Colonial America

(3 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

The European settlement of this continent was one of the more significant events in the past several centuries. That claim may appear self-evident, but Americans today are still confronting the legacies of many of the decisions that people made hundreds of years ago during colonization. This course explores early American history and attempts to recapture that world, suggesting how it is not as distant from our own society and culture as we sometimes think. The class combines lectures and discussions to cover the period from first contact between European and Native peoples through the American Revolution. Some of the major themes will be the interaction of European, Native, and African peoples; the extraordinary diversity of early America; the cultural, political, and economic incorporation of the colonies into the British empire; and the surprising decision to pursue independence. Students will have the opportunity to read both documents from the period and modern works of history as they explore the people, events, and places that shaped early America.