History of the United States
Course Overview
US History offers a dynamic overview of American history from the fifteenth to the late nineteenth centuries. It begins with the early contact between Native Americans, enslaved Africans, and Europeans and carries through the Civil War and Reconstruction Period. Along the way we will encounter bouts of religious fervor, practices of oppression as well as emancipation, cultural intermingling and innovation, and revolutionary and civil wars. Throughout, emphasis will be placed on diverging viewpoints, so as to stress that history is never settled, but constantly in a state of being revised. Rather than converge upon a single narrative, we will juggle and compare the competing histories of the United States. In addition to gaining a better understanding of America’s past, students will further develop the critical thinking, argumentative, reading, and writing skills necessary to thrive in our contemporary world.