United States, Colonial Era to Present

HIST 272/6.0

Image of an American confederate flag

Overview

This online history course surveys American history from colonization to the present and will encompass such major interpretive themes as the development of American democracy and imperialism, the definition of who is an American at various points in time, and the continuities and discontinuities that connect or not such themes over time and such points in time.

The baseline will consist of a US history textbook to provide chronology, must-know events and people, and the basic story, but the real work will come from the sets of special readings and assignments. Sometimes these will involve classic articles that take one position or another on a certain point of interpretation. Sometimes a piece of recent scholarship to show what is being done in the field today. And sometimes an important primary source, sound clip, or film to introduce you to the practice of historical interpretation.

Ideally the course will draw a thick and straight line of continuity between the earliest days of colonization and the “War on Terror” that confronts us today. Whether or not you agree with such an approach or interpretation will be up to you and the work you do over the coming months. In the end, you will need to be able to argue what you think is the most important theme in American history and how it relates to the course readings and assignments.