Western Expansion of the United States

From American independence to the closing of the western frontier, this course will survey two centuries of American expansion. We will trace the social, cultural, economic, political, and environmental impacts of the moving frontier; our goal is to understand how this dramatic and complex history has shaped the identity and character of the United States. This course takes a wide variety of historical events – including: the Lewis and Clark Expedition, Cherokee removal, the Plains Wars, the establishment of the National Park Service, the overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii, and the Manhattan project – and uses them to understand ‘change over time’ in the American West. We will also consider the legacies of westward expansion, using film, music, and other media to understand how the history of the American frontier has influenced contemporary culture. This course introduces students to methods of historical analysis. We will learn to form historical arguments through writing and discussion, find and interpret primary and secondary sources, and develop critical thinking skills as we evaluate and challenge key ideas and stories from the American West.

This course is an introduction to the histories and cultures of the region called the Caribbean. The class will emphasize how larger events and processes like colonialism, slavery, revolution, globalization, international politics and warfare, and natural disasters and humanitarian crises have impacted the development of Caribbean countries and territories from the 16th century to the present. We will also explore the cultural response from the peoples of the Caribbean, and evaluate the extent to which a singular “Caribbean culture” exists. 

Other topics will include the diversity of language, physical environment, religion, and traditions across the islands; local and popular music, food, literature, dance and art; the Caribbean diaspora and movement of peoples within and outside the region; the unique political and economic challenges of the islands and adjacent countries; and the relationship between the Caribbean and the United States. Meets World Cultures Discovery requirement, and students of all levels and majors are welcome.