This is the home page of the course syllabus, which outlines all the instructions, logistics, and expectations for the course. The syllabus also has a schedule page, which details the reading and activities for each session.
Why do people tell stories about the past—and why do those stories keep changing?
This course explores how history gets made. Instead of memorizing dates, we investigate how different societies across time have explained and interpreted the past—and why their methods and motives changed. From ancient myths and medieval chronicles to modern archives and AI-generated summaries, we ask how ideas about truth, evidence, and authority shape the stories societies tell about themselves.
Our survey moves through classical mythology, medieval chronicles, early modern statecraft, Enlightenment histories of progress, romantic imagination, scientific professionalism, modernist scholarship, postmodern critique, and today’s digital age. Along the way, we explore why different “flavors” of history emerge (political, social, cultural, digital), how interpretations of the past are continually shaped by context, audience, and medium, and how all of that shapes the world you move through every day—even when it doesn’t look like “history.”
The general lesson: history isn’t just a reason why. There are other contingencies and motivations and values that wax and wane. By the end of the course, you’ll see that history is not simply a record of the past, but an evolving cultural practice through which people make sense of themselves and their place in the world.
Even if you have never been challenged to think about how history is made, you are welcome here! This course assumes no prior knowledge or skills. I grade quite leniently at the beginning of class and the bar slowly rises throughout the class as we dive deeper into course material and you get more comfortable with various repeating assignments.
I really do want you to have fun learning in this class. It takes some work, but I will do everything I can do help you learn as much as you’re motivated to learn, and to help you get whatever grade you’re aiming for. If you feel the course structure or assignments isn’t facilitating success or does not represent the effort you’re putting in the course, let’s talk!
There are no required books to purchase. We use a tool called Zotero to manage PDFs of reading assignments apart from the books.
To get connected, follow the Zotero set up instructions, noting the links below.
Our Zotero Group homepage is https://www.zotero.org/groups/2703269/making-history-unm. This link is best for joining the course Zotero Group.
Our Zotero Library page is https://www.zotero.org/groups/2703269/making-history-unm/library. Once you are a member of our group, this link is best for accessing our Zotero Library.
Around Week 8, you will write a short paper (~1500 words) reflecting on one major “turn” in how history has been made. Pick one era or movement we’ve covered and explain: what changed about how people told stories about the past, and why?
The final project asks you to find a piece of “history” that shapes daily life around you—a monument, a museum exhibit, a textbook passage, a holiday tradition, a street name, a family story, a TikTok explainer—and analyze how and why it was made. What kind of history is it? Whose story does it tell? What does it leave out? What work is it doing in the present? Format options: essay, podcast, annotated source set, digital exhibit, or poster.
The goal of this course is for you to see history differently—not to learn facts about the past. I care about the effort and thought you put into engaging with the material, not whether you get the “right” answer. There usually isn’t one. You are graded primarily on perceived effort.
For almost everything we read, we’re reading to ENGAGE with it, not because it’s right. There is a LOT to disagree with across the readings, and we don’t all have to agree on everything. The goal is to develop frameworks for thinking critically about how history gets made and used.
If life gets overwhelming during the course, please reach out. We can discuss formal or informal accommodations, deadline adjustments, or other support. The goal is maximizing learning under real life circumstances.
These indicate something you have to DO or TURN IN.
These indicate something you should be aware of—usually an upcoming assignment or a longer reading—but isn’t anything you need to immediately do.
These indicate something that is important to know, but isn’t time sensitive.