Special Topics. Special fee on some topics.

Special Topics. Special fee on some topics.

This course focuses on the origins and development of issues relevant to Americans today through the examination of the history of the United States from its earliest settlement through the Civil War. Students study themes and events ranging from Native American cultures and their contact with early European settlements, the triumph of British over French and Spanish settlers, the upheavals of the Revolution, the establishment of the United States, its expansion westward, and the development and growth of slavery which culminated in the Civil War. The focus of this class will be making connections between the past and the present day, recognizing historical themes, evaluating areas of conflict, and using evidence-based historical interpretation.

In this course, students develop and employ historical methodology appropriate to the study of events, figures, periods, and cultures of the past. Building on General Education coursework in thinking, research, and writing, the course helps to develop a historical mindset through student practice with methods and processes of the historian, in designing viable projects to explore further, and in substantive written work. The course frames key questions and concepts in the discipline and prepares students for upper-level courses in the major.