Early Modern Europe

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The University of Illinois announces its new emphasis on the study of early Europe, 7501789. Uniting the traditional chronological fields of medieval and early modern Europe through innovative methodologies, our department offers a preparation rich in a variety of approaches intended to paint a fuller picture of this fascinating millennium. Themes in which our department is particularly strong include women and gender, the new cultural history, social history, religious history, the history of work, and the history of war and society. Individuals pursuing this field of inquiry will not only benefit from courses with primary faculty, but also from a graduate student readings group, a faculty/graduate student colloquium, and presentations by visiting scholars. Plans are also underway to bring together other Illinois faculty concerned with early Europe from English and foreign language departments, art history, and other units. The campus already benefits from two interdisciplinary meeting grounds, the Medieval Colloquium and the Renaissance Seminar.

The Department of History

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Illinois ranks among the top ten departments of history in public institutions. Our faculty in early European history has grown over the past few years, as we have added several new members in this field. Our treatment of early Europe benefits from strong fields in ancient and late modern Europe. To learn more about the Department of History at the University of Illinois, see our web page (http://www.history.uiuc.edu).

Library Resources

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Containing more than eight million volumes, the University of Illinois Library is the third largest academic library in the nation. We also are affiliated with the Newberry Library of Chicago, which boasts particularly fine collections in Renaissance and early modern Europe. To apply for admission and financial aid, please write: Graduate Secretary, Department of History, University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign, 309 Gregory Hall, 810 South Wright Street, Urbana, IL 61801. You may also contact the graduate secretary by phone at (217) 244-2591. The deadline for admission applications is January 15.

Primary Faculty

  • R. Jovita Baber (Ph.D., University of Chicago, 2005), early modern Spain and Portugal; legal, cultural and social history of the Iberian World; construction of Empire; colonial Latin America.
  • Clare H. Crowston (Ph.D., Cornell, 1996), social and cultural history of early modern France; women and gender; and the history of work.
  • Caroline M. Hibbard (Ph.D., Yale, 1975), TudorStuart Britain; early modern Europe; the Catholic Reformation; and court of Henrietta Maria, 162542.
  • Craig Koslofsky (Ph.D., Michigan, 1994), social and cultural history of Central Europe from the 15th to the 18th century.
  • John A. Lynn (Ph.D., UCLA, 1973), war and society; France, 16101815; state formation; and the 18thcentury British conquest of South Asia.
  • M. Megan Mclaughlin (Ph.D., Stanford, 1985), religion and society to 1200; women and gender; sexuality, gender, and politics in 11thcentury Europe; rituals for the dead in 12thcentury France.
  • Dana Rabin (Ph.D., Michigan, 1996), Early modern Britain; legal, cultural, and gender history.
  • John Randolph (Ph.D., Berkeley, 1997), Imperial Russian intellectual and cultural history; pre-Petrine history; history of personal documents; history of intimacy.
  • Carol Symes (Ph.D., Harvard, 1999), Medieval Europe, especially France and England; cultural history; history of information media and communication technologies; history of theatre