History Department Home

History is the witness that testifies to the passing of time; it illumines reality, vitalizes memory, provides guidance in daily life and brings us tidings of antiquity.
- Marcus Tullius Cicero (106 BCE – 43 CE)

Who controls the past controls the future.
- George Orwell (1903-1950)

The study of history is at the heart of every citizen’s education.  To understand the present and prepare for the future, one must learn about the past.  But Brock’s faculty believes that History is more than memorizing facts and dates.  It involves exploring changes in bygone societies, cultures and peoples.  And History entails evaluating and interpreting evidence as well as formulating logical arguments based on that evidence. 

Brock’s History Department is the largest in the Faculty of Humanities, both in terms of enrolments and full-time faculty.  The Department has traditionally focused on North America and Western Europe.  While maintaining its strengths in those areas, recent years has seen considerable growth and diversification in the faculty, with new directions taken in Asia, Latin America and Africa, as well as the history of science and digital humanities.  The History Department is also proud to launch its MA program in the 2007-2008 academic year.

Brock History students benefit from a rich diversity of course offerings, including first-year surveys to advanced fourth-year and graduate seminars.  All lectures are paired with small weekly seminars where students hone their skills in critical thinking, analysis and presentation in a nurturing setting.