HIST 102 United States Culture and Society II

This course provides an introduction to United States history from the Civil War to the early 21st century. Readings and lectures are structured around the core theme of American pluralism. They emphasize the changing demographics of the American population and consider the different strategies that Americans have used to negotiate this growing diversity over time. Topics covered include: Reconstruction, westward expansion and overseas imperialism, Industrialization and the Gilded Age, the Progressive Era, World War I, the Great Depression and New Deal, World War II and the rise of internationalism, the Cold War and third world decolonization, immigration reform and comparative civil rights movements, the Vietnam War and the rise of global dissent, conservatism and the "Reagan Revolution," America's border wars, and the post-9/11 War on Terror. We will give particular attention to issues of race, ethnicity, gender, religion, sexuality, region, and class in the shaping of modern America. Other important themes include: the expansion of federal power and the government's role in people's lives, contests over national citizenship and identity, America's changing role in the world and engagement with foreign peoples, and the demographic transformations wrought by international migration and conflicts.

Survey Requirement Met: United States