Course Overview

This course examines the formation of the United States of America and the American political system, U.S. territorial growth and social reform, the American Civil War and Reconstruction, and the political, economic, social and cultural development of the United States from the late 1800s to the present. It traces the changing ethnic composition of American society; the movement toward greater civil equality for minorities; and the emergence of the US as a major world power.

The course covers six time periods organized into 14 units. The first time period, Colonial America, c. 1492-1754, is available for self-study. We will begin with the second time period, Early America, c. 1754-1848, and continue to the present.

Colonial America

c. 1492-1754

c. 1492-1754

Colonization
surveys establishment and development of European colonies along the Atlantic coast of North America.

Early America

c. 1754-1848

c. 1754-1848

Revolution
explores the causes and course of the American War of Independence from Great Britain.

Constitution
examines the creation of the new federal government of the United States of America, and the new nation’s early years from Washington’s Administration through the War of 1812.

Expansion
explores the growth of American nationalism, economic and industrial development, and expansion of political participation. It also surveys social and religious reform movements, westward expansion through the Mexican-American War, and the impact of American slavery.

Reconstructing America

c. 1848-1898

c. 1848-1898

The Civil War
investigates the issues that led to secession crisis and conflict between the United States and the Confederate States during the American Civil War. It also examines the struggles to rebuild the nation during Reconstruction.

The Gilded Age
surveys conflicts between settlers, ranchers, miners, Native Americans, and others during the heyday of the Western Frontier. It also examines the rapid economic and urban development and widespread corruption in the years following the Civil War.

Modern America

c. 1898-1945

c. 1898-1945

The American Empire
examines the rise of the United States as a new global power, and surveys widespread social, economic, and political reform at the turn of the 20th century.

The Great Depression
investigates the prosperity and social changes of the Roaring ’20s followed by a catastrophic economic collapse and Franklin Delano Roosevelt's New Deal response.

The Second World War
examines the United States’ role in the fight against Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy, and Imperial Japan.

Cold War America

c. 1945-1991

c. 1945-1991

The Early Cold War
follows the United States' global struggle against communist forces in the Soviet Union, Eastern Europe, China, and Korea. The US also experienced tremendous economic growth as the suburbs sprang up.

The Great Society
investigates the turbulent social transformation and political unrest during the Civil Rights Era, and the challenge to mainstream America arose in a powerful counterculture during the Vietnam War.

The Late Cold War
explores domestic and foreign challenges the United States faced during the 1970s and 1980s.

Contemporary America

c. 1991-Today

c. 1991-Today

The Culture Wars
epitomize the political and social polarization between left-wing liberal Democrats and right-wing conservative Republicans.

The War on Terror
explores the U.S. response to 9/11, the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and acts of domestic terrorism from the Oklahoma City bombing to the U.S. Capitol Insurrection.