What is history and why should I study it?  

The purpose of studying history is to better understand the complex cultures as well as the historical systems and events that have driven the past, produced the present, and guide the future of our world.  This crucial discipline reveals human connections across time and place; it teaches us about past human experiences and their influence upon our present lives.

Historians no longer see their discipline as a parade of powerful men and lists of dates.  Instead, we critically analyze evidence about all people living in the past to create an inclusive narrative of past human experiences and an understanding of issues that impact the modern world.

So while history is the study of the past, it is simultaneously a tool used to understand the present.  It encompasses every dimension of human interaction, including social life, economics, gender, culture, philosophy, conflict, and politics.  Students of history study individuals, communities, and nations from every conceivable perspective, and they employ all the techniques of the humanities and social sciences to raise important questions and probe for answers about how our world has developed over time.

In particular, this discipline is about analyzing evidence in order to better understand the causation and significance of historical phenomena.  In this way, history leads us to better understand the complexities and problems of our modern world.  Only after we understand the historical causation of a problem can we hope to solve it effectively.  As Herbert Hoover once stated most eloquently, “The supreme purpose of history is a better world.”

No other discipline better prepares students to deal with and understand our contemporary world than does the discipline of history.  In the process of carrying out this crucial field of study, students trained in history develop the critical skills of research and analysis, creative methods for recognizing patterns in information, and techniques for effective and persuasive writing.

History Program Information at Jackson College


HIS 120 Ancient History (3 CR)

This course attempts to answer the question, “Where did it all begin?” with a survey of the politics, art and religion of the ancient world from history’s beginning in Sumeria to the end of the ancient world when the Western Roman Empire faded out of sight in 476 A.D.

Prerequisites: ENG 085* and ENG 090*

HIS 125 African-American History (3 CR)

Examines the role African-Americans have historically played in the political, economic and social construction of America.

Prerequisites: ENG 085* and ENG 090*

HIS 131 Western Civilization to 1555 (4 CR)

HIS 131, together with HIS 132, constitutes the basic history course, as well as an introduction to the humanities. This course examines the roots of Western culture and its development through the Reformation. The course also surveys the social, philosophical, scientific, artistic, religious and political setting evolution with emphasis on the role of ideas and their consequences in the history of the human kind from the beginning to the 16th century.

Prerequisites: ENG 085* and ENG 090*

HIS 132 Western Civilization 1555 to Present (4 CR)

HIS 131, together with HIS 132, constitutes the basic history course, as well as an introduction to the humanities. This course is a continuation of HIS 131, emphasizing the development of new political areas, economic and social theories, the evolution and expansion of modern states, and efforts to control international tensions from the 16th century to the present.

Prerequisites: ENG 085* and ENG 090*

HIS 231 Development of the U.S. through the Civil War (3 CR)

This course is the study of American national history beginning with the colonization to the Civil War. Themes include exploration and settlement, development of political theory, development of the West and its influence on the country, the growth of sectionalism and the Civil War.

Prerequisites: ENG 085* and ENG 090*

* You may meet this prerequisite based on your course placement, ACT score or successful college coursework. Visit www.jccmi.edu for current assessment options and requirements.