HIST 104AModern American Civilization

Catalog

HIST 104A - Modern American Civilization Professor Leigh Ann Wheeler Course Description: History is not just what happened. It is what we make of what happened. History is, in other words, aspects of the past we deem significant and worthy of study; it is how we interpret those, and what meaning we find in them for our world today. For this class, I have selected topics and themes that I find critical to understanding the development of the United States and its residents since the end of the Civil War and up to today. We will study "the basics" of modern American history- industrialization, urbanization, political reform movements, America's emergence as a world power, social movements such as the civil rights and women's movements, and the tensions inherent in any democracy--from a variety of perspectives. You will learn to: 1) understand history as a discipline (not just a collection of facts), 2) evaluate historical interpretations, and 3) produce your own historical interpretations using primary sources.