HIST 213: United States History since 1865
Spring 2023: This course surveys United States history from the end of Reconstruction to the rise of Trump. Lectures and readings trace major social and cultural themes. The goal is to develop analytical skills for temporal reasoning, which means knowing not only what happened and why, but how contexts have shaped events as something more mutable than a simple case of destiny or inevitability. The challenge is to master both the personal and specific as well as the general and conceptual. The goal is to understand the past on its terms. Students will thus engage materials ranging from lectures and primary documents to secondary essays and videos. Discussions and exams will focus on main themes in the course. The two five-page papers will analyze pre-selected sets of documents available through Canvas.
Topics: Imperialism, Industrialism, Nationalism, Political Culture, Religion, Urbanization
Required Texts:
Nat Love, The Life and Adventures of Nat Love, Better Known in the Cattle Country as “Deadwood Dick”
Louis Brandeis, Other People’s Money, And How Bankers Use It
Jesse Jackson, "The Story of Seattle's Hooverville"
James M. Fallows, "Song of Hayakawa"
Recommended readings: Joseph Locke and Ben Wright, The American Yawp
Tutorial readings available online and through Canvas Course Site
Course Evaluations:
Weekly Quizzes 10%
First Paper 15%
Midterm 30%
Second Paper 15%
Final Exam 30%
Topics: Imperialism, Industrialism, Nationalism, Political Culture, Religion, Urbanization
Required Texts:
Nat Love, The Life and Adventures of Nat Love, Better Known in the Cattle Country as “Deadwood Dick”
Louis Brandeis, Other People’s Money, And How Bankers Use It
Jesse Jackson, "The Story of Seattle's Hooverville"
James M. Fallows, "Song of Hayakawa"
Recommended readings: Joseph Locke and Ben Wright, The American Yawp
Tutorial readings available online and through Canvas Course Site
Course Evaluations:
Weekly Quizzes 10%
First Paper 15%
Midterm 30%
Second Paper 15%
Final Exam 30%