The purpose of History 402 is to introduce graduate students to the secondary literature of American history.  It is, in effect, a course in the history of ideas, examining the ways in which professional historians have written about the American past.  No one course could ever hope to cover completely such a vast subject.  But this course will treat many of the most important interpretations of American history, using both a topical and chronological approach. It will feature synthetic works of American historical writing -- works that pull together scholarship from many different sources on such important topics as historical objectivity, modernization, slavery, and national identity.  It will give students the opportunity to delve into these and many other topics in greater detail.

By the end of the semester, students should be more than familiar with the major schools of thought in United States history and have a clear idea of their relationship to one another.

Required Readings

Course Requirements

Assessment

Abbreviated Schedule

Disability

Blackboard

    Week One

    Week Two

    Week Three

    Week Four

    Week Five

    Week Six

    Week Seven

    Week Eight

    Week Nine

    Week Ten

    Week Eleven

    Week Twelve

    Week Thirteen

    Week Fourteen