U.S. History since 1877

(3 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

This course surveys American History from the end of Reconstruction in 1877 to the present. During this period, the United States became a global power, fought two world wars, witnessed momentous cultural changes at home, and became the nation it is today. How and why did these changes happen? What were the turning points and who were the key figures behind them? To answer these questions, this course will examine post-Reconstruction American history through a variety of lenses including religion, race and ethnicity, war, politics, and intellectual developments. Topics receiving special attention include political corruption and Progressive reforms; presidential elections; World War I; the Great Depression and World War II; the Cold War; the Nineteen Sixties; and the rise of the Right. This course is open to all students; history majors may count up to two lower-level courses toward the major.