Disasters in History

Catalog description

Disasters have taken many forms in human history, from earthquakes, fires, tsunamis and hurricanes to famine and epidemic disease. Nor should we forget manmade tragedies such as the terrorist attacks on 9/11 or the devastation produced by a combination of human and technological failures, such as the explosions at Chernobyl and Bhopal or the more recent BP oil spill just off of our own coast. Disasters are an important focus for historical inquiry for quite varied reasons. This is a unique course. It will be team-taught by 12 professors. Each professor will teach a 1-week unit on a historical disaster related to their area of specialization. In addition to an excellent learning experience, you will get to sample the teaching of more than half of the faculty members in the History Department.