• Contact Info

Paradis, David

Senior Instructor

Positions

Research Areas research areas

Research

research overview

  • My research focuses on a popular uprising known as the English Rising of 1381. In contrast to most accounts of the uprising, which have emphasized tax resistance and opposition to serfdom, the material I work with indicates that those in power during the rising utilized rumors and gossip to channel violence during late Spring and early Summer of 1381.

keywords

  • Medieval English History

Teaching

courses taught

  • FYSM 1000 - First Year Seminar
    Primary Instructor - Fall 2019
    Provide first year students with an immersive experience in an interdisciplinary topic that addresses current issues including social, technical and global topics. Taught by faculty from across campus, the course provides students with an opportunity to interact in small classes, have project based learning experiences and gain valuable communication skills. Seminar style classes focused on discussion and projects.
  • FYSM 1100 - First Year Interest Group Seminar
    Primary Instructor - Fall 2020
    Creates a First Year Interest Group by linking a small first-year seminar with an existing introductory course on a related topic. Each seminar section will be linked to a different course and students in that FYSM 1100 section must be registered for that course. There will be a different co-requisite course for each seminar section.
  • HIST 1011 - Greeks, Romans, Kings & Crusaders: European History to 1600
    Primary Instructor - Spring 2018 / Summer 2018 / Fall 2018 / Spring 2019 / Summer 2019 / Fall 2019 / Spring 2020 / Summer 2020 / Fall 2020 / Spring 2021 / Summer 2021 / Fall 2021 / Spring 2022 / Summer 2022 / Fall 2022 / Spring 2023 / Summer 2023 / Fall 2023 / Spring 2024
    Examines the history and formation of Europe from its roots in the ancient Near East to Greece to the creation of Medieval states and kingdoms. Topics may include the rise of Christianity, Barbarian migrations, religious persecution, the role of gender and minority status, the growth of trade and European encounters, the Black Death, the European Renaissance the Protestant Reformation.
  • HIST 1113 - Introduction to British History to 1660
    Primary Instructor - Spring 2018 / Fall 2018 / Fall 2019 / Fall 2020 / Spring 2022 / Fall 2022
    Deals with Roman, medieval and early modern periods. Covers the demographic, economic, social patterns, political and religious developments, and cultural changes that contributed to the formation of the English nation.
  • HIST 2110 - History of Early Modern Societies
    Primary Instructor - Spring 2024
    Examines major themes in Early Modern history in a variety of global contexts. Issues to be explored could include intellectual developments, religion, popular culture, social history, economic and political changes, and states and warfare, usually in a specific region or nation (i.e. Europe, Latin America, the Atlantic World, Spain, Russia, China, Japan, etc.). Topics vary in any given semester.
  • HIST 2220 - History of War and Society
    Primary Instructor - Spring 2020 / Fall 2021 / Spring 2023
    Focuses on war and society in a variety of global contexts. Explores the character, origins, and social, political, and intellectual impacts of war in contexts ranging from several centuries of international conflict to the experience of individual nations in specific wars. Topic varies in any given semester; contact Department of History for details.
  • HIST 3020 - Historical Thinking & Writing
    Primary Instructor - Spring 2021 / Fall 2021 / Spring 2022 / Spring 2023
    The second cornerstone course for history majors centers on the essential skills all historians use. Students will advance their reading, sourcing, and research techniques, hone critical, analytical, and synthetic skills, navigate scholarly discourse, and practice historical writing. As this simultaneously satisfies the College's upper-division writing requirement, all sections involve substantial, regular, and varied writing assignments as well as instruction in methods and the revision process. All topical variations of this course are limited to a maximum of 18 students in order to focus on supporting students as they learn to write - and think - like an historian. Topics will vary by section. Recommended for sophomores or juniors, HIST 3020 may be taken concurrently with, but not prior to, HIST 1800. May be repeated up to 6 total credit hours.
  • HIST 3113 - Seminar in Medieval and Early Modern English History
    Primary Instructor - Fall 2023
    The third, and final, cornerstone course for history majors is a capstone seminar. Capstone seminars are designed for advanced history majors to pull together the skills they have honed in previous classes towards producing historical knowledge about a particular area of interest. This seminar focuses on medieval and early modern English history, and will include readings and discussions in a small seminar setting. These and other class activities and assignments will support the central goal: for each student to develop an individual research project on a topic of their own choosing in relation to medieval and early modern English history. Students will then write a substantial and original research paper based on primary sources. Completion of HIST 3020 is required for history majors to enroll in a senior seminar. May be repeated up to 6 total credit hours. Recommended restriction: History GPA of 2.0 or higher.
  • HIST 4103 - England from the Viking Age to the Tudors
    Primary Instructor - Spring 2021 / Fall 2022 / Spring 2024
    During the Middle Ages Germanic values of honor and retribution became deeply ingrained in the warrior culture of the English aristocracy. This course begins with an examination of the Scandinavian and Germanic roots of this warrior culture before exploring the residue of that culture in the centuries leading up to the Tudor period. Recommended prerequisite: HIST 1011 or HIST 1113.
  • HIST 4123 - Medieval England
    Primary Instructor - Fall 2018 / Spring 2019 / Spring 2020
    England in the 14th and 15th centuries endured climate change, the Black Death, peasant revolts, foreign and civil war and the forcible removal of five kings; yet this period also saw renewed forms of religious devotion, famous military victories and the exaltation of kingship. Crucially, it also saw the growing importance of the common people in English politics and the notion that government should aspire to serve the common good of the whole realm. Recommended prerequisite: HIST 1011 or HIST 1113.
  • HIST 4803 - Special Topics in European History
    Primary Instructor - Fall 2023
    Covers specialized topics in European history, usually focusing on a specific country or theme. May be repeated up to 6 total credit hours. Recommended prerequisite: HIST 1011 or HIST 1012.

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