American History to 1865.

Catalog description

A general survey of the history of the United States from the colonial period through the American Civil War, with special emphasis on engagement of primary documents. Rejecting the view of history as an endless succession of discrete events, the course pays special attention to the predominant belief systems of Americans during two-and-a-half centuries, focusing in particular on the concepts of republicanism and democracy, as well as Americans' contested understandings of human nature, human rights, and human freedom.