History

History

To be ignorant of what happened before you were born is to be ever a child.  For what is in a man's lifetime unless the memory of past events is woven with those of earlier times?
- MARCUS TULLIUS CICERO (106 BCE – 43 CE)

Seek Wisdom, not knowledge.  Knowledge is of the past, wisdom is of the future.
- LUMBEE PROVERB

Who controls the past controls the future.
- GEORGE ORWELL (1903-1950)

Memories of our lives, of our works and our deeds will continue in others.
- ROSA PARKS (1913-2005)

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 the study of 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 Latin America, Asia, the Middle East and Africa, as well as the history of science and digital humanities. 

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.