Welcome
Historians work like detectives, sifting through piles of evidence attempting to make sense of it. While the basics of the past - names, dates, places, events - do not change, historians choose different methods for understanding those basics. In sum, history is not stagnant; once you know something you do not necessarily know it forever. Our understanding of the past - of why things happened, of human motives, of causes and consequences - changes over time.
In the classes offered by this department, you will not only be learning how to be a historian, but also a good citizen – capable of sifting through information, deciding what is important to remember, drawing reasonable conclusions, and building sound arguments that address specific problems. Perhaps the exploration of some of the ideas, societies, and problems of the historical past will even help you critique and improve today’s world.