AMER225

This introductory American studies course examines what it means to be an American from a variety of social, political, and historical perspectives. Arranged chronologically and moving from Puritan New England to our current post-9/11 moment, the course takes up a series of topics that have been central to American cultural understanding and to the field of American
studies, including war, revolution, law, immigration, and the frontier. Students will use a range of primary sources to consider these topics, including fiction, photographs, autobiographies, material objects, and film. As they learn how to practice the interdisciplinary method of American studies, they will also learn about the history of the field, using key primary and secondary documents to understand the different critical approaches that have dominated the
field since its inception.