Rich in culture, land, people, customs, and beliefs, the United States grew from a country of thirteen colonies, to a large country of fifty states, to a superpower in the world with one of the largest economies. This course will guide the students along a path of discovery as they learn how this nation was born, how its powerful Constitution formed, and how it struggled internally and externally as it learned and continues to learn the boundaries, dynamics, and relationships based upon the three ideals of liberty, equality, and the pursuit of happiness. The course will discuss its early Native American roots and colonist settlements; the forging of a new national identity, free of the chains of imperialism; the establishment of the country of the United States as a world power.The objective of the course is to foster in students an interest in the past and to develop an understanding that enables them to comprehend what Modern history of the United States of America has to offer. Students will be trained to identify, define, or analyse key aspects of U.S. history in order to gain knowledge and articulate their understanding in the disciplines that make up this course. By examining the history of United States from an intellectual perspective, students will develop both a more nuanced understanding of the development and dynamics of American history and politics. The aim is to enable students to know about significant events in the contemporary history of America and to understand how events have changed over time from post-World War II and how they have overcome the complexities of their history and became a superpower in the world today.At the end of the course the students will have a clear idea on the modern history of the United States of America. Students will gain a stronger knowledge in the discipline and thus articulate key aspects of United States history, politics, economics, culture and society. Students will be able to develop, in written, papers well-reasoned historical arguments on history of America. Articulate core knowledge of American history from its early Native American roots and colonist settlements; the forging of a new national identity, free of the chains of imperialism; to the establishment of the country of the United States as a world power. They will be able to critically analyse interpretations of America’s past, communicate clear and concise arguments in written forms that address issues in American history during this period.
Overview
Syllabus
WEEK 1Indigenous Nations of America.Indigenous Perspectives: Pre-Colonial Navajo and Cherokee Nations.Imagery, Art, and Expression of the Native American Indian.The Settlement ad Colonization by the Europeans.
WEEK 2Early colonial societies and cultureSeeds of Revolution: The Early Stirrings of American Independence (1651-1748).Liberalism as a Revolutionary Ideology during the American War of Independence.Republicanism as a Revolutionary Ideology during the American War of Independence.
WEEK 3Protestant Dissenters During the American War of Independence.Patriots in the American War of Independence.Loyalists in the American War of Independence: Emergence, Ideology, and Role.Neutrals in the American War of Independence: Emergence, Ideology, and Role.
WEEK 4Women's Participation and Role in the American War of Independence.Native Americans in the American War of Independence.The American War of Independence: Causes of Tension (1763-1774).The Boston Massacre and Tea Party: Turning Points in Colonial America.
WEEK 5The Intolerable Acts and the Continental Congress: Precursors to American Independence (1774-1775).Lexington and Concord to the Declaration of Independence: The Revolutionary Journey (April 1775 - July 1776).Military Campaigns and Foreign Interventions in the American War of Independence (1776-1781).The Treaty of Paris (1783) and its Legacy.
WEEK 6Forging the Nation: The Path to Constitutional Convention in Post-Revolutionary America.Debates and Compromises in the Making of the American Constitution.Understanding the U.S. Constitution: A Comprehensive Examination.
WEEK 7The Influence and Enduring Legacy of the U.S. Constitution: A Decades-Long Journey.The Washington years.The Emergence and Impact of Partisan Politics during the Federalist Era.
WEEK 8The Federalist Era: The Adam YearsJeffersonianismJacksonianism
WEEK 9The Rise of Political Parties in American History (1840-1960)The Evolution of the American Judiciary and the Role of the Supreme Court.Frontier Dreams and Realities: Frederick Jackson Turner's Legacy.
WEEK 10Marginalization and Displacement of Native AmericansThe lives and legacies of two remarkable figures – Tecumseh and the Shawnee Prophet.The Romanticization of the Wild West in American Literature and Movies.
WEEK 11Limits of Early American Democracy: Perspectives on Women and Blacks.Forging a Nation: The Dawn of American Industrialization.Building the Nation: Immigrant Contributions to Changing Labor Dynamic.
WEEK 12Early Labor Organization and Movements in America (up to 1945).The Plantation Economy of Agrarian South.Slavery and Prosperity in the Southern Plantation Economy.
WEEK 13Tilling the Soil, Reaping Freedom: The Unveiling of Slave Resistance in the Agrarian South.Conflict on the Frontier: America's Forgotten War of 1812.The Monroe Doctrine and Manifest Destiny: Cornerstones of American Foreign Policy and Territorial Expansion.
WEEK 14Manifest Destiny Unleashed: The Mexican-American War in Retrospect.Prelude to Conflict: The Origins and Catalysts of the Civil WarBrother Against Brother - The American Civil War Unfolds
WEEK 15Understanding the American Civil War - Issues and InterpretationsThe Rise of Republicanism in Post-Civil War AmericaAbraham Lincoln and the Emancipation Proclamation
WEEK 2Early colonial societies and cultureSeeds of Revolution: The Early Stirrings of American Independence (1651-1748).Liberalism as a Revolutionary Ideology during the American War of Independence.Republicanism as a Revolutionary Ideology during the American War of Independence.
WEEK 3Protestant Dissenters During the American War of Independence.Patriots in the American War of Independence.Loyalists in the American War of Independence: Emergence, Ideology, and Role.Neutrals in the American War of Independence: Emergence, Ideology, and Role.
WEEK 4Women's Participation and Role in the American War of Independence.Native Americans in the American War of Independence.The American War of Independence: Causes of Tension (1763-1774).The Boston Massacre and Tea Party: Turning Points in Colonial America.
WEEK 5The Intolerable Acts and the Continental Congress: Precursors to American Independence (1774-1775).Lexington and Concord to the Declaration of Independence: The Revolutionary Journey (April 1775 - July 1776).Military Campaigns and Foreign Interventions in the American War of Independence (1776-1781).The Treaty of Paris (1783) and its Legacy.
WEEK 6Forging the Nation: The Path to Constitutional Convention in Post-Revolutionary America.Debates and Compromises in the Making of the American Constitution.Understanding the U.S. Constitution: A Comprehensive Examination.
WEEK 7The Influence and Enduring Legacy of the U.S. Constitution: A Decades-Long Journey.The Washington years.The Emergence and Impact of Partisan Politics during the Federalist Era.
WEEK 8The Federalist Era: The Adam YearsJeffersonianismJacksonianism
WEEK 9The Rise of Political Parties in American History (1840-1960)The Evolution of the American Judiciary and the Role of the Supreme Court.Frontier Dreams and Realities: Frederick Jackson Turner's Legacy.
WEEK 10Marginalization and Displacement of Native AmericansThe lives and legacies of two remarkable figures – Tecumseh and the Shawnee Prophet.The Romanticization of the Wild West in American Literature and Movies.
WEEK 11Limits of Early American Democracy: Perspectives on Women and Blacks.Forging a Nation: The Dawn of American Industrialization.Building the Nation: Immigrant Contributions to Changing Labor Dynamic.
WEEK 12Early Labor Organization and Movements in America (up to 1945).The Plantation Economy of Agrarian South.Slavery and Prosperity in the Southern Plantation Economy.
WEEK 13Tilling the Soil, Reaping Freedom: The Unveiling of Slave Resistance in the Agrarian South.Conflict on the Frontier: America's Forgotten War of 1812.The Monroe Doctrine and Manifest Destiny: Cornerstones of American Foreign Policy and Territorial Expansion.
WEEK 14Manifest Destiny Unleashed: The Mexican-American War in Retrospect.Prelude to Conflict: The Origins and Catalysts of the Civil WarBrother Against Brother - The American Civil War Unfolds
WEEK 15Understanding the American Civil War - Issues and InterpretationsThe Rise of Republicanism in Post-Civil War AmericaAbraham Lincoln and the Emancipation Proclamation
Taught by
Dr. Bhabananda Singh T
