"Epidemics & Disease" will explore the variety of epidemics and pandemics that the world has experienced since the Black Death in the fourteenth century, especially the way that disease has shaped societies and the ways in which societies have responded to disease. The course aims to give a broad overview of the epidemic diseases that have struck at different areas and periods, while remaining centered on the United States and Europe. Students will craft research projects around their particular interests. At the end of the semester, students should be able to describe the interaction between epidemics and societies, analyze the different approaches that historians have taken to understand the history of disease, and place the recent Covid-19 pandemic into its historical context.