Where do our ideas come from? How are they related to our national identity? How have American culture, politics, society, and economics been shaped by something as seemingly inconsequential as a thought? Intro to American Intellectual History will answer those questions by examing the thinkers and ideas that most profoundly shaped the United States of America. This course will examine the ideas that formed the American Revolution, molded the Constitution, ignited the Civil War, animated the Progressive Era, shaped the policy of the World Wars, manifested the civil rights movement, and brought about America's postmodern moment. By examining the thoughts and minds of influential Americans like Thomas Paine, W.E.B. DuBois, and Mark Twain, students will gain a new appreciation for the world they live in and themselves as products of collective American thought.