History

List of 4 items.

• Grade 9: Global History: 1700-1945

  How do we know what we know about the past? This course examines the power and the historical method through an exploration of the emergence of the modern world from 1700 to 1945. Students will learn to analyze change and continuity within and between historical periods; evaluate how historical events and developments were shaped by unique circumstances of time, place, and context. With an emphasis on primary sources, students will learn to analyze sources using historical thinking strategies in order to explain what happened in the past and determine its significance for the present. A key feature of this course is a research project that invites students to develop a well-reasoned thesis and supporting evidence in response to a self-generated historical question. Throughout the course, we build towards this culminating paper, by practicing historical research skill and asking students to consider multiple perspectives, draw defensible conclusions, and address counter-claims. Topics include the “Atlantic World,” global slave systems, the Enlightenment, the French and Haitian Revolutions, Latin American independence movements, the Industrial Revolution, Imperialism and Colonialism, the origins of World War I, the global Great Depression, and World War II.

• Grade 10 United States History: Origins to 1945

  We begin the course by exploring the "First Encounters" of indigenous peoples in the Americas with Europeans in the late 16th and 17th centuries and the experiences of people from Africa following their initial forced arrival in Virginia in 1619. We will examine the primary theme of democracy, calling attention to the roles of land, slavery, and freedom in British colonial societies, the expansion of revolutionary thought leading to the founding of the republic, the ratification of the United States Constitution in the late 18th century, and the construction of race as slave societies tightened their legal and social restrictions on enslaved people. As we explore the ensuing developments and limitations of democratic institutions and practices, and the contributions of enslaved peoples and Black Americans as well as reform movements by the mid-nineteenth century, including abolitionism, women's rights, and the religious revivals of the Great Awakening. The course culminates in a study of  national debate over the Mexican-American War; the sectional crisis over the expansion of slavery by 1861; and the transformative role played by Black soldiers in the Civil War. Students hone their critical thinking, writing and research skills throughout the year. 

• Grade 11: United States History: 1865-2000s

  We will explore the multiple perspectives on the question “Who is an American?” and the theme of immigration, allowing us to examine experiences of new immigrants and the laws and attitudes shaping immigration policy. Readings and materials will also highlight the formation of the free Black political communities during Reconstruction, and the subsequent rise of systemic racial institutions and laws through violence and segregation. Next we examine the process of urbanization and the transformation of the West--a diverse region that included embattled cultures of indigenous peoples and new Chinese communities. As we shed light on the history of the nation’s inclusion and exclusion of social groups, we will study the emergence of the U.S. as an imperial power at the turn of the century, the changing role of the government during the American involvement in the two World Wars, and the transformation of economic, social and cultural institutions during the interwar years of the 1920’s and the Great Depression—including the music, art, and literature of the Harlem Renaissance--as well as the diversity of political thought. An emphasis will be placed upon group projects on gender, race and intersectionality in the women’s suffrage movement and the Chinese American experience.

• Grade 12: Electives

  Grade 12 Elective Courses (Fall):

  
  

  Campaigns and Elections

  How does the electoral process work in the United States? What criteria should we use to evaluate the “fairness” and democratic nature of our current election systems? Are there opportunities for policy reform? Although presidential elections attract the most attention, campaigns and elections influence all levels of American political life, including state and local government. Grounded in the contested history of the right to vote, this course explores the American electoral process, the transformation of American campaigns and modern campaign strategies. Students will engage in hands-on analysis of a variety of case studies and data sources, ranging from government websites to surveys and polls. They will also participate in lively debates about issues of voting procedures, campaign finance and the electoral process of choosing candidates and winners. 

  
  

  International Relations

  International Relations is an interdisciplinary field of inquiry pulling from academic frameworks in political science but also history, economics, and sociology. In this course students study interactions among the various actors on different levels (the individual, the state, and international institutions) that participate in international politics. We will learn and apply major theoretical perspectives as well as the tools and approaches to foreign policy. Students explore war and security, international cooperation, and international law through case studies and simulations. Students will apply new knowledge of foreign policy approaches and tools by participating in short "Pop Up" and as well as extended case studies of both real and hypothetical international situations and conflicts. Case studies offer students an opportunity to sharpen their collaboration skills through negotiation, conflict resolution, and consensus building activities, and to build analytical, leadership, and decision-making skills. We will research and deliberate policy options during National Security Council meetings on various topics including deterrence and nuclear weapons; cyberspace; the role of NATO and other international alliances; and the space race.

  
  

  History of New York City

  What do Edith Wharton, Emma Goldman, James Baldwin, Tito Puente, Grace Meng, and Alicia Keys—and you—have in common? You are all New Yorkers who have experienced and represented the city in many political, economic, social, and cultural ways. From subways, bridges, parks, skyscrapers, to bike lanes, life in the five boroughs has shaped NYC. Local urban geographies have been constructed by both ordinary and extraordinary people including: immigrants, social activists, construction workers, graffiti artists, pop stars, journalists, writers, photographers, marketing agents, fashion designers, media and real estate moguls, deli owners, educators, and students. What does it mean to be a New Yorker? Why is the city one of the most diverse and dynamic in the world? What particular challenges has the city faced? This course explores the remarkable evolution of the Big Apple as the global capital of capital and culture from the Grid of 1811 and Central Park through consolidation in 1898 through the present. We will investigate four characteristics of the metropolis: money, diversity, density, and creativity. Further, we will examine the history of NYC through the lens of its various mayors culminating in a study of key challenges that Gotham faces today.

  
  

  Feminism: Art & Ideas

  No single feminism suffices in today's world. This course challenges students to explore, question, and debate strands of feminist thought in order to determine a feminist stance that reflects their own values and lived experiences. Students will engage with historical and contemporary movements for gender equality through the examination of influential pieces of writing, works of art, and acts of protest. Faculty from the Visual Arts Department will visit the class regularly to provide in-depth art historical analysis as students examine the ways intellectual and artistic movements enrich one another. Students will broaden their understanding of justice and the ongoing fight for a more equitable world. Students will conduct research, make presentations, and write papers. They will be asked to demonstrate their learning at least once during the semester through a creative project. Students will gain understanding of key feminist movements in the United States and beyond, and the ways that advocates for women's rights adapt to their cultural contexts to achieve their goals. Topics include: Second Wave Feminism, Womanism, feminist movements in the Muslim World, Latinx Bruja Feminism, Afro-Futurism, reproductive justice, and the inclusion of LGBTQIA+ communities.

  
  

  Grade 12 Elective Courses (Spring):

  
  

  Political Theory: A Fall of Dynasties

  This course examines history through a political lens with the study of power and how it is shaped in the post-industrial world and through the mid-19th and 20th centuries. This course will study the elements that contributed to autocratic rule and monarchies and consider how they were challenged and overshadowed by democratic models. This examination will include how the twentieth century witnessed the rise of communist states. The study of political theory will then be applied to specific case studies in China and Russia, examining the external and internal factors that contributed to the rise of communism. This curriculum is designed to place political theory in a historical narrative: the study of this complicated time period necessitates the examination of ideology, industrialization, property, and religion and place them all into a specific political context. In addition to engaging the case studies of China and Russia, students will have the opportunity to study other modern states and revolutions in the form of independent research projects.

  
  

  Globalization

  This course will explore the economic, political, and cultural processes of globalization through a few focal points—migration, gender, and the environment—from roughly the 1970s to the early twenty-first century. We will seek to examine the broad social consequences of these transformations (such as climate change) particularly for marginalized groups, and the various ways that they have addressed and challenged the implications of globalization. Further, our assigned readings, group projects, and independent research will explore how responses to the consequences of globalization have intersected--for example: international climate treaties; maternal health research; building sustainable cities; and social impact investing. As writers in history, we will put traditional pencil to paper to document our own journeys, while we also learn how new digital technologies for data analysis can allow historians to grapple with the evidence. We will invite guest speakers as well as utilize resources throughout NYC.

  
  

  Global History of Love and Marriage

  For most of human history, marriage served a distinct purpose: to preserve social order. How and why did the relatively recent phenomenon of marrying for love transform societal norms and expectations regarding romantic relationships? To what extent did marrying for love threaten to upend the social order of the nineteenth and twentieth century world? This course explores the intersection of love and marriage, examining the invention of marriage as a means of forging networks of cooperation, the transformation of marriage into an institution for transmitting status and property, the origins of courtly and romantic love, and the emergence of a radical new idea: marrying for love across race, class, and gender. Our study of the past, and the complex and diverse human relationships that developed in Africa, Asia, Latin America, the United States, and Europe, enable us to imagine the future of a social convention unique to humankind.

  
  

  Constitutional Law

  This course is designed to develop a greater appreciation of the rights and liberties set forth under the United States Constitution, along with an understanding of the responsibilities that these rights and liberties engender. In order to achieve these objectives, we will focus on Supreme Court cases that interpret the Bill of Rights and the Fourteenth Amendment, and we will consider these cases as part of the larger socio-political contexts in which they were decided. The class encourages students to connect Supreme Court decisions to the broader themes of individual empowerment, separation of powers and civic engagement. We will develop our critical and analytical thinking skills using case law and secondary sources (commentaries, current articles, and film) as well as class debates to sharpen our thinking. Topics include Freedom of Expression and the Press; Freedom from and of Religion; Right to Bear Arms; Search and Seizure; Right to Counsel; Due Process & the Right to Privacy; Equal Protection under the Law (including Affirmative Action); and Presidential Power. 

  
  

  History Fellowship Program:

  
  

  Independent History Research 

  Grades 11-12. Counts as (NB)

  Driven by passion and curiosity, IHR Fellows independently craft and explore a unique archival inquiry by discovering collections of primary sources of interest held in local archives. To facilitate this, they reach out to archivists who can help guide their research. Further, the cohort participates in interactive workshops at several archives in New York City to learn how to navigate their collections with their finding aids. To develop and contextualize their research question about their chosen collection, students select and read scholarship written by historians in their related subfield. Through critical thinking and analysis, students produce an original, thesis-driven, evidence-based project that sheds light on the historical significance of the archive collection they examined. During the spring semester of their senior year, fellows formally present their project at a symposium open to the Spence community, mentor juniors in the program, and visit Middle School classes to share archival discoveries. Juniors create posters to display at the symposium, showcasing their work in progress. IHR fellows must be comfortable and capable of working on a project for a sustained time period independently, using and honing their skills in time management, self-direction, and historical thinking.