Syllabus
PROGRAMME
1. Puritan Roots
2. Revolutionary War
3. Foundations of the Union
4. Slavery and the Civil War
5. Native Americans
6. Westward Expansion and the Frontier
7. History of Immigration
8. 20th Century Wars
9. Women’s History of the U.S.
10. Civil Rights
11. Recent History
Annotation
OBJECTIVES
The course will provide an overview some of the fundamental cultural, political, religious, social, economic and intellectual issues in the history of the United States, from the colonial times to the present. The main focus will be less on the political history and more on the development of certain basic cultural concepts and myths that are key to the understanding of American culture. The history of the U.S. is, of course, vast, and it is not possible to cover it in one semester. Instead of trying for the impossible, the course will take a closer look on certain representative (and in many cases recurrent) historical issues. The students will be encouraged to actively participate in the historical examination of these issues through the readings and discussions of authentic historical documents and materials.
Each class will consist of two main parts: 1) the lecture proper which will summarize the topic and the context and offer questions for discussion, 2) a discussion of the materials assigned – authentic documents, photographs, films, etc. – in the context of the topic.
Moodle will be used as the main source for the class materials, guidelines and important information about the course.