HIST 151-02, The Americas From Colonial Times to 1877, Fall 1999

Abstract

Moving into the nineteenth century, we will examine how Americans began to form a national identity, both political and cultural. We will explore the ways that territorial expansion, industrialization, and conflict over slavery shaped American life. The struggles between Native Americans and whites over sovereignty and land, the search for community in a rapidly changing society, and the drift toward sectionalism form crucial parts of this story. Lastly, we will investigate the great conflict that pitted brother against brother, the American Civil War and its aftermath, Reconstruction.