HIST 358-01, The United States and the World Since 1890, Spring 2007

Abstract

This course will survey the United States’ relationship with the world from 1890 to the present and will approach historical issues from a variety of perspectives. The assigned texts focus largely on economic and political developments, but there will also be readings and lectures discussing social and cultural changes that have had an impact on the United States and its interactions with other nations and peoples. The first third of the class will focus on the United States and the world through World War II. Students will learn about the United States’ move to imperialism, pacifistic and isolationist sentiments held by many Americans, and the country’s eventual decisions to enter two world wars. The next section of the class will deal with the US and the Cold War, examining the tensions between the US and the Soviet Union and how this conflict played out in different areas in the world, as well as back home in America. Finally, the last third of the course will look at different post-Cold War issues in American foreign affairs and will ask students to come to their own conclusions about the United States’ role in the 21st century world.