American Revolutions 1763-1821

Catalog description

As the United States prepares to commemorate the 250th anniversary in independence, this course explores how independence came to be. The American Revolution was a multi-sided conflict with wide-ranging meanings and consequences beyond North America. The title of this course is intentionally plural to emphasize the multiple and clashing visions of revolution pursued by the diverse peoples in the Western Hemisphere. We will consider divisions between Patriots and Loyalists, confrontations between Euro-Americans and Native and African Americans, and competing notions of independence and freedom among men and women, rich and poor, white settlers and African Americans (both enslaved and free). In doing so, we will consider the participants’ different objectives and how they shaped the course and meaning of the American Revolution. We will also consider the global implications of the event by studying how it sparked a series of revolutions in the Atlantic world. The course is divided into three parts: Part I. The Road to Division Part II. The War for Independence Part III. The Age of Revolutions. In this course, students will read pamphlets, journals, letters, and newspapers, as well as study material and visual culture to understand how the American Revolution unfolded. In addition, students will engage closely with books and articles to learn how historians have written about the event. Satisfies History major and minor requirement. Satisfies Historical Thought Ways of Knowing requirement. Satisfies Cultural Diversity requirement.