Department of History 

From the earliest days of the University of North Dakota, history faculty have played an important part in preparing students to be engaged citizens of their communities, the state, and the world. Today the department remains committed to teaching the past and developing in our students the reading, writing, and critical thinking skills necessary to contribute to an increasingly global world. Each faculty member is an active researcher in their respective fields, and bring fresh perspectives on different cultures and ideas into the classes they teach.

The department offers Bachelor of Arts, Master of Arts, Doctor of Philosophy and Doctor of Arts programs, which are supported by a faculty whose research interests span periods of American, Ancient, European, and African history. Faculty approach their fields using different methods, with an emphasis on social, cultural, military, gender, and intellectual history. Faculty and student research draw upon textual analysis, the study of material culture, quantitative methods, and oral history to bring the past alive.

Both undergraduate and graduate students work closely with History faculty to complete independent research projects on topics of their choosing.  The department also promotes engagement with the discipline through a regional archive with collections of national significance, the largest library between Minneapolis and Seattle, the history honor society Phi Alpha Theta, monthly informal workshops, and several annual lectures.

 

Congratulations to UND historians Bill Caraher and Brett Weber on the publication of  The Bakken: An Archaeology of an Industrial Landscape (North Dakota State University Press, December 2017).

The latest addition to the “Bakken Bookshelf,”  The Bakken: An Archaeology of an Industrial Landscape  is part tourist guide, part documentation of the oil boom, and part “punk archaeology.” Written by UND associate professor of history William Caraher and associate professor of social work Bret Weber, it’s the first volume of the Heritage Guide Series by NDSU Press.  

The book is available at https://bakkenguide.org/about/ and on Amazon.com.

 

Congratulations to editor Dr. Eric Burin and contributors Dr. William Caraher and Dr. Cynthia Prescott on the publication of  Picking the President: Understanding the Electoral College (The Digital Press at the University of North Dakota, January 2017).  

The 2016 presidential election has sparked an unprecedented interest in the Electoral College. In response to Donald Trump winning the presidency despite losing the popular vote, numerous individuals have weighed in with letters-to-the-editor, op-eds, blog posts, videos, and the like, and thanks to the revolution in digital communications, these items have reached an exceptionally wide audience. In short, never before have so many people had so much to say about the Electoral College.

To facilitate and expand the conversation, Picking the President: Understanding the Electoral College offers brief essays that examine the Electoral College from different disciplinary perspectives, including philosophy, mathematics, political science, history, and pedagogy. Along the way, the essays address a variety of questions about the Electoral College: Why was it created? How has it changed over time? Who benefits from it? Is it just? How will future demographic patterns affect it? Should we alter or abolish the Electoral College, and if so, what should replace it? In exploring these matters, Picking the President enhances our understanding of one of America’s most high-profile, momentous issues.

Download your FREE copy today!