History of American Capitalism

(3 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

The aim of this course is to provide students an introduction to the history of capitalism in the United States. Our focus will be upon the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, but the course will refer to and incorporate the entire history of the United States. Topics covered include the rise of capitalism in North America and its distinctive qualities; Populism; Fordism; the Great Depression and the New Deal; the character of post-WWII US global hegemony; post-1980 financialization and service work; Trumpism; the current and future trajectory of US capitalism and its relationship to the wider world. Throughout, the course will use capitalism as a means of achieving a broad historical perspective on the United States, spanning economy, politics, culture, society, environment, and more. Another aim of this course is to expose students to the discipline of history and the sensibilities of historical interpretation, including the ability of history to incorporate perspectives from across the social sciences and humanities. PF - Paris, France: This class explores the historical development and impacts of American capitalism across both time and space. Students are evaluated on their ability to develop historically sound arguments using the extensive list of primary and secondary sources read in the class and the historical methods they develop through lively class discussions while remembering the temporal and analytical constraints of interpretation across time.