History

In the Upper School, students take at least two years of history: World Civilizations (freshman year) and two semesters of American History (junior year). In addition, the Department offers a yearlong elective in Modern European History for sophomores, as well as a wide array of semester- long junior and senior electives. Upper School coursework builds carefully upon the Middle School foundation and sharpens students’ reading, writing, and research skills. Students learn to analyze primary sources with increasing sophistication at each grade level; reliance upon textbooks is minimal. In every course, students are encouraged to draw their own conclusions and to formulate original arguments. Upper School history courses also emphasize research papers; seminar-style, student-led discussions; and the use of new technologies, including online discussions.

World Civilizations

This ninth-grade course explores the major faiths of the world today—Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam—and considers topics in history up to the early modern period. The class studies ancient Greece, Rome, the Crusades, Ming China, and Mughal India. The concepts of humanism, secularism, monotheism, monism, and pantheism are investigated as students explore the faiths and histories of different parts of the world. The analysis of primary and secondary sources, student-led class discussions, and the development of research and critical thinking skills are stressed throughout the course. Students write a number of research-based essays, which provide opportunities to practice formulating thesis statements, documenting sources, and drafting persuasive written arguments and historical analysis.

Modern European History

This course examines intellectual thought, trends, causal relationships, and Europe’s interaction with the world. Topics include the European Renaissance; the Reformation and religious wars; the emergence of absolutism; the Enlightenment thought; the causes and the significance of the French Revolution and the Napoleonic era; nationalism, imperialism, and the Industrial Revolution in the 1800s; the causes and consequences of World War I; the emergence and character of totalitarian states during the interwar years; and World War II. Students practice research skills, comprehension and analysis of primary and secondary sources, and crafting arguments and supporting them with evidence in writing assignments and in-class discussions. The class concludes with a research project on topics driven by students’ interests and connected to the material explored in the course.

US History I: The Formation of the United States, 1600-1860

This course covers the history of the United States from the beginning of European colonization through Lincoln’s election in 1860. Students focus on the country’s political, economic, geographic, social, and cultural growth. The course explores the narratives of the early nation that are rooted in its founding documents, the evolving issue of slavery, and other forces that propelled the United States toward civil war. Class discussion, analytical essay writing, and close reading and annotation of primary source materials are integral to the course.

US History I: Women in American History

This class focuses on the history of women in the US from the colonial era to the present day. The course begins with a discussion of the role of women in US history, including Abigail Adams, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott, and Sojourner Truth. Students also focus on the role of women in the Civil War and the Progressive Movement, the women’s suffrage movement, women in the labor movement, and the roles played by women in both world wars and both “Red Scares.” The course culminates in an exploration of the revival of the women’s movement and concludes with an exploration of the current issues facing women today.

US History II: The United States Comes of Age: The Civil War Through World War II, 1861-1945

This course begins with the national trauma of the Civil War and the failures of the Reconstruction era. Students examine the political, economic, and social changes in the country between 1870 and World War I, focusing on the growth of industry, the labor movement, immigration, the Populist movement, the Progressive movement, and the early civil rights movements. Students explore the emergence of the United States as a global power and related actions during the 1920s, the Great Depression, and entry into World War II. Class discussion, analytical essay writing, and a close reading of primary source documents are emphasized.

US History II: African American History

This course considers American history from the perspective of African Americans. Beginning with an examination of the West African slave trade and the origins of the Middle Passage during the 16th century, students explore key concepts and events in the racial history of the US. The class examines the development and spread of chattel and industrial slavery, the effects of emancipation and Reconstruction, the origin of Jim Crow laws, the history of the struggle for civil rights (including today’s Black Lives Matter movement), and the effects of important events in US history on African Americans. Primary and secondary sources representing a black perspective on US history will be used throughout the course.

Junior-Senior Electives

The Great War

Over a century has passed since the beginning of the Great War, which President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed to be “the war to end all wars” but, tragically, only opened the door to another, even more devastating world war a quarter of a century later. This course explores how and why the Great War changed the course of history. Historical documents, poetry, short literary works, and films are integral to the study throughout the semester. The course begins by looking at England and Germany, the two most powerful nations in the world as the 20th century began, and traces their collision course in the fateful years leading up to 1914. The focus, however, is the war itself and its consequences. Students examine the horrors of trench warfare along the Western Front. Although the course centers on the war in Europe, attention is also paid to the global reach of the war, including the participation of African troops and the impact of their experience on the subsequent rise of independence movements on the African continent. Other short- and long-term consequences of the war, including the early rise of Adolf Hitler, are also highlighted. Students in this class take turns leading class discussions and participate regularly in online discussions as well.

Headscarves and Heretics: Women and Islam in the Postcolonial Maghrib

Northwest Africa (the Maghrib) enjoys a cultural identity distinct from the rest of the continent. Though often considered an Arab region, the Maghrib is actually a complex mix of Berber, Arab, French, Spanish, Portuguese, and sub-Saharan African cultures. The Maghrib enjoys an overwhelmingly Muslim majority while representing the westernmost pole of the Islamic world. Today the region is undergoing massive cultural transformation. Not only did the recent Arab Spring originate within the Maghrib, but also the shifting economics, increasing urbanization, and booming population of the area have all contributed to rapid and sometimes shocking new social dynamics. This course examines two of the most dynamic modes of change in northwest Africa: the roles of women and the forms of Islamic expression. Beginning with the colonial period, the course examines the emergence of political Islam and the women’s rights movement in modern Maghribi culture. Topics will include the role of the headscarf for modern women, the conflict between traditional and political Islam, and the emergence of a new and empowered female political class. Classical and contemporary sources are considered, and students have the opportunity to correspond online with feminists and political leaders within the Maghrib.

History of Islam

This course offers an introduction to Islam, the youngest of the world’s great religions. Using primary sources, secondary sources, sacred texts, ethnography, literature, film, and art, this class investigates the historical origins, the historical traditions, and the modern challenges of Islam. An attempt is made to stress the unity of Islam within the diverse ways of being Muslim. The course begins with an overview of modern Islam, focusing on how it is practiced on the edges of the Muslim world: Morocco and Indonesia. This course also looks at Muhammad as both a historical figure and a religious symbol. A discussion of the rapid spread of early Islam and the classical Islamic period follows. Students consider the role of Islam in the modern world and the effects of colonialism on traditional, non-Western modes of faith.

How Did We Get Here? The History of Current Issues Affecting the United States

This course delves into the fundamental forces, civic structures, events,
and people in United States history since 1945. Students will identify
critical issues and seek to understand them more fully through history.
Examples will include civil rights movements, immigration, income
inequality, climate change, voting rights, partisanship, issues of free
speech, freedom of religion, health care, limited or expanded federal
government, gerrymandering, the electoral college, and social media.
Students will be asked to broaden their lens and ways of thinking about
topics and events as well as to understand the perspectives of different
stakeholders on various issues. The intent of the course is to support
students in their learning about the past as a window to the present, to
assist them in becoming skilled in determining “the truth” to the best of
their ability as they delve into myriad perspectives and sources, and to
give students a foundation upon which they can seek to understand other
issues in society. Students are expected to be conversant about current
events and will take an active role in contributing to and leading class
discussions. Prerequisite: This course is open only to seniors and to juniors
who are concurrently fulfilling their U.S. history requirement.

Immigrants in the United States

In this course, students explore the experiences of diverse groups of immigrants to the United States, from colonial times to the present. Placing their individual and collective stories in the context of the history of America helps learners understand different struggles encountered as a result of settling in a new country, as well as the complexities of US immigration policies. The course also draws from the rich history of diverse populations and immigration to Portland to facilitate understanding of local history in national and global contexts. The class explores different aspects of immigration that America faces today and how diverse groups of people continue to redefine what it means to be American. In addition to developing their discussion and public speaking abilities, students are afforded opportunities to hone their research, writing, and reading comprehension skills.

Native American History

This course considers the history of the United States from the perspective of Americans Indians. Beginning with an examination of the diverse indigenous nations that inhabited North America for thousands of years prior to the arrival of Europeans, our study will draw from both primary and secondary documents to facilitate students’ exploration, understanding, and analyses of key concepts and events of American Indian history. Selected topics include, but are not limited to, the devastation of disease after contact with Europeans, the violation of treaties and agreements in the colonial era, the destruction and removal of nations from tribal land, the early reservation system and the “Christianizing” of American Indian children, the relationship and power dynamic between tribal leaders and the federal government, and the history of the ongoing struggle for civil rights. Emphasis will be placed not only on the impact of important events in US history on American Indians but also on the ways in which American Indians have influenced the country throughout their history and continue to do so today. Whenever possible, we will tie our discussions to contemporary issues ranging from national issues like the debate over Indian sports mascots to local ones like the Maine-Wabanaki State Child Welfare Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

Introduction to Art History

This course will present an overview of topics in art history from the Paleolithic cave painting period until the contemporary era. Students will consider the aesthetic history, material culture, artistic methods, and cultural iconographies of Europe, India, and China—three very different areas of human civilization. The class will explore the art and, when possible, the major artists of these regions while investigating how different forms of artistic expression are tied to different periods of historical development. Students will be expected to read academic articles about history and art history and to compose analytical research essays for the class. A background in world history (world civilizations and modern Europe) is helpful but will not be required for this course. Prerequisite: This course is open only to seniors and to juniors who are concurrently fulfilling their U.S. history requirement.

Introduction to Philosophy

Starting with the pre-Socratics, this course surveys major trends in both ancient and modern Islamic, Jewish, and Christian philosophies from roughly 300 BCE to 1900 CE. Along the way, students read and analyze the works of Plato, Aristotle, Ibn Sina, Al Gazali, Aquinas, Maimonides, Descartes, Leibniz, Hume, and Kant. This course examines the nature of philosophical inquiry while stressing the ancient Greek foundation for most philosophical questions. Students learn about the similarities between Western and non-Western philosophy. To better understand the arguments of the philosophers, students are expected to do slow, careful readings of philosophical texts and to respond to these texts in analytical prose.

The Great 20th-Century Crisis: World War II, 1939-1945

As the deadliest and most widespread conflict in human history, World War II represents a fascinating and complex area of study. This course provides students with a multidimensional experience of some of the myriad narratives of this monumental war through exploration of historical documents, film, and literature. Beginning with an introduction to the turbulent legacy of the Great War, students explore the rise of totalitarian regimes in Europe and Asia as well as the embattled status of democratic powers in the West. Topics discussed include Nazi racial theory, the rise of Imperial Japan, American isolationism, and the shifting role of the Soviet Union. Students are exposed to a variety of voices and narratives, including those of German civilians, Polish Jews, Japanese Americans, and members of the French Resistance. The course concludes with consideration of the far-reaching effects of the war, including the lessons of the Holocaust, the advent of the Cold War, and the implications of nuclear weaponry.