama, book, or some other type of adaption -- of a historical event, which historical event would you choose? Why? ~ "The Battle of Castle Itter in the final days of World War II would make an exciting movie. A small group of American soldiers, German defectors, and freed French POWs defended a castle from a much larger Waffen-SS force that had previously turned the fortress into a prison for high profile French prisoners. Not only is this unique instance of Allied and German troops fighting side-by-side against Nazis in an actual castle the perfect set up for an action film, but in the right hands a movie on this topic could also be a great period piece. " Maxwell McPherson
(2) How do you think history will view what has happened in 2021 so far? ~ "2021 will be a year history shall remember even if it is somewhat overshadowed by 2020. I can’t imagine future textbooks will look kindly on those who failed to act decisively to combat COVID-19 nor those who continue to impede the pandemic’s resolution. Conspiracies seeking to explain present events already abound, but as time goes on I expect to see more outlandish claims to arise. January 6 is already an infamous date mired in conspiratorial suspicion and I imagine that will only increase as time goes on and more controversial conflicts occur. We will have to wait and see if 2022 remains as exciting or if things will become more stable. " Maxwell McPherson
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INTERVIEW: EDITORIAL OPINIONS HISTORY IS NOW (1) If you could make an adaption -whether film, drama, book, or some other type of adaption -- of a historical event, which historical event would you choose? Why? ~ "It is honestly super difficult to chose just one historical event since I have so many favorites, but my preferences do lean towards near-biographies. I would love to watch an adaption of Jane Austen's life, collected from surviving letters and with quotes from her works, from beginning to end. Maybe an adaption of when Victoria and Albert met for the first time that stays as factual as possible or a documentary about Napoleon's coronation. Basically, I would love more micro-histories in any form and from any time period." Gabrielle Goodwin
(2) How do you think history will view what has happened in 2021 so far? ~ "This year will be one of those years in the textbooks that has twenty entries in the glossary and a few subheadings like '2020-2021, Politics of' and '2020-2021, Culture' which be super diverse and fun to flip through in the future. I am hoping that history will view this year as the start of a cultural and social shift with longreaching impacts. Mostly, I want to see the positives right alongside the negatives: things like 'pandemic' next to a list of the animals we were able to bring back from extinction. I think when we look back on history, we tend to focus on the negative. As this year will have a lot of negatives, I hope that history chooses to include some positives as well." Gabrielle Goodwin
MAY 2021*SPRING SEMESTER EDITION*PG.14
HISTORICAL ADAPTION? HISTORY'S VIEW OF 2021?
*"I would like to make a movie on the
*"I think history will view what has happened so
Zapatista uprising in Chiapas, México. I
far in 2021 rather poorly. I think that what is
would make an adaption for this event
because I think it’s an interesting piece
of history that is little discussed and is,
currently happening in places such as India and Brazil tells us that there may be many more deaths this year than in 2020, despite vaccinations existing. Although there probably will not be quite
in my view, one of the most interesting
as many deaths from COVID-19 as from Spanish
and inspiring social movements in the
Flu, I think it is pretty likely that this “second
past 30 years."
wave” of cases could be looked at with a similar
-Thys Ballard, Computer Science
tragic magnitude. As for an event like the storming
~
*"I want to see the Great Depression,
of the Capitol on January 6th of this year, I think time will only tell; in many ways it feels like a more farcical version of the March on Rome,
maybe a cooking-esque show to see
except that it failed, or perhaps even more like the
what they had and how they used it!"
Beer Hall Putsch. Obviously the political and
-Kari Bromley, Accounting and Business material conditions are quite different, and the ~
*"A drama about the burning of
Alexandria -- particularily the library,
like a full "they all die at the end", but
storming of the Capitol was more of an attempted autocoup than an attempted coup, but I think that that moment could be an empowering moment for the far-right. I think it is either looked at as a pivotal moment in US history, or it is barely even
the librarians try to do their best to save discussed. I think the coup in Myanmar will also be them. They don't succeed, montages of looked at negatively, but I have my doubts that it
burning books and scrolls, but in the
will be discussed beyond academic and left-wing
end...a note of hope that someone,
circles."
somewhere will manage to find the
-Thys Ballard, Computer Science
pieces they squirreled away."
-Nick Mannino, Food Science ~
Interview: Friendly Departments
~ *"I think a lot of it's going to be about the rules and regulations...there will probably be a picture of a mask in a textbook." -Kari Bromley, Accounting and Business
History Will Be
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EDITOR'S LETTER It has been an absolute pleasure to be involved with the history department in my time here at the University of Idaho! Selecting history as one of my majors has granted me so many opportunities: from presenting a paper at a conference to carefully braiding my hair to match a Roman toga. I am just sorry I was unable to take more classes: every semester was a struggle as I was forced to choose between too many courses that all sounded dreadfully interesting. If I weren't graduating, I would also be struggling with the options for this upcoming semester! There hasn't been a professor that hasn't been a joy to listen to nor a single class I've disliked. Although all of my special historical interests have not been offered as a class here besides maybe the occasional mention in a tangential class, I have instead found new favorite areas of interest to add to my collection. I have also found new frustrations with documents like the Medieval Forest Laws that will make any re-watches of Disney's Robin Hood fraught with legalities I had never considered before. I am also pleased as punch that my senior seminar for history allowed me to choose my topic so I had the chance to ramble on about Ancient Egyptian mythology -- only a little more erudite than my elementary self would have been. Thank you so much for a wonderful couple of years! Gabrielle Goodwin English Literature & History Major The Primary Source Newsletter Editor
UNIVERSITY OF IDAHO*HISTORY DEPARTMENT*2021 SPRING
THE PRIMARY SOURCE
EDITOR GABRIELLE GOODWIN
EDITOR MAXWELL MCPHERSON
