History Department
History examines the past through various lenses — social, political and intellectual; textual and material — enriching us as individuals and preparing us to engage the complexities and ambiguities of the contemporary world. Join us!
Our department of a dozen faculty members offers a variety of courses and perspectives on the remote and recent histories of the United States, Europe, Latin America, Africa, the Middle East and East Asia. It supports programs in Africana Studies, East Asian Studies, Environmental Studies, Latin American and Caribbean Studies, Medieval and Renaissance Studies, Russian Area Studies, and Women and Gender Studies, and offers courses in the history of science. History courses emphasize careful reading and analysis of original sources in order to approach the past on its own terms. But we also stress that studying history is an interpretive process requiring attention to methods, theories, and scholarly debates. The training students receive in research skills, critical analysis, and expository writing prepares them to pursue careers in business, education, law, public service and a variety of other professions. The History major is compact enough that many students choose to double major, add a minor, or just sample broadly the rest of the W&L curriculum.
Feature Stories
Williams is a self-starter, including founding several small businesses and a club squash team.
The weekend’s seminar will feature Jayne Anne Phillips discussing her Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, “Night Watch.”
The visiting assistant professor of history explores the history of children’s pain in relation to social and medical perception.
After 38 years in the federal government, Mark Bradley ’78 has made sure to think beyond himself and serve the greater good.
The solo exhibition will open Feb. 17 with an artist’s talk slated for March 4.
Hildenbrand, an American history major on the pre-med track, enjoys being able to explore many disciplines at W&L.
The solo exhibition will open Jan. 9 with an artist’s talk slated for Jan. 14.
The assistant professor of history will receive her award on Jan. 10 at the association’s annual convention in New Orleans.
Mikki Brock wrote her second book and recently answered questions on her specialty – witches, witchcraft and witch hunts.
The Nov. 18 lecture is open to the public and marks the centenary of the case argued in Amherst County, Virginia.
Mikki Brock will perform research leading to a new book at the Wellesley College-based academic center this year.
Sanders worked at Washington and Lee for over 40 years, providing countless lectures on the university’s history.