Why did 13 English colonies become a Republic? What was Manifest Destiny and American Imperialism? How did the Reconstruction phase impact industrialization? What lead the U.S. to become the dominant Superpower in the world? The odds are that you thought about one of these questions. This course provides the historical background of this great nation of ours and we will cover its history from the colonization period to the events and aftermath of September Eleven.
WE BEGIN WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE 13 ENGLISH COLONIES AND THEN THE DEVELOPMENT AND STRUGGLES OF THE YOUNG REPUBLIC, THEN THE COURSE FOLLOWS WITH THE EXPANSION OF THE NATION WESTWARDS INTO INTERNAL DIFFERENCES THAT LEAD TO THE CIVIL WAR AND ITS RECONSTRUCTION PHASE. THE COURSE EMPHASIZES DEVELOPMENTS IN THE 20TH CENTURY INCLUDING THE RISE OF AMERICAN IMPERIALISM, WW1, THE 20’S, THE GREAT DEPRESSION, WW2, THE COLD WAR, AND THE 90’S. THE COURSE WILL FOCUS ON THEMES RANGING FROM CULTURAL TRENDS, MILITARY INVOLVEMENT, GLOBALIZATION, POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT, AND THE CONTEXT OF THE RISE OF THE UNITED STATES AS THE ONLY SUPERPOWER IN THE WORLD.
Objectives
Gain knowledge of the social, cultural, economic, & political history of the United States.
Understanding of the complexity of the development of the United States in terms of religion, ethnicity, and class.
Analysis of the historical roots of the United States past and contemporary conflicts, issues, and ideologies.
The ability and desire to gather and critically evaluate information from primary sources from U.S. history.
The ability to formulate an argument for a historical interpretation and to present it in writing
An understanding that knowledge of history, which displays both the possibilities and limitations of humanity, is a useful tool for those who wish to make the world a better place.